Report of the spring Academy of Annegret Gabelin in newsletter women's and Genderpolitik of the left of July 4, 2012

Four days of intensive learning with knowledgeable speeches, passionate discussions, the reunion with old friends and getting to know new colleagues and comrades - in a relaxed atmosphere in the European Jugenderholungs-and meeting place at the Werbellinsee in Brandenburg, about 70 miles northeast of Berlin. Is third Spring Academy of the left that "What destroyed the crisis Europe" took place from 20 to 24 June on the subject of. The 100 participants and participants from all State associations addressed after an introductory lecture 18 workshops with a focus on "New dimensions of the capitalist crisis", "Crisis of democracy", "Potential resistance", "Reactionaries developments" and "new alliances and old enemies".

According to the participants and participants, the workshop on "The EU crisis from gender perspective" was one of the highlights of this year's Spring Academy. Cornelia Ernst, Member of the European Parliament, spokesperson for the delegation of the left, began her very interesting and lively discussed talk a discourse to the European gender equality policy by she referred to extensive legal basis and contracts within the EU. These show that the EU as an engine of the emancipation of gender acts and contributed significantly to, the gender perspective from the "minor opposition"

to get. Now, in this comprehensive and deep systemic crisis of capitalism, it comes to a rollback in the gender policy. This assessment makes that Cornelia Ernst, that the crisis is not gender neutral, but is especially those who are disadvantaged even without crisis. The Austeritätspolitik makes the gender dimension back to something

"Additional", that quiet may be ignored given the size of the problems. Increasing the differentiation within the EU and the desired harmonisation according to the demanding guidelines of the EU is pushed aside under pressure from national egoisms. And at once is a "minor opposition" from "Women's policies" again, the equality and anti-discrimination policy threatens to disappear from the agenda.

Why are women affected but now more strongly from the crisis? The crisis in the EU is accompanied by the crisis of the welfare state. The social State, which is an important condition for the economic independence and self-determination of women, becomes the vigorously, the European Parliament and the national parliaments are excluded from more and more EU decisions. Women are subject to and affected by unemployment more precarious working conditions. Making the most of unpaid care work. Especially the male-dominated construction and automobile industry was affected by the first wave of the crisis - here bad effects could soften in Germany State benefit, but the "scrapping bonus". Now started the second wave of the crisis and meets women predominantly with retail, services or tourism. Adequate State

Support - such as for the SCHLECKER employees - stay out.

After looking at women in political decision-making, Cornelis Ernst proves that the EU labour market policy contributes to the increase of female poverty. Is declared in the strategy "Europe 2020" as a key objective, to increase the employment rate of men and women, 75 percent but that the quality of this employment, working conditions and pay are hidden. The consequences are a growing gender division of the labour market, a reduction of women's employment, the increase of unequal pay, restricting the access of women to health and education. Cornelia Ernst speaks of a feminisation of poverty and shows that even in the case of Greece.

Feminism as one of the two pillars of a left Socialist Party?

There was a lively discussion in the workshop on the outlined challenges for DIE LINKE, which can be summed up in a sentence: "The social impact of the crisis, the crisis as a whole is unsolvable, if the gender dimension in the solution strategies is not anchored." This led to the question of what we need to do as LINKE itself, how we have to change ourselves and our party to credible for arguing. The answer of Cornelia Ernst is: "We need to understand that the gender dimension is no additional presence in our politics, but a mainstay." Also left anti crisis concepts fail if this strategic approach will be neglected. Gender and active Antidiskriminierungsp