IT IS ironic that the first British government to be headed by a woman is also unleashing a violent assault on women's rights and liberties. If any feminists in this country ever thought that all women were necessarily on the same side, Maggie Thatcher should have dispelled the illusion.
All women are oppressed as a sex. But this does not stop some being willing to exploit others as representatives of the ruling class.
Thatcher's main aim is to save capitalism. She'll trample on anyone who gets in her way. In the last five months she's not only proved to be an enemy of the working class. She and her Cabinet are also the number one enemy Let's look at the government's record... *Abortion: the whip in support of Corrie's Bill. Thatcher voted for it. If the Bill becomes law thousands of women will be forced to return to the backstreet abortionists; particularly *Social Services: the Tories' June Budget demanded f4,000m worth of public spending David Blunkett, deputy Labour Group the Metropolitan Authorities committee, forecast: It will mean 70,000 old or disabled people being There will be sackings homes for the old and lancapped and 3,500 places in children's homes will go as will 2,800 nursery places. Four million meals on wheels will disappear.
Who, by and large, staffs these institutions? Who, by and large, looks after the young, old and sick, when the state refuses? Women do.
*Education: the proposed cut of £550 million in the education budret means a total loss of over 100,000 teaching, administrative, clerical and manual jobs. The cuts also mean fewer nurseries, less special education, education.
School meals and milk also face the chop. In higher education a six per cent cut means chopping courses which attract most women — arts, humanities, social sciences.
All this means that working mothers, women and dinner ladies special targets.
promoting charities.
women, like Thatcher, of these legislation rents go through.
Dubious Tories imposed a one line working working class.
refuse Tester Association of service deprived under attack ps in technology less adult during their rights are the fories' *Health: already many hospitals in the NHS have been forced to close. The Tories are private medicine through concessions for private health insurance. They are encouraging voluntary funding of hospitals and say NIS premises will be shared by private Women will have to shoulder a large burden both as producers consumers. Whether the target is safe abortions or anti-natal care, women's health will suffer.
*Women's rights: the Tories want to pass abolishing security strikers. As it is often women who are expected to manage the family budget, it is they who will bear the biggest brunt of this attack. The same can be said if the threatened increases in council If the Tories repeal protective legislation on conditions women will dubious benefit of shift work. Although James Prior has backed down on his proposals to allow small firms to sack women who become pregnant, if he has his way it will still be easier women maternity benefits redundancy payments.
*Unemployment: women face the loss of their financial independence as their jobs in health, education and local government start to disappear: The post-war white blouse army is cuts and the The unemployment women is double that of men, and for womer leaving school between 1974 and unemployment rate increased by 1,110 per cent. Under the Tories things can only get worse unless there is a fight back.
"Back to the family: the president of the Law Society, John Stebbings, recently said that women who co out to work are responsible fol juvenile delinquency. Patrick Jenkin, Minister for Social Services, has said it was the separation of children from their mothers the war that is responsible for the violence of the modern age.
The same theme is common to both. Women should accept the sackings and the attacks on and retorn quietly to the home where they can fulfil their role as loving wives and full-time mothers.
For the Tories the attacks on women are not just economic necessities for the stability of British capitalism: they are part and parcel of reactionary ideology.
tax and for have the and rate for 1978 the Tory