Women and the LabourParty | IMGpapers 1980

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impression that the place on women's positive discrimination within the Party and a woman's right to work.

Certainly the debate on positive was important -TY VELICE Organised to successfully challenge the male bureaucrats who run the conference to force it onto the agenda.

But it is unfair both to those women campaigning for Labour Party support lora woman's work march and to those women who fought to enSocialist Challenge 29 October 1981 only discussions taking issues were those on sure that there WCTE debates and fringe MCCENES numerous other aspects of women's fight against their oppres sion, to imply that woman's right to work was CELITE. question Brighton. This was just not the case.

Within the conference itself it is worth noting that a number or resolutions paid particular attention to women: abolition of the cohabitation rule and non-discriminatory benefits taxes were in the resolution on social securiwell-women clinics were supported in a resolution on and •SOUILLIOT the National Childcare Campaign which called for the provision of free prehensive childcare racilities was passed overwhelmingly.

By far the largest fringe tended by about 800 people, debate CUTL WHener women op pressed by sex or by class. This issue was also raised Abortion Rights Campaign meeting on positive legislation for abortion, and on the conference floor by a woman delegate who, both from the largely-male union delegations and from such figures on the platform as Neil Kinnock, declared that being a woman was no problem: her oppression was solely due to her class position.

Whilst this debate can easily become a diversion, cannot Fighting for COLCO discrimination in the Party and for labour movement support for positive action workplace and positive legislation on abortion all require taking women within a class Socialist Challenge should be taking up this question - not sweeping it Apart trom being one-sided, Tessa's article conmIS conception that the

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TESSA van Gelderen's article on women at the Labour Party conference (7 October) gives the