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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Ist All-Russian Congress of Working Women and Peasant Women 1918 PKn by Alexandra Да ЗАрАВО ВЕТРОССИНО РАБОТІ Kollontai a EU MENS DE ONS 5р socialist woman special NOWA
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This pamphlet was written in 1920 for Russian working olaes women to mark the 100th anniversary ci Rollontaile birth, The transla- March 8th 1972 is the 52nd International Women's Day. But how many women in England are aware of this or know what this day International Women's Day was first organised to draw more women and aimed at making working class wenen more conscious of the undemocratie nature of our so-called democracies and at developing in them the consciousness thet there was some way in which this Women gooialists in every Europeen country started calling meetings, writing pamphlets and organising working women. before 1910, international conferences were held in Stuttgart and Copenhagen where the common aims and methods of agitation of the different national movements could be worked out, conferences were successful in integrating the fight for the vote for women, in opposing the middle-class suffragettes who saw the and property rights as the end of the struggle and in maintaining the socialist perspective of the international women'a During the First Borld War the international links of the working together against their governnents, began fighting for their governments and against each other. The national and international Then in Russia, in 1917, the workers and peasants overthrew the and men committed to a constitutional, parlimmentary type of government took over the running of the country. not cope with the economic and social dieintegration produced by the war, by peasant rebellion and urban unrest. bread to eat, land to live by, an end to the fighting and they therefore welcomed the second revolution and the establishment of the Bolshevik government that promised them these things.
The new Russia was to be a socialist Russia, ninety per cent of the population would no longer have to sweat every day for long hours to pay for the carriages and country houses of the idle ten Everyone would now work and all would work for the Communications had broken down, civil war was in progress and troops from almost every country in Europe were fighting on Russian soil in an attempt to defeat the new government. But the revolution had done away with the old system of capitalisn.
From now on the factories and the land would be owned by the And so there was great hope about the future, about the new society that would be alle to offer all people a better life.
The new society had a lot to offer women. Women would be for the first time equal. They would be relieved of all the domestic tasks which had previously chained them to the home. Public canteens, laundries and other services would be set up. And they would no longer be burdened by all the cares of bringing up by Alexandra Kollontai. tion is by Alix Holt.
INTRODUCTION stands for? inte political activity. society could be changed. franchise movement. class movements old ruling class. per cent. collective, for the new society. people. working women's organisations collapsed.
Times were hard. The country was in casos.
This is its first translation into English It was called "Working Women's Day" as workers everywhere, instead of fighting In February the Isar was forced to abdicate, - Alix Holt In the years These But they could The people wanted There was hunger.
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ohildren sinco creches, lindergertens, schools end other Incilities Every women would have the opportunity of helping create the new She would he a part of the collective, working to establish a pullic econony and she would take part in all social decision making and all social organisation. Baunlity wuld no longer be just a legal phrase - it would be a description of reality.
But women had never taken part in public life and it was not easy to eduoste them into takin: the opportunities that the revolution The new government set up specinl orpenisations in every town and villare to do political. work amonrat women. pamphlet "International Women's Day" was written in 1920 by Alexandra Kollontal as part of a campaien to teach women about the history of the working class movement and the struggle for women's equality about the gains of 1917, how they nuat organise and firt Alexandra Kollontai was the Minister of Sociel Welfare in the first Bolshevik governmont, and was the only woman to holl such Born in 1872 into a wealthy family and brought up in comfort and seclusion, Kollontai nevertheless became involved in tell ner nuscand and fone to Switzerland to receive the university Petereburg she took part in revolutionary activities. Threatened with arrest in 1909, she was forced to leave for Europe where Involved Loth in the international women's movement and in the their relationship to the revolutionary movement complez and many sided oppression, and Kellantai was therefore involved in discussing the family., the education of children, maternity and personel relationships • She shows how these questions are fundamentally connected with the total organisation of society, how an institution like the fanily adapts and changes organisation of society and thus althourh the liberation of women in an essential part of the fight for socialisn it 10 a the cloas that will he instrumental in bringing about a socialist and the wives of workers are overburdened by their household their position in the homes from a position gutside the home• It is at their nce of work that women come topether and can be organised, and it is here that the fight for better conditions both in the home and in the factory will be fought for.
It is true that Kollontai later failed to carry on the fight for her ideas, and this a subject for another articLe. think that this invalidates the ideas themselves or the importance were to te establisbed. offered. establish the new liberation. the political questions of the time. education still denied to women in Russia. she remained until March 1917• organisation of working women in lussia, been concerned with analysing capitalian, and the strurgle for socialism. to suit the needs of society. root of women!e part of this general struegle.
The working class is for Kollontai society, and she organisation amone working women. cares and looking after their children, of her earlier work. society wich would guarantee their At the are of 26 she had Returning to St.
Kollantai had always the position of women under The oppression of women is a subordinate position lies in the economio the revolutionary class, thus devotes her energies to propazanla and leasant women working woman but they can only fight We do not
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The lessons that we can learn from the Soviet experience are meny. overthrow of the Isar was on Working Women's Day (the old Rusaian calendar causes the discrepancy in dates) when the women demonstrated for the return of their men from the war and demanded and demonstrations which led to the seizure of power in October And it was then that a start could be made on changing the lines of the working men and women of the new Soviet State.
And are conditions_ in 1971 Britain basically very different from vested in the hands of a few - (whatever the talk about a Britain how much power they have?) The workers are still extheir labour power is being used to provide profits for the few; poverty is still rife, opportunities for men and women are strangled from birth; housing is inalequate; over half the population - those who are women - are still burdened with the responsibilities of the home as well as being super exploited These are the same women whose work is usually semiskilled or unskilled, who are paid less than the men, and who still shoulder all the responsibilities for the children and the Obviously for us to change this society, women as well as men must play a part in the change; they must participate in trade Kollontai, in 1920, would probebly have thought that by now Life would be organised in such a way that a "Working Women's But working women have yet to win this new life. yet to win a world where society relierse the working woman of material cares and leaves her time and strength to take Working women must ficht at their place of work for better conditions in the factory or office and for better conditions The 6 million un-unionised women workers must join unions.
The 2 million women already in unions must organise. women must organise to fight for equal pay, for equal work must organise to fight for the setting up of creches and other Working women must take an active part in the struggle of the working class against rent increases and rising prices.
If ve read about "International Women's Day" in 1920 and consider our situation today we see more clearly what working women have got to fight for and how they must get together to start A Socialist Woman Special produced by North Iondon Socialist ies sh 1917. 10 ploited, at work. in the home. fighting. bread for their children. pre revolutionary Russia? pluralistic society. care of her husband. unions and political organisations.
Day" woull have no point• part in the life of the conmunity. public facilities.
Woman, 182 Fentonville Road, London No1 - 3- We have a society where power is Ask the one or two million unemployed in This was the first of many strikes They have Working Working women
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Women's Day or Working Women's Day is a day of interational solidarity and a day for reviewing the strength and the But this is not a special day for women alone, The 8th of peasants, for all the russian workers and for the workers of the whole world. In 191l the working women of Petersburg who began this revolution; it was they who first decided to raise the banner of opposition against the tsar and his associates.
And so Working Women's Day is a double celebration for us. why do we call it "Women's Day"? Why then do we hold special celebrations and meetings aimed above all at the women workers we have to look back and see how Women's Day came about and Not very long ago, in fact about ten years ago, the question of women's equality, and the question of whether women could take part in goverment alongside men was being hotly debated.
The working class in all capitalist countries struggled for bourgeoisie to strengthen the voice of the working class in parliament, and in every country they hindered the passing of North America insisted on their demands for the vote for women tions and meetings all over the country, demanding political The initiative in organising a women's day thus belongs to International Conference of Socialist Working Women, Clara Zetkin brought forward the question of organising an Interwill unite our strength in the struggle for socialism".
During those years the question of making parliament more democratic, i.e. of widening the franchise and of extending World war, the workers nad the right to vote in all bourgeois harsh reality of capitalion demanded the participation of crease in the number of women who had to work in the faotories last years before the war the rise in prices forced even the most peaceful housewife to take an interest in questiona of INTERNACIOITAL WOMEN'S DAY A MILITANT CELEBRATION organisation of proletarian women, March is a historic and nemorable day for the But if this is a general and the peasant women? solidarity of the working class? for what purpose it was organised.
HOW AND WHY WAS WOMEN'S DAY ORGANISED? the rights of working women: accept these rights.
Laws that gave the vote to working women, the women socialists of the rights for working women. the working women of America. national Working Women's Day. every year, Women's Day under same day a the vote to women was a vital issue. countries except Russia. remained without these rights. women in the country's economy. and workshops, or as servants or charwomen. alongside men their hands, Alexandra Kollontai workers and on this day the great February revoholiday for all of the proletariat, Doesn't this jeopardise the unity and To answer these questions the bourgeoisie did not want to It was not in the interest of the Socialists in This was the first "Women's Day".
The Conference decided that in every country, they should celebrate on the the slogan "The vote for women Even before the First Oniy women, along with the insane, at the same time, the Every year there was an in- Women worked and the wealth of the country was created by But women remained without the vote.
But in the
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politics and to protest loudly against the bourgeoisie's flaring up at different times in austria. Ingland, break up the stalls at the market or threaten the odd merchant: they understood that such action doesn't bring a Women's Day in every country as a forn of struggle in getting national solidarity in the fight for common objectives and a day for reviewing the organised strength of working woman under The decision taken at the second International Conference of the firat International Women's Day on the 19th of March 1911.
This date was not chosen at random. Our German comrades picked this day because of its historic importance for the German On the 19th of March in the year of the 1848 revolution the Prussian king recognised for the first time the strength of the armed people and gave way before the threat which he later failed to keep, was the introduction of the vote Alter January of 1911 efforts were made in Germany plans for a demonstration both by word of mouth and in the press.
During the week before Women's Day two journals appeared: "The Vote for Women" in Germany and "Women's Day" in Austria.
The various articles devoted to Women's Day - "Women and a housewife got to do with politics?" ete - analysed thoroughly the question of the equality of women in the governpoint: that it was absolutely necessary to make parliament more democratic by extending the franchise to women.
International Women's day took place in 1911. Its suecess Women's day was one seething trembling sea of women. were organised everywhere - in the small towns and Halls were packed so full that they had to ask workers to give up their places to the women. the first show of militancy by the working women. conflict with the police. During the largest street demonstration in which 30,000 were taking part, the police decided to remove the demonstrators' banners: the women workers made In the scuffle that followed, bloodshed was averted only with the help of the socialist deputies of parliament.
In 1913 International Women's Day was transferred to the 8th This date has remained the working women's day of Women's Day in Europe and in America had amazing results. concessions to the workers or of responding to the women's demands. For at that time the bourgeoisie was not threatened economy of plunder.
Trequent, France and Germany. wasn't enough to down the cost of living. the government.
And to to see that the frenchise is widened. working women to vote. the banner of sociajisn.
THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL DAY Socialist proletariat, of a proletarian uprising. for women, and Austria to prepare for Women's Day.
Parliament", ment and in society. exceeded all expectation. villages, at home with the children for a change, captive housewives, went to_ meetings. a stand. of March, militancy.
IS WOMEN'S DAY NECESSARY? true that not a single - 2 - The working women understood that it achieve this, This day was to be a day of inter- Women was not left on paper. "Ihe Working Woman & Mundoipel Altairs', All the articles emphasised the same Germany and Austria on Working bourgeois parliament thought of "Housewives " uprisings" became increasingly You hare to the working cLass haa the politics of It was decided to have It was decided to hola Among the many promises he made, They made known the "What has The first Meetings even in This was certainly Men stayed _and their wives, the In Austria there was making
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It turned out above-all to be an excellent method of agitation amongst the less political of our proletarian They could not help but turn their attention to the nevings, denonstrations, posters, pamphlets and newspapers bachard working women thought to herself: "This is our day, none women joined the socialist parties and the trade unions Organisation improved and political consciousness Wonen's Day sorved yet another function, it strengthened farent countries usually exchange speakers for this occasion:
Gorman conrades go to England, English conrades go to Holland.
The internationel cohesion of the working women has become strong and firm and this neans that the fighting strength of the proletariat as a whole hes grown, resulte of the working women's day of militancy. ts show that those who talk as if it's not worth holding of these many years teaches sonething different. working women's nilitancy heips increase the consciousness its contribution is essential to the success of those fighting Ine Russian working women first took part in "Working Wonen's be no thought of colebrating "Working Women's Day" by open the working class - the Bolsheviks Pravde and the Locon - corried articles about International Wonen's Day: they carried special articles, portraits of some of those fighting and taking part in the working wonen's moverent, an 1 greetings fron foreign corrades such as Bebel and Zetkin.
In those bleak years neetings were forbidden, Petrograd, at the Kaloshatkovsky Exchange, those woren wickers who belonged to the party organised a "noming teachwas an illegal neeting but the hall was absolutely packed. members of the party spoke. but this animated "closed" neeting hed hardly finished when the police, alarned at such proccedings, intervened and arrested mony of the speakers, was of great significanee for the workers of the world that the vonen of fussia, who lived under tsarist repression, should join in and somehow manage to almowledge with actions Interwas waking up and that the tsarist prisons and gallows were powerless to kill the workers' spirit of struggle and protest. "Women Workers' Day in Russia was better organised.
Both the workers' newspapers concerned themselves with the Our corades put a lot of effort into the pre- Russia's "Wonen Workers" Day". Because of police intervention, they didnit manage to orgonise a denonstration, by a socialist revolution. thing. sisters. the festival for working wonen" meetings and demonstrations. developed. resti and organisation of proletarian wonen.
WOMEN WORKERS DAY IN RUSSIA Day" in 1913. the workers deronstration. nan their international day.
In on the Worion Question" national Wonen's Day, In 1914, celebration. that were devoted to Working Women's day. international solidarity of the workers. a sparate militant Women's Day are mistaken. for a better future for the working class.
This was a tine of rection when tsarism held and peasants in its vice-like grip.
But the organised working wonen were able to Entrance was 5 kopecks.
This wos a welcome sign that Russia But Women's Day did achieve sone-- Even the politically , and she hurried to the After each Working Woren's Day The parties of dit- These are The experience The day of And this neons that There could Both the legal newspapers of Menshevik But in
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Those involved in the planning of the "Wonen Workers! Day"
Tound thenselves in tsarist prisons, and many were later cent woman'a vote" has naturally becone in Russia an open call WOMEN WORKER'S DAY DURING THE IMPERIALIST WAR pay tried to turn March 8th into a demonstration of working Germany and in other countries would not allow the socialist woren to organise gatherings, and the socialist women were roused passports to go to neutral countries where the worcing wonen wanted to hold international meetings and to show that in spite of the desires of the bourgeoisie, the spirit of in 1915 it was only in Norway that they zanaged to orgenise an International demonstration on wonenis day; representatives no thought of organising a Wonen's Day in Russia, for here the power of the tsarian and the military machine was unbridled. trials of war broke the patience of the women workers and the the wives of soldiers - denanded "Bread for our children" "The return of our husbands from the trenches". At this detime the protest of the working women posed such a threat that even the tsarist security forces did not dare take the usual measuzes against the "rebels" but looked on in confusion at the storry sea of the people's anger. he 1917 Working Women's Day has becone renorable in history.
On this day the Russian women raised the torch of proletarian rer lution and set the world on fire, The February revolution "orking Women's Day" was first organised ten years ago in the campaign as part of the campaign for the political equality conleved by the working class women in Russia, Republic the working women and peasants don't need to fight for the franchise and for their civil rights, to make the struggle for a better life easier - the right to vote, to take part in the Soviets and in all collective organlearn to master for our own benefit, and for the good of the to the cold North, For the slogen for the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy.
The first worla war broke the 6100d of war. country was covered with "Working Wonen's Day" abroad was a feeble soc_alist women who wonen against the war, vorkers' solidarity lived on.
Iron Russia and neutral countries attended, But then cane the great year of 1917. peasant wonen of Russia.
February) on Working Wonen's Day, the streets of petrograd, cisive marks its beginnings fron this day.
OVE CALL TO BADALE the struggle for socialisn, of women and already won these rights. wonen are equal citizens isations, But rights alone are not enough, use of then.
The right to vote of "etruggle for the working The working class in every In 1915 and 1916 affair - left wing shared the views of the Russian Bolshevil But those socialist party traitors in There could be Hunger, cold and the In 1917, on the 8th of March (23rd they care boldly out into ine women - some were workens, done This ain has been In the Soviet They have The Russian workers and the peasants - in their hands is a powertal weapon We have to learn to make is a weapon which we have to
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workern! repullio, In the two years of Soviet power, life of struggling for cormnian and we are surrounded by the world we have inherited fron the dark and repressive The shackles of the fanily, of housework, of prostitution, still weigh heavy upon the working wonan. and peasant women can only rid themselves of this situation and achieve equality in life itself, and not in w, if they put all their energies into naking Soviet And to quicken this coning, we have first to put right our two inmediate tasks - the creation of a well organised and politically conscious labour force and the re-establishment This means that the working men and women will get the bread, firewood and raw materials they desperately Getting transport back to normal will speed up the victory and fundamental equality of women, This is why the nessage of "Working Women'a Day" must this year bo: "Worising woren, peasant women. Mothers, wives and sisters. helping the workers and comrades in overcoming the chaos of the railways and re-establishing transport.
Everyone into the struggle for bread and firewood and raw Last year the slogan of the Day of Women Workers was: "A11 cause it was organised, disciplined and ready for selfand belt-sacrifice, the workers' republic will overcome the The October revolution gave women equality with nen as for as ariat, who was not so very long ago the most unfortunate and oppressed, is now in the Soviet Republic able to show with pilde to comrades in other countries the path to political lishunt of the dictatorship of the proletariat and soviet The situation is very different in the capitalist countries where women are still over-worked and underprivileged.
In those countries the voice of the working women is week and lif legs, It is true that in various countries - in Norway:
Australia, Finland and in sone of the states of North imerica women had won civil rights even before the war.
In Gerpany, after the Kaiser had been thrown out and a bourgeois republic established, headed by the "compromisers" six women entered parliament - but not a single conmunist! itself has not been absolutely changed. procesa past, Russua a truly cormunist society.
Russia's shattered oI transport, soon have steam engines once nore; funetion, need. of communisn. the complete 411 efforts to materials," to the victory of the Red Front". to raliy their strength on a new Labour front! sac ifice. intermal foe - the hunger, cold and disease, bloodless labour front!
THE NEW TASKS OF "WORKING WOMEN'S DAY" civil rights are concerned. - 5econony.
If our any of labour works well we shall And with the victory of communian will cone The Red Aruy defeated the external eneny be- With organisation, dislocation trensport and the econony.
Everyone to this victory! equality, the complete liberation of women We are enly in the Working We must consider the solving of the railways will begin to Now we call working women bloodless front - the narawerk, selt-discipline "Ereryone to the victory on the The worian of the Russian proletthrough the estabthirty
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In 1919, in England a women was, for the first time elected a Too, one question has been coming up lately of extending But what use are these rights to working women in the franework capitalists and pioperty owners, no political rights will save the workin women from the traditional position of slavery in throw another sop to the workin, class, in the face of the growing influence of Bolshevik ideas amongst the proletariat:
After the experience of the fussion October Revolution it is cler to every workin woman in France, in England and in other countries that only the dictatorship of the wo king class, only the power of the Sovieta can guarantee complete and absolute equatI, only the ultimate viotory of communism will tear down the century-old chains of repression and lack of rihts. If the task of Internationol "Working Women's Day" was earlier, in the face of the supremacy of the bourgeois parliaments, the eight of women to vote, the workin claas now has a new task to o ganise working women around the fighting slogons of the thind Instead of demanding to take part in the working of the bourgeois parliament, listen to the call from Russia - "Working women of ol1 countries! Orgonise a united proletarian in the struggle against those who are plundering the world!
Down with the parliamentarianism of the bourgeoisie!
This call was first heard amidst the trials of a new order, in the battles of the civil war it will be heard by and it will strike a chord in the hearts of working women of other countrior.
The working women will listen and believe this call to be right.
Until recently they thought it was worth getting the vote and they thought that if they managed to send a few representatives to parliament, their lives would be easier and the oppression of capitalien more bearable. Now they mow otherwise.
Only the overthrow of capitolin and the establishment of Soviet Power will save them from the world oi sufferin, humiliations and inequality that makes the life of the working woman 1n from a day of struggle for the franchise into an international day of strangle for the full and absolute liberation of women, whiel means a strugale for the victory of the Soviets and for DOT WITH THE WORLD OF PROPERTY AND THE POWER OF THE CAPITU:
AWAY WITH THE INEQUALITY, LACK OF RICHIS AND THE OPPRESSION OF FORWARD TO THE INTERNATIONAD UNITY OF WORKING WOMEN AND WORKERS IN THE STRUGGLE FOR THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE •PROLETARIAT - THE PROLETARIAT OF BOTH SEXES!
Member of Parliament. a londoner, on aristocrat, In France, the franchise to women. of bourgeois parliaments? the home and in society. they are prepared to give women the vote.
International. welcone soviet power! the working men and women! triumph of world communism!" capitalist countries se hard. continisni WOMEN - THE LEGACY OF THE BOURGEOIS WORLD! - 6- But who was she? A "lady".
That means While the power is in the hands of the The French bourgeoisie are ready Ne. Bourgeois, Sir - It is too late! to fight for Away with the inequolities suffered by We will fight with the workers for The "Working Wonen's Day" tums
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