The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 31, 1925, Page 8

Communist Work Among Women HERE are many comrades who cannot conceive of special work among women by a Communist Party. Many women comrades do not take part in this special work, because they fear that they will be considered fem- inists. Comrades would not take this attitude, if they really did understand what this kind of work means for the party. It is true that our knowledge and experience in Communist work among women here in America is very limited and we must look for guid- ance to our comrades abroad with their mature knowledge in this kind of work. The reasons which compelled the Communist International to give spe- cial attention to work among women the door of marriage. She must be made to understand that by acting as strikebreaker, she is helping those who are fighting against the working- class for the preservation of the bour- geois sociai system. The Workers (Communist) Party must do its ut- most to overcome the sluggishness, the individualistic psychology of the working women and to awaken feel- ings of class solidarity among them. Because of the peculiar situation of women, because of their political back- wardness, a special means of approach must be used. We have a special de- partment of youth (the Y. W. L.) be- cause we know that in this way our ; Communist work will be more efec- itive among the young workers. The to escape from the factory by are easy to find. The contrasted ex-| Y. W. L. constantly brings before the perience of the two revolutions in Russia and Hungary of themselves give reasons. In Russia the active support of the women helped to save the revolution, in Hungary their pass- ive registance helped to destroy the revolution. Capitalism has perfected its machinery so, as to make women in the mass a bulwark of conserva- tism and reaction. Situation Among Women. First, the women are mentally and emotionally separated from the men; then their isolation is used to intensi- fy the economic subjection which they share with the men; their inferior po sition is used as a means of settin;: them into antagonism against th« men; finally their separation as a sex is used to make them active for re- action against the workingmen active in the class struggle. The weakness of the mass of wo- men from the point of organization makes them a serious menace in al- most every fight, as the capitalist ide- ology imparted to them from the school, pulpit and press fosters a para- sitical outlook which leads to the ac- ceptance of low wages. The woman tramping in search of work is threat- ened with danger from which men are free and more easily submit to exploitation. The thought of her chil- dren going hungry also compelis the mother to accept low wages. Add to this the jealousies and disiikes aris- ing from their sex competition with each other for marriage mates—itself a by product of their economic condi- tions, the comparative inactivity of women in the trade unions and their easy delusion by bourgeois agencies is all too terribly explained. The ma- ternal functions of women place then in a position of utter dependence and very often into humiliation unspeak- able. Women are very susceptibie to in- fluence by the bourgeois feniinist or- ganizations. These feminist organiza- tions are a machine for manufacturing a counter-revolutionary psychology which the women in turn impose upon their children and men folks. The bourgeoisie see the importance of spe- cial work among wemen. The bour- geoisie are exerting much effort to di- vert the proletarian women from their class interests thru these feminist or- ganizations. We, the Workers (Com- munist) Party are only now waking up to the realization of this important work. The workingclass possesses in its women powerful forces which are not yet mobilized. These forces if systematically employed, would be capable of exercising a decisive infiv- ence on the issue of the class strug- gle. It-is the duty of our party to start this work. Destroy Feminist Ideas. The constant worsening of the posi- tion of the working women creates |. favorable conditions for work among them. The task of the party is to give Communist direction to the dis- content among women if the work- ingclass study the prejudices and tra- ditions that still shackle her, bring home to her the lesson that she is one with the world’s workers. We must raise slogans that will appeal to the working women. We must de- stroy the feminist Mcology and win them over to the side of the workers in the class struggle. Special means must be devised to win the attention of the women to the significance of the Communist message to them. We must get the women to understand how suicidal it is for them to tolerate a miserable rate of pay because they party special plans for more effective work among the youth of the coun- try. We organize unemployment coun- cils during acute unemployment per- iods; we organize protection of for- eign-born councils, ete. Acute unem- ployment comes with the re-occurring capitalist crisis, but the problem of the women of the working class is continual, It is necessary to have a special apparatus in this work. In Russia, after the overthrow of the bourgeoise, we see the important and effective work carried on by the spe- cial women’s departments of the Rus- ian C. P. The fact that the C. L has nstructed all of its sections to create a apparatus for work among women, .n itself is evidence enough to prove the necessity for special work among women. The women’s department in the party will take the initiative in pressing for action on questions relat- ing to Communist work among wo- men, Do We Need a Separate Women’s ‘ Organization? Some of us believe that the Com- munist message applies to women in a very peculiar way. “The women of the workingclass will not enter a Com- munist Party, but they will become members of a separate women’s or ganization independent of the party,” say some of our comrades, “therefore, it is necessary to carry on our Com- munist work among women thru such @ separate women’s organization.” First, a separate women’s organiza- tion cannot have the will to action, the centralized organization as thai of a Communist Party. Second, how can we expect to win the sympathies of the women of the workingclass for our party, if we (the party) work with these women on issues related to their very life in the name of an organiza- tion other than the Workers (Com- nunist) Party? This separate organ- ‘zation will absorb all the sympathies 2nd gain all the influence of these wo- nen, because it will take up the issues ‘elated to their very life. It has beer he experience of our comrads in oth r countries, that women become th: wdent advocates of Communism, onc: -hey realize that the Communist Par ty is with them intheir daily needs. The Comintern is opposed to the form- ation of separate women’s organiza- tions. The following is an extract from the theses of the Third Congress of the C. I. on women’s work: “Being earnestly opposed to the separate or- ganization of women into all sorts of parties, unions, or any other special women’s organizations. . . .” Also from the theses of the third confer- rence of Communist women: “In Hol- land and Norway the remaining separ. ate organizations of Communist wo- men were successfully liquidated.” Forms and Methods of Work. The C. EB. C. of the party made a decision that all political work among women be carried on in the name of the Workers’ (Communist) Party; that every unit of the party beginning with the branch up to the C. E. C. immediately appoint a committee for work among women. This is the cor- rect policy. It is in spirit with the decisions of the C. I. The comrades in these women’s committees must ac- quaint themselves with the latest theses of the C. IL on work among women, as our work must be based on these theses. Work among women In Industry. This must be the most important phase of our work among women. “The experience of the revolutionary struggle of the workingclass shows the mightiest form of organization to be the centralized organization close- ly bound with the working masses and having its basis in production, that is in the workshops and factories.” Our party is starting out to make this the laboratory for mass work of the party——we are beginning to reorganize the party on the shop nuclei basis. The starting for mass work among women should also be in the factory and shop. Our shop nuciei where ever organized, should have an organ- izer for work among women. Our trade union groups must have a comrade responsible for work among women—- to get the women into the left wing in the trade unions, ete. Women workers’ committees may be organiz- ed in the shops and factories. Where there are existing shop committees, the women must be organized into such committees and no separate com- mittee must be organized. -All this work must be carried on in collabora- tion with the general party women’s departments having jurisdiction. Some of the slogans for work among the women in the shops and factories may be: Equal wages for equal work in every branch of industry; abolition of piece work; employment of women in all branches of industry except where it is detrimental to their health; aboli- tion of night work and overtime; pro- tection for women workers, mothers and infants; working wages to be paid in full during absence because of confinement; against dismissal during pregnancy and nursing; against. the dismissal of married women, etc. Work among the housewives. The housewife. is an important factor in the class struggle. The housewives are not in the trade unions, nor are they organized politically. The co- operative is the organization capable of comprising these masses of wo- men of the workingclass, it wi'l also bring the women in the factories and shops into organization with the housewives. The co-operative move- ment will draw the proletarian women into the whirlpool ef political and economie activity. KM is the task of the party to direct the proletarian women, to make it their endeavor to make the co-operatives a weapon for the interests ef the working class. The party shonld stand for carrying out initiative proceeding from the wo- men organized-in co-operatives and aiming at a Communization of daily life. As for instance, the establish- ment of dining halls, kindergartens, nurseries, etc. We shall work for- the realization of the active participation of the co-operatives in class warfare by means of opening of dining halls for strikers, unemployed, provision for their wives and children, etc. Onr women comrades in Coney Island are preparing to carry on work of this ‘ind. Care’ must be taken that this ‘ind of work is not given a humani arian character. As {*r instance, the ‘ceding of the unemployed must bi: lealt with in relation to the genera) qnestion of unemployment. Fight for Everyday Needs. The party will not limit its work to the factory and the home. We must carry on propaganda by written word and by personal contact. The party must take the initiative in raising slogans on burning issues that will ap- peal to the working women. Mass meetings must be arranged for. on ‘hese issues. Local councils may be . working class. criticism Paper, 50 Cents 1113 W. Washington Blvd. ~s . Rn ied dinette ne ee ne ie hee ee ee A Brilliant Book by Leon Trotsky “DICTATORSHIP vs. DEMOCRACY” In which Trotsky explodes the sham pretenses of so-called democracy and explains the character of Keautsky and the later socialdemocratic school come fn for warm at the hands of this most brilliant writer in the inter. national working class movement. Order from THE DAILY WORKER Literature Department By MARGARET UNDJUS formed when the situation demands. (Such as the control councils in Ger- many during the economic crisis). We must establish united fronts by call- ing local conferences with delegates from existing women’s organizations, shop committees, trade unions, co-op- eratives, local councils, Workers Par- ty, etc. We must have these confer- ences take up questions that will ap- peal to the working women generally, such as unemployment, high food pric- es, high rent, child labor, etc. All these questions must be taken up at the time the Workers Party launches united front campaigns on these is- sues. It is the duty of the W. P. members in these conferences to see that work on these issues is based on the W. P. program for that specific issue. We must always have a com- rade deliver a Communist talk at these conferences. We must acquaint the women attending these conferenc- es with what the Soviet governmnt of Russia has done to improve the con- ditions of the working women in Rus- sia and compare same with their own conditions both in the factory and home. We must see that these con- ferences accept resolutions of greet- ing to the women in Soviet Russia. We must always keep before these women ‘the fact that all the improved conditions for women in Russia came about thru the work of the Commun- ‘st Party of Russia. The work of re- lief for the workers and their children ‘n other countries and for relief of political prisoners should be taken up at these conferences. Where appro- priate, we must have women repre- sentatives at these conferences from the farms. These conferences are call- ed when ever necessary. They must be representative conferences. By no means must we allow these conferenc- es to develop into a separate individ- ual membership organization. These local conferences will be under the leadership of the Workers Party. Simultaneously with this work, we must immediately start buildin® the party machinery for work among wo- men. Every unit of the party must establish its own women’s depart- ment. The C. EB. C. of thse party is preparing ‘a special program for this work, We must be ready to give life aad flesh to this program. It ts very important that the women corarades be fully aware of the fact that it is they who will have to play the role of intermediaries and interpreters be- tween the Workers (Communist) Par- ty and the masses of working women. To give these women’s committees a non-feminist character, men comrades must be appointed on these commit- tees. To carry on this work more ef- fectively, our women comrades must be drawn more into the general par- fy work. In the course of our work new methods of work must be elabo- rated. Account must be taken of our -xperiences. Our progress will be ‘lower than we wish, but it will be sure. We will gain influence and mem- bers for the Workers (Communist) Party. #Ido for Workers” (Textbook in German oT Russian)... DOS “An Elementary Grammar” (in Bing lish )inn........c..c0c.ccs0es accsepegtvcnicnn SUD The Workers’ Ido Federation Room 5, 805 James St., N. S., PITTSBURGH, PA. bourgeois the dictatorship of the Cloth, $1.00 Chicago, Illinois