page 8
daily nebraskan
friday, april 17, 1981
equality
By Diane Andersen
The world is moving toward the time when a revolu
tionary process will bring about the full equality of men
and women. Women may even initiate the struggle,
according to Moira Ferguson, associate professor of
English and chairperson of UNL Women's Studies.
Ferguson spoke Wednesday on the subject of "Inter
national liberation, which she defined as the "double
revolution' - a struggle in Third World nations such as
Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Eritria on the Horn of Africa, El
Salvador and Guinea Bisau (formerly Portuguese Guinea),
against colonialism, imperialism and patriarchy.
Ferguson spoke as part of. the Women in Perspective
speaker series sponsored by the Student Y. She praised
the Student Y for its 'progressive feminist and anti-racist
politics on campus that have been so consistent over the
years.'
Ferguson explained her views on how women have
participated in class struggles in Third World nations and
how women's liberation movements are progressing there.
Participated in struggle
"In Iran, she said, women and children participated in
the struggle to overthrow the former shah, Mohammed
Reza PaWavi, whom Ferguson called an agent of U.S.
imperialism, as well as in the current struggle against the
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Khomeini, an Islamic fundamentalist, has reintroduced
the complusory wearing of veils by Iranian women. Many
women ridicule the rule by wearing transparent scarves or
putting on veils just before going to work, Ferguson said.
Still, she said, "Many Iranian woman have resumed
their previous roles in society as second-class citizens."
"Khomeini's regime has been discredited as a feudal
patriarchy" in which robbers, homosexuals and adulterers
are routinely tortured and executed, she said.
Labeled prostitutes
Iranian women demonstrating for reform are labeled as
prostitutes, Ferguson said, and the latest leftist platform
in Iran "never addresses even indirectly the issue of
patriarchy, nor are women even mentioned."
Ferguson said one woman who led protest movements
in Iran, Ashraf Dehghani, was arrested in Iran in 1971 and
tortured until her escape in 1973, which she accomplished
by disguising herself in a smuggled-in shador, or veil.
"That was a positive use of the shador," Ferguson said.
The story of Ashraf Dehghani shows that "women are
just as likely as men to take on guerrilla roles in a revolu
tion," she said.
Some Iranian women are calling for a separate and
independent women's movement in Iran, Ferguson said.
Although there appears to be no strong women's move
ment in Iran today, there is strong leadership by women,
she said.
Machismo attitudes
In Cuba, where Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban
government : in 1959, Ferguson said women have made
amagzing strides against oppressive Roman Catholic and
Latin machismo attitudes toward women. Women's needs
in Cuba hve been subordinated to general land reform,
education and industrialization goals, she said, but much
progress has been made in obtaining equal pay, access to
jobs and elimination of sex roles.
The Federation of Cuban Women has helped to elimin
ate advertising that exploits women and protective legis
lation based on, the concept of women as the weaker sex,
Ferguson said.
Advances have been made in day care, pregnancy leave,
and a family code has been passed requiring Cuban men
to do 50 percent of the housework, among other things.
However, Ferguson said, the "residual reactionary
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machismo culture in Cuba still allows discrimination
against homosexuals and lesbians. There are no laws
against homosexuality in private, she said, but attitudes
against it still prevail.
Bought and sold
The advances for women in Cuba seem astronomical
compared with the situation in 1959 in which women
were bought and sold as property, she said.
"I'm not a Cuban apologist, but I like to look around
and see what these countries are doing for people, Fergu
son said.
In Guinea Bisau, formerly Portuguese Guinea, on the
west coast of Africa, men who led the revolution for inde
pendence in the 1950s were chosen for their attitudes
supporting equality, Ferguson said.
From 1963 to 1974, war was waged until Portugal
recognized Guinea Bisau as an independent nation. Wo
men, traditionally the food producers in the country, had
a central rather than a subservient role in the revolution,
Ferguson said.
"Women were unused to thinking in terms of their own
power," she said, adding that they eventually were persu
aded to participate in governing councils.
Traditional practices ending
Traditional practices such as allowing a man to have
seven wives and routinely performing clitoridectomies are
now ending in Guinea Bisau, she said. In addition, contra
ceptives and abortions are now legally available, unlike in
such Moslem and Catholic nations as Iran, Cuba and Pale
stine. Ferguson said a coup in Guinea Bisau within the last
year has brought a leader to power who seems to be
sympathetic toward Portugal.
Nicaragua is an example of women contributing at all
levels in overthrowing an imperialist regime, Ferguson
said.
Nuns and a women's coalition supported by Sandinista
leftists who fought to oust dictator Anastasio Somoza
have helped to resolve national problems and defend
human rights in Nicaragua, she said.
In the Nicaraguan revolution, she said, 30 percent of all
women served in the military, and the women's coalition
"addressed economic and political values in the context of
the whole revolution."
Some of the goals of the Nicaraguan women's move
ment are child care and health education, but "no
mention has been made of the issues of sexual preference
and reproductive freedom."
Nicaragua: testing ground
Considering the endemic machismo in Nicaragua,
Ferguson said, lots of progress has been made. She said
Nicaragua "may be a testing ground" for the advanced
theory of a class struggle for national liberation being
connected with women's liberation.
Eritria is a former Italian colony on the strategic Horn
of Africa that has been under British control since World
War II. In 1962, the country was annexed by Ethiopia and
has since fought a battle for liberation. In 1970, Ferguson
said, the Eritria revolutionary movement set a goal of rais
ing the consciousness of women.
Today, the women of Eritria have formed an associa
tion to fight the 85 percent illiteracy rate that existed in
1978 as well as to increase their participation in tradition
ally male dominated occupations. They are, she said, tak
ing an active part in village assemblies in the liberated
areas.
Progressive marriage laws
Changes in Eritria include the proposal of progressive
marriage laws advocating total freedom of choice. Fergu
son said the women's movement in Eritria will probably
succeed if the class struggle succeeds.
Ferguson said she was very disappointed when she first
heard that revolutionaries in El Salvador have said the
needs of women will not be pursued in earnest until after
the revolution's final victory.
However, she said, such a position makes sense if the
women's movement follows the same course as it did in
Nicaragua, where women organized everywhere and thus
raised the consciousness of the general population.
"In El Salvador, the situation is dire," Ferguson said.
She said the average wage is less than $2 a day and 40
percent of the population is illiterate. El Salvadoran sani
tation conditions are horrible, she said, and one-third
of all 14-year-old girls have been pregnant at least once.
Many deaths result from illegal abortions. Clitoridectom
ies are common, Ferguson said.
"Women are the slaves of slaves, and starvation is their
biggest problem," Ferguson said, adding that it is under-,
standable that general class goals come before women's
liberation in places like El Salvador.
Although all the movements in these Third World
nations are individualistic, Ferguson said, it is obvious
that the last two decades have been "the high noon of
women's participation in international struggle," a trend
which she said she is sure will continue.
People in the United States, she said, don't have an
easily visible rallying point of imperialism or class oppres
sion but 'unless women are in the vanguard of a revolu
tion against racism and sexism in the United 'States, no
revolution in this country will be successful."
"It is encouraging that there is now a much greater
focus on international issues in the women's movement,"
Ferguson said. "These are easy words, cheap words.
Nothing will happen unless people organize and take
action."
Rutford one of seven semifinalists
UNL Interim Chancellor Robert Rutford is one of
seven finalists for president of the University of Montana
at Missoula.
"He was recommended to us," search committee
chairperson Margery Brown said, and he sent an appli
cation when the committee contacted him. The search,
which began Feb. 7, drew 152 applicants, she said.
Rutford will interview with the committee on May 17
and 18, Brown said. The committee wil recommend three
of the seven candidates to the MU Board of Regents by
late May or early June, she said.
The regents' choice will replace current President
Richard Bowers, who is resigning. Bowers received about
$50,000 a year, but "we anticipate an increase in that
salary," Brown said.
Rutford receives $58,100 a year as interim chancellor.
Rutford became interim chancellor Aug. 10, replacing
former Chancellor Roy young who resigned. The NU
Board of Regents will vote on President Ronald Roskens'
nomination of Martin A. Massengale for UNL chancellor
at their Saturday meeting. If elected, Massengale would
take over June 1.
Rutford was the vice chancellor for research and
graduate studies before becoming interim chancellor, and
Massengale has said that Rutford would return. to that
position.
Rutford couldnt be reached for comment.
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