portion of socialism.
women's organisation in the pally LO Lai disgrace. The National oI Women, supposedly the highest organisation of women in the party, actually has less power than an individual branch which twenty people "The national women's conference cannot It's exIstence is not even formalv recognised in the constitution of the party. The supwomen on the National Exof the party are chosen by party conterence as a whole that Is Dy an electorate whose majority are men.
ulven unis lt is no surprise that the Labour Party historically has failed to attract the support of women to anything like the degree it has attracted men. also most stereotyped and sexist images of women. PROBABLY THE biggest issue the Labour Party is going to face in the next year is the position of women within the party. There are more than 28 million women in British society - the majority of the population. Women form the majority of the working class community. Women are well over forty per cent of the workforce. They are a third of all trade union members — and probably a higher promembers. Without representing women the labour movement in this country is incapable of taking a serious step towards dominated executive, is that a trade union block vote Connored men noki be introduced into women's conterence. 'Ihis wil then be used to vote down all the proposals of women.
This policy is a total catastrophe not only for women but for the party as whole. Women no longer prepared to be kick ed around by anybody. The net effect of this approach will be to drive women in large numbers away from the party - • with disastrous for everyone concerned.
The second proposal coming forward, closely identified with the practical proposals of the oordinating Committee (LCC), is to make purely cosmetic or tokenistic changes. This means that a fairer representation Woe al Woes col ference might be decided LUll The right to submit resolutions the women's conference to party conference would recognised. In some tional women's committee by the women's conference would be granted. But real power, the election of the women's places on lne NEC, would not be granted to women's conterence. would remain under the control of men. ever taken by women in the party tion is women should.
•demanes The view, associated to gain the power to the five A shift to electing the NEC women's places by women's conference would represent a tremendous shift in power within the party, comparable in impact only to the reforms achieved by CLPD - it would also be, in today's conditions, the largest step forward ference, the their of course, has The that is totally in the interests women, totally in the interests of the party. This is that the and its leadership, must accept ine principle that the conTerence elects the women's representatives the NEC. Once that principle is accepted then women in the party can Sil down together, and also with the party leadership, to work out the best way to ensure that this right of women to elect their own representatives is exercised.