BY MARGARET ALLUM
A radio commentator in Melbourne remarked during the September 11-13 (S11) protests there against the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting that he had noticed a "female firebrand" inciting others to join the blockade of the Crown Casino, the venue for the WEF meeting. Women played a strong role in mobilising the people's power during S11.
The most severe repercussions of the profit-driven policies forced upon the Third World by imperialist-dominated financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are felt disproportionately by women. Women and children, according to the United Nations' State of the World's Children 2000 report, are the majority of the poor. This poverty is ever worsening "as the two-tiered world economy widens the gap between rich and poor countries and between rich and poor people".
Factors that contribute to poverty are compounded for women and girls by "the discrimination against them that infiltrates all sectors of society in every country", the report noted. "To be a girl born into poverty is to endure discrimination many times over in pervasive and insidious patterns."
It is not surprising that women are playing a leading role in the growing protest movement against the international organisations controlled largely by "wealthy white men in suits". "Everywhere the rich men meet, people power on the streets" has become one of the popular chants of the anti-corporate movement.
Green Left Weekly spoke to three women who played key roles in the successful S11 protest blockade. They are all leading members of the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP).
Courage
Karen Fletcher travelled from Brisbane to join the blockade. "I was very impressed with the leadership and participation of women during the three days in Melbourne. I estimate that the overall ratio of women to men was roughly 50:50. It was mainly women who were the marshals and they coordinated the thousands of blockaders who were determined to prevent the WEF delegates from entering their corporate talkfest.
"Many of the protesters, particularly women, as well as being committed to that task, were also very courageous." At one point, an "official" car was driven into the thick of the crowd, Fletcher said. However, the blockaders held their positions.
A marshal at one of the blockaded casino entrances, Fletcher told Green Left Weekly that the protesters responded well to the marshals' role of facilitating the democratic running of the blockade. She explained that the marshals received and passed on information to the blockaders and chaired the discussions about tactics. Megaphones were offered to participants so as to achieve the widest possible participation in decisions.
After a particularly long stretch of cold and wet weather, everyone was having trouble keeping their spirits up at Fletcher's blockade point. One woman decided to lift the crowd's morale with an impromptu belly dancing performance which, before long, had everyone joining in, including a troupe of mobile bongo players who stopped by and provided musical accompaniment.
"It was this spirit of fun combined with the serious aims of the protest that made it so enjoyable despite the harsh weather", Fletcher explained. "A visiting activist from South Korea, who had previously been rather quiet, felt so empowered by the show of strength on the streets that she gave a rousing speech that detailed the struggle of workers in South Korea against the huge corporations there, and the role of the global financial institutions."
Women's caucus
Anne O'Casey was involved with the S11 Alliance in Melbourne in the months leading up to the blockade. "During the course of the planning period", she told Green Left Weekly, "it became apparent that, while many women were involved in the planning meetings, few were taking part in the decision-making by having their opinions and ideas heard.
"To overcome the problem of discussion being dominated by a few men, and of many women lacking confidence to make contributions, a women's caucus was formed. It met each week, just before the main S11 planning meetings. The caucus forwarded proposals to the S11 meetings, such as: that participants be aware of the under-representation women in the discussions; that the speaking list be more ordered and be adhered to; and that there be an affirmative action policy for women by moving them higher up the speakers' list when a gender balance was lacking."
O'Casey pointed out that the reticence of women during the meetings was shaken off when it came to the action in the streets. "Video footage from S11 shows no shortage of women making their voices heard, with and without the aid of megaphones, and leading the democratic processes."
With Jo Brown, O'Casey coordinated the speakers' stage for the three days. From the stage, they played a central role in explaining the political reasons for the blockade.
O'Casey said, "While there was a specific theme of feminism for speakers on the last day of the protests, the issues of feminism and the intersection of women's rights and neo-liberal globalisation were well represented on the other days, perhaps with the exception of the official trade union platform, organised by the Victorian Trades Hall Council."
In response to criticism raised about the "women's platform" being left to the last session, O'Casey said that it, and the speakers on indigenous issues, were far from a "tag-on". "They provided a spirited launch for the 'victory' march through Melbourne that ended the blockade on S13. That march was very inspiring and all agree it was one of the highlights."
There were some unusual suggestions during the planning about how women could participate in S11, O'Casey revealed. "There was one bizarre proposal from some of the anarchists that women leave the blockade and go to Parliament House, where they would squat and piss en masse outside the building because 'that is what women do'. This was dismissed as not helping the effectiveness of the blockade."
DSP and women
Susan Price travelled from Sydney to S11. She was one of the coordinators of the large DSP presence at the blockade. She told Green Left Weekly, "It was not surprising that the majority of the 130 or so DSP members at S11 were women, because women play a leading role in our party. Not only are women a large part of the DSP's membership, but also within its leadership.
"We don't have a quota system for women as elected leaders in the DSP", she explained, "but we have achieved a gender balance because we take the question of the rounded political development and confidence of all our members seriously.
"In so many organisations women are consigned to organisational tasks, which we all know we are extremely capable of, but the development and training of women as political leaders is often neglected. It is not enough for women who are already more confident or extroverted to play the political roles. Overcoming the barriers to full participation in political life that women, and often those from non-English speaking backgrounds, face has to be approached consciously."
Price said that the prominent role played by women in both in the organisational and political planning of S11 allowed the DSP to set itself apart from left organisations which do not take feminism seriously.
"Most of the marshals were women DSP members. Two of the three marshal coordinators were women. One of these and the male coordinator were activists in the DSP", she noted.