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Women's Commission

THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION OF THE ASF HAS INITIALLY IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING ISSUES WHICH WE SHOULD BE DEALING WITH IN THIS ORGANISATION AND IN THE WIDER MOVEMENT:

- The need for us as anarcho-syndicalists to deal with the subordination of women in Irish society, particularly where patriarchal structures and prejudices impact on the lives of working class women, to the detriment of our class as a whole.

- The debate and concerns of the Feminist/women's movement in Ireland seems to be dominated by issues of women in 'power' coupled with the assumption that 'men' operate a monopoly on power as a gender and not as male representatives of specific (ruling) class interests. That they are male 'representatives' is symptomatic of the wider impact of patriarchy and should be recognised as such but we should not get sucked into false logic of demanding more women in positions of 'power' and must oppose such reasoning.

- We recognise that there is a real need to challenge and tackle the subordination of women. Working class women must be free to organise and work together as women, promoting and pursuing particular interests and struggles with the support of the movement. This is not counter to the inclusion of this struggle as part of the broader class struggle, indeed for working class women, and men, the two are inextricably linked.

- The role of women's groups and forums within the various political parties and unions ranges from that of a lobbying group to increase the profile of women in the organisation, to provide space for women to discuss issues which they identify as important. Following the completion of this report we should examine the successes and shortcomings of these models of organisation and discuss the future form and purpose of the ASF Women's Commission.

- Church and state, their roles in the continued subordination of women in Irish society should be examined and exposed.

- The effects of 'the troubles' on the lives of working class women requires additional research by our organisation.

- Rape and sexual abuse is an issue for the society as a whole, both men and women. We need more specialis research in order to assess and develop some frame of reference in dealing with issues around rape and sexual abuse. This is also true of domestic violence.

- The Women's Commission also recommend as an immediate step in the redressing of exclusion of parents, particularly lone and female parents, from political activism that all major events our organisation is involved in have child care provision and that this organisations AGA provide childcare.

The Women's Commission endorses the decision on 'Work and Chilcare' of the last AGA, which states that: "In order to facilitate the maximum access to employment for parents, particularly single parents, the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation supports calls, in the short terms, for employers to provide childcare facilities (in the form of crèches etc.) for workers. In the long term however we see childcare provision as part of the role of an independent and increasingly self sufficient Anarcho-Syndicalist union and we pledge ourselves to that goal." Additionally we demand the realisation of the aims of this statement regarding self reliance wherever this can be realistically achieved.

Research on these areas is currently being carried out mainly, though not exclusively, through the Equality Commission, at Equity House, Belfast. The ASF Women's Commission recommends that this research is completed within a 2 month period and that we then commence publication of it along with our analysis in a pamphlet on Women and Irish Society.

Organise! - ASF Women's Commission Statement: Patriarchy and Feminism in Ireland

MUJERES LIBRES

Fists upraised, women of Iberia
towards horizons pregnant with light
on paths afire
feet on the ground
face to the blue sky.
Affirming the promise of life
we defy tradition
we mould the warm clay
of a new world born of pain.
Let the past vanish into nothingness!
What do we care for yesterday!
We want to write anew the word WOMAN.
Fists upraised, women of the world
towards the horizons pregnant with light
on paths afire
onward, onward
toward the light.

[Lucia Sanchez Saornil, Valencia, 1937)