have given growing numbers in the confidenoe to speak out and only the act of rape which Women are Inclacing Bel eswho, with the help of a myrind of HESTOLE WHO COE PASS BEECE which every real man' desires is one expression of the dehumaniand distortion of social relations rpetuated by class society and rooted in he social conditioning of the family.
ANGER AND DETERMINATION Despice the anger — and determination which these actions have encapsulated, question of the political basis for an so going campaign on the issue of rape has presented a particularly thorny probespecially for socialists in the m's movement. No woman would an immediate reaction ecially to a brutal rape - would be nething along the lines of 'castrate the But the sarting point for any political crion against rape is not to sharpen a kitchen knife, That starting point must be the interests of women in the context of it understanding of the centrality of the arugale for their liberation — which will not be achieved throush condemning ourselves to a lifetime behind bars.
MP Jack Ashley's for increased prison entences, bur do so on the thoroughly rong basis that the rapist is working am….or black". These "socialists" don't tart from the interests of women.
Women have quite rightly retarted rith scorn. Any man working class, ack, ruling class or whoever - wnC morts to this most humiliating form of physical assault against women takes this action against every woman's right to at, think and feel independently. if the apist is working class then his action acts against the interests of the working class BASHOIC.
CLASS LINES However militant as a trade unionist or an anti-fascist activist, the man who resorts to rape crosses class lines, and foits all the others who condemn women to a life of uncertainty, apprebension and men physical disabilities, incapable of fighting for an independent existence of her own. This betrays the need for a united, independeat fight of the working class and all oppressed people in sociery Today the workers' movement - let those who consider themselves ocialist:
capable of imposing its own sanctions ind morality against those in its ranks whether it be woman battering, persistent Harassment of women in puns, coc. ol acts of rape in its narrow, legal definition. Organised political opposition and sanctions to such acts carried our by the workers' movement itself would provide consciousness necessary for such unified apposition will not arise spontaneously. A trong mass campaign launched by the POLITICAL DEMANDS The formulation of political demands For any such campaign against rape which irengthen the fight for women's libera bon and at the same time challenge and weaken the very system which is at the root of worten's oppression is a complex problem. It is something on which the vomen's movement, which ultimately has provide the leadership on this issue, needs utmost clarity. Tbe decision at the last national women's liberation DOnlerence to discuss the issue of rape with a Hew to adopting a seventh demand on it at the next conference will be belped by the welcome debate opened in tbe columns of Spare Rib an the use of tbe The worban who has been raped has Tea options open to her. If she can Tape is a crime the victim sbould hide, she will be likely to report the rape to thi police. But every step of the procedure necessary before the cuse actually comes to court is directed against the women. The legal definition of rape, insidious botion of consent, is so narrow that many vietims of sexual assaule have по recourse to the rape law. If she has, the legally prescribed medical examination often brutal and inevitably humiliating -is carried our hy a police doctor, not by a. qualified person of her choice. In court the woman is subjected to intense crosa She becomes the guilty person put on trial.
What should the attitude of socialists be to the State and Is courts? The courts cust to uphald class society and the hourgoos morality it spawns, perpetuanng women's oppression. They have th: power to mete out barsher sentences for Dilences about elica tere 1s a popic outcry. Bur chis is precisely because by loing so, the Judges are able to retai their monopOly their posers heing expropriated. They have little to offer women alternative women will continue to turn to them. And while they do, socialists must fight for measures which afford women the hands of the judges and laagers. This kind of fight - - combined with other steps which can be taken now — provides the best basis for convincing women of the class nature of the courts.
Furthermore, whatever sentences are meted out to the rapist, one thing is clear from the many recently publicised cases. Sentences are not decided in the interests of the rape victim. Judges are ratber bourgooi morality), and the career, colour, and social standing of the rapist, Neither does severe punishment eradicale rape by "curing the rapist. After being locked up for several years a rapist could conceivabls emeree with even more violent tendence. All the terearch done an recidivism and the rehabiliacion values OTE CHOSE OCHET BORED as conclusion that jail sentences do not diminish the threar of violent anti-social behavior, SENTENCES Once women rely on the courts to stop rape they hand over all their organisation Equally, if socialists choose to uphold this "justice they get entangled in impoosible contradictions. From a scientific Marxist viewpoint, is it correct to demand the five year sentence Jack Ashley has pulled fram his hat? Or is it more revolutionary to go for 10 years...or six months? On wha political basis do we develon this kind of demand which can further the struggle for material basis?
Although the cours cannor eliminate the incidents of sexual violence agninst women, they cannot he ignored, Women should have the right to be examined by a person of their own choice, rarher than impersonal police doctors. Their identity Should be tocally protected from the gutter press, unless they wish, as Carole Mages did, to openly campaign against rape. The cross examinacion which pors the Woman on subjecting her once more to humiliation, must not be Wamen wishes of the victim should he allowed so give evidence on her behalf.
The opening of Rape Crisis pentres in Britain provide the basis for an alternative to women who have been raped. These Stols provide women with support The afteronath of an atlack. They can also come orses cores to do goat campaigning activity against rape.
RAPE CENTRES Hur today few sach octres exiat. Those thar do have been set up through the efforts of small groups of feminists. While these centres must always be under ties should be provided no string attached by the campaien for Rape Crisis centres as we These kind of lacilities will not be won from the State tomorrow. That's wby the few rape crisis centres which exist must have the full support and materia backing of the workers' movenient as a whole.
The emphasis in any on-going cam paign on rape must be on its prevention Any women organising to defend them selves deserve rigorous support. For centuries, women have been socialised into submission. Their physical strength has remained undeveloped. The growing numbers of women's self-defence groups, again often poorly-quipped, sould be supplemented by attempting to end the cessions from the bourgeois scate, so that women can walk freely on the streets and Toel safer in their homes, Tape crisis centres and women's refuges can play an important role in deterring rapists. Org anised patrols by women, poster camdangerous areas, co-ordinated campaigns Su areas where women suller comms harassment (from kerb crawlers and the like) are all steps which women's centres have begun to take. The very existence of rape crisis centres can also give women who are vitims of sexual violence in the home the confidence to tackle it DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS But we must also demand that the State takes its responsibility in protecting the democratic rights of women which it claims to offer. The State shauld provide better street lighting. free and easily available late transport, and atber forms of protection and deterrant deemed necessary by women.
Wonsen have only their own organisation to rely on. The labour movement -which could add enormous weight to WorDen's campains sunst tape → trent the issue in the same way that if treated the issue of abortion just three years ago. Rape is soon as a "private" individual" affair. It is completely outside the concern of the unions. So the labour movement cannot he relied upon to help defend However, an orientation to the labour campalen.If the women's movement is Able to Torce workine class oceanisations into acrion on the rape issue, then, for example, CHEATE local couns threatened with industrial or communiry action will very quickly find the resources demamed.
The days when the trade unions will nice strike action is defence of women's right to lead a life free from peraistent harassment are far off. The far left, suent unti? it was forced to begin to rocognise the importance of women's struggles Line pouncal weight women's abovement, has yet to take a such as fascism, racism, and abortion, it has had a decile moset within the workers' movement. But the far left is only beginning to grasp adequately tbe politics of sexuni violence.
CAMPAIGNS As socialists the scruggle against rape must be seen as part of the struggle for socialism, and must be seen as bringing us closer to the day when the repressive State o was society 1s seance, openine tac door to a society based on democratic and this content, action against sexual vio leos would be bacsed, by the force of the srate as a wiiole Campaigning activity on rape on a nationally coordinated scale has yet to be launched. The Wages for Housework roup bas played a prominent part naking rape a cational issue. But beczu the group bas tied the basis of its Women Against Rape - to WE POLI the notion that women sbould receive wages for domestie labour, and claiming crudely that rape arises trom econocnic dependence, many members of the women's movement have been exctuded through this sectarianism.
What is needed is a fight to broaden the basis of this campaign, so that women in this is impossible, feminises should place paign building actions around rape in which the Wages for Housework group could be invited to contribute. Women actively involved in women's aid, and who are trying to win it to a feminist perspective have an important role to pla in relating their experience to the cam paign against rape Before any such broadly based camp aign could be launched. conference to thrash our the politics of rape is vital. A call for such a conference Last women's liberation conference, to open a discussion on rape with a view to formulating a seventh demand for the
the head of the march was there for
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of Sexual Violence Several weeks ago we began a forum of readers' contributions on the political issues raised by rape and sexual violence. Here DODIE WEPPLER and ANN BOND add their comments.
from local women's groups active on rape would be in line with the decision of the