Many feminists, social activists and workers in the caring professions have viewed patriarchal oppression as the root cause of prostitution. It is based on men’s desire to control women and children both sexually and economically and based on their power within the world around them. The prostitute could not be raped in Southern California up [...]

Rosa Luxemburg

by catrionagrant on March 26, 2009

Thugs murdered Rosa Luxemburg, the great revolutionary socialist of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) in January 1919. Despite her death 81 years ago socialists throughout the world still celebrate her memory and her contribution to the international Marxist movement. Luxemburg was born in 1871, the year of the Paris Commune, and died just over [...]

“The Revolution gave me the most precious thing in life – it made an artist out of me. If it had not been for the Revolution I would never have broken the tradition, handed down from father to son, of becoming an engineer. The Revolution introduced me to art, and art, in its own turn, [...]

Precious Life-the anti-abortion group- have recently threatened to target clinics and medical staff who provide contraception and abortion advice, information and procedures in Scotland. Once again the issue of abortion rights for women has been thrown into the spotlight. Women, along with socialists and trade unionists, have fought a long struggle for basic fertility rights, which has brought them into conflict with the interests of capitalism. Catriona Grant looks at the struggle within the labour movement for a Women’s right to choose.

Women, Work & Islamism

by catrionagrant on March 25, 2009

Catriona Grant reviews ‘Women, Work & Islamism’, by Maryam Poya, Zed Books.
Maryam Poya is the pen name of Elaheh Rostami-Povey.

Father’s Day 2008 saw the headlines dominated by the news of two children who were found dead alongside their father in a car. It was no tragic accident, but a double murder followed by a suicide. Brian Philcox, aged fifty-two, whilst on a contact day with his daughter and son, drove them to a local [...]

Catriona Grant examines David Cameron’s policy of rewarding married parents with tax breaks, and why this is a short-sighted response to a difficult social problem that can only be addressed by fundamental changes in society.

Adoption and equality

by on February 7, 2007

SSP Equality Spokesperson Catriona Grant looks at the implications of the recent legislation on adoption and the positions taken by the church and the SNP. The Scottish Socialist Party voted to support the Children and Adoption (Scotland) Bill, and rejected amendments to disallow same sex couples from adopting, or for religious organisations to opt out [...]

Last stand for pensions

by on June 1, 2006

Catriona Grant is an activist in Unison and the SSP. In this article she looks at the battle for pensions and how the unions have reacted. It should come as little surprise that improvements in living conditions and nutrition have resulted in a population that is living longer than ever before. In Scotland the percentage [...]