WHAT IS A WOMEN'S CAUCUS?
by the PSN Women's Caucus
 
A Women's Caucus can serve many purposes depending on 
what the members choose to emphasize.
 
**It can be a safe place for support and empowerment.  
In trying to understand sexism, we sometimes begin by 
looking at its effect on our lives.  While women's 
experiences are diverse, the ability to see our lives as 
connected to others has freed us from the isolation that 
we've experienced in the past.
 
**It can be a place to discuss and work to eradicate 
sexism within the general group.  Although some men have 
made a commitment to struggle against sexist oppression, 
sexism still exists within the PSN.  Therefore women 
often feel anger and frustration exerting energy having 
to fight for equal rights and representation in our 
group.
 
**It can be a place to initiate activities and develop 
the leadership of Women.  This includes the Women's 
Caucus providing leadership to the general membership on 
issues and goals we define ourselves.
 
**It can be a place where Women take up a project as an 
autonomous group.  Women working together is both 
empowering and powerful.  We work together as a Caucus 
to end the oppression of Women, impact society as a 
whole and create revolutionary change.
 
*Usually, the Women's Caucus is a combination of these.  
But in all, it is based on the premise that the current 
system perpetuautes the oppression of Women.  To act 
proudly in solidarity is to strike a blow against this 
oppression.
 
IN UNITY, IN STRUGGLE
 
**We maintain the right to separate ourselves to uphold 
the autonomy of Women as an oppressed group and to 
create a safe space for support.  Men hold a priviledged 
position in society and benefit from the oppression of 
Women, therefore their role in the struggle is 
different.  In addition to struggling along side Women, 
men's groups have the responsibility for discussing 
issues of sexism and educating all men.
 
**The Women's Caucus is open to all Women.  Because 
Women were also raised to perpetuate the inequality, we 
try to constantly evaluate whether our environment is a 
safe place for all Women.
 
**The Women's Caucus repsects those Women who choose 
this as their only activism, while we also repect those 
Women who choose not to participate in this area of the 
PSN.