Womans’ champion?
by Eric, 17 April 2008
We would like to invite you this Sunday 20th April to ‘Labour: The Womens Champion’ a womens-only public meeting […]
The aim of the meeting is two-fold, firstly to gain female support for the local Labour candidate, Mr Muhammed Rasib, and secondly, to encourage membership from non-member supporters as well as for existing members to get more involved with the work of the Labour Party around Birmingham and surrounding areas.
The program will include Cllr Anita Ward, Chief Whip for the Labour Party, Muhammed Rasib, Labour Candidate for Washwood Heath, local female community champions, as well as members of the ‘Women Take Part’ steering group that Harriet Harman MP has set up, and local councillors.
Please do try to come along to benefit from the program, as well as ask any questions you may have and support this city-wide initiative. There will be many opportunities across the city for female councillors in 2010, especially for black and ethnic minority communities, so if it is something you are thinking about, you really need to be at this meeting.
Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend this meeting due to my chromosomal make-up (something I had little control of), but I have to question the validity of a women-only meeting called ‘Labour: The Womens Champion’, given its primary purpose is to garner support for a male candidate.
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 14:43
I’d say it’s primary purpose is to find black and Asian women to stand in the forth-coming local elections.
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 15:01
That’s a good thing. Women in politics, with the exception of Harriet Harman, is something to be encouraged.
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 15:11
On one level it does seem ridiculous, but what Sue R says is entirely plausible. As for women’s-only meetings in general, I cut my political teeth in the early 80s when gender politics was all the rage.
We can mock the extremes of radical feminism, but I know of women who would never have become politically active had they not had women-only meetings within which they could find their political voice without having to battle constantly with raging testosterone. I can certainly see the value in having meetings that purposely draw in Muslim women from often highly patriarchal Asian families.
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 16:08
Presumably, in order for Muslim women to attend it has to be women only, anything else would be an affront to modesty.
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 21:25
If a women can’t deal with “raging testosterone” in meetings then I think the poor flower should stay at home and put her energy into knitting and flower arranging instead.
Thats what I do.
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 22:40
Treating woman as delicate little flowers is beyond the fucking pale in this day and age — fuck all that.
Gender politics/appeals based on the basis of gender amount to enforced socialisation. Otherwise, and more generally, the ‘thing’ known as identity politics — raises itself above class consciousness — as such it should be opposed at all times. A politics based upon a particular mode of existence as its foundation is the positive aspect of ‘identity politics’ — but to define and demarcate people into niche categories beneath class categories, as if you are, and always will be, just what the niche in which you are squashed into says you are, then there is no extension, no imagination, no reaching towards the world as a whole and that is utter, utte fucking shite and balls. There is no war but the class war. It was at the point that “bisexual & transgender” got tacked onto the L & G monicker that identity politics really jumped the fucking shark. Complete fucking lunacy — I have always maintained the old Militant position on “self organisation” over the years.
And remember folks — I set the fucking tone around here you fuckers!
Thursday 17 April 2008 at 23:59
Well, I certainly ain’t into identity politics, and that. I just say let people organise however they fucking want. And if that means da sistas do their own thing then so be it. As long as we all come together occasionally to work to make the world a better place. And that.
Friday 18 April 2008 at 1:20
“I just say let people organise however they fucking want.”
This is what is wrong with you people.
liberal filth will be the death of organised revolt.
Friday 18 April 2008 at 8:39
Can we all stop being so testosteroney, please? You’re scaring me.
Friday 18 April 2008 at 23:00
Related:
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,2274645,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront