International Socialists

Globalisation is built on the backs of women workers. The harsh reality of capitalism has demanded the participation of these women in the workforce. The oppression and exploitation that these women face has created the wealth of this world. This is especially so in sweatshop factories. Working class women are subjected to extreme exploitation including workers not earning a living wage, dangerous working conditions, having to put up with sexual, physical and verbal abuse, and being enslaved by 14 hour long days with only two toilet breaks of two minutes each.

 

These harsh conditions are all too real. But what is just as real is the strength and militancy of working women throughout history. In 1908-9 women garment workers in New York City went on strike demanding an end to sweatshop conditions, equal pay, the vote for women, and childcare for working mothers. This gave birth to the celebrations of the first Women's Day. Too much emphasis is given today by the media, academics and even some activists on the stereotypical image of women workers being passive, submissive, docile and disorganised.

 

More emphasis should be placed on the potential strength working women have to bring the system to its knees.
 

Nike protest

On 8 January 2002 there was an anti-Nike protest in Wellington. Around 30 people turned up to protest at a gala dinner organised for Nike's "ambassador" Tiger Woods. There were anti-sweatshop placards and signs, as well as a mock "slave auction," but very few chants and even less visible anger.

 

It was great to see something happening to publicise the harsh conditions of sweatshop workers but unfortunately this performance merely emphasised the stereotypical view of women: passive, submissive, docile and disorganised. The entertainment was a mock Nike workers' auction where the child labourer went to the lowest bidder. Four ethnic people (three women and a man) were dressed in raggedy blankets being auctioned off to a whip carrying suit representing Nike. The auctioneer was saying things like, "No bid is too low," "remember you can't sexually harass them unless you're a supervisor." I see the humour, I see the irony, but I'm sick of the constant subjugation of working women everywhere!

 

More emphasis should be placed on the potential strength working women have to bring the system to its knees.
 

Sweatshops

Women in the sweatshops of the so-called Third World are incredibly exploited and do labour under terrible conditions, but they also have enormous potential power. By gathering these women together as workers, capitalism has unwittingly created its own gravediggers. If sweatshop workers themselves organise to fight back in unions and strikes, they can take on the corporate giants - and win.

 

The Kortex strike that took place 20 years ago is still an inspiration of working people transformed in the course of their struggle. Kortex was a textile factory in Melbourne. The women that went on strike fitted into the stereotypes of passive, submissive, obedient and badly organised. But after ten days these women became more militant and aggressive and organised to even take on the union officials.

 

These women fought through cops with batons, bosses, their hired thugs, and the union officials to come out victorious after ten days. Of course it wasn't just on the picket line that attitudes changed. Men had to take over childcare and house chores so that their partners could attend the pickets for long hours. It is this kind of strike which proves that the so-called passivity of women depends on their social circumstances. Even a ten day struggle is enough for women to break free of passivity and heighten women's consciousness in order to fight for their own liberation.
 

Potential Strength

More emphasis should be placed on the potential strength working women have to bring the system to its knees.

 

Significant and meaningful change for workers in sweatshop factories will not come through people boycotting products such as Nike and Gap. Chie Abad (a former sweatshop worker from the Philippines) said, "I am not for boycotting products - unless workers themselves say we need to boycott a particular manufacturer sweatshop workers will lose their jobs." In order for boycotts to be effective they must be very well organised otherwise it will mean that we are just fighting for sweatshop workers to lose their jobs.
 

Ineffective

This is why the slogan "Support NZ Made" is ineffective if you are truly intent on changing the conditions for sweatshop workers. We don't need to band together with the employers that exploit people here - we need to forge international solidarity with workers the world over.

 

Global grassroots movements opposing sweatshop labour may seem remote to us here in New Zealand, but they do already exist. Global political pressure and solidarity from a huge diverse range of groups, individuals, and workers have forced concessions from these corporate giants.