WomenLiberation

Marxism Day School January 14, 2007

Women Liberation Ilyas Khokhar

‘Time to Get Angry Again!’

• Women Killed in Afghanistan • Incredible Devastation

• Child Rearing Working Women

• Obstacles to feed, house, clothe • Same in Palestine, Columbia, US

• War/Globalization

• Combined Effect • Devastating for War-Zone Women • Rich Countries: Fund for War –Cuts on HealthCare, Education

Contradictory Situation • Gains of Women Lib 1960s/1970s • Globally • Marriage/Divorce/Property/Abortion rights, work outside home, less dependency

• War Globalization Devastating

Women & War • Afghan Women • Women Liberation – A Justification of War • Image: Afghani Women in Burqa • Symbol of ‘Evil’ nature of Taliban • Imperialist War to liberate Women

• George Bush

• Conservative, anti-woman right winger • Anti-abortion: rape not reason for abortion

• Supports Northern Alliance: exactly same policy as Taliban

• Sections of Left Also

• Susan George: Taliban ‘fascist fundas’

Islam & Fundamentalism • Some on Left

• Saw US War on Terror a Positive Step • War to destroy anti-women regime

• True: Taliban – Women Oppressors • Does not Get at Reality of Situation

• Reality

• Taliban Power: 20 yrs Imperialist War • Attempt to Create Order.Misguided: rural on urban

Islam & Fundamentalism • US Supported Taliban

• 1980s : Mujahideen, • 1990s: Hoped Taliban Protect Western Investment/Oil • 1998 – Not Fully Cooperative: • Women Treatment Denounced

• Iran Denounced Taliban Anti-Women

• US Allies Saudi Arabia – Equally Oppressive

Islamophobia & Women Oppression • War Was Progressive!

• Leads to Islam ‘anti-woman’ • Islamophobia : Since 1979 Iran, 1991 Gulf War, Hollywood movies

• Women Treatment

• Surfaced in Christianity, Judaism, Hiduism • Iran: Scarfed Women Work, Vote, MPs

Emergence of Islamic Regimes?

• Opposition to Western Imperialism • Control of Oil

• Ruling Elite • • • • •

Collaborates with Imperialist Powers Grows Rich – People Suffer Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, Textile-Pakistan Mass Poverty, Despair – Minority Elite Struggle of Palestinians Against Israeli Imperialism

Emergence of Islamic Regimes?

• Islamists:

• Voice Concern of People That Secular Govts Ignore • Only Movement Fighting Imperialism Destroying Lives, Way of Living • Muslims in Mid-East/US/UK/Pakistan − Hijab Not Submission – Defiance of Imperiled Way of Life

• Not a Way Forward:

• Islamists Do Not Enable People to Fight Imperialism

Politics of Religious Fundamentalism • Political Islam Collapsed with Anti-Woman Brand of Religious Fundamentalism • Susan George

• Anti-Cap/Anti-Glob Theorist • Talked of Fighting Religious Fundamentalism On Par With Imperialism and Capitalism • ‘Age of Radical Insecurity & Post-state Conflict’ • Osama Wants to Take Over World – ‘Fascist Fundas’

Women Oppression • ‘Globalization of Man’ • Base: Theory of Patriarchy

• Warmongers

• Condaleeza Rice, Indira Ghandi, Benazir • Responsible for deaths of millions

• Top Bosses – ‘Post-feminist’ era • Women Oppression Continues • Capitalist System: Class Division, Reaps Benefits

• Majority of Women

• Poor, Working Class, Standard Declines Despite Gains of Formal Equality

• Theory of Patriarchy

• Influences Feminists/AntiCap-Anti-

Women’s Movement • US

• Early 20th Century to 1950s

• Union Rights Struggle included fight for women’s liberation • McCarthyism & Anti-Communist Witch Hunt, influence of Stalinism • Buried Ideas that stressed liberation and solidarity

• 1960s Movement Started by • Civil Rights Groups/students • Not traditional political or left or socialists

Women’s Movement • Modern Women Lib Movement • • • •

Born in US Grew out of Civil Rights/Anti-Vietnam Amidst struggle upturn 60s/70s Women involved in anti-war/anti-racism • Also recognized their own oppression

• Got Higher Education

• But own no house, give up career, less paid

• Moralism/Gender Stereotypes clashed with experience of organizing to change the world

• Problems: Isolation from broader/working class movement – still grows

Pakistan Women Lib • 1950s: Largely Begum Led • 1960s : Many Women Led Student and Lib Movement • 1970s : Various Concessions including institutions/accesses • 1970s: Anti-Zia/Anti-Zina Movement: largely democratic, women lib seen as democratic lib • 1980s: From Street to Mainstream • Call not for liberation from Oppressive society but equality with men in capitalism – Leading section wealthy

Women Lib • Rise of Radical Feminism rejecting politics altogether

• ‘We ask not if something is ‘reformist’, ‘radical’ or ‘revolutionary’ or ‘moral’. We ask: is it good for women or bad for women? We ask not if something is ‘political’. We ask: is it effective? Does it get us closer to what we really want to do in a fastest way?’ (New York Radical Feminist)

Rise of Radical Feminism?

• General Downturn of working class struggle in 70s and 80s

• Blunted/fragmented women move • Suppression of Democratic Politics – Zia Regime

• Failure of bourgeoisie resistance • Failure of democracy • 1990 Soviet Debacle • Internalization of Women Liberation • Human Rights Activism, Specific Issue Based Isolated Campaigns

• – Out of Streets – Into Lobbying

• Instead of fighting Obscurantist --Seeking State Action Against Islamists

Party of Gen Musharraf • 9/11, Gen Musharraf, US AntiIslamism • Women NGO Movement finding common ground with state • MMA Brutal – Cohabits With State/Musharraf • Brutality of Gen Musharraf/Imperialism Ignored • Superficial State Actions • Not liberating women • Seen as pleasing USA

Need for Renewal • Historically

• Working Class Fought Against Capitalism and won – women benefitted • 1871 Paris, 1917 Russia, 1960s/2000 World-wide, 2005 Venezuela

• For a Women Liberation as part of General Struggle against capitalism and all forms of oppression • Women Oppression – Part of all societies • Specific in Capitalism • Women home/office work – profit • Working Class Men/Women Labour