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By Meredith
Tax
with Marjorie Agosin, Ama Ata Aidoo, Ritu Menon, Ninotchka
Rosca, and Mariella Sala
Published by Women's WORLD
(Women's World Organization for Rights, Literature and Development)
August 1995
Introduction
I.
The Global Crisis
Changes in the world situation between 1985 and 1995 have led to
a deepening global subsistence crisis marked by wars, refugees,
and environmental degradation, to which the main political answers
we hear are either the neo-liberal ones of globalization or the
appeals to tradition of backlash movements.
II.
Competing Visions of the Future
Three visions lie before us: the globalization of the New World
Order, the feudalism of backlash movements; and a progressive vision
based on human rights, sustainable livelihoods, and sharing of the
world's resources. The emancipation of women must become central
to this vision.
III.
What Is Culture and Why Does It Matter?
Since women are held back as much by cultural traditions as by politics
and economics and all profound change is related to culture, social
and economic development must be integrated with cultural developmen.t
IV.
Cultural Domination and Censorship
The global domination and marketplace censorship of US commercial
culture is as great a threat to freedom of expression.as the more
open appeals to censorship of backlash demagogues.
V.
What Do We Mean by Gender-Based Censorship?
The many means of silencing women add up to a global system of censorship
based on gender, operating through a variety of mechanisms to keep
women in subordination.
VI.
Cases of Gender-Based Censorship
A description of the kinds of transgressions that lead to gender-based
censorship, with some examples current in 1995.
VII.
Why Censorship Must Be Fought
Women writers symbolize the free speech of all women; that is why
they become targets and why they must be defended even when what
they say or the way they live is controversial.
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