The Family

The family as an institution has a profound effect on the lives of women, on how they view themselves and on how society views them. It is therefore important for women to change the power relations between and the roles of husband and wife, and male and female members of the family so that male and female members have equal status and interchanging roles.

It is in the family that children first learn attitudes about women in society and it is important that the family encourages and teaches an egalitarian view of society and women. Unless egalitarianism is practised in the family there is little hope that children will grow up with a humanitarian view of the world.

Our vision of the family therfore includes the following:

• a better world for women in the family

• equality between family members in terms of status and responsibilities

• equal distribution of family resources

• equality in child rearing

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• eliminating all forms of domestic violence

• working with other women in our family

• reproductive control by women

• equal rights to the wealth generated by the household

• equal status of common law wives

• elimination of sexual abuse of children (incest) in the family