Some Things I Learned During the Women's Workshop Classes

One of the points that struck me in Diane Balser's talks was that radical feminism made it clear to everyone who heard its message that women are oppressed as women. Sylvia Plath's work and Valerie Salanas' S.C.U.M. Manifesto are two examples of radical feminism's no holds barred approach. Now that women in the economic north have gone quiet around women's oppression, women in the economic south are seen as the only women visibly struggling against sexism and male domination.

Similarly in Re-Evaluation Counseling, it became clear that it was counterproductive to attack the agents of oppression (men, whites, middle class, etc). Not having a way to productive deal with the truth of the oppression has slowed women's liberation.

Diane Balser suggested that one way we can move forward is for women to openly share our struggles (i.e. abortion, sexual abuse, objectification, fat oppression, economic exploitation, etc).

Diane suggested that it would be useful for women to look at where they lie to themselves around their oppression as women--it's not big deal, etc.