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not just the privileged few (NZ election) Pt 2 [av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’20’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-9erwek’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-lnct295r’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”] 6 October 2023 PART TWO: NZ Green Party policies, contradictions, confusions & silences<\/strong><\/p>\n Part One showed that<\/em><\/strong><\/a> National, ACT and NZ First Parties2023 policies are, on balance, damaging for women.\u00a0 Jane Clare Jones\u2019 radical materialist feminist analysis<\/a> of the centuries-long oppression of women concludes widespread male-dominance is based on the control and exploitation of females as a material sex-class and resource (for sexual, reproductive and other labour).[<\/strong>i<\/strong>]<\/strong><\/a> This requires the liberation of the sex-class of women from control and exploitation, not just for those precariously aligned with the rich and powerful. Despite isolated policies that will benefit women, more of the NACTFirst policies will be damaging to those already struggling to survive on unacceptably low incomes because of the sex pay and wealth gaps.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n The NZ Green Party<\/strong> have some very good policies for women and low-income people, particularly ones that will help a fair number of women struggling to pay essential bills. \u00a0However, they have significant silences, confusions, and\/or contradictions in their policies and plans that will have a negative impact on females.<\/p>\n Income-, wealth-, and sex-based inequities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Green Party has some excellent policies<\/a> targeting income and housing inequalities, and the precarious position of renters, beneficiaries, and low-income workers, as well as its Women\u2019s Policy<\/a> that specifically address the needs and inequalities affecting women and girls in a range of areas.[ii] For instance, they will implement progressive taxation, introduce rent gaps and other measures to improve housing affordability, address the \u2018gender\u2019 pay gap, counter the exploitation of women who do a high proportion of unpaid labour, \u00a0and improve maternity, abortion and other health care provisions for women.<\/p>\n Exploitation and control of women<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n On the downside, the Greens support a neoliberal concept of \u2018sex work\u2019, rather than, as understood by radical materialist feminists, acknowledging it as part of the control and exploitation of largely women and their sexed bodies. We prefer the Nordic model of prostitution<\/a>, which criminalises the buyers, decriminalises prostitutes, and aims to provide support for women to leave prostitution.[iii]<\/a> The Greens\u2019 \u2018sex work\u2019 section of its Women\u2019s Policy aims to improve \u2018sex work\u2019 for immigrant women but has nothing to say about international sex-trafficking of women.<\/p>\n The Greens\u2019 Women\u2019s Policy is partly an artifact from a time when they knew what a woman is.\u00a0 Unfortunately, they have tacked on a footnote saying that a woman is anyone who identifies as a woman. Meanwhile the \u2018Sexual, Reproductive, and Women\u2019s Health\u2019 section acknowledges that women, especially w\u0101hine M\u0101ori, tend to be delivered poorer health care than men. However, it is in health, sexual and reproductive services that the biologically sexed body is very significant, and it is also an intimate area where same-sex intimate spaces and staffing should always be available.<\/p>\n The policy has a clumsy work around to include females who don\u2019t ID as women, by referring to \u2018pregnant people\u2019, and to \u2018women and others\u2019 who choose to keep the child they have birthed. The version in the Greens\u2019 2023 election manifesto<\/a> [iv]<\/a> largely airbrushes over these cracks, joins, mis-directions, contradictions, and anti-materialist mis-directions by including \u201cwomen and gender minorities\u201d under a \u201cGender Equity\u201d heading. This would nonsensically include any male who self IDs as a woman, non-binary, genderfluid, or genderqueer, regardless of whether they want to medically and\/or surgically transition, or even if they attempt to visually present themselves in a stereotypically feminine manner.<\/p>\n (Neo)Liberal US influences, community engagement & Te Ao M\u0101ori<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Greens\u2019 radical embracing of gender identity ideology, imported from the (neo)liberal US, undermines some of their female-friendly proposals, and is further evidence of an individualistic liberal, rather than strong left wing, materialist feminist approach.\u00a0 Part of the problem is highlighted when looking at the Green Party\u2019s Rainbow and Women\u2019s policies, which are still part of their policy portfolio on the GP website.<\/p>\n The Women\u2019s Policy was produced in 2014 before they were strongly captured by, and committed to, gender identity ideology. In comparison their Rainbow Policy<\/a> is dated 2022 and is strongly influenced by Elizabeth Kerekere\u2019s 2017 PhD thesis<\/a>, wrapping the key elements of the imported gender identity ideology in Te Reo and traditional M\u0101ori concepts.[v]<\/a> The development of the Rainbow Policy was led by Rainbow Greens, which is promoted as a community consultation. This is a very selective form of community engagement, especially when many of us LGB and even some T people, who disagree with gender identity ideology, are excluded, censored and no-platformed.<\/p>\n The reasoning for the incorporation of gender identity ideology in the policy\u2019s use of the Te Whare Takat\u0101pui framework needs to be made clear to the wider public, the majority of whom are not familiar with concepts used. With my limited understanding of Te Ao M\u0101ori<\/a>, I see nothing that justifies<\/a> criminalising dead-naming (referring to a transitioned person\u2019s birth name), legalising sex self-identification, or denying the significant material differences<\/a> between male and female anatomies, or politically, socially, and ideologically erasing documentation of natal sex differences.[vi]<\/a><\/p>\n The following statement from the Rainbow Policy is confusing:<\/p>\n “Mana W\u0101hine is essential to restoring the traditional balance between women and men that our t\u012bpuna experienced, so that we may address the historical trauma and gendered violence of colonisation affecting us today.<\/em>“<\/p>\n Biology and Material Reality<\/strong><\/p>\n This, along with some parts of their Women\u2019s Policy seems to contradict a lot of their adherence to the accompany genderist demands, which usually either denies natal sex, or dismisses it as being far less important than gender ID ideology. Sometimes the Greens seem to acknowledge significant sex-based differences, as evident in pregnancy and childbirth. As with the Greens\u2019 Women\u2019s Policy, there is a confusing acknowledgment that women and men have different anatomies, fully integrated with either a male or female reproductive system.<\/p>\n The Greens\u2019 Rainbow Policy plans to criminalise misgendering and dead-naming, to promote gender identity ideology to children, and advocates for removing all barriers to transgender people competing in sport. Some of their proposals are a bit open to interpretation and could be implemented in terms of gender critical feminism as much as in terms of genderism. \u00a0For instance, they don\u2019t clearly state that they want trans IDed men to be allowed to compete in women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n A gender critical or radical materialist feminist interpretation would not agree with the lack of safety and fairness when males are allowed to compete in most female sports. Rather than denying biological reality, we would advocate for men to be more open to, and welcoming of, gender non-conformity, and of gay and bi men in their sports. However, given how wedded the current GP leadership is to reciting mantras like \u2018transwomen are women\u2019, and to demonising any gender critical views, I suspect that their implementation would be in line with extreme genderism.<\/p>\n The research by Jane Clare Jones et al traces the origins of transgender ideology, largely developed by well-off males in the US<\/a>.[vii]<\/a>\u00a0 She identifies their aim to be the eventual political erasure of sex, which will mainly be damaging to women as a sex-class.\u00a0 Such political erasure can be seen in the GP Rainbow Policy\u2019s aim to replace sex in official identity documents with self-identified gender, and eventually to remove references to sex and gender from all such documentation.\u00a0 This conflicts with the aims in the GP Women\u2019s and Rainbow policies, which require clear data on the \u2018gender pay gap\u2019 and discrimination against transgender or gender non-conforming people. For instance, we don\u2019t yet have clear data on how males who identity as women compare with females, as regards pay and discrimination in significant areas of society. (See also, Alice Sullivan<\/a> on the growing international trend to remove data on sex.[viii]<\/a>)<\/p>\n Who DOES have the political power?<\/strong><\/p>\n In their 2023 manifesto, the Greens justify their plan for a Rainbow Ministry<\/a> by saying there is a need for Rainbow people to have a strong voice in policies and practices that affect them.[ix]<\/a> Yet, LGBT+ organisations already have a strong voice as indicated by the use of InsideOut in the Ministry of Transport<\/a> staff training[x]<\/a>. This is also indicated in \u201cMako Mama \u2013 Mangopare, Single Parents Project<\/a>\u201d research report [xi]<\/a> that argues for the same networks for single parents in government, government agencies and businesses as exist for LGBT+ networks.<\/p>\n Who to vote for?<\/strong><\/p>\n I could never vote for NACTFirst as they would cause widespread damage to New Zealand\u2019s society and economy, especially with regards to public services, wealth, and income disparities, and especially to women, which a NACTFirst government would continue to control and exploit.<\/p>\n I have voted for the Green Party several times, as most of their polices are ones I strongly agree with, especially on income and wealth inequalities, housing inequalities, and the environment. At this time when we have a major cost of living crisis, many of their policies would significantly lessen income and wealth inequalities, and poverty, hopefully immediately. \u00a0However, I now am conflicted because of the (neo)liberal, anti-materialist polices they have absorbed that will be very damaging to women and children in the long term. In their radical embracing of gender identity politics, they have noticeably lost touch with things they claim to prize: material reality, good science, widespread community engagement, listening to ALL the voices of the marginalised, and to true participant democracy.<\/p>\n [i]<\/a> \u00a0Jane Clare Jones, The Radical Notion, Issue Three, \u201cWoman as Resource: Towards a Radical Materialist Feminism\u201d\u00a0 https:\/\/theradicalnotion.org\/woman-as-resource-towards-a-radical-materialist-feminism\/<\/a><\/p>\n [ii]<\/a> NZ Green Party, \u201cWomen\u2019s Policy\u201d, https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/womens_policy<\/a><\/p>\n NZ Green Party, \u201cWomen\u2019s Policy in Full\u201d, https:\/\/assets.nationbuilder.com\/beachheroes\/pages\/9637\/attachments\/original\/1683326641\/Policy-Greens_Womens-Policy-2014-2023.pdf?1683326641<\/a><\/p>\n NZ Green Party, \u201cOur Policy\u201d, https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/policy_complete_party<\/a><\/p>\n NZ Green Party, \u201cThe Time is Now: Green Party 2023 Manifesto\u201d, https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/manifesto_2023<\/a><\/p>\n NZ Green Party, Full Manifesto 2023, https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/e\/2PACX-1vSWSfQJunWVEuNIQjF4sdIy3Qa7uFoe6R6vHIk5lh9EmSH_Amf7yXFssfK9GHzu8S19NbrzPcB8Oj_o\/pub<\/a><\/p>\n [iii]<\/a> Ally-Marie Diamond, \u201cWhy the Nordic Model? A view from New Zealand\u201d, February 2020,\u00a0 https:\/\/nordicmodelnow.org\/2020\/02\/26\/why-the-nordic-model-a-view-from-new-zealand\/<\/a>. Nordic Model: decriminalises all those who are prostituted; provides services to help them leave; makes prostitution buying a criminal offence.<\/p>\n [iv]<\/a> NZ Green Party, \u201cWomen\u2019s Policy\u201d, https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/womens_policy<\/a><\/p>\n NZ Green Party, \u201cThe Time is Now: Green Party 2023 Manifesto\u201d,\u00a0 https:\/\/www.greens.org.nz\/manifesto_2023<\/a><\/p>\n [v]<\/a> NZ Green Party, \u201cFull Rainbow Policy\u201d, https:\/\/assets.nationbuilder.com\/beachheroes\/pages\/9630\/attachments\/original\/1668633533\/Policy-Greens_Rainbow_Policy_2022.pdf?1668633533<\/a><\/p>\n See Jane Clare Jones, \u2018The Political Erasure of Sex, Sex and the Census. 1. A Brief History of Transgender ideology\u201d, for the rise of gender identity political and ideological agenda mostly devised largely by well-off males in the US. https:\/\/thepoliticalerasureofsex.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/thepoliticalerasureofsex.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/The-Political-Erasure-of-Sex_Appendix.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n And Jones\u2019\u00a0 X Thread on Naomi Klein\u2019s \u201cDoppleganger\u201d, 25 Sept, 2023, https:\/\/threadreaderapp.com\/thread\/1706221465484267786.html<\/a><\/p>\n [vi]<\/a> Kerekere defines her \u00a0\u201cMana W\u0101hine\u201d as \u201cM\u0101ori feminist\u201d, whereas Naomi Simmonds explains it as a complex concept, interwoven with others, and that is dependent on context. She says, \u201cthat pre-colonisation, mana w\u0101hine and mana t\u0101ne existed as complementary parts. The roles of men and women, while distinct, were not mutually exclusive or necessarily hierarchical.\u201d<\/p>\n Elizabeth Kerekere, \u201cPart of The Wh\u0101nau: The Emergence of Takat\u0101pui Identity: He Wh\u0101riki Takat\u0101pui\u201d, 2017, P30. https:\/\/researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz\/xmlui\/bitstream\/handle\/10063\/6369\/thesis_access.pdf?sequence=1<\/a><\/p>\n Naomi Simmonds explains Mana W\u0101hine\u201d as a complex concept, interwoven with others, and that is dependent on context. She says, \u201cthat pre-colonisation, mana w\u0101hine and mana t\u0101ne existed as complementary parts. The roles of men and women, while distinct, were not mutually exclusive or necessarily hierarchical.\u201d<\/p>\n Simmonds draws on women\u2019s experiences of maternity as a key part of the experiences of mana w\u0101hine, and sites the existence in Te Reo of the same words for key parts of Te Ao as those for parts of the female reproductive system: eg for placenta as land; for whare as womb. This is similar to, the explanation on TeAra, where it says women are respected for their ability to create life.[vi] (See also Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith\u2019s explanation.)<\/p>\n Naomi Simmonds, \u201cMana w\u0101hine: Decolonising politics\u201d, Women\u2019s Studies Journal<\/em>, 25:2, 2011, https:\/\/www.wsanz.org.nz\/journal\/docs\/WSJNZ252Simmonds11-25.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n National library of NZ, \u201cMana Wahine transcript\u201d, 2017, https:\/\/natlib.govt.nz\/he-tohu\/korero\/mana-wahine<\/a><\/p>\n Rawinia Higgins r\u0101ua ko Paul Meredith, \u201cStory: Te Mana ot3 wahine\u201d, Te Ara, https:\/\/teara.govt.nz\/en\/te-mana-o-te-wahine-maori-women\/page-1<\/a><\/p>\n [vii]<\/a> Jane Clare Jones, \u2018The Political Erasure of Sex, Appendix: \u00a0Sex and the Census. 1. A Brief History of Transgender ideology\u201d, https:\/\/thepoliticalerasureofsex.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/The-Political-Erasure-of-Sex_Appendix.pdf<\/a> and her X Thread on Naomi Klein\u2019s \u201cDoppleganger\u201d, 25 Sept 2023 https:\/\/threadreaderapp.com\/thread\/1706221465484267786.html<\/a><\/p>\n [viii]<\/a> Alice Sullivan, Feb 2023, \u201cA big as; Sex and data collection\u201d, Significance<\/em>, Vol 20, Issue 1,\u00a0 on the trend to end sex-based data collection internationally, it\u2019s US origins, and its repercussions.\u00a0 https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jrssig\/article\/20\/1\/6\/7034186?login=false<\/a><\/p>\n [ix]<\/a> NZ Green Party, \u201cNZ Green Party Manifesto 2023\u201d, says, \u201cEstablish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities to ensure Rainbow communities are involved in policies, strategies and programmes that affect them.\u201d\u00a0 https:\/\/assets.nationbuilder.com\/beachheroes\/pages\/17789\/attachments\/original\/1688864858\/Final-online-PDF-pages.pdf?1688864858<\/a> says, \u201cEstablish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities to ensure Rainbow communities are involved in policies, strategies and programmes that affect them.\u201d<\/p>\n [x]<\/a>Emma Barraclough, \u201cThe day InsideOUT came to the Ministry of Transport\u201d, Sept 2023, https:\/\/www.speakupforwomen.nz\/post\/the-day-insideout-came-to-the-ministry-of-transport<\/a><\/p>\n
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