I LETTERS 'One of my more bizarre conversaShe telephoned to say that Lesley's come back? I said, "But he threw he's terribly sorry."
book about the work of Chiswick Women's Aid and the situation of EFFECTIVE HELP It deals with the myth that battered women Ire not seriously beaten or enjoy being battered because they have n masochistic desire to be a victim-s view seriously put forwand by some psychiatrists and social workers. It also explains how difticult it is for such women to get effective help except via women's aid Tegal actions against husbands are in domestic disturbances: social workers encourage battered wives to recorn to their husbands for the sake of the family: women cannot leave their husbands and get social security or council accommodation as thicy are not classified as homeless, SCREAM QUIETLY OR THE NEIGHBOURS WILL HEAR tions was with Lesley's social worker.
husband was terribly sorry, would she situation tolerable:
scalding water over her and pave her second degree burns on her breasts." "Oh yes. yes, 1 know", she said. "but This is an extract from Erin Pizzey's fathers or their mothers.
battered wives. It shows the types of problems women face when they try to get out of an intolerable situation.
The boak gives a good introduciors account of the position of battered wives family structice. usually ineffective, police do not intervene and are considered to have a home to retum independence from men, to be able to to and a hostand to support them And as home, it is then assumed they tind their The consoquenoes of wile battering are also terrible for the chldren. Some of the children in the Women's Aid Contre were terrified the first time they saw the men who battered women, as it is often chiefly the worked in the pay group there. as they A number lad been battered by theil Erin Pizzey, however, does 101 ziee a full analysis of why men batter women or how this can be stopped. She does not relate the problems of battered wires to the overall oppression of wonics.
The book also lacks any clear understanding of the role of the capitalist state The agencies of the state- the law, the nolice social security and socia workers cannot solve the problems of battered wives because one of the main reasons they exist is to prop up the family. The family as a property relationship encourages men to exert authority aver their wives and caforce it by battering them into submis social classes: it is a common feature of the WOMEN'S LIBERATION What solation, then, should socialists offer to the problems of battered wives? The question must be placed in the context of the struggle for women's liberation. This means that we have to break caen a wage on which they can support themseives and to be able to cinim social security in their owe right.
Women with children most be ahle to obtain council housing without reference bi their hushand's tenancy rights. Nursery Tacilities are also particlarly impotlant tor children who prevent them from leaving Women also need specifi: protection against male violence. Under socialism a workers militia should undertake this turk Meanwale battered aires have to re on Sinding rehige in women's aid ocatres as the isolation of women in the family makes any orpinised self-defence foe The case of battered agees is important because it indicales the reality of marriage and family life in capitalist socjety As Erin Pizzey pats it, the Englishman's home is his castle, and the wife un children are the prisoners of the castle The revolutionary lett has unlortunatel tended to ignore the question of battered wives and allowed work on it to drift into unfortutate bocause the struggle to prevent women heing battered by men is an important part of the strucele for women's Libration, It highlights Che vulnerability and weakness of women in the family structure, and it represents the point where the tamily structure is in its sost severe crisis and so highly likely to Liz Lawrence