The United Nations has declared 1975 to be International Women's Year. But most of the gentlemen at the LiN would hardly approve of those who first set aside occasions to celebrate women's struggle for equality.
On 28 February 1907, women socialists in the USA organised the first "Women's Day to demand polItical rights for working women. Then, in 1910, Clara Zetkin prop oled to the second International Conference of Socialist Working Women that an annual celebration of Women's Day should be held.
These women selected the actual date with care The first one, held m was on on March. - the anniversary of an uprising of the Prussian proletariat in 1848.
In 1913, the date was changed. International Women's Duy was shifted to 8 March, This time it was the anniversary of a very imp octant atrike by women workers in the New York textile industry in the 1880s.
These events are hardly remembmed today. But International Womem' Day is associated with a more mcent event —and one which the begates from Moscow and Washagton would rather not recall.
The women of Petrograd were determined, in 1917, to celebrate March (23 February by the old an cilenoar). Against the advice the Russian social democrats (the lutionaries), who felt that a would lead to an uprising for the workers were not fully uned, the women textile worktruck and called on the metal diets for support. This was the * that led to the February Revin which overthrew Crarism rened the way lot the Oct ber Revolution and the appearance i the first workers state.
This is certainly not the sort of activity enviaged by the UN when it declared that the purpose of International Women's Year is _ to promote equality between men and women; to emphasise the Important role women could and ould play in economic, social and cultural activities, and to entage their full integration into life of the community; and to ure recognition of women's incing contribution to the development of Trendly relations and co-operation between countries and to the strengthening of world In other words, women should fight against their oppression, but not in such a way that it might upset the status quo.
But the liberation of women cannot come as a pift from the UN or anybody else. The UN in fact represents the very systems that serve to oppress women!
When a 'respectable body like the UN, "guardian of world peace, co-operation and other laudable objectives, calls 1975 International Women's Year, then all 'respectable" hodies and persons should pay due homage.
Always anxious to prove their "respectability', the trade union bureaucracy in many countries have launched an appropriate campRien. Meetings will be organised all over Britain on 8 March. For example, the South East Regional Council of the TUC have called a delegate conference of trade unionA PICKET In Dr ists to be addressed by Shirley Summerskill (Labour MP), Len Murray. Marie Patterson (Chairperson of the TUC), and Stewart McKenzie (senretary of the South East Regional Council.
But the aim of the trade union bureaucracy will be to get away with making a lot of speeches con gratulating themselves on how much the labour movement has done for women's rights, but doing as little as possible. The trade union bureaucracy, even more than the UN would rather not remember the activities of those women who first called for International Wom en's Day.
The Working Women's Charler Campaign has proved to be an effective way of beginning to uraw *** Wing class to such struggles as those against low pay and for equal pay, free abortion and contraception on demand, and freely available nursery facilities.
We must use the opportunities opened up by the activity of the bureaucracy to organise against women's oppression.
ortunities to draw links with the struggles of women internationally Women's oppression is not confined women in many countries are fighting for free contraception and abortion on demand. In Europe alone, major campaigns are underway in France, Italy, Germany and Britain. In all these countries the state MAT SUPPORT OUR last saturday, The latest repressive moves ay she italian sutnormam mcca compunry medical examinations for all women suspected of having had an abortion.
has made moves to restrict the The gains made in any of these on the outcome of others.
And we must also use these opp to Britain's boundaries. For example, ON DEMAND alism. ised outside the Italian Embasy limited facilities available at present.
countries will have a positive effect PUBLIC MEETING Friday Feh. 28 7.30pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square WC1 Speakers include women from Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain etc.
ON ?
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"FLI CHOOSE
ITALIAN ITALIAN WOMEN SISTERS ASSAULTED
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL