octombrie 2010

Perspective politice

27

Feminism i comunism.
O contradicie n termeni
Abstract: I begin the present paper by asking the following question: why, when discussing the effects that
the communist regime had on women, the underlying assumption is that the communist policies directed
at womens emancipation can not be regarded as feminist policies? To answer this question, I analyse the
exchange of arguments that took place in Aspasia Journal (2007), on the issue of communist feminism as
contradictio in terminis. I first analyse Mihaela Miroius argument, that pleads for a structural incompatibility
between feminism and comunism, and continue by examining the dynamic of the counter-arguments offered
by other theorists. Through the present inquiry I try to show that, although the authors arguments are
convergent with regard to the structural incompatibility between feminism and communism, the tension of
the debate rests in the different emphasis put on the existence of feminism as social practice in communism.
By introducing the discussion on feminism and communism in the language of political ideologies, the
existence of feminism as social practice, although important, proves insufficient for holding that feminism, as
political ideology, existed in the communist regime.

Keywords: feminism, communism, political ideology, autonomy

Ioana Vlad

doctorand SNSPA

Cercettori i cercettoare feministe din Romnia1 au ridicat n

lucrrile lor problema reticenei publice fa de feminism i fa de
discursul egalitii de gen n perioada postcomunist. Acetia au
oferit ca explicaie reticena mai general n postcomunism fa de
orice discurs egalitarist, n msura n care experiena indivizilor n
perioada comunist a informat asocierea egalitii cu o perioad
a abuzurilor instituionalizate. Egalitatea
ntre femei i brbai a fost tratat n prima constituie a regimului comunist2 prin
acordarea de drepturi politice, sociale i
economice i parial substanializat prin
instituirea unui sistem de cree i grdinie, dar i a altor msuri administrativ-financiare de sprijinire a concilierii dintre rolurile de mam i de muncitoare, desemnate femeilor de ctre stat. Cu toate c beneficiile acestor politici pro-femei,
implementate de ctre statul comunist, nu pot fi negate, efectele lor
secundare n perioada comunist i postcomunist sunt substaniale i cuprind nrutirea dublei zi de munc a femeilor, lipsa de
internalizare a drepturilor instituite de sus n jos i nu ca urmare a
unei presiuni sociale, disfuncii sociale, fizice i psihologice privind
sexualitatea i maternitatea, meninerea inegalitilor de gen verticale i orizontale pe piaa muncii3.