From: Eugene McElroy <emcelroy@igc.apc.org>
Subject: IRELAND:Sinn Fein Women's Conference
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:47:53 GMT

IRISH REPUBLICAN WOMEN CALL FOR CHANGE
(From An Phoblacht/Republican News. November 12, 1992)
                                 *******

      The importance of republican women meeting to share their experience
and discuss their role as agents of change both within the struggle for national
liberation and the women's movement, was clearly evident at the annual Sinn
Finn Women's Conference.
      Organized by Sinn Fein's Women's Department and hosted by Derry city,
the weekend conference attracted a broad spectrum of republican women from
around the country, from urban and rural areas, from within Sinn Fein and the
wider nationalist community.
      RUC Landrovers stationed at the entrance of the conference hall failed to
deter over 100 delegates from attending. On the eve of the conference, women
who had travelled to Derry on Friday night were met with RUC intimidation
when a number of heavily armed RUC members raided a pre-conference meeting
of the committee that met to finalize the conference agenda.
      On Saturday the conference rose for a minute's silent tribute to Sinn Fein
member Sheena Campbell, who recently lost her life at the hands of a loyalist
death squad, before beginning with an address by Sinn Fein's Daisy Mules on
the importance of a united Ireland for women.
      "Partition has been a disaster for women socially and economically. It has
divided women. Women from the Six Counties can work together on specific
issues but partition has served to dilute our potential united power. I believe
women are generally the progressive backbone of change. Partition has slowed
down that process of change.
      "Partition sustains clerical domination in both the Six and 26 Counties.
Women bear the brunt of oppressive domination. The churches' influence
health, education, and general policies to such an extent that women continue
to be denied access to proper health care, equality in education and full
participation in formulating policies.
      "In the British occupied Six Counties, women suffer an added
oppression, sexual harassment by the British Army and the RUC (Royal Ulster
Constabulary) on the streets, in their homes, and, horrifically, the continuing
barbaric practice of strip-searching.
      "Sinn Fein's aim in demanding self-determination, a united Ireland, is to
create a pluralist and secular Ireland which would cater to the needs of all its
people, equally and without prejudice. We must ensure that all the needs and
demands of women are met in a united Ireland. We must not allow the creation of
a united Ireland to become the handing over of power from one set of men to
another set of men, however well intentioned they are."
      
                                 ******
      Bernadette McAlisky was to reiterate this point, calling for the creation
of an independent anti-imperialist women's movement as the first step towards
putting women's rights firmly on the agenda of a united Ireland. She warned:
"I didn't come 20 years down this road simply to be bossed about by someone I
like rather than someone I didn't."
      McAliskey pointed out that a women's conference held annually could not
hope to meet the needs of both the women's movement and the needs of women
within Sinn Fein. Noting the particular internal constraints upon Sinn Fein as a
democratic party which rightly needs to reflect the attitudes of all its
membership, as well as external constraints like censorship, Bernadette called
for the establishment of an independent women's movement. Such a movement
could be organized independently, but not antagonistically. Such a movement
would be free to reflect the special need of women in Ireland, and co-exist
within the broad spectrum of the national struggle.
      In a series of frank workshop discussions, the difficulties of working on
women's issues within Sinn Fein were explored and counterpoised to the
difficulties experienced by republican women working in partitionist, often
middle-class women's groups outside the national liberation struggle.
      The afternoon session began with a paper presented by Sinn Fein's Anne
Speed, a member of the Ard Chomhairle {Sinn Fein's Central Committee} entitled
"Partition, the worm at the heart of the women's movement."
      "Partition has diminished the potential of women acting as agents of
change. The women's movement in Ireland is caught up in dealing with the
realities of two states. In the Six Counties nationalist women carry the double
burden of living in a patriarchal society, occupied by a foreign army and
power.
      "On both sides of the border, the isolation of republican women has left
the women's movement dominated by partitionists and the middle class whose
interests lie in a European super-state. In the pursuit of their interests,
middle-class lobbyists have turned their face away from the cruel realities of
women's lives in the Six Counties. As republican women we need to put our
shoulder to the wheel of change because we can't afford to leave the women's
movement to a reactionary partionist class."
                                 ******

      Members of the audience openly wept as the conference interrupted its
debates to pay tribute to the memory of Sheena Campbell. An appreciation was
read on behalf of her comrades by Chrissie McAuley, who passionately outlined
the special qualities which had made Sheena into an activist who "lived and
worked to bring about political change." Describing Sheena as having the
"intellect and foresight to see a society beyond British rule", Chrissie said that
"typically, Sheena was studying law at Queens's not for personal gain but in
order to broaden her talents to assist her community. Presentations were made
by Derry Sinn Fein Councillor Dodie McGuinness to Sheena's mother and father,
Queenie and Patsy, Sheena's partner Brendan Curran and her son Caolan.
                                 ******
      
      Chaired by the head of Sinn Fein's Women's Department Mairead Keane,
the conference concluded with a general debate from the body of the hall. 
Reiterating her call for an independent woman's organization within the wider
national struggle, Bernadette said that there was no coherent women's
movement in Ireland because women, like everyone else, were divided by the
national question. We need to organize as republican women to mobilize women in
the broader republican community. 
      Identifying the broad anti-imperialist movement as the only one interested
in securing real change, Bernadette said that what was needed was to move
from resistance and survival to the position where we can effect what is
happening to us. 
      "If we are seriously committed to changing the social, political and
economic structures in our society, we need to develop a strategy to win."
      Speaking from the floor, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams supported the
idea of an independent anti-imperialist women's movement. He acknowledged
that women needed to fight their corner and "make men in the movement
nervous, including myself." Adams went on to say that clearly there were
issues around which republican women could organize without involving Sinn
Fein. He also pointed out that as members of Sinn Fein, women faced censorship
and demonization, factors which an independent organization might overcome.
      The conference endorsed the setting up of a committee to explore the
feasibility of establishing an independent anti-imperialist women's movement.
                               **********

An Phoblact/Republican News is the weekly newspaper of Sinn Fein.
It is available from AP/RN, 58 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, IRELAND.

The Irish People, the newspaper of Irish Northern Aid (USA) reprints
selections from AP/RN. The Irish People is available from:
                           Irish Northern Aid
                             363 Seventh Ave
                               Suite #405
                           New York, NY  10001

                   tel: 1-800-IRELAND or 212-736-1916
                            fax-212-279-1916
price 30 dollars USA per year.

for further info on Ireland in Peacenet, see reg.ireland.

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