Greece: What does the Golden Dawn say about women?

Here follows an article of one participant or contributor in the ‘Xekinima–Socialist Internationalist Organization’ with whom translators clearly don’t affiliate ourselves; nevertheless, it summarizes positions of the neo-Nazi party ‘Chrissi Avgi/Golden Dawn’ regarding the role of women, so we present it as reference of counter-propaganda (in this case leftist) against neo-Nazis who amp up for general elections.

What does the Golden Dawn say about women?
If anyone watches closely the concentrations, demonstrations, actions and public appearances of the Golden Dawn, they will notice that this space is dominated by a huge majority of men. The absence of women from their ranks is not accidental. The procedures inside the Golden Dawn are not at all democratic; there is no such thing as discussion and controversial free speech, but rather those who emerge are all kinds of bullies, henchmen and army fanatics, in activities that ‘concern’ mainly men.

Beyond this, however, the model of woman whom the Golden Dawn envisions is not at all appealing to the female population.

A woman suffers double and triple blows by the Golden Dawn, by fascism and Nazism. When fascists assault workers and stab immigrants and minorities, then the working women, the immigrant women and women from minorities are being attacked all the same. Moreover, the Golden Dawn reserves a special obscurantism for women.

Everyone and everything in the service of capitalists
One of their most characteristic slogans is ‘Blood, Honour, Golden Dawn’ connected with their entire Nazi ideology, which presumes that the nation must work in the service of the State and the Führer (leader). This State has proved historically to be the most brutal state organization of capitalists. In the fascist and Nazi regimes the entire ‘nation’ serves the bankers and capitalists; that’s why strikes were prohibited, trade union rights were removed, all democratic rights were abolished, and workers-slaves were used. At the same time, the disabled persons were murdered (because they could not work and be productive for capitalists), an iron military discipline was being enforced (to hinder human personality’s development) while a society-robot was being envisioned.

Where does a woman fit into all of this?
Thus, within this planning, a woman is not considered to have equal rights with men. We read in the blog ‘Ideological Library of Women’s Front’ of the Golden Dawn: “We, the Greek women, members of the People’s Association ‘Golden Dawn’, having profound sense of the destruction brought about by the feminist spirit of our times, are against all sorts of pronouncements on gender equality”.

Authors on the same blog explain that a woman has one and only obligation: “The supposed liberation of woman has disoriented her from the real essence of her sublime role, motherhood; that is, the obligation and supreme honour to bring to the world and bring up the new shoots on the trunk of the Race, in order to bridge through the present the past and the future. We believe that Motherhood is a task much sacred”.

The Golden Dawn does not consider motherhood to be a woman’s choice but an “obligation and supreme honour”, while in another of their texts is written that “the foremost Duty which someone practices for their Nation is what Nature has appointed for both sexes, namely the procreation and proper edification of these progenies”.

So, procreation is a “Duty” and a woman must build her life in accordance with the dictates of “Nature”. Here’s how a woman under the Golden Dawn’s vision is a spineless creature, a machine of ‘production’. She does not have control over her body and her choices.

Her body is in the State’s hands, which decides what the ‘dictates of Nature’ are and defines the personal lives of all people.

Abortions, “a crime against the race”
Therefore, if the Golden Dawn made it into government, methods of contraception would be prohibited and the abortions would be illegal. If a woman got pregnant, she would not have the option of abortion. In their article “Abortion is a crime against the Race” the party makes its intentions clear. What would this mean in practice? Many young women, in the majority unemployed, semi-employed and low-paid, would have the option of either absolute family impoverishment, or illegal abortion with rudimentary means, even at the risk of the woman’s life.

Woman-housewife
This is the place that the Golden Dawn wants to give the woman. To make her a ‘good housewife’ who will be burdened with all family obligations. Even more infuriating is the fact that this “White Women’s Front” blog has a special banner titled ‘Galley’ which links to… recipes; and certainly not any kind of recipes but Greek, traditional ones.

Thus, a woman has a “Duty” to beget, grow up children, cook, take care of the elderly, undertake entirely and exclusively the household. The Golden Dawn wants to break a woman’s back by burdening her with an entire obscurantism: a woman must be faithful and obedient female spouse of a man.

Instead of one such obscurantism, the women’s movement (an integral part of the labour movement) should claim the right to work and public social services (kindergartens, nurseries, social kitchens, etc.), to own their own bodies, and throw fascist ideas where it suits them: in the trash.

further references underneath the original article