by A Debate about DSA work in Mass Working-Class Protests in the Women’s Movement
The October 2nd Women’s March saw mass protests against the Texas abortion ban and additional threats to Roe v Wade from the Supreme Court in hundreds of places across the country. Shortly before the marches, the DSA’s Socialist Feminist Working Group (SFWG) issued a statement that they could not support the protests. The Steering Committee of the SFWG argued that “the Women’s March leadership have shown a bias for creating space for cisgender, white women.” “In addition,” they wrote, “as socialists we believe that in order to achieve a non-patriarchal society the capitalist system must be abolished, a view that is not supported by the Women’s March organizers.”
Responding in an article in the Tempest, Emma Wilde Botta and Natalia Tylim make the case for why the October 2 Women’s March was a missed opportunity for DSA, and how to use such mobilizations to build a socialist defense of abortion rights.
Attacks from the Supreme Court as well as several state legislatures over the next months are likely to continue and expand not only against abortion and reproductive rights but also transgender rights and much more. Given that, this debate is not just about this one march but the continuing mass struggles around workers, women’s and BIPOC issues for the foreseeable future.
Obviously, given the currently low level of struggle of the women’s movement, it is not led by socialists, and does not have openly socialist demands. The Women’s March was indeed called by a coalition including Democratic Party leaders, as well as representatives of mainstream women’s groups, as were previous similar Women’s Marches. These leaders traditionally advance vague liberal slogans, encourage lobbying and voting for Democratic Party representatives as the paramount opposition strategy, which as Botta and Tylim point out, is “a strategy synonymous with ruling class feminism that has a narrow and exclusive definition of what advancing gender equality looks like.”
Yet we have seen time and again that these mass mobilizations encompass a wide variety of forces and politics, many far further to the left than the organizers. Mass movements by their very nature always include a wide variety of political trends and organizations. And given current attacks on women’s rights, this is likely to continue as the movement expands. As the Tempest article points out, “A mass movement around defending abortion access should be just that — open to anyone and everyone who wants to fight around that issue, while also clarifying disagreements between participating forces.”
Also, in the face of openly reactionary legislation and court decisions, the movement may be likely to radicalize. The Working Group statement even points to this potential, saying, “[The march] provides an opportunity for our members who are interested in attending to spread socialist ideas and have a dialogue with attendees who may be sympathetic to the socialist feminist cause.” However, they conclude, “the Working Group cannot say in good faith that socialist feminism will be fought for at the march.” This will certainly not happen if socialist forces abstain from taking part in mass events such as these. It is an especially sectarian stand, coming from a group which is part of a multi-tendency organization representing a number of different socialist trends and political influences. Fortunately, DSA and other socialist groups appear to be present in a number of protests, though a better stand by the SFWG could have encouraged a higher turnout.
Mass mobilizations like October 2nd are important tools to oppose attacks on working people, on women, on BIPOC, and on transgender people and a great arena to promote building a militant women’s movement, in contrast to the politics of some of the organizers. DSA should absolutely endorse protests that bring together a wide spectrum of people, even if the organizing groups are not socialist. Promoting our slogans, banners, and politics gives us the maximum opportunity to engage with activists to discuss how to create and promote an independent, democratic socialist message. As Botta and Tylim point out, “People do not need to be socialists to organize around defending Roe v. Wade, but some people will become socialists through that experience.”
This is a vital discussion for DSA members. Please read the DSA Socialist Feminist Working Group Steering Committee’s statement (since it was not published online, we publish it here below for everybody to make up their mind) along with the Tempest critique.
Documented:
Socialist Feminist Steering Committee Statement on the Women’s March
By the National Socialist Feminist Working Group Steering Committee
Sent out via email on September 30, 2021
Dear Comrades,
The sixth Women’s March will take place October 2, 2021, in Washington, D.C., and across the US. The rally will be in support of reproductive rights, which are facing serious restrictions with the passing of S.B. 8 in Texas and other laws around the country seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade. The march aims to influence the Supreme Court, which will reconvene October 4 and will hear two other reproductive health cases in the upcoming term: Cameron v. EMW Women’s Surgical Center, P.S.C. (10/12/21) and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (12/1/21). With a conservative majority Supreme Court, this is a critical moment in time for feminists to fight for reproductive justice.
However, the Socialist Feminist Working Group of the Democratic Socialists of Amerca cannot endorse the Women’s March. Previous controversies associated with Women’s March leadership have shown a bias for creating space for cisgender, white women, leaving BIPOC, transgender, and other marginalized women out of the conversation. The Socialist Feminist Working Group believes that women and non-binary people from all backgrounds need to be included and welcome to participate in the work for total women’s liberation. In addition, as socialists we believe that in order to achieve a non-patriarchal society the capitalist system must be abolished, a view that is not supported by the Women’s March organizers. Therefore, the Working Group cannot say in good faith that socialist feminism will be fought for at the march.
Many DSA chapters, either officially or unofficially, are attending the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., and at smaller local marches. DSA has historically had a presence since the first 2017 Women’s March. We support these groups and encourage those who plan to march to join their local DSA feminist group. Although the march is not in support of socialism, it provides an opportunity for our members who are interested in attending to spread socialist ideas and have a dialogue with attendees who may be sympathetic to the socialist feminist cause.
To help expand access to reproductive healthcare in Texas, you can support the following abortion funds:
- Fund Texas Choice https://fundtexaschoice.org/
- The Lilith Fund https://www.lilithfund.org/
- Texas Equal Access Fund https://teafund.org/
To find a local abortion fund near you, visit the Nation Network of Abortion Funds’ website at https://abortionfunds.org/funds/.
For further information about the Women’s March: https://womensmarch.com/mobilize
In Solidarity,
Steering Committee of the National Socialist Feminist Working Group
