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. 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