Dear Women of ISIS,

I'm writing in reply to your request for one's thoughts about ISIS: Firstly, I think ISIS provides a unique and very necessary service as an international forum for communication amongst women. I have never come across a similar organisation and I think it vital that ISIS be able to continue and expand its possibilities.

(We think so too... this is why women's financial support of ISIS is important.)

It is difficult to say whether a different format of publication would be more effective — such as a newsletter or journal. I find the present bulletin a satisfactory presentation, but perhaps women in other countries would prefer some other form. It would be difficult to present the information in a more compact form. As it is, I sometimes find the resumes rather short and finish reading them wanting to know more detail and deeper insights. I realise it is a problem of space (and cost).

(Yes, it is. But from now on, additional information, lists of resources and the full unabridged originals of reprinted articles and documents will be available to those who want to know more, in the form of a documentation packet on the same topic as the central section of each bulletin, to be ordered from ISIS.)

Your publication on Women and New Technology is revealing and informative reading for someone like me who knows little about this important influence in our lives.

Re: your question about IFN: yes, I knew of its existence and roughly its functions. I'd also like to know how women such as myself could contribute or help with ISIS/IFN in any way.

(Just contact Monika von den Meden at our office. She is the coordinator of IFN and is sure to find you something to do.)

As an English speaking woman and mother living in an isolated foreign place, my feminist energies are very frustrated and I have some spare time I'd much Uke to give to feminist interests — either here or extended to my homeland. New Zealand. I am involved in a feminist group here, but my English ISIS journals are of little use to the German speaking majorities! Do you have flyers in German?

(Many of us, here at ISIS-Geneva as well as the Rome office, would be able to tell you long, sad stories about being isolated and frustrated in a foreign place. Keep on getting involved in all kinds of groups: sisterhood is really the only remedy and it is powerful...

As for languages, yes we know that publishing only in English and Spanish is a problem, but we are back again to the old money question. In any case, we do have an information sheet in French and German — we'll send you some — and between us we manage to speak some 8 foreign languages, including Russian and Malayalam so
communication should be possible, okay?)

To end I'd Uke to say how much I admire and appreciate the vast amount of work and energy your collective puts into ISIS and how much I enjoyed a brief visit to you earlier this year. In sisterly support,

Frances Rayner

Thanks, dear Frances, for writing. Sometimes it is really an effort to keep things going here, especially since we, too, have often worries about children, lovers, rent and such; that's why your support and that of so many other ISIS readers is so important. We enjoy long, chatty letters like yours and hope to be able to really establish
some kind of more personal contact through these columns. Also, drop in to see us again, whenever it is possible for you.

Dear Marilee, Valsa, and other sisters,

You must have already received the leaflets we sent you about our Women's Centre in Bombay. The Women's Centre has been going on for nearly 2 1/2 months with quite a bit of response. Very soon we will bring out a leaflet about our plans for the next ten-twelve months. We're also working on a directory of women's hostels and homes in the Bombay city.

This year's women's day celebrations in Bombay were quite good. Many poster exhibitions were exhibited on women's themes — housework, dowry and bride-burning, women's struggles and so on. On the 6th of March, there was a 3 hour cultural programme on women's issues, staged by feminists. On the 7th or March, there was a
women's discussion camp with slum women. On March 8th was a protest demonstration demanding 1) drinking water facilities, 2) shelter homes for women, 3) creches. Though some of us did not agree with all the "demands", we participated. The Forum (Against Oppression) organised, together with an organisation called "Cine Women", a film festival. Many films (mainly foreign) about women were shown. It was quite interesting. This was from the 5th of March to the 11th.

Hope you're in good health and that your work is progressing well. Do write some time. In sisterhood and solidarity, Sujata Gothoskar Bombay, INDIA

Dear Marilee,

We have received your letter and the information about the injectible contraceptive depo-provera. We are planning to open a campaign against this drug all over the country. Meanwhile we will get in touch with the organisations for which you have given us the addresses. We intend to link up this campaign with other organisations too. I will inform ISIS of any developments because it was you who have so fully informed us on the issue. We will cite such cooperation as an example in the future. I thank you for
your quick and close interest.

Meanwhile we (I mean the Progressive Women's Organization) intend to publish a bulletin — probably in English. We hope to publish information about women within the country and the activities of other migrant Turkish women's organisations. I would like to learn your suggestions and proposals on this matter.

Hoping to hear from you soon, with best regards,
Turkish Women's Association
in the Netherlands, Amsterdam,
NETHERLANDS

Dear Friends at ISIS

I had earlier written to you from Kishore Bharti, promising to send you 6 monthly reviews and news in exchange for ISIS International Bulletins.

I have moved away from Hoshangabad (about 3 months ago) and am now working more directly with women, within a trade union organization. The Rajhara, iron ore mines are captive to the Bhilai Steel Plant, one of India's 20 steel factories. While there are no women workers in the mechanized sections of the mines, in the manual mines women constitute about half of the workforce. Our union has its stronghold in the manual mines. The major struggle that we are waging now is against the proposed mechanization of the manual mines. The manual mine workers are casual workers, and mechanization of the mines will lead to massive retrenchment.

women workers will be the first to be retrenched, so this struggle is very closely Unked with the women's fight for their right to work, and our women workers are in the forefront of the struggle. We need support in our battle —I am writing a short perspective paper which I will circulate to friends, hopefully within this month.

We do find the ISIS Bulletin meaningful. Apart from me, no one else reads English, but we use a lot of the material and issues in discussion sessions. We are attempting to take up social aspects of women's problems here as well.

Can we, at CMSS, receive the ISIS Bulletin in return for news of our movement, sent to you regularly ? With best wishes to ISIS. In sisterhood, Ilina Sen, India