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The National Assembly of Women remains committed to peace, equality and social justice

ANITA WRIGHT looks ahead to the NAW’s annual meeting this weekend

BACK in 1952 over 2,000 women from around Britain gathered at St Pancras Town Hall, London, to establish an organisation that would voice their needs, demands and opinions. 

This wonderful response had its origins in the work done by the International Women’s Day Committee, established in 1942, later to become the Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF), to fight for women’s political, social and economic rights and to secure a world without wars. 

And so, determined to campaign for these aims the National Assembly of Women (NAW) was born.

Sixty-seven years on, the assembly is still going strong. The annual meeting of the NAW, which takes place this weekend will bring together women with a range of experiences in trade unions; local cuts campaigns; the international solidarity movement, peace and environmental organisations and give us the opportunity to reaffirm that commitment. 

Over the past year the Brexit debate has inevitably overshadowed the ongoing impact of the government’s austerity policies — which are biting even deeper, particularly for women. 

Despite more women being in work, poverty in Britain has risen by 500,000 over five years with four million workers living in poverty — a rise almost entirely driven by the increase in the poverty rate of working parents, particularly for lone parents, 91 per cent of who are women. 

The deeply flawed system of universal credit has made it worse and paying for basics like food, housing, gas and electricity are a daily struggle and all this is taking its toll on women’s physical and mental health. 

Women have specific health needs that are different from men — the natural biological functions of menstruation, pregnancy and the menopause should not prohibit girls and women from their equal right to education, jobs and full participation in society, which is why the NAW supports campaigns to end period poverty, for maternity rights and against menopause discrimination, many of which have been jointly led by trade unions. 

The International Council on Women’s Health Issues rightly states that the physical and mental health of women and girls determines the health and wellbeing of our modern world because women are the principle care providers in families and majority of workers in the care services. 

So we desperately need to step up the campaign for proper funding levels for our NHS and mental health services. 

The current political chaos, prolonged periods of austerity and the increasing gap between rich and poor have led many people to become disillusioned with traditional social democratic parties. 

This is fertile ground for the far right and we have seen these forces reinventing themselves as “populist” parties — for the first time since 1932 Germany now has members of the fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD) elected to its parliament. 

In such dangerous times it is important to challenge and defeat the politics of hate and extremism, nationally and internationally.

In these pessimistic times it is vital to restore trust and hope that a better future is possible. The most progressive forces in the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, are working flat out to try to achieve this by developing a coherent socialist programme despite the challenges posed by those who, intentionally or unintentionally, are trying to undermine them.

It is therefore vital for those of us who are committed to peace, equality and social justice to work together and secure the election of a government committed to these principles. 

Through its strong links with the trade union and labour movement and affiliation to the WIDF, the NAW will continue to play its full part in this process.

Anita Wright is president of the National Assembly of Women.

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