the requested meetings and the liberation of Irish women.
At every meeting there was lively discussion about the solitical situation in the North Thi followed inevit ably once 1 explained the Ibberal atmosphere in the Six Counties which exists on BULLI.
British women scemed shocked to find that abortion is unavailable in the North and that because of the underdevelopment-of the Health Service, contraception is not freds avalane. Nor is there n single stale nursery in the Six CHASES.
The audiences 1 spoke to despite all this, while troops are on the suchs JE 1s Enose troops and what they represwhich the CONTE question. Consequenrly the possibilities of building a women's liberation movement are limited.
Theretore, at almost every meeting. we debated the "bloodbath theory, I pointed OUt already have a bloodbath because the troops are there.
came away WITHERE impression than there was great potential for British women contributing as femin is to une banding or solidarity movement in Brit aiD. ANNE SPEED, a leading Irish feminist and a member of Irish Women United, has just spent three weeks touring British colleges at the invitation of the Student Movement Campaign on Ireland. The four was a spectacular success and even speaking twice a day Anne was unable to cover all some 36 in all. Socialist Challenge interviewed Anne Speed, and began by asking her what she saw as the connection between the fight for the national rights of the Irish people Initially. many te women 3 moveRIen supported the Peace People What was the view of the Irish Women's Liberation Moveall The majority of the Irish WLM refute the idea that the Peace People could in any way SUSHILLE They have never taken were silent abour the democrate nets of gaws when the Royal Ulster Constabulary were brutalisine homosexuals into becoming police informWe were very angry ahout the cynical manipulation the press of the fact that the Peace People's leaders women There was a sort of psychological stereotyping of all women as home-loving and kitchen-lowing, forced by the Those values against any odds.
OI course. peace, but anti-imperialist WUL BOTEL BLEE HI is fair and Just, asks us to democratic rights.
Today, very few women in the Catholic ghettos have any ime for the Peace Peoble They offer no perspective. The only base they have is amongit church people and businessIrish women suffer trem endously absence of basic women': rights contraception and so on. Male unemployment in areas is fantastically high 50 per cent in some areas because of systematic discrimination against them in jobs. Often therefore it is the women who are the family hreadwinners, In addition, with so many of the men in jails, the political the organisation of the commuhere пич тенся Деаниь оо кртел:
ibey have prisoners status campaign. for instance Te Su County siste ba givea recognition 10 Icading role of women in the mass movement when it uscs palilics, any sexual intimidation incidence of British soldiers raping Cacholic women is also connected with this.
Quite naturally, repression which is the main preoccupation of the women just now. It will more or less stay that way as long as the British Government is allowed were to trample over the democratic rights tbe popslation None Jegislarion on women's rights passed in Brina in the last 20 years appiles it Treland. To ardes the 3947 Abortion Act, Matrimonial Homes Act, the not one that 1969 Divorce Reform and the 1976 Domestic Violence Acr. CULT Should British feminisrs De Jighting for these laws to Northern ireland?
There are several problems with the approach of extending such legislation, particutotal divorce, freely available Catholic led the political the The rising it is this Northern Ireland.
nationalist heralises' of the progressive can only Northern the 1967 tarly if it is British women who are raising the campaign. For a start, it means accepting Britain's right 1o legislate for Of course, any reform which the position of aruben in the si Counter would be a step forward, but by be won by