Anarcha-feminism (also called anarcho-feminism or anarchist feminism) constitutes
an attempt at drawing out the anarchist tendencies of feminism and the feminist
tendencies of anarchism, in order to establish a dialogue between the two traditions.
Anarcho-feminists certainly share some of the ‘traditional’ feminist
concerns and objectives (i.e. control over one’s body and sexuality; elimination
of sex stereotyping; alternatives to the nuclear family; and the dismantling
of patriarchal relationships). These concerns, however, are approached with
a critique that aims its focus on power, by asking how power operates and what
alternatives exist to it in each context.
Such a critique has been developed, specifically, in response to the male dominated
movements of the Left. It can be traced back, at least, to the late 1970’s
where in the South East and London Anarchist Libertarian conference arguments
broke out over the organization of the conference itself. [1] Realizing that
anarchist men were blind to the gender issues facing activist women, anarcho-feminists
pushed for an autonomous women’s movement within the anarchist movement
and for the small group model which did not alienate women the same way that
large scale movements do. As such, the notion of a single overarching movement
along with the movement leaders came under fire. In turn, what emerged as a
desirable alternative, the autonomous, decentralized group, received criticism
[2] from feminists who were concerned that the abandoning of leadership roles
would result in a structureless paralysis of revolutionary potential. Nevertheless,
anarcho-feminists defended the model claiming that it was a viable revolutionary
alternative to the hierarchies found within large scale-movements. As Red Rosa
and Black Maria explain: “Two, three, five or ten… individual revolutionaries
who know and trust each other intimately can carry out revolutionary acts and
make our own policy. As members of a leaderless affinity group, each member
participates on an equal level of power, thus negating the hierarchical function
of power.” [3]
The anarcho-feminist critique of power coupled with the desire for the elimination
of all hierarchies is, in the classical anarchist spirit, particularly aimed
at the state. Although anarcho-feminists are concerned about many social contexts,
the state receives particular attention as “the ultimate stronghold of
male domination”. [4] This position leads anarcho-feminism to distance
itself from all other schools of feminist thought which seek to ‘empower’
women by promoting some of them to positions of power. It is here, perhaps,
that the most startling and original work of anarcho-feminism emerges. The rejection
of matriarchal depictions of women along with the rejection of the worker’s
state (or women’s parties) runs counter-intuitive to many feminisms. Yet,
anarcho-feminists continue to insist that (revolutionary) women must have no
part in an oppressive structure. We can trace the refusal of participation and
representation vis-à-vis the state to Emma Goldman, who rejected the
project of woman’s suffrage, stating: “I do not believe that woman
will make politics worse; nor can I believe that she could make it better. If,
then, she cannot improve on man’s mistakes, why perpetrate the latter?”
[5] The notion that power in the hands of women would still replicate hierarchies
and structures of domination has been developed by anarcho-feminists as a vital
critique of political action.
Mujeres Creando
Mujeres Libres
Raging Grannies
Radical Anarchist Mom and Baby League
The Bloc Tactic
Culture Jamming
Conferences
Construction of Alternatives
Direct Action Casework
Marches
Media
Property Destruction
Radical Cheerleaders
Spaces and Zones
Workshops
Martha Acklesberg
Marie Equi
Voltarine de Cleyre
Emma Goldman
Wendy McElroy
Louise Michel
Cindy Milstein
Lucy Parsons
Anarchism
Anti-fascism
Anti-racism
Anti-racist feminism
Feminism
Groundless Solidarity
Queer Theory
Revolution
http://www.anarcha.org/
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/2159/anrfem.html
http://www.infoshop.org/afem_kiosk.html
http://www.geocities.com/sallydarity/
http://www.spunk.org/texts/anarcfem/sp001066.html
http://www.spunk.org/library/anarcfem/
http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SA/en/display/358
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/goldman/GoldmanCW.html
Dark Star. (2002). Quiet Rumours: An Anarcha-Feminist Reader. San Francisco:
AK Press.
Goldman, E. (1969). Anarchism and Other Essays. New York: Dover.
Notes:
1. Dark Star Collective. (2002). Quiet Rumors: An Anarcha-Feminist Reader. San
Francisco: AK Press. (8)
2. Freeman, J. (2002). The Tyranny of Structurelessness. In Quiet Rumors: An
Anarcha-Feminist Reader. San Francisco: AK Press. (54-61)
3. Rosa, R. & Maria, B. (2002). Anarcha-Feminism: Two Statements. In Quiet
Rumors: An Anarcha-Feminist Reader. San Francisco: AK Press. (13)
4. Ibid., 11.
5. Goldman, E. (1969). Anarchism and Other Essays. New York: Dover. (209)