Women's Seminar 2015

Women's seminar 2015

5 days, 4-8 July 2015 inclusive Proposals for potential participants should be sent before the International Committee meeting 21st February 2015.

Goal: To strengthen our shared theoretical and analytical heritage to engage in the current discussions in the feminist movement; To engage different generations of women within the FI in these discussions.

Programme

Saturday morning: Country reports/introductions

Saturday afternoon/Sunday morning/Sunday afternoon: Women's oppression, class society, other oppressions, how does Marxism help us to understand the nature of work and exploitation, the nature of oppressions and the inter-relationship between exploitation and oppression: Cinzia Arruzza, Peter Drucker, Susan Pashkoff, Johanna Brenner

Saturday afternoon 14.30 – 18.30 Susan Pashkoff: Exploitation of women, at home and at work; domestic labour: Womens' oppression and exploitation 30 mins intro plus discussion in plenary

Sunday morning: 09.00 – 12.30 Johanna Brenner and Peter Drucker: women's oppression and race and national identity, how they intersect: 2 intros of 30 mins (or less) plus plenary discussion

Sunday afternoon: 14.30 – 18.30 Cinzia Arruzza : how does Marxism help us understand all the above: 30 mins intro and plenary discussion

Reading material: 1979 resolution (Origin and Nature of Women's Oppression) [1] ; Stephanie Coontz's working paper [2] ; 2 chapters of Cinzia's book, Chapter 3 Dangerous liaisons between gender and class, Chapter 4 A queer union between Marxism and feminism and her article “Remarks on Gender” [3]; Peter Drucker, book extract Warped, and chapter 17 of the resolution On Lesbian/Gay Liberation [4]; material on economy/nature of work.

Monday morning/Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning: our experiences of the autonomous women's movement, highlighting the newer and non-European experiences, notably in Muslim countries (Arab region and South-East Asia), and Latin America (4 different experiences to choose)

Reading material: 1979 resolution (Our Methods of Struggle, Our Class Independence) [5] ; 1991 Latin American resolution [6], 1991 Europe resolution [7], balance sheets written by French (The second feminist wave in France ), Brazilians ( Women and the Fi in Brazil 2006 ) Philippines in 2006 ( Women's Liberation movement : the Philippine experience ), Terry's [8] and Josette's [9] papers for Historical Materialism London 2013

Tuesday afternoon/Wednesday morning: Feminising our organisations (How do we want to focus it more: how to deal with sexism, sexual aggression and violence as in 2013, how to recruit women, how to strengthen women's role in the organisation and leadership?)

Reading material: 1991 resolution on Positive action [10], Penny's Working Paper [11] or paper for HM 2013 [12]

Wednesday afternoon: Conclusions and Balance sheet

The initial reading material indicated is on the basis of what we know is available in three languages. Of course we will look for other material. All FI women's resolutions and some other texts are published in English in book form (available from the IIRE).

We will ask for SHORT written contributions from the participants (and countries that are unable to be present) on their experience, highlighting in particular the challenges that they face.

Perspectives: a new women's school (ten days? Two or three weeks?)? A women's resolution for the next world congress?