Swansea Feminist Network held their second fundraiser event on the 19th November at the Garage, Uplands, Swansea. Ali Morris, SFN Founder Member (Vice Chair) and Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Strategy Coordinator for Swansea, writes about the event.
The Swansea Feminist Network Fundraiser is held as a showcase for women musicians and singers and promotes the huge talent that these women have. Women performers are often under-valued and under- represented, especially in the rock and alternative genre. We want to give these women an opportunity to show off their skills and to give the audience a chance to see how women can perform.
The Adelines performing on the night
(Rebecca Gwynn Photography)
The event was held to raise funds for SFN to enable the group to carry on its work in raising awareness and campaigning on issues that affect women and hinder gender equality. We are a feminist activist group that organises campaigns and events. Previous campaigns have included organising the Pro- Choice demonstration outside Parliament in July this year to protest against the proposed Nadine Dorries Bill that would have set back abortion policy in the UK by decades. We also hold ‘Feminist Fridays’ which campaign against the ‘Lad’s Mag’ and ‘Sex Object’ culture in a fun way and to spread grassroots feminist activism. Different members of the SFN have specialist areas of interest including domestic abuse, the sex industry, Female Genital Mutilation, pro-choice movement, feminist zines and violence against women for example.
The funds will also go towards paying for the use of space and a desk in Swansea Women’s Centre. SFN believes in the importance of women only space because it is in women-only space that a woman’s voice can be heard on her own terms, where she is free from male opinions, free of the spectre of patriarchal judgement, that in mixed space denounce, silence, talk over, appropriate, or ridicule her voice. Women-only space remains relevant because women need space free of male influence and control in order to forge our own politics on our own terms. Otherwise those dominant male voices and values will continue to devalue us, leaving us where we started.
The funds will also go to help sustain the cost of producing the SFN Zine ‘Pandora Press’. Pandora Press exists to give women a space to express opinions that are so often overlooked in the mainstream media. It is a voice for women to air their feminist thought in a safe space. Any women who wants to contribute to the Zine can do with articles, poems, drawings etc.
Singer/song-writer/pianist Catherine Elms gave an outstanding performance
(Rebecca Gwynn Photography)
Future events will include another Music Fundraiser, a Feminist Workshop Day, Feminist Fridays, International Women’s Day Event, Trips to Feminist Conferences, theatre & cinema. We will also continue with our successful Radical Feminist Book Reading Group, pub meetings and Art & Craft Sessions.
Enjoying the show: over £200 was raised from the event
(Rebecca Gwynn Photography)
Gareth-Lee Smith
November 22, 2011
I know Ali personally and I have nothing but respect for her views, even if my respect sometimes manifests itself in jokes and gentle ribbing.
However, I have to question how women’s only space allows women to “forge our own politics on our own terms”. Surely when politics does not include the entire gamut of society it is not politics at all? It is an open question, an answer would be very welcome, from whomever it may come.
By all means, restricted space and privacy is each individual’s prerogative (and in the other ways that you’ve mentioned it is absolutely essential), but this reasoning devalues the rest of the reasoning in my eyes because it is such a paradox. By hiding it away, is this movement truly challenging the system?
Mathew Hughes
November 26, 2011
“SFN believes in the importance of women only space because it is in women-only space that a woman’s voice can be heard on her own terms, where she is free from male opinions, free of the spectre of patriarchal judgement, that in mixed space denounce, silence, talk over, appropriate, or ridicule her voice. Women-only space remains relevant because women need space free of male influence and control in order to forge our own politics on our own terms”
How exactly is hiding in a corner when you have something important to say going to make people (not just men) think more highly of the opinions of women?
Answer: It isn’t.
Natalie
November 27, 2011
My experiences of women-only space include volunteer collective woman at a rape crisis centre and transition house (refuge) for women and their children escaping male violence in Canada, feminist group in Sweden and the Swansea Feminist Network.
From my experiences, feminists who organize in woman-only spaces rarely “hide in corners”. Rather they use the strength of collectively grouping with other women to speak out and take action against the oppressions women face.
Feminists who organize in woman-only spaces hold demonstrations, write articles/books, fundraise, hold public forums, are active in the media, challenge government and law, etc., all which are targeted for all of society.
Of course societal changes are needed to end women’s oppressions, which include all member of society, but many women prefer to group first to share our oppressions and plan our resistance, before tackling entrenched societal patriarchy.
Ali Morris
November 28, 2011
Natalie has briliantly covered many of the points I would have discussed. I would like to say however that It is very short sighted of anyone to believe that women only space is used as a place where women can ‘hide in corners’ and somehow maintain their discussions without bringing them out into the wider world. Being able to explore ideas and thoughts free of male influence is often the spring board where women gain the confidence and courage to voice these opinions and join the debates so often bulldozed by male voices. Laws of the land and politics are still driven forward by men and as Natalie quite rightly pointed out women use their space wisely to enable them to join in these debates and to often have a major influence. The fact that they have been able to do this in a women only space first is vital to the success of debate.
Women only space is not only used as a space where political debate and ideas can flow freely but simply as a space where women are able to ‘be’. Women are subjected, day in day out, by men, to a barrage of insults and comments. The fact that women are often conditioned to accept these comments as part of being a women does not mean that they do not affect the self worth and self confidence of women. It is often in women only space that the sharing of experiences introduces the realisation of the impact of these comments and that women do not have to put up with them. I myself on a daily basis am subjected to male comments; they range from the outright abusive (sexual) to comments about my clothing, my hair etc. This is the reality for women. The vast majority of women that attend the Women’s Centre have no political agenda. They attend because life experiences have taught them that women’s voices do not get heard.
Politics and life in general should indeed mean that all members of society should be involved, but unfortunately reality tells us that this is not the case. Women want to be part of that and if women only space starts off that process then I for one will continue to support its existence.