Women's Seminar 2019

Agenda

Saturday morning

9.00-12.30 Chair: DK

- Introduction to the seminar - Penny (English)

- introduction of participants

- Introduction to the Institute - Maral (English)

- organizing (cooking teams, language groups, etc)

Saturday afternoon

14.30-16.15 Chair: Nadia+CH

- introduction to the theme - Nadia (French)

- introduction on social reproduction theory: Tithi Bhattacharya (USA) (by skype) English

- Introduction on ecofeminism: Julia Camara (Spanish state) (Castilian/Spanish)

Discussion in plenary

16.30 - 18.30

- language groups discussion

Sunday morning

09.00 - 09.30 Chair: Christine+B

- Plenary

09.30 - 12.30

- language groups discussion

Sunday afternoon (with break)

14.30 - 18.30 Chair: Christine+B

- plenary discussion

- replies

Monday morning 9.00 - 10.30 Chair: Terry+PH

- introduction to the theme - Terry (English)

- Introductions on the women's movement from

Ximena Argentina (Castilian/Spanish)

Ahlem Belhadj Tunisia (French)

Patri Amaya Spanish state (Castilian/Spanish)

- questions and answers

10.45 - 12.30

- language groups discussion

Monday afternoon

14.30 - 17.00

- language groups discussion

17.30 - 18.30 Chair: Cheron+P

- report backs from groups

Tuesday morning

09.00 - 12.30 Chair: Josie+BR MES/Sub

- plenary discussion

Tuesday afternoon

14.30 - 18.30 Chair Laia+MX CSR

Women in our parties - form of discussion to be decided

Wednesday morning

09.00 - 12.30 Chair: Penny+GR

conclusions - what document(s) to prepare for the IC

outline of document for IC

The new rise of the women’s movement

1. What is the context

1.1 Neoliberalism,

1.2 Rise of far right, authoritarianism, anti “gender ideology” (Brazil, Eastern Europe)

1.3 Religious fundamentalism

1.4 Climate change (or disaster)

1.5 Massive migration

1.6 Crisis of reproduction

2. What are the factors that have provoked this rise

2.1 Women hardest hit by all these factors although some contradictory effects ie women in Poland and Hungary more like to vote for far right because of loss of services, "family friendly" policies of far right

2.2 Feminization of labour

2.3 Increased gender violence (and its perception)

2.4 Increasing role of women in society and in popular movements

2.5 Building on previous international contacts: Latin American Encuentros, World March of Women, social forums movement

2.6 NGOization of women’s movement, glass ceiling or “lean in” feminism

3. What are the specificities of this movement

3.1 Geographical spread (strongest in Latin America, Western Europe, specificity North America – anti-Trump mobilizations, Poland – abortion strike but weak in Eastern Europe, Arab region, Africa, Asia)

3.2 New generations

3.3 New preoccupations

3.4 New methods of struggle - feminist strike

3.5 New theoretical understandings (social reproduction theory, ecofeminism)

4. What is its strategic importance

4.1 Leading resistance of class as a whole eg anti-Trump in US, antio-Bolsonaro in Brazil. Also teachers strikes in US, processes in Algeria, Sudan

4.2 does it lead us to reconsider our strategic understanding of the role of the women’s movement

5. What are our tasks (our orientation) within the movement?

5.1 Mass self-organized action

5.2 Demands that address the needs of the most oppressed/exploited while building unity between (a) the broadest women’s resistance against the right, (b) feminism for the 99% (women’s strikes etc.) and (c) revolutionaries.

5.3 Importance of international coordination

5.4. Intersection (articulation) with other social movements