Women and revolution. 2

 

4/17/2014
Imphal
Egypt 2011-2012

In Egypt, before the revolution many women were poor and illiterate like many Egyptian men. In the last generation huge numbers of women have entered the workforce and they now make up a quarter of all workers. Alongside this the proportion of women who are heads of their households has also increased. Much of this is because of the migration of men from rural areas towards the cities. There are many cases where it is much easier for women to find work than men because they will accept lower wages.

Since the outbreak of the revolution women have taken leading roles in struggles in workplaces and in street protests. Women have always been organising, but the revolution has made them far more visible. It is as if women have found the space to express themselves in a way that they didn't have before. 

On lots of the demonstrations we see women who have never been on protests before. Young women in particular broke with convention and defied their families by going out on the streets. Women account for 49 percent of students in university and students made up an important part of the protesters.

There is a long tradition of feminism in Egypt that began in the 19th century. The women's movement was always at its most militant when the struggle for national liberation was strongest. The fights against colonialism and the monarchy always went hand in hand with the fight for women's liberation. But this is not feminism in the stereotypical "Western" sense. Many Islamist women have been at the forefront of the struggle too. The Western media has often perpetuated myths about Arab women being submissive because they wear the veil or are not educated, but not being educated isn't a result of being a woman - it's a result of being poor!

The occupation of Tahrir Square had a lot to do with the new sense of freedom that women have. Before the revolution Tahrir Square had become a symbol of sexual harassment. In the previous ten years the streets of Cairo had become impossible for women to walk along without harassment. And then during the revolution there was a pivotal moment when we succeeded in expelling the pro-Mubarak thugs from the square. Women led the popular committees that kept Mubarak's forces outside the square. Consequently men and women, Muslim and non-Muslim, veiled and non-veiled, began to stay together in the square overnight. Women brought their children to stay too. For the first time we were not ashamed of our bodies. For the first time there was no sexual harassment in Tahrir Square.

But central to all of this was the idea that it was the revolution that would bring us true liberation. When we were chanting "the people want to bring down the regime" we also meant the overthrow of the values that oppress women.

The forces of the counter-revolutionary forces have tried to use misogyny to undermine the role of women. During the revolution the ministry of the interior sent the central security forces (thugs in civilian clothes) specifically to sexually harass women and to try to drive women away from the protests. Now the old Mubarak camp and the more conservative forces say that women have played their role in the revolution and should just go home. Women are an easier target in society, much like the attacks on Coptic Christians. It is easier for the counter-revolutionary forces to attack women than men - just as it is easier for them to attack Copts than Muslims.

But since the setting up of the new independent trade unions women have had a leading role nationally. They have fought alongside men for better wages and conditions. One of the leaders in the new independent union of doctors and nurses that has led strikes is a Coptic woman.

As a result of the revolution certain concrete demands have been raised.

Women are fighting for full divorce, custody and family rights. There are demands for more women in parliament and for more participation in public and political life in general. Women make up half of the population and yet have only gained eight out of 508 seats in the parliament. There is clearly a long way to go and it will not happen overnight. But the revolution has made us realise that it is through collective action and struggle, rather than just through ideas, that attitudes change. The revolution has brought this potential to the fore and socialists have to grasp it.

Women and revolution.

4/22/2014
Imphal

International Women's Day, 8 March, was established by socialists to celebrate the struggles of working class women. I will like to look at how the fight for women's liberation and revolution has gone hand in hand with three great revolutions - in Russia in 1917, Spain in 1936-37 and Egypt today.

Russia 1917

International Women's Day (originally International Working Women's Day) was first proposed by the German socialist Clara Zetkin in 1910. Seven years later the protest on International Women's Day in Russia marked the start of the February Revolution. Arguments about women arose sharply after the first Russian Revolution in 1905. Looking back Alexandra Kollontai wrote, "In 1905 there was no corner in which, in one way or another, the voice of a woman speaking about herself and demanding new rights was not heard."

Middle class women and the intelligentsia attempted to organise through the Women's Equal Rights Union which grew rapidly. They campaigned for legal rights such as the right to vote, but didn't set their sights much higher. Many of the women maintained maids and servants and were not interested in raising the rights of working women.

When working women called on the Union to demand the minimum wage, those leading the group said they were "disappointed" and withdrew from organising women workers. They feared being forced to increase their maids' pay. The most militant the Union ever became was in the height of the 1905 Revolution and by the start of 1906 it had reached 8,000 members.

In contrast the Bolsheviks fought for equal pay, for universal suffrage and for full rights for women. Kollontai, a Bolshevik, was fervently against an alliance between socialist and liberal women. Their interests were opposed, and on occasions when they did unite, middle class women would always dominate working women she insisted. Some Russian feminists actively opposed strikes. One, Dr Maria Ivanovna Pokrovskaia, said "Who bears the chief burden of the strike? The wife and mother!"

As Russian society polarised, any form of alliance between rich and poor women became harder. In the lead up to 1917 women's confidence had begun to grow through their rising industrial power. Several key strikes in factories where the majority of workers were women fought for wage increases and paid maternity leave. Unlike in Britain or Germany, the doors of the unions were wide open to women from the beginning in Russia.

By 1917 women made up half of the labour force. On International Women's Day in 1917 women textile workers and others came out on strike. Strikers sent elected delegations around other factories to bring them out and rally support. On the protests, women argued with soldiers and convinced some to disobey orders and join the demonstrations. The February Revolution had begun.

In the following months some factories introduced minimum wages, five roubles for men and three for women. Deep seated prejudices, although eroded, still remained. It was only after the October Revolution that there was a serious attempt to address this. After October new laws established equal pay for equal work.

The October Revolution led to the biggest milestone in women's liberation: granting the full right to vote, equal pay and paid maternity leave. The traditional family was transformed. Marriage became a civil relationship, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was eliminated and abortion was entirely legalised. The state took over "women's work" which had enslaved them in the home, setting up communal laundries, nurseries and communal dining rooms.

Nonetheless, the lack of political confidence among women was reflected in the way women still voted men into the soviets rather than women. To combat this Lenin argued for greater political work among women. Women had to be brought into the workings of the Communist Party.

Inessa Armand, a leading female Bolshevik, argued that "if the emancipation of women is unthinkable without communism, then communism is unthinkable without the full emancipation of women". Several conferences for women were held by bringing together delegates from trade unions, workshops and factories. The first in November 1917 brought together 500 delegates representing 80,000 women factory workers.

In 1919 the Zhenotdel (Women's Section of the Party) was created. It was attached to every layer of party organisation to increase female party membership. Women were elected to the organisational body, developed communal institutions such as dining halls, hospitals and schools, and served as judges. The Zhenotdel campaigned to encourage women to take part in the Civil War by providing medical aid, communications and working in the political departments of the Red Army. Critically it aimed to spread literacy, not just to learn reading and writing but to spread cultural, political and general education.

However, the onslaught of the Civil War left the Russian working class in tatters as the country faced unparalleled economic collapse. The gains women had made were eroded. The failure of revolution to spread elsewhere, above all in Germany, left the Russian Revolution isolated by the mid-1920s. This paved the way for Stalin's counter-revolution and the re-establishment of class rule, even if was the state that now acted as the capitalist, driving exploitation forward. Along with this, the old family structures were reintroduced and women were forced into often back-breaking work and domestic servitude.

The experience of the Russian Revolution, both in the victory and defeat, demonstrates more than anything that the struggle for socialism is central to women's liberation. As Krupskaia, Lenin's wife and a leading Bolshevik, explained, "that which unites the working woman with the working man is much stronger than that which divides them."

Get Out of Your Own Way

G e t   O u t  of   Y o u r   O w n   W a y

Steven Spielberg

Why some people successful and others are not? Why do some people pursue their dreams with relentless determination while others give up before they ever get started?

From my observations, people who succeed get out of their own way and people who fail let self-limiting beliefs, challenges and setbacks get in their way. One of the most common ways that people get in their own way is when they interpret obstacles, limitations or difficulties personally, and therefore they believe that something is wrong with them or that they cannot reach their goal. People who get out of their own way don’t take anything personally! They just get creative and find alternative ways to continue towards their goals.

I’ve been researching successful people and what it took for them to get where they are today. One person who has always intrigued me is Steven Spielberg. His personal story is as fascinating as one of his favorite characters, Indiana Jones.

From my research, I discovered that when Steven was 8 years old, he borrowed his father’s 8-millimeter movie camera and started shooting anything in front of him. On family vacations, he’d get his family to restage their activities to make the scenes more artistic.

When he was 12, when most guys his age spent their weekends watching Flash Gordon on TV (it was 1958) or playing baseball in the park, Steven was busy pursuing his goal to be the next Cecil B. De Mille. At that time, there were lots of World War II fighter pilot movies – probably all starring John Wayne – so Steven decided to make his first movie a fighter pilot story.

Without concern that he was only 12 and didn’t have much money, Steven went to the manager of the Phoenix airport and somehow gained his permission to shoot fake dogfight scenes in the cockpits of Vintage airplanes. He got his friends to dress up in army surplus World War II uniforms, splattered them with ketchup for blood, and told them to act like enemy aircraft was shooting at them. Steven created an editing room – probably in his bedroom or in the basement – and interspersed the badly acted scenes with real documentary footage of midair dogfights. He called his first film, Fighter Squad.

Talk about someone who’s a self-starter! Here is someone with a passion and a strong desire to achieve a goal. There is more to Steven’s story. As I understand, Steven didn’t have it easy growing up. He was the oldest of four kids, with three younger sisters. His father was an engineer and his mother was a concert pianist. His family moved three times. His father worked long hours and was seldom home, and when he was home, it was reported that his parents fought all the time. You can imagine what it must have been like around the dinner table, when his father was home: lots of arguments and tension.

Steven longed for a father figure in his life. When he tried to connect with his father, the two of them argued about Steven’s poor grades in school. So Steven escaped into the fantasy world of his movies. In fact, he spent so much of his time making films that he didn’t pay much attention to his studies, which is why he ended up getting C’s instead of the A’s and B’s he was capable of.

His teachers described Steven as an intelligent but awkward and geeky kid who was bullied by the other kids. He was also the only Jew in a very “wasp” neighborhood. And to top it off, he had a strange preoccupation with cameras and movies.

By the time he was 17, he’d made four films. His parents were divorced by now. Steven applied to the two best film schools, UCLA and USC, but his poor grades kept him out. After a summer job as a clerical intern at Universal Studios, he enrolled in Cal State Long Beach. Bored by his classes and anxious to get on with his movie career, he dropped out and began to hang around on the Universal Studios lot where TV shows and movies were being shot.

Even though his clerical intern job was over and he no longer had any business being on the lot, Steven knew that the guards would still recognize him, so he dressed in his suit and tie, grabbed an old briefcase, and as if in a scene from Indiana Jones, he walked right up to the gate, waved to the guards and strolled through onto the studio lot. Once on the lot, he hung around every department he could get into, asking questions. He introduced himself to actors, producers and directors. He watched movies being shot and soaked up everything he could. Years later, he said he probably got kicked off of a set every day. Obviously, rejection didn’t stop him.

Steven was relentless and found creative ways to break the rules and write his own. Eventually, after being on the lot so much, he had people assuming that he worked for someone. With his ruse firmly established, it was time to make the next move. He had an 8-millimeter film that he wanted the studio executives to watch. He got it into their hands, but they told him they’d only look at it if it were shot on 16 millimeter. Undeterred, he rented a camera and over the weekend made a new film in 16-millimeter. Then they told him not to come back until he shot it in 35-millimeter. Without

hesitation, he went home and shot the film again.

Impressed by Steven’s relentless determination, the studio executives agreed to look at it. The 26-minute movie was called Amblin, and it won a prize at the Atlanta film festival. More importantly, though, Universal signed him on a 7-year contract to direct TV and movies. Steven was 22 years old.

Steven Spielberg is the most successful movie director of all time. His films include Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Indiana Jones, ET, Poltergeist, The Color Purple, Shindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan.

When Steven didn’t get into the prestigious film schools, he didn’t take the rejection personally. He simply charted a different path to his goal. When he was kicked off of a movie set, he didn’t call the plan a failure. He just moved over to another set. When he was told to shoot his film in another format, he didn’t let the obstacle stop him. He accepted the challenge and shot the film again… and again.

Successful people don’t make excuses. They don’t take rejection personally. They don’t turn limitations into self-limiting beliefs. They pursue their goals with relentless determination. They take chances, break the rules and get out of their own way. They tear down walls and remove the obstacles that others put in their path.

Life is hard enough. Don’t make it harder by building your own walls from the inside and getting in your own way. There are plenty of walls to climb and knock down without you making more. Get out of your own way. If you have a dream, pursue it. If you have a goal, work a little every day to achieve it.

Steven started when he was 8 years old. His dream came true when he was 22. It took him 14 years. If it’s true that it might take a while for your dream to come true, shouldn’t you get started today?

Get out of your own way.

DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE

DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE

1995 / produced by Yash Chopra / directed by Aditya Chopra / starring Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, & Anupam Kher / music by Jatin Lali / lyrics by Anand Bakshi

To paraphrase the Bard, some films are born great, some have greatness thrust upon them, and then there's "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge," which fits both categories. Released to box-office acclaim in 1995, the film has run for over eight years in at least one Mumbai cinema hall, earning it a mythic status amidst the slew of 1990s bubblegum romances. Yet before it spawned an entire film genre (and reams of academic commentary) addressing the Indian diaspora's nostalgia for homeland, DDLJ was just another masala film. And treating it as such, the viewer discovers a simple story with a few scattered flaws that fabulous acting and a witty script elevate to a modern romantic masterpiece.

'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' was among the first Indian films to be produced with the large and rich South Asian diaspora in the West as its target audience. The film introduced the Non-Resident Indian into modern Hindi cinema, making overseas desis and scenic foreign locations the heart and soul of storytelling.

The trans-continental romance filmed in the UK, Switzerland and India and remains the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, completing 900 weeks at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai. Earning over  106 crore (US$18 million}) in India and  16 crore (US$2.7 million}) overseas, the film was declared an "All-time Blockbuster" and became the biggest Bollywood hit of the year, as well as one of the biggest Bollywood hits ever.

The film tells the story of a young couple (Raj and Simran) who fall in love on a European vacation, and relates how the boy tries to win over the girl's parents so that she can marry him rather than the groom that her father has chosen for her.

Raj Malhotra (Shahrukh Khan) and Simran Singh (Kajol) are two NRIs (Non Resident Indians) living in London. Although both value their Indian roots, they have experienced different parenting styles. Simran has been raised by her conservative father Baldev (Amrish Puri) while Raj's father (Anupam Kher) is more liberal.

Simran has always dreamt of a boy she describes as Prince Charming, believing he is the one for her. Her mother Lajjo (Farida Jalal) warns her against this, saying these dreams will never come true. Her father Baldev soon receives a letter from his friend Ajit (Satish Shah) who lives in Punjab. Ajit wants to keep a promise he and Baldev made to each other 20 years ago — to have Simran marry his son Kuljeet (Parmeet Sethi). Simran is disappointed by this news — she does not want to marry somebody whom she has never met before. Meanwhile, Raj has failed his degree which however makes his father proud of him. Raj asks his father if he can go on a Eurail trip with his friends around Europe. His father agrees. Later, Raj enters Baldev's shop and steals some beer which infuriates him, making him call Raj a disgrace to Indians. Simran is also invited by her friends to go on the Eurail trip. Simran tells her father that she thinks she should be allowed to go because it will be her last chance to see the world before she marries a complete stranger. Baldev lets her go but tells her not to betray his trust.

On the Eurail, Raj and Simran meet. Raj constantly flirts with Simran, much to her irritation. Then, the two miss their train to Zurich and are separated from their friends. They start to travel with one another to catch back up and become friends in the process. Raj falls in love with Simran on the journey and when they both part ways back in London, Simran also realises that she is in love with him, too. Simran tells her mother about Raj — Baldev overhears the conversation and becomes furious with Simran. He says that the family will leave for India the next day for good. Meanwhile, Raj tells his father about Simran and that she is getting married soon. When Raj says he believes Simran loves him too, his father encourages him to go after her. Raj arrives at her house in London, only to find that she has already left for India. She left a souvenir they had bought together on their trip on her front porch however, which encourages Raj to keep chasing her.

In India, Baldev is delighted to be reunited with his friend Ajit as well as all his relatives. Simran and her younger sister, Chutki, meet Kuljeet, Simran's fiance, and instantly dislike him due to his arrogance. Simran still cannot forget Raj and is miserable about having to marry Kuljeet. Her mother tells her to forget Raj because she knows that Baldev will never accept it. Baldev vows that Simran will regret it if she does not forget Raj. The next morning, Simran hears a familiar sound and runs out to the fields to find Raj there. She begs him to take her and run away because she knows her father will never let them be together. Raj refuses and says he will only marry Simran with her father's consent. Raj befriends Kuljeet and gets quickly accepted by his and Simran's family, all with the exception of Baldev who is still angry about Raj stealing from his shop. Soon Raj's father arrives in India and also becomes good friends with everyone. Raj and Simran hatch a number of plans in order to avoid her wedding to Kuljeet. Firstly, they make it look as though Simran cut her finger so she does not have to wear an engagement ring. Secondly, Simran pretends to faint during her Karva Chauth fast so that Raj can be the first one to feed her, not Kuljeet. Eventually Lajjo and Chutki realise that Raj is the one Simran fell in love with in Europe. Lajjo tells Raj and Simran to run away, but Raj still refuses. Baldev and Raj become good friends until Baldev discovers a photograph of Raj and Simran in Europe and realises that Raj is the boy Simran had told them about. He openly insults Raj and tells him to leave the house and never come back.

Raj arrives at the station. Kuljeet and his friends arrive and start to attack Raj. Raj's father soon comes to his defence and is also attacked. Eventually Baldev and Ajit arrive at the station and stop Raj, who then boards the departing train with his father. Simran soon arrives with her mother and sister. She tries to join Raj on the train but Baldev stops her. Simran begs him to let her go, saying she cannot live without Raj. Baldev finally realises that nobody can love his daughter more than Raj does. He lets her go to join Raj, which she does happily, while the train takes off.

When it released on July 25, 1995, DDLJ received rave reviews from critics worldwide and became the second highest grossing film of Bollywood in 1990s after Salman Khan's 'Hum Aapke Hai Koun'.It was also the second film to surpass the 100 crore mark worldwide. In 1996, DDLJ won 10 Filmfare Awards including four major awards in the Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress categories.It also won National Film Awards for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.