Building an anti-imperialist producing the forms of male domination, since by their work they substitute for women's movement what the husbands should do in an equal division of the household tasks.
function of reproducing the system of male domination is clearest when the grandmother in question is the mother of the spouse that appears as the head of
International Women's Day will be commemorated in Ireland this year, the household.
When we asked the same as it has been since 1979, with a demonstration at Armagh Women's question to young women, they answer-
Prison in solidarity with women political prisoners. This is the only alled that this was a problem of transitional society, that they did not consider it
In 1969 there were no women political prisoners. Bernadette Devlin, just and that the problem would have to now McAliskey, at the time a Member of Parliament, was the first woman to be jailed in this phase of the struggle against the British presence, which
Cuban women's high level of collecopened with the 1968 civil rights movement. Since then, there have been many developments, inside and outside the prisons, always closely interthem to understand that these and other needs that have still not been entirely met will be satisfied as production and productivity rise. Cuban women know that their labor will produce wealth that will benefit the entire society.
The ideology of the patriarchal family, corresponding to a state and a society that no longer exist in Cuba, persist despite the efforts that are being made from all sides and by all the social organizations. Fundamentally, they are preserved the transmission mother to daughter and by the sexual division of labor in the home.
We were able to see that many comrades have been unable to change the relations within the family or divide the
Nonetheless, as a result of the intense and sustained ideological campaign carried out by the FMC and because of the strength of the new generation educated in revolutionary principles of equality, parents have found it impossible to perpetuate the tradition of male superiority in which they were educated.
22
Ireland activity to celebrate the event. connected.
Internment, when introduced in Aug ust 1971, initially was applied exclusively to men, but it was not long before the first women internees found themselves in Armagh jail. In subsequent years there was a small flood of prisoners who had passed through the infamous conveyor belt' system of arrest under emergency legislation; interrogation in the notorious torture centres, often resulting in 'confessions' to serious charges (at the start of the 1981 hunger strike approximately 80% of political prisoners had been convicted solely on the basis of such confessions); trial in juryless special courts and finally long prison
By the mid-1970s there were about 120 women in Armagh. Between 1972 and 1976 prisoners convicted for political offences were given special category status. As such they allowed freedom of association among themselves and were able to control many aspects of prison routine such as educational and recreational activities and housekeeping chores. Relations with prison authorities were conducted through an elected officer commanding'.
With the introduction of Britain's criminalisation policy in 1976, these rights were withdrawn and conditions deteriorated sharply. The prisoners embarked on a non-cooperation protest, refusing to do penal work and were in retaliation punished by restrictions on recreation, visits, educational facilities and lost a day's remission of sentence for each day's protest. Beyond this, the internal regime was made harsher — harassment increased, there were cases of beatings and medical care became nonexistent. The lack of medical care is a major problem which has still not been resolved In recent years at least four prisoners have been released on the
International Viewpoint 11 March 1985
Strikers confronted by the owner of Keen Foods, Belfast during a strike over work conditions undermining effect th grounds that their health was so bad that of it precluded further imprisonment determination
Republican women but they were allowed to be on death's resist the criminalisation poliey.
door before outside pressure forced
The Armagh women are not hardened action.
criminals; however much the British gov-
Early in ernment tries to portray them as such.
They are, for the most part, extremely young, Catholic women - housewives, cashiers, hairdressers, shop assistants, stitchers, occasionally a student or computer operator. In January this year the last woman with special category status was released. She left behind 17 comrades serving sentences ranging bein cells covered tween five years and life, the average sentence of the current population is
Many of these women have been in prison since their teens, some will be middle aged when they are due to be
Life under British military occupation
Prior to the present phase of political political struggle in the north of Ireland, there no long-term women prisoners, political or otherwise.
numbers, while up and down, have risen charges
This
Armagh is now full of
December women convicted for participation, or alleged participation, tary activities directed against the British the role that women have played, not just in the armed struggle against British imperialism, but in all facets of anti-imperactivity in the past 15
The majority of the prisoners are vindictive.
in their early twenties and most of their lives have been dominated by the war new policy, that of strip searching, has
In her book The Armagh Women, been implemented and is having a serious impact on the morale and psychological published in the weeks between the 1980 well-being and 1981 hunger strikes, Nell McCafferty of anyone,
Strip searching gives a glimpse into the person impact the or otherwise, is inherently war has had on some of their lives:
but in Armagh its use is specifically
'Mary Doyle's mother had been killed designed and carried out to have the in a Loyalist pub bomb explosion. Maire and pay (DR)
International Viewpoint 11 March 1985 dying man.
British Army ket.
tions.
As the to increase.
The statutory
Defence
Two sisters,
Brenda sector dissurvival for themis considerably
(This
23
this means at the every time one goes school
'security itaries the агат pen.
help.
Even if
Many nationalists kangaroo courts.
Fifteen on a mass scale.
and hunger strikes, land statelet.
For every active and are a result.
money for
The way or participating in safe houses or inpickets, providing
The staffed hunger collectively.
women.
ing centres, blossomed.
ghetto.
The centre has a publican activists.
centre.
In
June last watershed.
cussions.
the largest and
What was the
While many this very represupported the who women
But far beyond munities.
These the organised to attention to vacuum.
24 which well those as as
'women's' issues.
This will entail not the antiwinning to only but a discussion gle.
"Governments are urged to take appropriate steps to help women avoid abortion, which in no case should be promoted family planning, and whenever possible provide for the humane treatment and counselling of women who have had re.