[ENS] Provisional agenda for 'Feminist Fight Back'

[Laura Schwartz]

Comrades and Sisters,
  The brainstorming session today was really useful for working out a rough idea of some of the sessions we might have. The provisional agenda is below- obivously the final shape of the event will be based on who is available to speak, and there are some ideas that still need fleshing out as to how we might fit speakers into sessions/ debates etc. 
  Many of the sessions below do not have an 'organiser' yet, so if you feel able to take overall responsibility for chasing people up about a particular session and/ or chairing it on the day, please say so. You will have lots of help from the rest of us in doing this if you need it.
   
  We decided that it would be good to have a variety of different types of sessions. There will be a couple of controversial debates, some film showings, some practical sessions on ways in which women in the UK can support women's rights movements abroad, and some workshops.
   
  Finally, we want this event to be focused on ways we can get active for feminism, campaigning on issues that effect all women. So we decided to use this event to build for an torch-lit abortion rights demonstration which will follow the route of a suffragette march in east London. The plan is for this to happen after Xmas and it will be the only piece of direct action on this issue taking place all year. The final session will be used to organise for this.
   
  Below is the agenda- please read it to the bottom where there will be list of things you can do!
   
  Provisional Agenda
   
  Working title for event is 'Feminist Fight Back' 
   
  It was decided that the event would be organised along various themes- Sexuality, Women Workers and 'Feminism without borders', though there are some things that don't yet fall obviously uder these titles.
   
  1. Sexuality:
   
  Invite 'Object' to debate pornography and censorship with Sofie Buckland, NUS. (responsibility for organising: Sofie Buckland).
   
  Invite Finn Mackay from London Feminist Network and Ana Lopes from the International Union of Sex Workers to debate sex work and President Chavez recent decision to ban sex workers unions in Venezuala.
  (Sofie to organise)
   
  To be followed by a session on the commodification of sexuality, how to balance this with sexual freedom (organised more informally, not as a confrontational debate). Suggested people to lead off are Julie Bindell, but if anyone knows a good person who writes about/ thinks about this issue then let us know.
  (Organiser still needed)
   
  Trans women: Jo Dawson and Debbie Hollingsworth organising- please send details to the list. (Realise this doesn't really fit under sexuality!)
   
  There is still room for a debate/ session/ film showing etc on queer women- does anyone have good ideas, want to help organise this?
   
   
  2. Women Workers
   
  Invite Jayaben Desai, leader of Grunwick Workers strike in which, mainly Asian women, workers struck for the right to form a union and against racist work conditions and low pay. It is the 30th anniversary of this strike this year. if we can get Desai to come this would be excellent and I think she should speak in the opening session of the conference.
  (Laura to organise)
   
  Equal pay and fair pay- women in the unions: Invite the health workers who recently won legal action for being paid less than male workers; invite a woman rank and file trade unionist to talk about fighting in the unions- perhaps Maria Exall from Communication workers union or Janine Booth from RMT (tube worker).
  (Debbie Hollingsworth main organiser)
   
  Film showing of 'Bread and Roses' about the women who occupied the Brookman garment factory and fought off the police in Argentina. Invite Argentinian Solidarity campaign speaker to introduce.
  (organiser still needed)
   
  3. Feminism without borders:
   
  Iranian women's movement- invite speaker to tell us about how women are organising for their rights under the dictatorship in Iran, followed by practical session on ways in which UK women can support them.
  (Organiser still needed)
   
  Asylum and Immigration and Sex trafficking- how the asylum laws effect women. Can someone suggest a good person from an organisation that support trafficked women? Also activist from Oxford Asylum support to lead off practical session on ways to support female asylum seekers.
   
  Also to invite- Palestinian feminist (depending on whether contact with a Palestinian women's group has been made at Queeruption in Tel Aviv); Women Against Fundamentalism; Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq- Ideas still needed for how these might be structured, what we want debated etc.
  (Organiser still needed)
   
   
  4. Sessions that don't really fit into any theme:
   
  Women and racisim- possible speakers are Salma Yaqoob from Respect, Ruqayyah Collector NUS Black Students Officer, Southall Black Sisters.
  (Mary Partington to organise)
   
  'Challenging Sexism on the Left'. Invite women from Scottich Socialist Party who have recently built an active women's caucus to do lead off. Hold workshop in which women can discuss their experiences as women activists, ways to combat sexist attitudes etc.
  (Ruth Cashman organiser)
   
  Rebuilding the Women's Movement
  Invite socialist feminists (Sheila Rowbotham, Hilary Wainright or Lynn Segal) with experience of the liberation movement in the 1970s; invite Kat Stark???; have someone from ENS Women.
  (Organiser still needed)
   
   
  Final Session- The Fight for Abortion Rights
  Invite to speak Abortion Rights, Keep NHS Public Campaign, Pro-Choice Activist from Northern Ireland. Then have practical session on building for abortion rights march after Xmas.
  (Organised by Laura)
   
  ----------------------------
   
  Things you can do!
   
  If you can't loads of time in as a member of the working group, there  are still lots of things you can do to helpo build for this conference.
   
  We agreed to write a statement annoucning the conference and to take it to our women's groups to add their names in support.
  We will also ask trade union women's groups and any feminist organisations to support it too. So far we've thought of Amenesty Violence Against Women Campaign, Abortion Rights, Southall Black Sisters, War on Want, any other ideas please let us know...
  We will also put a motion to NUS Women's committee to support the event and provide publicity.
   
  We also will do ring rounds of student unions, particularly FE colleges, and of course everyone should book minibuses to bring delegations from their colleges!
   
   
   
   
   

 		
---------------------------------
 All New Yahoo! Mail – Tired of Vi at gr@! come-ons? Let our SpamGuard protect you.