[The following article appeared in the January 29 issue of Rouge. The translation is by Intercontinental Press.]
* Before the congress could begin discussion on the political resolutions, it had to first make a decision on the demand for recognition put foward by a working group composed solely of women comrades. This working group, which was not part of any tendency, was formed on December 8, on the basis of a statement signed by fifteen comrades. It had previously asked the Central Committee to authorize it to take part as a recognized group in discussion in the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire, since it is up to the organization's national leadership to set the rules for discussion between congresses. The recognition of a tendency or a grouping formed around a document means that it can receive funds from the Central Committee for traveling and explaining its positions. The Central Committee had twice decided against recognizing this group, not because of its political positions, but because it was formed on the basis of excluding from the start part of the organization-men.
It was therefore up to the congress to make a decision. In the first place, it was pointed out that the comrades making the request for recognition, as signers of documents submitted for a vote, had the same rights as other comrades in the discussion. The question of whether the separate working group for women only would have recognized status in the future would be settled on Sunday morning [January 30], when the statutes were voted on. These comrades also agreed to deciding the question then.
Thus, the motion voted on yesterday morning [January 28] had to do with "according full recognition to the separate working group and condemning the Central Committee resolution." The comrades supporting this motion made a long statement explaining their position. In particular, they noted "the failure by the groups and tendencies to work out a political line and a theoretical position concerning women and feminism," as well as the fact that women "were outsiders" in the discussion at the congress. They felt that the outgoing Central Committee had acted irresponsibly "in relegating a current as large as ours to an underground role for over a month and a half. ... We point out the absurdity of the situation in which we have been placed and the hypocrisy and inconsistency of our leadership. We have a clearly defined political position: We want to push forward the discussion in the organization on feminist questions."
These comrades said that they were fighting to maintain "internal women's groups" and to keep them from "being relegated to the role of safety valves for the crisis in the organization."
Other comrades presented their points of view to the congress. One woman delegate in particular said that the comrades were confusing two different questions. In raising the question of the role of women, they had exposed a major weakness in the party, which would be dealt with in the discussion on the organizational resolutions. But while they had correctly pointed out the Ligue's delay in planning, and taking responsibility for, the women's ibering group for wetten out a separate liberation work, in setting up a separate maintaining a certain existing situation. Rather than solving the problem, setting up a formally constituted separate group at the national level was simply aggravating it.
The congress finally rejected the motion put forward by the comrades from the separate working group for women only by a vote of 223 to 116. 32 delegates abstained.
Documents discussed at 1974 Tenth
World Congress of Fourth International
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