BY SARAH KATZ
WASHINGTON, D.C. - At the Young Feminist Summit, held in Washington D.C. April 11-13, Young Socialists sponsored a workshop entitled "Feminism and Socialism," which explained how the struggle for women's rights and the struggle for the liberation of the working class are closely linked. With over 80 participants, this was one of the best-attended workshops at the conference.

To open the discussion, YS leader Meg Novak posed the question, "Can you get rid of patriarchy without getting rid of capitalism?" She went on to explain, "Women's liberation is a part of, and cannot be separated from, the class struggle," pointing to the examples of the Cuban and Russian revolutions.

Quite a lively discussion ensued. A women from the Pro- choice Coalition at Kansas University asked why we need to "construct ourselves in opposition to something else?" This was in response to Novak's statement that "[capitalist politician] Jean Kirkpatrick is not my sister." The question of who are our allies in the fight for women's rights was sharply posed, and there was quite a bit of debate from participants about who defenders of women's rights need to link up with.

Nadine Loza, a student from Panoma, California, responded, "I'm an activist for Chicana rights, but I don't necessarily think that wealthy Chicanas face the same kind of situation as the rest of us."

Sara Van Norman, a member of the University Young Women at the University of Minnesota, asked about the role of women after revolutionary movements come to power, like the Bolshevik party in Russia, and the role that women have in constructing a new society. Novak noted that after the working class - led by the Bolsheviks - took power in Russia in 1917, abortion was made legal and women won the right to vote.

Novak also explained the current threat to a woman's right to abortion, with the passage of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would ban the late-term abortion procedure called dilation and extraction. "If this bill is signed, it will be the first time since the Roe vs. Wade court ruling that an actual abortion procedure is made illegal," she explained. "This is nothing less than an attempt to slowly chip away at the rights that we have won, the right to control our own bodies, by taking to the streets during the women's liberation movement of the '60s and early '70s. Now is the time for every defender of women's rights to take an uncompromising stand in defense of a women's right to make the decisions that she feels are right for her own well-being."

Participants discussed whether or not women's equality can be achieved by reforming the capitalist system. The most hotly debated topic was the best way to make the kind of revolution that is necessary to decisively change women's role in society. Several people pointed to the example of Ghandi and pacifism, while Novak and others pointed to the lessons of past labor struggles, and Malcolm X's speeches on self-defense.

Because of the response to the class, the YS held a second session, which about 30 people attended.

Holding these meetings as a part of the Young Feminist Summit helped the Young Socialists to meet others who were attracted to the idea of a revolutionary youth organization. The class also helped point people to the Young Socialists table of Pathfinder literature, where participants bought more than 50 books and 20 Militant subscriptions.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home