“Later is a patriarchal time zone”: Cynthia Enloe in Conversation with the Belfast Women’s Assembly

On Tuesday morning, 17th June, the Belfast Women’s Assembly hosted an event featuring feminist theorist and writer Cynthia Enloe. Professor Enloe is lauded worldwide for her contributions to the field of feminist international relations and her work on gender and militarism.

               The first moment of note came early – with Professor Enloe immediately reorganizing the setup of the room when she entered. She dragged her chair forward, in front of the table she was intended to sit behind, and in doing so made herself part of the circle of chairs the audience created. This was both an apt reflection of her work as feminist and set the conversational tone of the day.

               In the same vein of starting as you mean to go on – the Belfast Women’s Assembly began the conversation by noting where the event was held. We were at St Comgall’s – in a lovely recently redeveloped community space. Our host from the BWA noted that the redevelopment was driven by a woman who had a dream that the site would be a space for the community one day – and while she was not around for the completion of that space her dream certainly lives on now through the people that carried that idea on to completion for her.

               I think that there is a learning there for all of us - without a mission, there is nothing to come together around. A clear mission attracts others to move forward in solidarity with you.

               This theme of coming together around missions for the future(s) was one that was carried throughout the day. The BWA described to Professor Enloe how they came to be and the work they do – bringing women of various backgrounds together to discuss constitutional futures could look like. Professor Enloe asked if any women in the room could comment on how they found the work. While the women in the room had various responses – the common thread seemed to be that there has to be a conscious effort for openness, and that coming together as women to focus on creating the futures we want to see for ourselves and our families is what enables the work to happen.

               When it came to discussions of feminist constitution creating, Professor Enloe emphasized that constitutions are values and protection put to paper – but feminism is an action. So, key to the success of feminist constitutions is the fine line of firmly enshrining protections, while still being flexible enough to move with the change we create. She also highlighted that in order for a constitution to be successful, we need to have a shared knowledge and feel individual ownership of a constitution.

               Professor Enloe at one point, said that if she had to condense all the basis of her work down into a bumper sticker, it would be that ‘later is a patriarchal time zone’. Those who create and benefit from the structures of power will always have higher priorities and for them, it is never the right time to address the issues important to us. It will always need to happen ‘later’ but later never comes. Feminism is action, a verb, that happens in the now – that needs to happen in the now.

               Thank you to the Belfast Women’s Assembly for arranging to have Professor Enloe speak, for sharing the excellent work you do, and for bring us all together in conversation.

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