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NEWS & LETTERS, July 2002
Date unites host of fights against sexism
New York—The National Organization for Women (NOW-NYC)
and the Street Harassment Project rallied in Central Park on June 8 to mark the
second year anniversary of the mass assaults on women in the park and the sexist
treatment of the women by our "justice" system. About 35 persons
attended, mainly white women under the age of 40. Several had arranged to
"speak out" about the attacks on 56 women that day, the police who
refused to intervene, and other sexist issues. We also heard from a representative of VOW, the Voices
of Women Organizing Project of the Battered Women's Resource Center. VOW
represents all New York boroughs and includes African Americans, Latinas,
whites, Asians, lesbians and formerly incarcerated women. "We feel battered again by the system," she
said. "The criminal justice, child welfare, and social service systems
don't respond adequately to our needs. Our mission is to support battered women
through technical assistance, leadership development and political
education." The rally also demanded that Mayor Bloomberg and the
City stop fighting to overturn a judge's order issued March 18 in the case of
Nicholson v. Williams. The order requires the City to cease prosecuting battered
women for child neglect and removing their children simply for reporting
domestic violence against the women. An eloquent African-American man representing New York
Men Against Sexism described his work in Brother Peace to end men's violence
against women, and called for "a men's pledge of commitment" to this
goal. The rally's diversity of endorsing groups was inspiring,
but the small turnout and single issue orientation were depressing. It called
out for News and Letters Committees to be out there with our literature and
unique Marxist-Humanist philosophic contribution toward working out a new
society. —Sheila G. |
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