Women fighting back against cuts

With unemployment among women soaring by an astonishing 20% in Scotland over the last quarter, attacks on wages and pensions, cut backs in key services like Rape Crisis and Women’s Aid, and growing gender and class equalities,  a serious question is posed: How women organise to defend the few gains that have been won?

Some within the ‘feminist movement’ argue that the key is getting more women into positions of power….regardless of what you stand for.   Angela Cummine’s article in The Guardian on 25th of August “Should feminists back Michele Bachmann?” (potential Republican presidential candidate)  supports this approach.   

Michele Bachmann comes from the right wing Tea Party movement. She has a fundamentalist Christian view of women’s social role suggesting that women should be submissive to their husbands, is anti-abortion, believes that homosexuality is “part of Satan” and wants the abolition of the minimum wage.

Cummine asserts that despite all of Bachmann faults “women are better represented in politics with Bachmann in the race, no matter how unpalatable her views”. There are other at one time radical feminists, like Naomi Wolf (author of The Beauty Myth) who support this stance.  Wolf can see no problem with ‘feminists’ who “prefer what they see as the rugged individualism of free-market forces, a level capitalist playing field, and a weak state that does not impinge on their personal choices.” She goes on, incredibly to argue that women like Margaret Thatcher “are real feminists….even if they themselves would reject the feminist label.”

However, having more women in positions of power in and of itself will do little to address the endemic inequalities that prevail under a capitalist society.  Just look at the reality of life for women under Thatcher – a freeze in Child Benefit, a refusal by Thatcher to invest in child care, the selling off of housing stock, the worst maternity rights in Europe and ferocious attacks on the trade union movement not to mention the complete decimation of communities throughout Scotland, England and Wales following the miners’ strike.  And of course the introduction of the hated Poll Tax.

Thatcher famously declared that “the battle for women’s rights has largely been won”.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The current attacks on the public sector will set back the few gains that women have made for decades.  Women make up the overwhelming majority of the public sector and local government workforce and will face the brunt of the expected 600,000 job losses.

As it stands unemployment among women is now at its highest in more than 20 years – 1.05 million women are now unemployed,  the highest figure since May 1988. More than half a million women  – 512,700 – are now claiming Job Seekers Allowance –  the highest figure since April 1996.  

In England we have seen the wide-spread cuts in funding of Violence Against Women’s services.  This will only worsen an already dismal picture of service provision across England and Wales.  There is little doubt that services in Scotland will face the same fate over the coming years.

Women have already begun to move into action against the attacks on jobs and public services.  You just have to look at the demonstration in London on March 26th which saw 500,000 people take to the streets followed by a Public Sector strike on June 30th on the issue of defending jobs, public services and pensions.  This action needs to be stepped up – with a call for a one day general strike in the autumn.The trade union and anti cuts movement should link up with the Violence Against Women sector and defend these vital services.

Naomi Wolf concludes her article with a warning shot “we ignore the wide appeal of right-wing feminism at our peril.”  On this point I do agree.  What we need is more women who will put forward a programme and a strategy that will fight for the interests of ordinary working class men and women in Scotland.  If you agree, then join us in this struggle.