At 21:23 17/10/2006, YOSHIE wrote:
>1. Modern political parties, especially ones on the Left, tend to
>have "women's sections." Both women intellectuals and women
>grassroots leaders get groomed into leading "women's sections" in
>particular rather than parties in general on the Left, though they
>apparently aren't on the Right?
Such sections (as well as mandatory quotas on executive committees,
etc) have tended to emerge as the results of the demands of an active
women's movement (rather than from paternalism), and in my view are
important in the development of capacities.
They can be, but the political division of labor on the Left has often
worked like this: men think BIG, GENERAL, IMPORTANT questions while
women think about "women's issues." Naturally, with that division of
labor, it has been men who tend to become national political leaders.
A tautology, no? What makes 'women's issues' not 'BIG, GENERAL,
IMPORTANT questions'?
In the absence of an
active movement, of course, they become career paths for
individuals... but that begs the question as to why the movement dissipates.
Where feminism has developed as an autonomous movement in the absence
of a left-wing party of which it can be a part, the very success of
the movement in removing much of de jure discrimination has dissipated
the movement, before specific problems that confront working-class
women can get resolved. That's a problem in places like the USA.
But, we're talking about a left, presumably socialist, movement, no?
however, the original question that you posed---
the absence of women in the top leadership in societies attempting to
build socialism-- seems more interesting to me than the issue of
leadership in left movements in the barbarisms of the west.
I think the two are related questions, since societies attempting to
build socialism inherit the gendered division of political labor
created when they were not building it.
Yes, definitely. But, if there is a commitment to struggle
against that, new leaders should be emerging (who do not get shunted
off to head of the women's movement). So, we come back to the absence
of women in the leadership of these societies. The result of a lack
of commitment? Eg., come back to the Cuban party's leadership.
in solidarity,
michael
Michael A. Lebowitz
Professor Emeritus
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Currently based in Venezuela.
NOTE NEW PHONE NUMBERS
Can be reached at
Residencias Anauco Suites
Departamento 601
Parque Central, Zona Postal 1010, Oficina 1
Caracas, Venezuela
(58-212) 573-6333, 571-1520, 571-3820 (or hotel cell: 0412-200-7540)
fax: (58-212) 573-7724
