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their extra thought and work as housewives which initially cushions their families against the realities of falling living standards and their paid work outside the home becomes more and more vital to the family budget. Yet throughout capitalist society neither their work within or outside the home gains them much social recognition.
ORIENTATING TOWARDS The Labour Party recently has made a big orientation towards women, who were particularly badly hit by attacks from the previous Tory government (eg. huge price increases, Housing Finance Act, attempts to get rid of family allowances)
The organisations of the extreme right also attempt to draw support from women by appearing to offer solutions to their problems on two levels. The National Front promises to solve the problem of inflation, to reduce taxes, to re-impose law and order, and respect for traditional' moral values-both by direct economic measures and by kicking out the blacks and locking up the reds.
Secondly all thesé organisations offer their followers some form of recognition and sense of purpose. But they do not challenge exploitation and oppression (for example the nation/state, the family etc.)
The National Front, like other fascist organisations, is trying to build a popular movement by persuading people to change the ways in which they perceive the problems and relationships of every-day life, without challenging the roots of these problems, The nazis in Germany rallied their support through the same techniques. By examining their movement of the twenties and thirties we can see in full and poisonous flower, how sexism and racism was integrated in fascism, (the seeds of which are already sprouting again in the ranks of National Front.)
ANTI-FEMINISM IN NAZI GERMANY any reference to the importance of women's emancipation which intellectualism', or which was atto "frustrations set up by malfunctioning sex glands'. Instead women were called upon to replained: "When we eliminate wocause we want to dispense with them, but rather we want to give The nazis addressed themselves to the problems and frustrations experienced by masses of women in the Germany of the twenties and thirties. They rejected out of hand Hitler saw as a producuor "Jewish tributed by one Nazi theoreticiam cognise maternity as their true and only valid vocation. Goebbels exmen from public life, it is not beWomen were to find fulfilment in their own slavery, Robert Brady in his book on German Fascism summarises: "The core of Nazi theory on women runs as follows: woman serves man, man serves the state, the state must become great, great states rest on labour; women create the supply and can render subservient the attitude of labour, hence women must be co-ordinated in service to the state?, Spengler, in "Years of Decision' put it more crudely: "Let German women breed warrier men and take pleasure in breeding them. Woman is to be neither comrade, nor beloved, but only mother." Contradictions of the position of women within capitalism were "overcome', because only one aspect-maternity-was recognised.
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The trends towards liberalisation in social relationships and sexual freedom which had began to emerge in Germany in the twenties were violently attacked. The nazis determined that there should be a complete return to the traditional authoritarian, male-dominated family, to men who were 100% "male" and totally geared to production and war; and to women who were 100% 'female", whose world was confined to reproduction. Women's autonomy became unimaginable, women's sexuality non-existent as far as the nazis were concerned. Thus women were driven out of political affairs, penalities against abortion were made more severe and family planning clinics were closed down. Wherever possible women were driven out of paid employment and back into the home. The Nazis claimed they were responsible for a huge decrease in unemployment figures but these were rendered distorted as women had virtually disappeared from them. Women had in fact lost the right to work.
INDOCTRINATION Eugenic theory provided the most obvious link between sexism and racism in national socialism. The financial inducements to reproduce - marriage loans, child subsidies, family allowances-and the rewards for doing so prolifically the bronze, silver or gold Cross of Honour of the German mother, were available only to politically pure, radically pure Ayrians. The racially impure, the politically suspect, the physically or mentally ill were likely to have abortion and/or sterilisation forced upon them. Male homosexuals were persecuted, and driven into concentration camps where untold masses died.
National chauvinism merged into respect for authority, industriousness, thrift. German housewives must work hard and frugely, choosing only German products, moulding the minds of their children in such away that their attitudes would fit into Nazi ideology.
Education continued this task of indoctrination which was facilitated by the fact that 97% of teachers were enrolled in the nazi teachers association. Sex discrimination was widely applied against pupils and teachers in the schools. Girls who stayed for secondary education were pushed into domestic science obtain university places (the nazis reduced the numbers of women students by 80% after they came to power.)
DUAL MORALITY The sharp and rigid division of labour between the sexes was associated with a dual morality.
of the most petty and prudish elements of petty bourgeois and vanity and frivolity were conin a short period, German women were supposed to be virtuous and healthy, and above all good were able to attract masses of working class men and women through the anti-feminism of their propaganda and policies; and the ineffectiveness of any challenge to sexism within the German labour relatively easy. Similarly to-day the potential for fascist organisations to exploit sexism within the has illustrated so sharply-male trade unionists scabbed daily on their sisters in struggle. And the organisations opposing abortion, all forms of "permissiveness' ete provides the National Front with links with a much wider, already partially mobilised, audienceanother clear reason why the struggle against sexism within the scale.
The Nazis revived and elevated many morality both 'boyish appearance demned. While prostitution trebled Undoubtedly the national socialists movement of that period made this working class remains great, as the equal pay dispute at SEl Heywood growth of the range of reactionary IOREASFIEL BRINA NATIONAL FRONT A section of the National Front march to Square, where Kevin Gately was murdered. working class and throughout society has to be taken up on a much wider and more serious The National Front to-day clearly stands in total opposition to the political aims principles of the women's liberation movement, just as its predecessor opposed, and smashed the German women's movement, the trade unions. and every other independant organisation in the Germany of the thirties. Our struggle against fascist forces to-day must involve extending and strengthening the struggle for women's liberation as well as directly opposing the fascists themselves. Women in the WLM are already organising against SPUC, and against the National Front itself. At the July women's conference co-ordination between women's groups engaged in anti-fascist activity was established, a strong women's contingent was organised for the anti-fascist demonstration at Hyde Park in September, and women are planning intervention in the Conference against Fascism and Racism in Warwick on 23 November.
The working-class has begun to take up anti-fascist activity (eg counter-demonstrations, opposition to NF candidates during the election campaign etc). This provides a further important bridge between the WLM and the working class in that the aims and ideas which have come out of the women's movement can provide an ideological weapon for the working class to use in the fight against racism and fascism.
Red Lion
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-EQUAL PAY STRIKEWbmen occupying the switchboard room at the SEI factory-this was the only area that they The following interview with NICKY PENNY, a shop steward at the factory, explains the issues in the strike and how the women coped with domestic responsibilities during the struggle.
Could I ask you to give me a bit of information abqut the background to the dispute? When did it start, what's it over and things like that?
When did it start? Ten weeks ago. The whole dispute has been going on for fourteen months but the actual strike, or lockout-as we prefer to call it-started ten weeks ago. But before then we had three weeks of go-slow and downing tools regularly. It all began because we wanted to make proper steps towards equal pay which management refused to do.
So we said they either make proper steps towards equal pay and put it down in writing or we ban the corrupt bonus scheme which we were then working on. Nothing was done so we therefore terminated this scheme and wouldn't work on it.
We then went on a three-weeks goslow. We then received a letter from the employer which was the letter which sent all our women out. I mean, they were propared to carry on the go-slow before this, but they sent round the letter which said if we did not carry on this corrupt bonus scheme then we would not be given any other work and we would not be paid from that time.
So that was tantamount to a lockout to us. So the girls just walked out. All 400 of us. WE didn t have to be lou uy anyone. They just walked out en masse. The resul ing number that arrived at the factory gate was overwhelming. We were very pleased about it. And that is roughly what the issue is about. were able to hold after management aided by male workers broke into the occupation.
Three weeks ago.
getting?
place.
the unions?
Bury, Radcliffe and all the surrounding who were very encouraging. They also successful.... we need help on the pickets now, as well as financial help.
before they got active in this?
We just fought our own fights all along the way but then the union rallied and everyone started paying their membership when they realised something was going to happen. We're all strong union, those of us who are still out.
getting the sort of support that you would like from the men in the union. Could you say something about that?
Support!! No. It's negative support. The men have even actively worked against us. One of our own unions member, one of the men, helped to break the sit-in by smashing down one of the doors. It's really been terrible. We're really disgusted. Well, we don't call "em men, they te just animals.
I understand you've given them support in their union action before, is that right?
Spied the factory.
When did you occupy the factory?
What sort of support have you been Fantastic support, from all over the Have you been getting support from Yes, we've been around all the districtdistricts. We've also been out to Leyland gave us a 1200 cheque, and said we were great lasses. We've been to the docks, the airport, Red Star parcels and other points to have everything blacked and this seems Were the women involved in the union Yes. It was sort of a sleeping union.
turns.
I understand that you haven't been OVER 400 WOMEN ON A TEN-WEEK equal pay strike at the Salford Electrical Instruments firm in Heywood, near Manchester recently returned to work-sold out by trade union officials. For two months, the women battled on their own. In their eighth week of strike, they occuThe Working Women's Charter Campaign was instrumental in organising a mass rally to launch a national support committee, recognising the example set by the women in their disregard for the social contract.
Two days after the rally-without mentioning the growing support-the trade union official recommended a return to work.
One woman worker at SEI said: We have got 62p on the bonus but lost 80p in the thresholds. That means a cut of 18p a week. We still have not got equal pay on the basic rate. All those weeks of strike just for that.
The women believe that they were instrumental in getting the men's last strike settled by threatening to all come out. It was settled over the weekend, when the women threatened to come out.
What sort of problems have you had with children? How have you managed that, and other home commitments?
Well, for the smaller children we usually have the local ambulance hall and we have a creche there for them for during the picket hours.
But unfortunately the older children have to go to school at the most crucial time which is carly in the morning when the blacklegs and scabs come in. And that is when we need most support really because these women just haven't got anyone to rely on to take the kids to school: Who runs the creche for you?
Our own pickets. We take it in Do you see problems with children if you take action again? Do you think that a nursery, a proper nursery, prov ided by the council would be useful? Oh yet, undoubtedly it would be useful but I can't see the council supplying a nursery. I mean there are a few enough nursery places as it is. I understand that Lancashire has the best ratio nursery places as it is.
Has the strike actually changed how you manage your home responsibilities with the children, your husband, the cleaning and all that sort of thing?
All our homes are mucky! Our hus bands are unsatisfied sexually! (laught(to be continued on page 18)
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them back their essential honour". NATIONAL 50 PAWSONS ROAD, CROYDON, SURREY, CRO 2OF. 'Photo! Peter Harrap (Report)
or languages, and it was made increasingly difficult for them to