Reblogged from womeninthelabourmovement: We the undersigned labour movement activists stand in solidarity with all women opposing all forms of male violence against women. We recognise that male violence against women is endemic in society, and that our movement is obviously and unfortunately not exempt. We believe that our trade union and labour movement has the potential to transform society for the better. Therefore we have a particular responsibility to confront and challenge male violence against women within our movement. Read more… 1,361 more words If you’re involved in the labour movement in any capacity, be that in a trade union or a(nother) political organisation, please consider signing this statement. About these ads
Posts from the “angry? what me?” Category
UNISON women, the SWP, and the vote to support rape victims
Cath Elliott
Posted on February 22, 2013
There’s been some discussion online about last Saturday’s debate at UNISON’s National Women’s Conference on Motion 30: Support Rape Victims not Rape Deniers, so as the original mover of the motion at #unwc13 I thought perhaps it might be time for me to give my take on it all. * * * Personal Background First though, some personal background. The Socialist Workers Party was the first political party I ever got involved with. It was back in the early 80′s when I was 13/14 years old and just starting to get interested in politics. I’d written off to the Anti-Nazi League, whose address I’d found printed on the inside sleeve of the latest Tom Robinson Band album, and someone from the ANL who lived…
Richard White, the former site owner and moderator of the now infamous Don’t Start Me Off! claimed in Friday’s Guardian that “we never try to hurt people’s feelings.” * * * In his sniveling non-apology to Professor Mary Beard, who has recently been the victim of the DSMO hate mongers, White also stated: “We do not go out to be offensive”. * * * He then implied that the only reason Beard had seen the vile comments about her was because she’d obviously gone on to the Internet specifically to look for them. * * * According to White, the trolls at DSMO were never actually trolls in the true Internety sense of the word because they never went after anyone off the site. They didn’t for instance harass anyone on…
Okay, so my daughter’s wedding is all done and dusted and went off without a hitch on Saturday – even the weather stayed nice! All of which means I can hopefully now clear some space in my head for thinking about other things like writing and campaigning and marching and protesting….. * * * Which reminds me. There are only five days to go until the March for a Future that Works, or #Oct20 as it’s otherwise known. Look, even the giant ugly countdown clock thingy in the sidebar has finally managed to get its numbers right. * * * I’m not going to repeat everything I said in my Guardian piece last year about the importance of marching against…
Categories: a bit of politics, angry? what me?, campaigning, ConDems, cynical? what me?, public services, the cuts, trade unions, UNISON
Because so many people who should know better have been getting it so so wrong over the past few weeks, and because like many feminists I’ve just about reached my limit as to how much more victim blaming and ignorance I can tolerate before I completely explode, here’s a handy cut out and keep guide to some of the things that rape categorically isn’t. * * * Rape is not any of the following: * * * Surprise sex or sex by surprise In December 2010 Julian Assange’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, informed AOL that contrary to what people had heard, Assange was not wanted in Sweden for questioning about allegations of rape, but for something he termed ‘sex by surprise.’…
