Radical Feminism: Feminist Activism in Movement

336 Pages·2015·2.55 MB·English

by  Finn Mackay

Radical Feminism
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Radical Feminism
Feminist Activism in Movement
Finn Mackay
UniversityoftheWestofEngland,UK
©FinnMackay2015
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Firstpublished2015by
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Mypreciousgrandma,MargaretWalker(1924–2005),
towhomIoweeverything
Myfriendandacademiccolleague
JoScamellMSc(1960–2011),awomanwhowalked
thewalkaswellastalkedthetalk
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Contents
Acknowledgements viii
1 Introduction:Whymarchthroughthisbook? 1
2 Surf’sup:SurfingtheSecondWave 33
3 Feministtendencies 54
4 FromBrusselstoLeeds,SanFrancisco,Delhi:
TheglobalmarchofReclaimtheNight 71
5 Tendingtoborders 103
6 Repetitionsperdecade:Voicesofactivistspast
andpresent 133
7 From‘women’to‘mixed’ 158
8 InclusionandexclusiononReclaimtheNight 204
9 Motivationsanddestinations:Whatdofeminists
want? 260
10 Conclusion:Therallyandafter-party 288
HowtoorganiseaReclaimtheNightmarch 294
Getactive!Usefulwebsites 299
Bibliography 301
Index 323
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my editor Andrew James at
Palgrave for always being enthusiastic and honest; the
team have been really helpful through the process of
writing this book. All the people I have met at fem-
inist conferences and events, as well as the students
I have taught, have helped me by asking questions and
by presenting challenges for feminist theory; I have
tried to answer some of them here. I owe thanks and
gratitude to all the activists who took time to be inter-
viewed in my research. I would also like to thank Eaves
Housing for Women and Isobel, who said ‘go for it’ in
2004. Becca Morden and all the women on the Reclaim
the Night Organising Committees past and present are
due great thanks for their tireless activism and abilities
to get things done. I thank all those Amazon women
who I have marched alongside in the London Femi-
nistNetworkandtheLondonReclaimtheNight(RTN).
Some of those women are no longer with us and are
sadly missed; in particular, I take this opportunity to
remember the work of warrior woman and genuine
Amazon, Claudia Da Silva (1948–2012), founder of the
London Centre for Personal Safety who provided fem-
inist self-defence at our Feminism in London Confer-
ences. Thanks are due to the inspiring activists named
in this book, founders of the original UK RTN – Al
GarthwaiteandSandraMcNeill.Iamblessedandproud
to call them friends, sisters and comrades. Greenham
Women and Peace Women everywhere have also been
part of my feminist journey, and in particular, I owe
Acknowledgements ix
a debt to one of the founders of Greenham Common,
Helen John, who has always been an inspiration. The
University of the West of England provided me with an
office while I completed the book and thanks are due to
all my colleagues in the sociology department. Last, but
not least, thanks are due to my wife, Rosie Buckland,
whoreadseveraldraftsandgaveinvaluablesuggestions,
and also my cat Isambard, who regularly sat on the
manuscript and provided a welcomedistraction.
Finally, thanks to the women who provided endorse-
ments and reviews of the book. I am truly humbled and
honoured.
The latter section of this book on how to organise
an RTN march started life originally as a blog. Sections
of Chapter 8 are also reproduced from a blog for the
Feminist & Women’s Studies Association, first published
online in June 2013. Some sections of Chapter 4 were
developed from an article originally published in the
Women’sStudiesInternationalForum(2014),44,pp.46–54.
ISSN 0277-5395 and are reproduced with permission
from Elsevier.