Well, the squat has been evicted but the women are continuing their collective with info at Ladyfest and a DIY skillskaring weekend at end of June 08 – as they say, in spanner-wielding solidarity. Bring it on!

This is a callout to all women and trans-folk that would like to be
involved in a weekend of workshops around diy-squatting. We plan to take
advantage of all the usual challenges that semi-derelict buildings pose as
a platform for sharing our knowledge, skills, and experience in all the
tasks related to opening and maintaining a healthy and happy squat!

These are all the areas that have thought of so far, but more ideas are
always welcome:

Electricity
Plumbing
Gas
Security- doors/locks etc
Barricading
Legal
Dealing w/ cops/owners- talk about experience/share tactics
Women/Trans squatting- open discussion on experience of squatting from a
women/trans-perspective.
Sustainable energy

All levels of experience in any of the above areas are welcome (you don’t
need to have a degree in plumbing to know how to unblock a pipe and share
this knowledge with others!).

And even if you have no experience in any of the practical, diy-related
areas, we also hope to have a platform to share experiences, stories and
advice related to all aspects of squat-living from a trans/woman’s
perspective, so all experience counts.

Please get in touch if you’d like to help out at all in organising this
weekend – We’ll need help finding a suitable space and preparing it for
the weekend, publicising the gathering, and then running workshops on the
weekend itself, as well as collecting and preparing food. We also hope to
provide childcare (on a rota-basis), so please let us know if you can help
with that.

This gathering will be held on the weekend of the 28th – 29th June.

You can e-mail us at diy_squatting@riseup.net.

Please spread the word! (Let us know if you would like to be sent leaflets)

In spanner-brandishing solidarity

;0)

And now for some welding
A group of women has turned an empty space in the London borough of Hackney into a new, women-only (trans-inclusive) social centre.

The ‘wominspace’ may not be around for long, as this is taking place in a squatted building, and a court case today could see them served with an eviction order as soon as April. But if you get down there now, you will get the chance to participate in a whole list of exciting-sounding workshops and events, including, yes, welding, “feminist singing”, yoga, a women’s health workshop, stencil-making, and a daily cafe and kids’ space.

Call 07939381562 for more information, or email womenorganise@yahoo.co.uk.

http://www.womynspace.blogspot.com/

4a Corbridge Crescent London E2 9DS

the importance of women-only spaces:

Because it is in women-only space that a woman’s voice can be heard on her own terms. In women-only space she is free of the ‘male gaze’, free of the spectre of patriarchal judgement, that in mixed space- aka the ‘real world’- threatens to denounce, silence, talk over, appropriate, or ridicule her voice.

Women have made many important gains into previously ‘man-only’ space, most notably governmental politics, but because these gains have been made in a world where male privilege still remains, where male values continue to dominate and hold the most credibility, women’s voices are still mainly deemed subordinate. Where men’s voices and values dominate, a woman’s voice is often only given credence if she appropriates the male voice and values, if she tows the patriarchal line.

So while this continues to be the case, women-only space remains relevant because women need space free of male influence and control in order to forge our own politics on our own terms. Otherwise those dominant male voices and values will worm their way in, leaving us where we started.

as posted on http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2008/03/womenonly_space

For weekly timetable click here

For DIY health weekend timetable March 15-16th click here