feminism

An excerpt from Martha A. Ackelsberg's Free Women of Spain: anarchism and the struggle for the emancipation of women about women's struggle for autonomy within the CNT.

The women's march to Versailles capped months of women's political involvement during the French Revolution - in Paris neighbourhoods, electoral assemblies, the conquest of the Bastille and in several dozen processions with the newly formed national guard. Thousands of marching women empowered themselves as citizens as they confronted and helped to abolish the monarchy - and then continued to confront the new authorities.

A journal article by Lilian Mathieu which examines the occupation of Saint-Nizier church in Lyon, June 1975 by prostitutes protesting against police repression. It highlights the difficulties these politically inexperienced women encountered in mobilizing, namely preventing defections and choosing an appropriate mode of action; difficulties they were able to surmount thanks to resources provided by outside supporters endowed with practical knowledge in matters of collective action. Despite this assistance, however, the prostitutes' mobilization quickly declined and soon expired, in part because of the leaders' defection.

The Gddd were an organization of women in Italy from 1943-45. They were the largest group of active anti fascist women at the time. At their height they had around 70,000 members and comprised of women from every walk of life, from previously unpoliticised housewives to lifelong radical activists. Some of the work they did included organizing strikes, armed resistance, setting up after school hot meals for children, providing clothing and shoes to low income families, stealing coal and bread and handing it out to those in need, Robin Hood style.