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