The Morning Star publishes the speech by writer and editor JULIA BARD of the Jewish Socialists’ Group given at the paper’s annual conference at the weekend
THE anonymous, but mega-corporately sponsored International Women’s Day website has announced that its innocuous campaign theme for 2021 is “Choose to Challenge,” with the explanation that “a challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change.”
A bold, although somewhat meaningless statement, and, as expected, it makes an appeal to women as individuals, since as it says: “We’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions — all day, every day.
“We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements.”
Professor MARY DAVIS argues that feminism has been hollowed out by liberal co-option – and only a revival of socialist, class-based politics can restore International Working Women’s Day’s original, radical purpose
The legacy of socialist feminists such as Alexandra Kollontai challenges us today to confront an uncomfortable truth: framing prostitution as empowerment lets the abusers of the Epstein class off the hook, warns HELEN O’CONNOR
As Ash Regan’s Unbuyable Bill sparks debate in Scotland, the real issue remains unaddressed: a digitalised sex industry and a neoliberal economy that repackages exploitation as empowerment while leaving women’s material conditions unchanged, argues LAUREN HARPER
Sisters came together last weekend for the landmark launch of a new women’s group. ROS SITWELL reports



