On Wall Street - the Mecca of capitalism - one of the most documented social movements in world history is on the move right now. It was not obvious that the movement would survive its fourth week, attract thousands of people, gain support from many workers’ organizations, and spread to other states and eventually the whole world.
Demonstrations were held in over 10000 cities, including outside the Stock Exchange in London, on October 15.
The movement Occupy Wall Street (OWS), in New York, was inspired by Egypt’s Tahrir Square, which played a crucial role in the experimental process of making people aware and quickly organized.
I asked Sahar Sajadi, an Iranian feminist who studies in New York, to give a feminist view on the OWS movement’s gathering:
• I’ve been there a few times so far and have friends who are there more frequently and participate in various working groups. Finally, I was there last Tuesday to participate in the General Assembly, where decisions are made by all the participants.
According to Sahar, there are many different groups in New York’s occupation movement. They organize daily life on the ground, taking care of practicalities and the formation of discussion and interest groups. There are also women’s groups, queer groups and people of color trying to influence the movement’s development.
• The crowd is fascinating and reflects the diversity of New York! There are so many people in Liberty Plaza with their sleeping bags and other essentials, so nowadays you have to climb over things to pass through. This week, several of the city’s homeless joined the movement. One of them told me that “I have never felt so much respect from other people that I have done here.”
What about the presence of women?
• They’re present! You see almost as many women as men, in the daytime at least. I guess it’s different at night. But women can be seen both as participants and in leadership roles. Every time it’s general assembly, which is time consuming because it is not allowed to have loudspeakers and people have to repeat everything said so everyone can hear, then people stand up and talk and gives proposals or refuse them. No decisions are made without discussion. If one counts the number of men and women who stand up and speak, of course it is, all in all, mostly white men who make speeches and express themselves.
War against women
Many years ago, during the 80s war between Iran and Iraq, an Iranian man from a war-torn area told that there were many meetings held to organize life during these horrific days. People tried to organize. Most often, men made speeches to each other. But every time a meeting was about really practical and vital issues, such as food distribution, children’s education, health issues and things like that, women came in large numbers and took over and got things done.
The struggle in the U.S. today concerns women directly. It’s more than ever about their lives and survival. Poverty affects millions of women, particularly black women, migrants, and single parents. Women must also once again fight for their right to control their own bodies.
It is no coincidence that many women are involved in politics and are prominent figures in the protest and social movements in the ailing U.S. But will their demands be included in the common demands? Will women’s active participation in the leadership shape these movements’ demands and direction? Will the new social movements free themselves from hierarchical structures and practices, as they claim they aim to?
Virginia Chamlee reported in Ms. Magazine about the war conducted against America’s women. Recent drastic cuts in funding for education and health affects women’s lives directly. Unemployment affects the sectors dominated by female workers. Chamlee describes how an increasing number of states restrict women’s access to abortion and contraception:
• Under the guise of deficit reduction, lawmakers argue that the cuts are necessary, all the while preserving tax breaks for corporations and the rich.
In his blog, Kevin Alvarez, a Latino activist with a feminist perspective, calls people of color, migrants, LGBT groups and women to engage massively in the emerging movement’s leadership:
If the poor and marginalized social groups do not align themselves in large numbers and determine the fate of this movement and its direction, then there will be other groups that take over and do this, Kevin Alvarez warns, saying that this great movement not solely should act against the privileged that revolts against other privileged groups, cause this does not lead to any major changes, he believes.
Criticism of the slogan “we are 99 percent”
“We” are divided into race, gender and class, critics say. Those who defend the slogan say that every successful movement needs unifying slogans about the most basic common demands. Critics argue that such a defensive approach is in itself a sign that the space for other demands is limited with reference to the movement’s diversity. The typical traditional method dominates again: “First the major important questions, then ...”
In her recent article in MS-blog, Angi Becker Stevens, debater, writer and activist in the organization Free Society, gives a summary of the feminist discussions taking place within the movement in New York, Washington and other U.S. Cities.
• Although the activists in New York who are working day and night for this movement rejects all forms of oppression, there are still forces within the movement who do not share their principles.
Becker Stevens says that she has already encountered resistance when she tried to raise questions about gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. It was responded with the usual excuses: Such issues divide the movement! We can not address all issues at once!
• The Occupation Movement slogan, “We are 99 percent” is certainly a strong slogan. But our experience of oppression varies depending on gender, race, class and sexual orientation. We should be able to demonstrate solidarity with one another without pretending that our experiences of oppression are identical, she says.
Becker Stevens points out that the percentage who own the wealth in the U.S. are predominantly white men and this fact says a lot about how society is structured.
• But we cannot imagine creating a society rooted in equality without fighting for all forms of equality, and that includes embracing feminist values.
Sholeh Irani