Women Approve Boston Rally For April 17

Feminists from the New England area concluded their Congress to Unite Women yesterday by voting on several proposals, among them one supporting April 17 as Women's Liberation Day with a march and rally in Boston.

Saturday and Sunday members of the New England Women's Coalition (NEWCO)-at times numbering as many as 800-divided into action, consciousness-raising and constituency workshops. The 24 workshops concerned such subjects as abortion, women and the war, child care, gay women, and female political prisoners.

A women's party followed workshop activities Saturday night at the Charles Street Meeting House.

A plenary session concluded the Congress with reports from workshops and the discussion and voting of resolutions yesterday in Sever Hall.

By a unanimous vote the Congress decided to support NEWCO's plans for a Feminist Festival and rally April 17 when women will mass at Copley Square at noon and march to the Boston Common.

Local and national speakers will discuss NEWCO's demands for free abor-tion, no forced sterilization, free 24-hour community controlled child care centers, equal employment and equal pay opportunity, equal access to education and job training, and the repeal of all laws regarding private sexual behavior.

The Congress also endorsed a United Women's Contingent at the April 24 antiwar demonstration in Washington, D.C. "Seventy-eight per cent of American women are against the war," one speaker said, "and we demand total, unconditional, and immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Indochina."

The Ericka Huggins-Angela Davis Defense Workshop called for the freedom of the two women political prisoners and all other political prisoners. A minority faction of the Congress said that certain "ambiguities concerning Huggins' alleged crimes" made it a "bad tactic" to class her with Davis.

'Sisters in Struggle'

"Their guilt or innocence is not under discussion," one woman said. "Sisters are now involved in a struggle for our lives and we demand their freedom. The women's movement will not remain silent while women revolutionaries are picked off by the government."

The proposal was then passed to demand the freedom of Huggins, Davis, and all other political prisoners. The Congress also discussed the search for a new women's center-to replace the Harvard building at 888 Memorial Drive-and the establishment of a weekly one-hour television show on Channel 2, to be produced and controlled by feminists.