ENS Women
New Constitution
The new Education Not For Sale constitution, amended and ratified at ENS national conference on October 25th, 2009.
Education Not For Sale Constitution
Five demands for rebuilding NUS Women’s Campaign
Activists involved in ENS Women have drafted these five action points for transforming NUS Women’s Campaign. We put them forward as a basis for discussion among student women’s movement activists, call on those involved in the Campaign to endorse them and/or write responses, and hope they will inspire ideas for student socialist feminist campaigning outside NUS as well.
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Fight to rebuild a political, campaigning NUS Women’s Campaign: vote Jennie Killip for National Women’s Officer
A statement by Gemma Short, Sofie Buckland, Laura Schwartz and Evangeline Holland-Ramsay - ENS Women supporters on NUS Women’s Committee
On the most basic level, the choice in this year’s NUS Women’s Officer election is clear cut: there is candidate of the right, Olivia Bailey of Labour Students, and a candidate of the left, Manchester University women’s officer Jennie Killip. ENS Women stood a candidate for NUS Women’s Officer in 2006, 2007 and 2008, coming within four votes of winning last time. This year we are supporting Jennie Killip.
At a time when the revival of feminist activism among students and young women continues to burgeon, the NUS Women’s Campaign cannot afford another year of inactivity and subservience to the NUS leadership under Labour Students. This is true despite Olivia Bailey’s attempts to portray herself as a left-winger.
However, we must also, in a spirit of honesty, make certain criticisms of Jennie’s politics and campaign.
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Organise for the national student demonstration, 25 February 2009!
NATIONAL STUDENT DEMONSTRATION, WEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2009, LONDON
NEXT OPEN PLANNING MEETING, SUNDAY 31 JANUARY, SOAS (CENTRAL LONDON)
Supported by NUS Women’s Campaign, NUS LGBT Campaign, University of Bradford Union, Union of UEA Students, University of Sussex Students’ Union and Aston Students’ Guild
Email studentdemo2009@gmail.com
For the Facebook group, including the event for the 14 December planning meeting, see here.
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Feminism and the Student Movement event, 13 December
A dayschool for student feminist activists sponsored by Feminist Fightback, Education Not for Sale Women and the Riveters (Manchester University women’s group)
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NUS Women’s Campaign votes to support national demo for free education
By Gemma Short, NUS Women’s Committee open place
At the last meeting of NUS Womens’ Committee, on 23rd October, ENS supporters took a motion to support the call for a national demonstration against fees, debt and the marketisation of education. This motion was passed almost unanimously, and as well as giving NUS womens’ campaign a policy of fighting for free education by taxing the rich and business, it calls for a national demonstration in spring 2009.
This policy is contrary to the policy that the NUS leaders pushed for and passed at annual conference 2008 – which stops short of calling for free education, and certainly would not call for taxation of the rich and business. However, on Women’s Committee prominent Labour Students – who would usually be gunning for NUS’s policy of entering into negotiations with the government and not calling national action - not only voted for the motion, but spoke in favour of it. When one committee member took parts to remove a section that read “funded by taxing the rich and business … that every student over 16 should receive a living grant of at least £150 a week”, it was Estelle Hart, Labour Students, who spoke against removing the parts!
It’s not clear why they did this. However, it is a positive step towards turning back to clocks on NUS inaction, and towards renewing a culture of militant fighting student unionism in campuses across the country. We now need to push for the Womens’ Campaign to actually mobilise for a national demonstration and lead the way on repopularising the ideas of free education.
The statement for the demo can be found here here; please consider trying to pass this through your women’s group etc.
Feminist Fightback action to support Tube cleaners’ strike
Feminist Fightback direct action to support the cleaners on Friday 27th June - please join us
Starting at 18.00pm on Thursday 26th June RMT Underground cleaners will be striking for 24 hours. They are demanding:
- Wage of £7.20 per hour, the minimum London living wage as determined by the GLA last year
- Full sick pay
- Final Salary Pensions
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (some cleaners only get 2 weeks at the moment)
- Free travel
- An end to third party sackings - this practice means that cleaners can be dismissed with no disciplinary hearing or right of appeal at the order of parties other than the employer
Around 700 cleaners will be on strike after there was a 99% yes vote on a 40% turn out. These workers are hugely exploited, mainly migrant, largely illegal, organising alongside their relatively better off colleagues to fight against the bosses. This is a huge deal.
Contractors may bring in agency workers to undermine the strike. To support the strike pickets will be organised across the city.
* Feminist Fightback activists will be at the picket at Stratford station from 6am to 7am on Friday 27th
*****Following the picket there will be some theatrical direct action in central London from 9am to 10am. If you’d like to take part, please ring 07971 719 797 or email rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.o.uk ******
Other things to do
- Write to TFL
- Phone ins and letters to media
- If you are in London then spill rubbish in the stations and get them closed down
For details about the direct action or for directions on the day call Rebecca (07971719797) or Laura ( 07890209479)
Please forward this information on and join us!
Rail workers’ union statement on abortion rights vote
RMT welcomes MPs’ rejection of cut to abortion time-limit
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Briefing from Feminist Fightback and others on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
Briefing for MPs: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
A call from pro-choice trade unionists, students, and health workers for MPs to defend and extend reproductive freedoms
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House of Commons amendments attack a woman’s right to choose
A number of amendments to restrict abortion rights have been proposed to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. See below for more details. (Thanks to the Left Women’s Network, which is part of the Labour Representation Committee.)
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Demand Labour MPs don’t turn their backs on reproductive freedoms! Feminist Fightback protest, 26 April
Feminist Fightback will be organising leafleting in Clapham junction, in South London, followed by a protest outside the Battersea Labour Party office. Both actions raise a broad series of pro-choice demands, relating not only to abortion rights, but to sex education, childcare, the NHS and the welfare state.
The aim of the leafleting is to raise public awareness of the issues involved; the aim of the protest is to put pressure on local MPs Martin Linton (Battersea), Kate Hoey (Vauxhall) and Sadiq Khan (Tooting), all of whom are known to be wavering on a likely amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill - to be debated in May - reducing the time limit for access to abortion. We want the labour movement to stand up for women’s liberation; if these MPs claim to be part of the labour movement, they should prove it by their actions. (Local Labour Party and trade union members will be particularly welcome on the protest.)
Meet 1pm, outside the front of Clapham Junction station (five-ten minutes from both Waterloo and Victoria)
Meet 2.15pm, outside Battersea Labour Party office, 177 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5LW (for a map see here)
A socialist feminist analysis of sex work
By Ava Caradonna
(Ava Caradonna is a collective identity used by sex worker activists and allies. Ava is an attempt to find positive tools to combat whore stigma and to find radical and material ways to represent the collective organisation of people who work in the sex industry.)
“I am not proud of being a whore, but I am proud of not being ashamed” - L, sex worker activist, London 2008
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Discussing ideas, planning for direct action: report of Feminist Fightback reproductive freedoms teach-in
A longer report by Laurie Penny will be posted soon.
By Rebecca Galbraith
There were 40 people at Feminist Fightback’s Reproductive Freedom Teach-In, held on Saturday 12th April.
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Irish feminist gathering, 2-5 May 2008
*** Attention all feminists! ***
RAG, the Dublin-based anarcha-feminist collective, are organising a gathering in Ireland on the 2nd–5th May 2008 in a rural setting in county Leitrim. This will be a chance for feminists to come together to discuss, learn and share in a radical but supportive environment. As final plans for the weekend are being drawn-up, we hope you can join us.
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Feminist Fightback presents…a Teach-In for Reproductive Freedoms, 12 April
Discussing ideas and planning action for a woman’s right to choose 12 April, 12-5pm, Clement House Building, London School of Economics, Holborn (Holborn tube)
rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk
12.00pm
Registration
12.30pm
Opening speech by Sofie Buckland (NUS National Executive)
1-2.15pm
a) Imperialism and Motherhood
Speaker: Anna Davin (founding editor of History Workshop Journal)
Facilitator: Gwyneth Lonergan
b) From Abortion Rights to Reproductive Freedoms
A panel discussion with Charlotte Gage (Abortion Rights), Cathy Nugent (Workers’ Liberty), Rosie Woods (NHS worker)
Facilitator: Anna Longman
2.20-3.35pm
a) Getting your message across
Jill Mountford (former organiser of the Welfare State Network) and James House (TV documentaries producer)
Workshop facilitator: Rachael Ferguson
b) How to campaign
Workshop Facilitator: Anne-Marie O’Reilly (trade union organiser)
3.45-5pm
Planning for a National Day of Action
Facilitators: Laura Schwartz and Rebecca Galbraith
* Food: cheap vegetarian food will be served from 12 noon
* Free creche: Please register with rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk for a free creche place
* Social with X-talk: 7pm @ The Ivy House, Southampton Row, Holborn
* The teach-in is free to attend but a suggested donation of £1.50 unwaged and £3+ waged is encouraged.
Reproductive Freedoms Teach-in, LSE, 12 April
We will be discussing ideas and planning action for a woman’s right to choose on Saturday 12 April, 12-5pm at Clement House Building, London School of Economics, London, WC2A (Holborn tube).
Every woman should have a real right to choose, whether to have, or not to have, a child. This event is aimed at all pro-choice feminists, trade unionists, students, school students and others.
Sessions include:
- how to campaign
- making the pro-choice case effectively
- imperialism and motherhood
- the attacks we face
- planning for a national day of action.
The event is free and you can turn up on the day, but it’s helpful if you pre-register. To do so or for more information email rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk or ring 07971 719 797.
Near-win for left at NUS Women’s Conference
By Laura Schwartz, NUS Women’s Committee
The success of Education Not for Sale ENS Women at this year’s NUS Women’s Conference (13-15 March) in passing radical left-wing policy and mobilising a significant number of conference delegates around socialist feminist politics, is testimony to the hard work of our activists both within NUS and outside it with Feminist Fightback over the last two and a half years.
So is the result of the election held at the conference for NUS National Women’s Officer.
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Petition to defend Southall Black Sisters
As we reported here, South Black Sisters are under threat of closure due to funding cuts by Ealing Council.
For a petition to defend the comrades, see here
WOZA members beaten by Mugabe’s police on International Women’s Day
A report from the comrades of Women of Zimbabwe Arise!
Over 1,000 members of WOZA and MOZA marched through the streets of Bulawayo today to commemorate International Women’s Day. The peaceful protesters, who were carrying balloons, were met by riot police after four blocks and viciously beaten. Over 50 members received medical attention for injuries caused by the assault.
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Action to defend Mehdi Kazemi, March 22
On Saturday March 22 at 2pm, Middle East Workers’ Solidarity will be staging a protest opposite Downing Street in defence of Mehdi Kazemi, a gay Iranian asylum seeker who the British government plans to send back to Iran on the grounds that if gay Iranians are “discreet about their sexuality”, they will not get in trouble.
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One arrested as Cardiff protesters take on anti-choice bigots
Thanks to Permanent Revolution for this report…
There was no sign of Ann Widdecombe in Cardiff last night as the protest against her “Passion For Life” (sic) anti-abortion roadshow exceeded all expectations (for video see here).
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Defend Southall Black Sisters!
By Rebecca Galbraith
Ealing Council, in the name of value for money, streamlining of services and community cohesion, has shamefully voted through a report which threatens to close down Southall Blacks Sisters.
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Upcoming Feminist Fightback events
Feminist Fightback steering committees have planned a number of actions for the next few months, including various actions on International Women’s Day (8 March), and a dayschool on abortion rights on 12 April. For more check back at the Feminist Fightback website or email feminist.fightback@gmail.com or one of the email addresses below
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“Feminism of the Anti-Capitalist Left”: a contribution to debate
By Lidia Cirillo
At the beginning of this year the Sinistra Critica (Critical Left) political group in Italy had a discussion on drafting a feminist manifesto. While there are elements specific to Italy, and not everyone in ENS Women would agree with everything she says, the following notes on the discussions by Lydia Cirillo pose many important questions for the updating of a socialist feminist analysis.
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Strippers in student unions
Strippers were recently brought to perform in Hull University student union; ENS supporters at the university were involved in the response. Here, Laura Schwartz, an ENS supporter on NUS Women’s Committee, responds to the protests organised by NUS Women’s Campaign.
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Let Flores study! Let the Sukulas stay in Bolton! Against deportations and racism!
Flores Sukula has lived in Bolton for the past seven years, successfully passed courses at Bolton Sixth Form College and secured a place on the Health and Social Care degree course at Manchester Metropolitan University. After completing her degree she wants to go on to train as a midwife.
The future looks bright? Unfortunately, it’s not so easy as Flores like thousands of others of young people has been blocked from taking up her place at university because as an asylum seeker (from the Democratic Republic of Congo), with the attendant racist immigration controls, she is being denied access to the course. The university are insisting on treating her as an overseas student and saying that to register for the course she would have to pay fees of around £6000- all without recourse to even so much as a student loan.
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Hands off Zohreh and Azar Kabiri! Stop the stoning of “adulterous” women in Iran!
Two women are to be stoned to death on adultery charges in Iran.
Zohreh and Azar Kabiri are sisters, 27 and 28 years old respectively and both mothers. They were arrested on 5 February, 2007 following allegations of adultery by Zohreh’s husband. A month later they were prosecuted and sentence to 99 lashes. After the sentence was executed, both were returned to prison for unknown reasons; and six months later they were tried again and sentenced to death by stoning.
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Defend LGBT organisations in Turkey!
The third hearing of the closing case against the Turkish LGBT group Lambda Istanbul will be
held on 31 January 2008.
Opening lawsuits to shut down LGBT organisations has almost become a bureaucratic ritual of governorships in Turkey; a ritual that one has to go through while establishing an LGBT organisation with a legal entity.
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Feminist Fightback takes on the Christian Medical Foundation
About 25 people attended the Feminist Fightback picket of the Christian Medical Foundation on 25th Jan. Our aim was to raise awareness about the lies that the CMF had been telling about abortion and to take a step towards getting the pro-choice voice out on the streets again. We wanted also to use this picket as a trial towards further actions around reproductive freedoms- to show that with a few home-made placards and a handful of enthusiastic feminists it was possible to stage small-scale events like this that did not require too much organisation but which nevertheless were an effective way of getting out message across. We plan to do more in future.
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ENS Women amendments for NUS Women’s conference
See below for suggested amendments to NUS Women’s conference motions. For more information on how to submit see the NUS events site (click Women’s Conference, under March), or email volsunga@gmail.com.
Sofie Buckland for NUS Women’s Officer - manifesto now online
My manifesto for NUS Women’s Officer is available as a PDF file here. Text only version below.
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Feminist men’s group launched in London
A meeting was held on Saturday 3 November to found a feminist men’s group in London. The organiser Jon Waters writes:
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An open Letter to the Abortion Rights campaign
1000 ‘pro-life’, 2 pro-choice…
Dear Abortion Rights,
Last Saturday two of us went to Parliament Square to support the pro-choice movement. We expected to be part of a counter-demonstration to the anti-abortion, anti-women rally that was taking place; instead we were the demonstration. Where were you? Abortion Rights is the biggest, best supported, “official ” pro-choice campaign: it's time for you to stand up and fight.
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Independent investigation demanded by women in Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre
Women in Yarl's Wood Removal Centre, whom we are working with on a daily basis, have asked us to circulate their letter (attached) highlighting the appalling conditions and grave injustice they face in detention. Their demand for an independent investigation to “listen to our grievances and give us justice ”, is being raised at the same time as front page newspaper articles expose the widespread destitution of asylum seekers, racist attacks and violence from immigration guards against people during removal and attempts to deport Zimbabwean women weakened by over 40 days of hunger strikes.
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ECP responds to Harriet Harman
The English Collective of Prostitutes responds to Harriet Harman’s proposal to ban adverts for escorts in newspapers.
What is so shocking about adverts for escorts in local papers? Why does Harriet Harman want to clamp down on the safer ways women have found to work? Following the tragic Ipswich murders, we called together a Safety First Coalition of nurses, doctors, church people, probation officers, anti-poverty campaigners, sex workers and others, to ensure that women are not repeatedly placed in danger. We believe that there can be no protection while sex workers are being hounded, and campaign for prostitution to be decriminalised and for proper economic alternatives for women who want to get out of prostitution. Whatever people may think about sex work, women’s safety must be the priority.
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The fightback continues
Around 300 activists attended the second annual Feminist Fightback conference at the University of East London on 20th October (which was initiated by ENS’s autonomous women’s caucus), and around 40 activists attended ENS’s ‘Education For Freedom’ conference which took place the day after.
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Sofie Buckland for NUS Women's Officer!
No one needs to tell feminist activists that the fight for women's liberation has not been won. In Britain women make up 70% of recipients of the pathetically low minimum wage, we face cuts and privatization in the public services so many of us rely on, domestic violence and rape aren't taken seriously by a judicial system full of ancient male chauvinist judges and disinterested police, we still have to cast doubt on our own mental health to get an abortion (if our local NHS services can even provide one in time), and we struggle to find high-quality affordable care for our children if we choose to study or to work.
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Abortion rights update
The last few months has seen prominent attacks on abortion rights from Tory MP’s and Catholic Cardinals.
Ann Winterton MP tried to make the abortion law more restrictive by introducing a bill trying to require counselling of a pregnant woman as a condition of her consent to termination of her pregnancy. The bill was defeated by a large margin but it did get around 100 MP’s voting for it. Laura Moffat MP has tabled an Early Day Motion in response:
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Sexism at York Freshers’ Fair
This letter was sent to NUS Women’s Committee by Amy Burge, York University SU Women’s Officer, protesting at sexist hand-outs to freshers at York. Whilst some ENS Women don’t agree that the “sexually explicit” nature of the freebies to male students was a problem, we 100% agree that the assumption that all male students are heterosexual is wrong, that the distribution by the union of sexist material is wrong, and that the fact only male students were given such sexual material was wrong (not to mention the colour of the bags!) The environmental issue only compounds the union’s poor decision in this case. Email messages of support to ab519@york.ac.uk or email your protest to president@yusu.org
WOZA leader arrested
Women Of Zimbabwe Arise leader Magodonga Mahlangu was arrested on the morning of 19/09 at 8am in Bulawayo. WOZA supporters are urgently requested to phone Bulawayo Central Police Station : (+263 9) 72515 or 61706. At time of writing calls are getting through but not being answered; it may be difficult to get through but please keep trying!
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Pro-choice activist group launched in Oxford
On May 24, pro-choice activists in Oxford launched a new coalition, Pro Choice Oxford. They are aiming to hold a “free school” for activists on Saturday 10 November, covering issues including: abortion rights internationally, the UK picture (current law and NHS provision), feminist perspectives on “women’s health”, sexual health, mothers’ rights and self-defence and assertiveness. This should include a safe space for people to debrief and reflect.
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Moving Gender Workshop
Organised by the International Union of Sex Workers, Education Not for Sale Women and others as part of the No Borders camp (19-24 September -
see the No Borders camp website for more.)
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Feminist Fightback website revamped
After some technical difficulties, Feminist Fightback is now back online.
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NUS Women’s Committee July 2007 report
A report of the July 2007 meeting of the National Union of Students Women’s Committee. The supporters of ENS Women on NUS Women’s Committee are Laura Schwartz and Sophie Day (Open Place jobshare) and Teodora Todorova (Bisexual Rep). Laura and Teodora attended this meeting; Sophie couldn’t make it. Sofie Buckland from NUS NEC also attended as an observer.
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Venezuela: is our socialism feminist?
We reprint below an article by Venezuelan socialist feminist Jessie Blanco. Many activists in ENS Women would disagree with Blanco on a number of points, and some of us would say that she is insufficiently critical of Hugo Chavez and the Venezuelan government - but at least she tries to map out an independent socialist feminist politics, rather than uncritically adapting to “Chavismo”. Her article is an important contribution to the debate.
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Feminist Fightback ‘07
Back for a second year, the Feminist Fightback activist conference will take place on Saturday 20th October 2007 at the University of East London.
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Tent State University UK
Until 22nd June, at the University of Sussex campus. More: info@tentstate.org.uk
Solidarity with Malalai Joya
From Human Rights Watch, May 23rd
The Afghan parliament should immediately reinstate Malalai Joya, a member suspended for criticizing colleagues, and revise parliamentary procedures that restrict freedom of speech, Human Rights Watch said today.
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Fight against Tory anti-choice bill
From Abortion Rights
Dear Pro-Choice Supporter,
On 05 June, Ann Winterton will table a Ten Minute Rule Bill to impose mandatory counselling on women seeking an abortion (see text below). This is a condescending, cynical attempt to chip away at women’s abortion rights that will lead to further delays in service provision. This is the third anti-choice Bill in less than a year.
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End honour killing!
A public seminar in memory of Du’a Khalil Aswad, a Kurdish teenager brutally stoned to death in front of hundreds of witnesses in Bashika, near Mosul. Du’a’s only “crime” was to fall in love with an Arab man not from her own “faith”.
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New resource for women workers
LabourStart, the online trade union news-service, has launched a new resource for women workers.
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30 women activists arrested in Iran
From Amnesty International
More than 30 women are reportedly being held incommunicado without charge in Evin Prison in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Amnesty International believes them to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for participating in a peaceful protest.
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More action for March 3rd
3 March should be a full day for abortion rights campaigners. In addition to the Feminist Fightback march in the evening, there will be a publicity event held by the Abortion Rights campaign earlier in the day to spell out the pro-choice message.
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Support Iraqi and Iranian women in International Women’s Week
In addition to the Feminist Fightback abortion rights march on the evening of Saturday 3 March, ENS Women will be taking part in a number of other events around International Women’s Day 2007. These include an action in support of Iraqi women on Thursday 8 March and an Iraqi women’s rights conference on Friday 9 March, as well as a march in support of Iranian women earlier in the day on 3 March. See below for more details of all of these events. Please come and join us and help to show support for women, workers and students in Iran and Iraq.
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Update on 3rd March abortion rights demo
Latest news, including confirmed speakers.
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WOZA members arrested
From Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
Eleven WOZA members, eight women, three men and two babies, were arrested in Nketa, Bulawayo today. They were about to attend a meeting, which was disrupted by riot police before it could commence.
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No to religious law in Iraqi Kurdistan
From the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
To all women’s group, secularist oganisations, trade unions and political activists,
We need your help to prevent Islamic Sharia law being implemented in Kurdistan.
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Women Against Rape
A statement from Women Against Rape
Dear Sisters & Friends
It was announced this week in The Independent (see below) that the government is considering whether to change the law on anonymity of women who reported rape, and even considering making a DNA database of women who are deemed to have made a false allegation.
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Organise for abortion rights
The organising session at Feminist Fightback decided to call for a national torchlight march for abortion rights on the evening of Saturday 3 March 2007, in Central London.
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ENS Women statement on the Ipswich murders
We, the members of ENS-Women, are deeply disturbed and upset by the recent murders of women in Ipswich, and by the media coverage of these tragic events. We are also mindful that these events cannot be understood as occurring in a vacuum; rather, violence against women is widespread in the UK, and sex workers are especially vulnerable to violence, rape & murder at the hands of men.
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The fightback begins!
A report on the Feminist Fightback conference by Laura Schwartz
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Fighting for women’s right to chose in Poland
This following was put out by Polish feminist and campaign groups, together with one trade union and a small left party, to protest the grave threat to abortion rights in Poland. If measures before parliament go through, Poland will ban virtually all abortions. The appeal calls for international support for the pro-choice demonstration on November 4 and for protest messages to be sent to the Polish government and media.
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ENS Women versus the Tories…
The Tory Party recently held an event on women in politics, to highlight their commitment to increasing women’s representation by securing more Tory MPs. The event was called… “Shoes, Shopping and Politics.” ENS Women went along to tell the Tories what we thought…
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Demonstrate for abortion rights!
At the Feminist Fightback conference, an organising session on feminist activism decided to call for an abortion rights demo on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2007, in Central London.
If you’d like to be on the organising committee for the action, or would like to get involved in abortion rights activism more generally, please email Sofie at volsunga@gmail.com.
A full report of the conference, including more action points on abortion rights, will follow shortly.
URGENT ACTION: Defend abortion rights - fight Nadine Dorries’ bill!
Tory MP Nadine Dorries has tabled a ‘Ten-Minute Rule Bill’ that calls for a reduction in the time-limit for legal abortions and an introduction in a mandatory delay for service provision. The Abortion Rights campaign is calling on pro-choice activists to lobby their MPs to oppose the bill. For more info, read on.
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Feminists, fight back!
ENS Women is organising a conference for feminist activists, to be held in London on October 21 (venue tbc).
Check out the Feminist Fightback conference website for more details, and get involved!
Relaunched ENS Women site
The ENS Women website has been relaunched with the aim of developing it as an activist resource and forum for open debate in the feminist movement.
Got something to say about feminism? Let us know!
Against objectification, against censorship
A socialist feminist perspective on the Page 3 issue - by Sofie Buckland
This post was originally published here and was written to kickstart a debate in the student feminist movement around issues of censorship. If you’d like to contribute to the debate please email Sofie - responses will be published here.
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NUS Women’s Conference 2006 - Socialist Feminism makes its mark
When Education Not For Sale Women was coming together in August 2005, we discussed whether describing ourselves as “socialist feminists” was too radical and might alienate the feminist left. Seven months later, both candidates in the NUS women’s officer elections were describing themselves as “socialist feminists”, proof that in a relatively short amount of time we have been able to influence the direction of the student women’s movement.
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International Women’s Day - Solidarity with Iranian Women
Wednesday 8 March 2006
Protest and celebrate
12 noon to 2pm, Parliament Square, London SW1.
No to sexual apartheid in Iran - Women’s freedom now
Condemn the Islamic regime of Iran for 27 years of crimes against women
Women’s rights - not Sharia law
End the death penalty for lesbianism and adultery
Don’t invade Iran - Halt all western military threats
Support the Iranian people’s struggle for democracy, social justice and human rights
Expel the Islamic regime from the international community
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ENS Women Open Letter to women in Student Broad Left
To women in Student Broad Left
Dear sisters,
From attacks on abortion rights to exploitation at work, from education funding to privatisation and cuts in our health service, there is an urgent need for a strong, activist student women's movement. Socialist feminists in the student movement should be uniting to build the kind of campaigns that can inspire and organise hundreds of new activists.
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Petition to Defend Abortion Rights
ENS Women are collecting a petition for the defence and extension of abortion rights. We hope to have collected at least 1,000 signatures by the time we hand in the first section to Downing Street the weekend after next. A PDF version is available here.
Get Involved!
- Print off the petition, collect some signatures and sent them back to us at ENS Women, c/o Sofie Buckland, Newnham College, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DF.
- Come and help us hand it in: meet at Downing Street, 12 noon, Saturday 4 February.
Mary Partington for National Women’s Officer
ENS supporter Mary Partington is standing for National Union of Students National Women's Officer. Her manifesto is available as a PDF here.
For more information on the campaign and how to get involved email Mary. For more information about ENS Women please click here to read our statement on rebuilding the student women’s movement.
Vote Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq for Mama Cash prize
From the Mama Cash website: “Mama Cash is a women’s foundation which supports groundbreaking and innovative projects conceived by women for women all over the world. The women she supports are strong women who set an example for others, and know firsthand that it is possible to turn the tide.”
This year’s prize is €20,000. One of the nominees is the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), which ENS has consistently supported.
As of 07/12/05, OWFI was narrowly in second place, so our votes can make a real difference!
- To cast your vote, visit the Mama Cash website
- For more information on OWFI, visit their website
Abortion Rights call to student movement
The Abortion Rights campaign has issued a call to the student movement to help defend a woman’s right to choose. ENS Women are also active on this issue, campaigning for access to abortion on request and a properly funded health service in which abortion rights are a reality for all those who need them. For a copy of our leaflet on abortion rights click here. For more information on ENS Women email Mary Partington.
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FEM 05 conference: a wasted opportunity
Laura Schwartz, University of East London
On 5 November, activists from Education Not for Sale Women attended FEM 05, the second ‘FEM' conference and pretty much the only large-scale event on feminist politics to have been organised in the last few years.
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MARY PARTINGTON FOR NUS WOMEN’S OFFICER
ENS supporter Mary Partington is standing for National Union of Students National Women’s Officer. More on her campaign and the issues involved will appear here soon.
Click here for Mary’s first leaflet.
Recent ENS Women Materials
- ENS Women leaflet on defending abortion rights
- ENS Women bulletin produced for FEM 05 conference (Sheffield, November 5), with articles on rebuilding the women’s movement, women workers’ rights, socialist feminism, abortion rights, Iraq, immigration controls and more
ENS Women launch call to rebuild student women’s movement
Women activists in ENS are supporting the following statement, which calls for a reinvigorated NUS Women’s Campaign and student women’s movement.
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