The feminist challenge in changing society, feminizing our perspectives and our movements -

“In order to change the conditions of life we must learn to see them through the eyes of women.”

Leon Trotsky (“Against Bureaucracy, Progressive And Unprogressive“ in Problems of Life, from MIA http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1924/xx/bureaucracy.htm.)

1. Understanding the world:

Class, gender, race

a) women are 52% of the population

b) women, all women, are oppressed

c) capitalism uses and reinforces existing oppression to increase its ability to exploit

d) a radical fight against capitalism must take as its starting point the deepest experiences of oppression and exploitation

2. Understanding the resistance

a) politicisation starts from real experience

- women's role in the family

- women's experience “as women”

- women's place as workers

b) self-organisation is the key

- autonomous women's movement, a strategic necessity

3. How can our parties embody this understanding?

a) place for women

b) representation of women

c) taking women's politics seriously

d) sanctions in a feminist party

Reading material:

1979 World Congress: Socialist Revolution and the Struggle for Women’s Liberation

1991 World Congress: Latin America: Dynamics of mass movements and feminist currents http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article142

The Revolution Betrayed by Léon Trotsky “Thermidor in the Family" https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/ch07.htm

Penelope Duggan The feminist challenge to traditional political organising http://archive.4edu.info/Youth_2007/ESY_12.11_Penelope_WP33.htm

Jo Freeman The Tyranny of Structurelessness http://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm

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