Feminism Motion
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Dear Comrades,
I am perplexed as to why the motion up for approval, that it be stated that Socialists are feminists, has been submitted.
We stand for the working class. We stand for full equality of the sexes within the working class for a socialist revolution. We shouldn’t care, for instance, about female capitalists any more than for male capitalists. We may well support female workers having equal pay as males, but we don’t interest ourselves in it, because our aim is the abolition of the wages system.
We are sex egalitarians within our movement, rather than feminists, the latter being a gender reformist term.
The question arises, why single out feminism, among the plethora of causes within capitalism, for attention in this way? Members who display gender prejudice require reproval and disciplinary measures, but that is, if it even happens, a case for internal discipline and not the espousal of feminism or any other bourgeois reformist -ism.
There are a multitude of feminisms, differing greatly. Many actively or passively fully support capitalism as the system of society and never question the existence of the wages system, of leadership, of armed forces and nation states. They support the nation’s wars and war preparation, patriotism, gender prejudices of their own, etc. Do we support women’s, any more than men’s, entry into the armed forces? Women’s roles in the structure of the state (government) any more than men’s?
Women who are truly revolutionary proletarians will be socialists, not feminists.Well put John Oswald.
I’m one of the minority here on the forum – a woman. In all the decades before I declared myself a socialist I never felt any kinship, nor was I ever involved with feminist movements.
However, I certainly wish more females would feel the need to involve themselves in socialism – and no, I have no idea why they don’t.
Thank you.
I hope that I have also made it clear that we are fully gender egalitarians. In fact, John Oswald, my choice of pseudonym here, was a champion of women during the French Revolution, long before the Suffragettes.
I haven’t followed this issue too closely, but I read in another party website that 63 members of the Socialist Party approved this motion
There were a number of motions about feminism, patriarchy, sex equality, gender oppression that were voted on. Some were carried. Some were not. The one you are referring to reads:
“This Conference is of the view that a person can be a socialist as well as a feminist”
and was carried by 63 to 27.
The other resolutions that were carried were:
“This Conference rejects the definition of capitalism as “male-dominated class society” and the view that “capitalism and patriarchy are aspects of the same thing”. Capitalism is based on the subordination of the working class to the capitalist class, which is not the same thing as the subordination of women to men. Conference further notes that the more advanced capitalism is the less the discrimination against women.” (Carried 84 votes to 10).
“This Conference reaffirms that the abolition of class oppression will itself entail the abolition of gender oppression”. (Carried 83 votes to 9).
“This Conference repudiates the view that capitalism will itself abolish the oppression of women.” (Carried 60 votes to 18).
“This Conference instructs the EC to establish an ad-hoc committee to look into ways of encouraging more female membership, to report to Conference 2020.” (Carried 64 votes to 30).
A socialist is a socialist and does not make any difference if he/or she is a woman, a man or a homosexual. Feminism is just a bourgeois trend which advocates for reformism only. It is curious that some Marxist-Leninist parties are abandoning and rejecting that type of trend, one of them is the International Communist Current. How come some members in the Socialist Party believe that capitalism will abolish the oppression of human beings ? It is absurd. Probably, the Socialist Party must provide more political orientation to its member, or we are accepting as members peoples without any political knowledge. I remember that in one of the Companion Party there was a member who was supporting Barrack Obama
They should pass a resolution against racism, xenophobia and bullying. I don’t know what this party/ wsm would do if they start to recruit peoples from others countries, from other cultures, speaking different languages and different aptitude towards life. I don’t think they would’ve able to handle them It will continue being an euro centered institution
Er, excuse me:
I was against the motion as it can open the door to single-issue thinking. Why even mention feminism in this sense? Real socialists are necessarily against all discrimination, as stated in the Declaration of Principles. What next? “Socialists can be anti-racists”?
And might I add that feminist groups must come under the hostility clause, as must all reformist groups that do not stand for world socialism.
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/7/remembering_toni_morrison
I haven’t seen the tribute to the American feminist Toni Morrison who died a few days ago Talk is cheap
City of Women in Colombia City built by women running away from violence, they built their own houses, building, markets, and roads
In Honduras one of every 4 women are being killed, or raped. They don’t want to join a political organization, they just want to leave and emigrate to another place or another country with their children. Having an abortion is a crime and many have been taken to jail, and their misery continue inside those jail
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