Reuniting The Women's Movement and Nv Principles

The traditional life experience of women in roles concerned with care
providing and security has allowed for the development of their unmatched
ability to generate options for social order and change, and has made them
skilled in the use of nonviolence.  Representing the culmination of the
feminine consciousness and this ability, the women's movement has brought
women great successes publicly and privately.  Recently, however, the women's
movement appears to be bending under the weight of changes in the world and
the entrance of a new generation of women.  In order to meet these challenges
the movement must redefine and focus itself.  The approach that can keep the
movement as timely and powerful as it has been still springs from a
philosophical and practical attachment to nonviolent principles.

The history of the movement is filled with details of the use of nonviolent
means to advance its goals and take action against injustice, oppressive
institutions, rape, war, and ecological destruction.  One of the earliest
examples of popular nonviolent action was the event of Lysistrata when women
ended war between Athens and Sparta by abstaining from intercourse until
their husbands ceased fighting.  Nonviolent action was also used in the 19th
century when women raised their voices and picket signs, and took up hunger
strikes in demonstration for women's suffrage in the United States and
elsewhere.  In recent times women have used nonviolent action to establish a
just social order when they have gathered at international conferences to
advance the global promotion of women's basic human rights.  Philosophically,
it is evident that the feminism that has been at the heart of the women's
movement has generally followed the principles of nonviolence; sometimes
consciously, sometimes not.  Women have stood with leaders of other movements
for the equality of all people in a world that is free of sexism, racism, and
classism, and instead promotes a social order that encourages diversity.

The movement is currently being threatened, however, by what appears to be an
inability to absorb its own diversity and to formulate its goals as well as
its actions on nonviolent principles.  The young women participating in the
movement today enter the public world with confidence and a considerable
number of opportunities for education, jobs, travel and parenting that the
movement's members have long envisioned.  They also have new struggles as
they define their femininity, try to balance careers and families, function
in a hierarchically organized society, and relate with people who still hold
low expectations of the abilities of women.

The women who have long been members and leaders of the movement have been
motivated by different struggles.  Their achievements in the movement have
been established through their response to women's oppression and
victimisation.  The movement itself focused on supporting and empowering
women to rise out of these narrow sex roles and demand equality.  Many of the
earlier generation's short-term goals have been achieved, and the women who
led those struggles continue in their efforts to bring about a fuller
realisation of equality.

Formerly, action in the movement was consistent with nonviolent methods and
sought to establish a more just relationship between united women and any
adversary.  By massing the resources and skills of women cutting across race,
class and national boundaries, the movement gained momentum and the force to
ensure women's civil and human rights.

Today, however, the movement's women are increasingly divided in opinion on
political and social issues, and the movement is struggling to re-establish
clear communication with women in general.  The diverse resources and skills
of women are unavailable to the movement as women hesitate to contribute to
an uncertain alliance.  The conflicts have also resulted in escalating
tension and anger among women. 

Although women's groups and individuals making up the movement continue to
utilise methods of nonviolent action such as voting, demonstrations and
vigils, no organization has put forth the long-term vision for social
transformation that could motivate women with diverse interests to work
together and still appreciate their individuality.  Organisations taking
action on political issues in the movement seek the advantage of power
created through nonviolent techniques, but overall, the movement is failing
to provide for the security of the adversary, a fundamental principle of
nonviolence.  What the leadership of the women's movement has failed the
realise is that, as fundamental questions of women's rights have been at
least partially satisfied, women have stepped forward to embrace their
individuality, and, we are our own adversaries.  

If the women's movement returns to the philosophy of nonviolence to provide
guidance for setting long-term goals, the issue of our diversity will not
undo the gains the movement has achieved.  The actions that women's groups
take must seek an outcome that serves the greater good of all persons
involved and the de-escalation of violence on all levels, whether it be
physical or psychological.  Without linking provisions for the power and the
security of women, there will be less and less agreement among women for
setting goals that can bring about the transformation of unjust societies. 
Instead, the movement will dissolve into narrowly defined political battles
within a narrowly defined political agenda under a legal system that reflects
a narrow band of interests. 

The current abortion debate exhibits the danger of this narrowing.  As women
seek to further their political interests, whether they be "pro-choice" or
"pro-life", they use tactics that attempt to delegitimize the opinions of
other women.  At women's clinics, both groups demonstrate their concern by
attempting to block other women from reaching their goal.  In the face of the
overturning of Roe v. Wade, each group of women fights to have the legal
system enforce its stance and to not support the other.  Each group has
benefited from the power of nonviolent action by enraging a large number of
people to participate in the battle, but neither side has addressed the
concerns of the opposing women.  It is apparent that organizers on both sides
are satisfied with the violent, winner-take-all approach of our current legal
system.  Most importantly, neither side addresses the future mutual existence
of women under all of the possible outcomes.  For the movement to focus only
on the "pro-choice" or "pro-life" issue and not to address the security of
all the women involved will further fragment the movement.

This focus on narrowly defined issues rather than women's diversity and
integrity, as well as the growing hatred, is crippling the women's movement. 
The refusal to listen to or support each other's concerns and visions, and
the violence used in labels of women such as militant, radical or
fundamentalist add to this.  By forcing women to choose among a range of
options that only reaffirm control and punishment, women cannot further the
realisation of their humanity or a life-affirming social order.

It is time for the women's movement to examine how women can practice the
principles of nonviolence in the fullest sense.  Women are no longer
motivated solely by identifying with victims or by the challenge of
hierarchical systems.  Their motivations are much more complex now and a
better reflection of their humanity.  The movement must reflect this and the
continuing need to transform society.  The energy in the anger that results
from disagreement can be channelled, with creative leadership, into a force
to generate options and momentum.  Nonviolence can provide methods of
organization building that promote the unity of the women who undertake
action, and the women affected by the action.  With the absence of violence
in ends as well as means, women will continue to participate in the groups
representing the movement because they will see that the diversity can be
absorbed and supported.

As the new generation of women becomes the voice of the women's movement, we
should seek to further represent and realise the diverse concerns of women. 
We should embrace, rather than reject, the former leaders and members, their
ideas and their lessons.  It is not enough for women to simply have access to
participation, but we have a responsibility to participate in both the public
and private sphere.  Through nonviolence, we will empower each other and
demonstrate that the women's movement and the world's social order need not
be based on domination, whether it be of one nation over another, or of one
woman's opinion over the other.
Laurie Bain

Reprinted from Frontline, vol. 1, no. 3, published by Nonviolence
International.