June 29, 2011

Under Lock and Key: The Gender Issue
January 2009, No. 6
MIM (Prisons)
P.O. Box 40799
San Francisco, CA 94140
http://www.prisoncensorship.ingo

Review by Jennifer A. Gann

ULK #6 The Gender Issue provides some correct statistical analysis of gender oppression in the U.S. empire with the front page article, "Rising Incarceration Rates of Women and the Destruction of Family and Community in Amerika" (pp. 1 and 11).

While historically the majority of prisoners have been men, indicative of class and national oppression, "the 4.8% increase in the incarceration rate of women, as compared to 2.7% for men" demonstrates a disturbing trend of increasing gender oppression toward wimmin in Amerika. This could be a backlash of the patriarchy in response to feminist demands for gender equality.

Additionally, "black women [are] incarcerated at nearly 4 times the rate of white women and more than twice the rate of Hispanic women." This parallels the class and nation oppression experienced by male prisoners. However, the disparity in the incarceration rates for wimmin are indisputable evidence of the added factor of gender oppression faced by wimmin under the patriarchy of U.S. imperialism.

In spite of this, in The Gender Issue (pp. 1 and 9), "MIM (prisons) sees first world wimmin and men as mainly oppressions, not oppressed, when it comes to gender." While the article makes some valid points concerning the relative gender privilege and the "gender aristocracy" of first world wimmin, as compared to oppressed nation wimmin in the Third World, it's absurd to categorically state that First World wimmin are "mainly oppressors, not oppressed." Particularly where rising incarceration rates and sexual violence toward wimmin in the U.S. flatly contradicts this!

Furthermore, MIM (Prisons) admits that "it's clear that First World men have more gender privilege and power than First World wimmin" (p. 9). Thus, it is the men who bear the brunt of the responsibility for national oppression in the Third World under U.S. imperialism. The "gender aristocracy" are merely their accomplices, which doesn't negate the fact that the majority of First World wimmin still suffer gender oppression under patriarchy. This is proven by the statistics, where "in the general population 97% of sexual violence reports are wimmin victims and the perpetrator is generally male (around 98%)."

Ultimately, ULK #6 The Gender Issue is a disservice and a slap in the face to revolutionary feminists by focusing on the "extreme examples of the 'gender aristocracy' outdoing men in gender oppression"—such as Lynndie England, Hillary Clinton, and Sarah Palin (see e.g. Palin Demonstrates Gender Privilege in Amerika" and the Lynndie England photo, pp.1-2)—rather than focusing on the gender oppression suffered by the majority of the world's wimmin.

While I generally agree with most of MIM (Prison)'s political line and work, particularly in regards to prisoners, the ridiculous attempt to portray oppressed nation men (many of whom are admittedly misogynists and sexists), as the "real" victims of gender oppression is a mockery of the wimmin's struggle against patriarchy, sexism, and gender oppression all over the world.

Viva las Amazonas!
—J.A.G.

Reference notes
1. "Gender Oppression in US Prisons", ULK #1, November 2007, p.1