Louise Nousratpour
Monday March 10, 2008
The Morning Star
LEGENDARY US activist Angela Davis urged Londoners to back Ken Livingstone's mayoral campaign at the Capital Woman conference on Saturday, noting that, in the US, "we know him as the mayor who stood up to George Bush."
A record number of women attended the annual event at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre in Westminster, which coincided with International Women's Day.
With over 5,000 women from all ages and ethnic backgrounds, there was one delegate for every 700 woman living in the capital.
If this truly democratic representation is anything to go by, Mr Livingstone will win the election to serve a third term in office.
Deputy mayor Nicky Gavron stressed the importance of a high turnout in the May elections, highlighting far-right BNP bid to win seats on the London Assembly for the first time.
Ms Davis told an audience of adoring fans that, while she did not wish to be "an outside agitator," a vote for Ken Livingstone would be a vote against racism and neoliberal wars.
In an inspirational speech, the former Black Panther activist covered everything from the brutal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and her tireless campaign to abolish the prison system to the hype around the US presidential elections and how we should remember the struggles of working-class women on International Women's Day.
She rejected arguments by some people in the US feminist movement that the way to celebrate International Women's Day is to generate more enthusiasm around Hillary Clinton's campaign.
"Here, I offer criticism to the prevailing tendency to assume that electing a woman would, by itself, bring progressive policies," Ms Davis said, referring to Margaret Thatcher's reign as clear evidence.
"The most important dimensions of women and human rights achievements have been forged by grassroots activists, especially women, whose names we no longer have access to.
"On International Women's Day, we must acquire the habit of learning how to remember the work of these brave anonymous men and women," Ms Davis said to loud cheers.
The free one-day conference gives London women an opportunity to engage politically with the mayor and hold him to account.
Since its launch in 2001, Capital Woman has had a decisive role to play in shaping London policies on domestic violence, safer streets, subsidised childcare, employment and affordable housing.
Conference heard that, as a result, more women are employed in senior jobs, around 7,000 more low-income families have access to "very cheap" child care, over 50,000 affordable homes are in the making and crime has fallen - in particular, gender-specific violence.
In his conference address, however, the mayor acknowledged that child poverty is still a major concern and he condemned the 23 per cent gender pay gap in London, compared to the 17 per cent national average.
Mr Livingstone reiterated the labour movement's demand for mandatory pay audits to be extended to the private sector, stressing: "Force of law is the only way to ensure equal pay, which will also help tackle child poverty."
With seminars and workshops throughout the day, there was something for everyone - from non-traditional careers like DIY plumbing to advice on setting up a business and how to fix a bike puncture.
The frenzy of activity continued through the lunch hour, with abortion rights campaigners forming a human chain outside the conference to defend a woman's right to choose in the face of Tory attempts to reduce the current 24-week time limit to 20 or even 13 weeks.
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