WHAT IS A WOMEN'S CAUCUS?
by the PSN Women's Caucus
A Women's Caucus can serve many purposes depending on
what the members choose to emphasize.
**It can be a safe place for support and empowerment.
In trying to understand sexism, we sometimes begin by
looking at its effect on our lives. While women's
experiences are diverse, the ability to see our lives as
connected to others has freed us from the isolation that
we've experienced in the past.
**It can be a place to discuss and work to eradicate
sexism within the general group. Although some men have
made a commitment to struggle against sexist oppression,
sexism still exists within the PSN. Therefore women
often feel anger and frustration exerting energy having
to fight for equal rights and representation in our
group.
**It can be a place to initiate activities and develop
the leadership of Women. This includes the Women's
Caucus providing leadership to the general membership on
issues and goals we define ourselves.
**It can be a place where Women take up a project as an
autonomous group. Women working together is both
empowering and powerful. We work together as a Caucus
to end the oppression of Women, impact society as a
whole and create revolutionary change.
*Usually, the Women's Caucus is a combination of these.
But in all, it is based on the premise that the current
system perpetuautes the oppression of Women. To act
proudly in solidarity is to strike a blow against this
oppression.
IN UNITY, IN STRUGGLE
**We maintain the right to separate ourselves to uphold
the autonomy of Women as an oppressed group and to
create a safe space for support. Men hold a priviledged
position in society and benefit from the oppression of
Women, therefore their role in the struggle is
different. In addition to struggling along side Women,
men's groups have the responsibility for discussing
issues of sexism and educating all men.
**The Women's Caucus is open to all Women. Because
Women were also raised to perpetuate the inequality, we
try to constantly evaluate whether our environment is a
safe place for all Women.
**The Women's Caucus repsects those Women who choose
this as their only activism, while we also repect those
Women who choose not to participate in this area of the
PSN.
