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
- conclusions
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
- plenary discussion
- conclusions
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
Reading materials
Theoretical questions
What is social reproduction theory? Tithi Bhattacharya https://socialistworker.org/2013/09/10/what-is-social-reproduction-theory
What is Ecofeminism Yayo Herrero and Juan Tortosa http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article2407
The movement ON 3rd or 4th WAVE
English / Français / Castellano Laia´s notes
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E7-bdJS1tNU2ljeTfl92aXyZbVJZsQCr/view
Manifesto “Toward a Feminist International” (2019)
https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/4259-beyond-march-8th-toward-a-feminist-international
Feminism of the 99% (2017)
“Beyond Lean-In: For a Feminism of the 99% and a Militant International Strike on March 8”
ANALYSIS OF THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT by country
1. ITALY: Article of 2017 analysis of the beginnings of the new wave and its characteristics
English: A new feminist movement in Italy is on the move
http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article5002
2. SPANISH STATE: Article of 2019 to reflect on the limits, potentialities and challenges of the movement and the 8M
“Change Everything: Foundations and Challenges of the Feminist Strike in Spain”
3. ARGENTINA: Interview of 2018 on struggle for abortion with some keys to understanding the movement in Latin America
“Beyond the rejection of the law for the legalization of abortion in Argentina: a fourth feminist wave?”
http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article5740
4. ALGERIA: interview to reflect on mobilizations in Algeria from the standpoint of feminism
“Many women have become conscious of the value of claiming their rights and demanding the end of the system”
http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article6026
5. FRANCE. WOMEN IN THE MOVEMENT OF YELLOW VESTS. This text is included to analyse the new wave beyond the feminist movement itself, to also analyse what we have called "feminization of protest"
“Women in the yellow jacket movement: class revolt, gender transgression”
http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article5843
Documents of the Fourth International on Women's Liberation
1979 WORLD CONGRESS
Socialist Revolution and the Struggle for Women’s Liberation http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?rubrique133
1991 WORLD CONGRESS
Latin America: Dynamics of mass movements and feminist currents: http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article142
Western Europe: Changing forms of the struggle for women’s liberation: http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article140
Positive action and partybuilding among women: http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article143
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