BARBARA GREEN suggests that the result of the
NEC-sponsored review' of women in the Labour Party is not without its dangers. THERE is only one word to describe the past twelve months for women in the Labour Party -dismal. We huve been subjected to macho Neil strutting acroys our te screene always accompanied by Glenyy — the woman we should all strive to be lke. We have our conferenco cancelled, postponed ur just forgotten about. At list scar's party conference ar gur a promise of a women's ministry to fight for the interests ofwomen. Well Jo Richardson has been allowed into that Shadow calner, as minister for women's rights — unfortunately she is the only woman in the cabinet.
Also at last vear 3 parcy conference the lads droided we women organised in thc Labour Party neoded shaking ap, Did they propose a joint campaign with the ssions to organise and defend women part tue workers" Did they propose we let up a campaign with black women's organisations to oppose rarise and sexist immigration laws? Did they ask us po work with Irish womeo to oppose strip
No. they propped ro review organisation and conference Discursion un every women s acction, trade umen branch ael CI.P were promised. Not exactly die kind of the ding deat would grab the sarronen al women in struggle you might think — you'd be night, especially in an Alerminn ve In so far as the discussion has hap pened, it has frustrated and demoralised women
Womep in the Labour Pariy and thur unkins do want to discuss changes to cicourage more trade union women to be active in the women organssations, bur we also want to encourage more black women mont lesbians, Iristi women- women in all felds ofstruggle to be organised as women to the Labour Party. To achieveithis we need an activrspet, interesting and powerful organisation. where we have discussions and make decisions on our own terras, nor those of the NEG and male dottinated anion leaderships.
The story of who supported the revinn and why is a tomplex and sordid one. NUTE were keen, a section of the Labour Jeadership were extremely keen, and of coürse the ratiunal exceutive committee thought it a good idea too!
Sections 0f NUPE and LWAO are incrested in getting labour Pity conJerence to ester that the women's conJerence elect thic wornen's places on the NIC But for this to be worthwhile for 34
CHILD A B USE certain trade umion leaderships, the composition ofthe women's conference would have to be altered, in order to give themselves more power.
The proposal from TWAG is that thie trade unions and socialist socieries have h 50 percent bloc and women from the CT.Pr have the other 50 per conc. If the number of delegates: within the bloc for the unions Is tied to the number of women members in each anion, then some unions, like NURS, CONSH and GMH would get proportionally more than the AEL, EKTPU, and so lorth. This would make the ciection of righr wing women to the NEC less Likely
While shis change should be supported. it is not a panacca — in the way that a seenon of the IWAC leadership believes. Ar the same time as putting lorward dus method of increasing the trade union vale, LWAC is also proposing to decrease the number of delegates from the CLIS Ir argues this on the basis nE rationalising' and making the women's conference mure respectable' This is a stab in the back to womet in the till's to placate cretain trade union leaders. We should not ignore the SEC's role in the review. They also want to change lie women's con lerence, Kinnock's party fie to govern" does nor Joclade bolshy feminists having arsus in policy making.
= remains maclear ar the ame of wring what will happen at parry ronJercuice un this question. The consultation that was supposed to have taken place has not happener The national labour women's commines produeed a documt to facilitate discussion and win supposed to have held a conderence on 12 September to gods the results of the consultanion and make tecommendations to the NEC. This was nancelled becanse sonIchous: somewhere decided rcorganis too postponed national con ference Of Labour women originally scheduled for best May and nOW ceorganised for Noverher. No douhr some convement eveuse will be thought up tu cancil that as well!
The not result of having the review foreed upon us has been regative. The EWAC leaders have based themseives wheeling and dealing prepared to talk co them. National and regional wanen's committees have had their amwity thwarted. women's arranisation that is powerts) and representative: We will only achieve this thinugh struggle und through constitutional games and desh with tic urion leaderships
THE SEXUN abuse of children, like all other forms of rame, de not essentially about sexual desire o frustration. It is about the abuse ol power by a luther-ligure (a father on ans man who bas the postion of power enjoyed by a farher): The positing of children, and especially giris, in the lamily is one of powerlessness. Hose power structures exir in normal families which are not ahosive as well as ones wuch are. and as long as fallier-figures have this power the posibility of child sexual abose will remain. The pro: blim of powerlessuess is not reversed by the mehral establishment and social scrvices when dey "deal with child sexual abuse; in let they compound the problem.
Thr contence of the tamily allows sexual shese to happen and to rcan secret Sexual abuse is particularly damaging becanse it Happens in the family The fact that the factier-ligure has rotal access purs the child in constant feas Deranse the child is asumed to protecter by father-figure, other people are casbelieving when the abuse is disclosed; and because the child wants co be protected and loved by bim the abuse is a long lasting betraval of trist
The mal-dominared family is nevessary op the inling rats and is delended by it. The existence of the family relieves tee state of chee respursibility for the production of the labour force and for the ininial socialication of Childeen Into hourginis ideas: The power struentes within the mudear lamily divide men from woren and adds frone chadren. and nis restrict wotch and children a dhcir ability to light.
With die increase in heporter child soural abuse cascs, the inhorent dangers for chil dreis of living in families could become appe rent to snore people. How Joes die rulng chos smoot out the contradictions berweendelendine the fonly and heng seen to rarr for children, and acually turn the erwing awarches of