LL THE OPINION polls now real a sharp swing to Labour -this increase is particularly ked among women. This trend erely deepens the pattern revealI at the general election — a swing from the traditional female ajority for the Conservatives. abour has to build on this tendenу, to secure a lasting majority song women. How can this be In our view the answer is three-fold. he Labour Party has to analyse and Ical social conomic factors that omen s lives today. second, It llas lo ampion every battle that age against the viciously anti-woman® ory government. And third it has to allenge all the prejudices of male omination throughout the ovement.
Today the 'average' woman leads a pry. different life than that of revious generation of women. amatic rise in women's employment accounted for by the vast number of ried women who have decided. to " work. In 1961 30 per cent of marwomen worked. By 1979 it was 50 cent.
Until very recently it was a common sumption that married women would normally maintained by isbands. This is one of the major asons why many in the labour moveent still believe that a man's pay ould be higher than a woman's ecause he has a family to look after. at today this standard Germaine Greer longer applies in most cases.
The proportion families has living alone.
Other wullicil widowhood structure companions on women assumed.
While by the economic recession. the The 'little housewife' day the number is one in three.
their position of women independence of 'model' no of single-parent doubled since 1901.
Women head three-quarters of those single parent families and some are taking the decision to have children while find themselves heading households due to divorce, because their Wlac lovers decide to shelve their responsibilities as fathers. 400,000 women are the sole wage earners in families with the dole. Family dependence on men can no longer be women's employment has not increased since 1977, women have not been thrown out of the workforce on Rather the effect of the recession has been to fur- Icaves, ther force women into low paid jobs.
1ne polendal woman Labour voler therefore is less and less likely to be the inat Jim Callaghan used to patronise. She is quite likely to be a trade unionist; less than one in five trade unionists were women in 1951, toIt is from this overall picture of the voters that Ine Labour Party must begin to appeal to The growth of feminist ideas within the labour and peace movements has a real material basis in the growing dependence which clashes sharply with Women workers 1942 the dictatorial regime of the Tories From here on the Labour Party has to make the Tories pay for their attacks women. Pay for the attacks on women over equal pay and maternity pay for the attacks through closures, clawbacks and a host of other cuts.
Labour can win massive support among women if it campaigns on all these issues, if it defends the Greenham women trade unionists fighting back against the government.
This brings us to a crunch issue representing women. Neil and Roy can never be a dream ticket tor women Ten women Labour MPs to represent women in the labour movement is a scandal. The TUC General Council has never had a woman member, except through the Women's Advisory and reserved seats.
As Anne Pettifor of the Womens Action Committee said in Socialist Ac'positive been operating in the labour movement for a long time now, but it is positive dinner discrimination for women who are controlled by men. Now we want positive ascrimaton controled by womell. demand t at the Labour Party the demand that the Labour women women's conference should elect the Executive. women in the labour movement should be accountable to women male dominated bureaucracy. It means putting an end to 'token' women like Gwynneth Dunwoody who have won their status from the support of 'top men' the labour movement ranks and cerdiscrimination ha. movement.
so lilal lucy ot the Labour NaIt's saying that not the patriarchy Ul1lU1 bureaucracy.
- not tron be won. tainly not from the female ranks.
This battle is symbolic of the position of women in the whole labour There are hundreds of similar battles to be won, so that not only does Labour take up demands in the interests of women, but that it also ensures that women pav their full role at every level of the labour movement themselves can lead the fight for womens rights.
Only pressure from the base of the movement can force the bastions of on this Behind the 'top men' of the labour movement lies the power of the labour Polite words Will not budge them - only if Labour women confront them head on will the battle