For many years, in America and Western Europe, women in all emancipation movements have put forward the demand that obsolete laws be annulled, so that men and women are made equal under the law. This has been going on for decades, if not centuries. As a result of this, progress has been made, at least in certain countries. In some cases, laws have been passed, but it is safe to say that none of these laws have been fully put into effect.
The reason for this is quite simple. In September of 1919, in a speech to working women, Lenin laid out the tasks of the working women’s movement. At that time, only two years after the successful socialist revolution, the country was in grave peril. The four years of the First World War was followed by civil war, which was still raging. The country was in ruins and victory was certainly not assured. The socialist government needed all the help it could get. With that in mind, Lenin explained the tasks of the working women’s movement in the Soviet Republic:
As he put it, ”wherever there is capitalism, wherever there is private property in land and factories, wherever the power of capital is preserved, the men retain their privileges”. He went on to say that this private property of land and factories ”even where there is complete political liberty, even in the most democratic republics, keeps the working people in a state of what is actually poverty and wage slavery, and women in a state of double slavery”. (my italics)
It was Marx who made it clear that the only way to effect the complete emancipation of women and make her the the equal of the man, is through the socialization of the economy! . In that way, women can and will participate in common productive labour. Of course, this is only possible through socialism, under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. At that time, women will occupy the same position as men.
This is not to say that women will be expected to perform the same work as men, and produce the same results. Lenin made this quite clear when he stated: ”Here we are not, of course, speaking of making women the equal of men as far as productivity of labour, the quantity of labour, the length of the working day, labour conditions, etc., are concerned; we mean that the woman should not, unlike the man, be oppressed because of her position in the family.”
This brings us to the demand of so many women for an amendment to the constitution, in order to secure complete equality. The trouble is that then women would be expected, and even required, to be the ”equal of men as far as productivity of labour, the quantity of labour, the length of the working day, labour conditions, etc.” As they are also so often required to perform the house work, this amendment could only backfire, placing an additional burden on women.
Lenin went on to point out that the drudgery of house work, which is generally the lot of the housewife, is not only arduous, but ”does not include anything that would in any way promote the development of the woman…the building of socialism will begin only when we have achieved the complete equality of women and when we undertake the new work together with women who have been emancipated from that petty, stultifying, unproductive work”. With that goal in mind, the new socialist republic was busy setting up ”model institutions, dining rooms and nurseries, that will emancipate women from housework”. It was the duty of the women to help establish these model institutions.
Of necessity, the building of these ”model institutions”, was not proceeding at a rapid pace. The country was in a state of ruin, and it was not at all clear that the revolution would be successful. Still, Lenin took the time to offer encouragement to the working women. He considered their input to be that important.
Lenin went on to say: ”We say the emancipation of the workers must be effected by the workers themselves, and in exactly the same way the emancipation of working women is a matter for the working women themselves…In order to be active in politics under the old, capitalist regime special training was required, so that women played an insignificant part in politics, even in the most advanced and free capitalist countries. Our task is to make politics available to every working woman”.
Perhaps it would be best to bear in mind that Lenin spoke to those women one hundred years ago. The situation has changed dramatically since that time, so that women in many parts of the world have made great strides. That includes America, and in that country the women are leading the revolution! They are indeed active in politics! They are not only effecting the emancipation of working women, but also the emancipation of the working class! They have proven themselves to be excellent organizers!
To the women who have done such an excellent job in organizing and taking part in marches and protests, I can say that was well done. I can also say that now is not the time to ”rest on your laurels”. The monopoly capitalists, the bourgeoisie, are still in charge. They have not ”changed their stripes”. They are still crushing and exploiting the working class, the proletariat. They still regard women as members of their personal harem. Nothing of substance will change until the whole class, the bourgeoisie, is overthrown and crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. The sad fact of the matter is that the upper stratum of the American proletariat, or at least a great many of them, have been bribed, bought off by the capitalists. Now it is up to you, the American working women, to ”take up the torch” and carry the battle to the enemy, the capitalists, the bourgeoisie.
Granted this is not the ”way it should be”, it is not ”fair”, it is not ”just”. It is the way it is, and life is not fair. Working women, and in fact all women, will continue to be crushed, exploited and even abused by the capitalists, as long as they remain in power. Further, as it is clear that the working men are prepared to tolerate this, that leaves the ”ball in your court”.
I hope you will excuse the mix of metaphors, but feel free to take consolation in the fact that as an old time male chauvinist, it pains me deeply to state that the men are not leading.
The fact remains that women are now, and will remain, in a ”state of double slavery”, as long as we live under capitalism. Women will be freed of the drudgery of housework and able to take part in productive labour only under socialism. Then and only then will she be truly the equal of any man.
At the time Lenin spoke to the working women, the tasks of the working women’s movement was far different from that which it is today. Now that the revolutionary movement is in ”high gear”, the task of the working women is to lead the whole working class. It is necessary to raise the level of awareness of all workers so that they are class conscious, aware that they are members of a class of people, the proletariat, in opposition to the capitalist class, the bourgeoisie. The most advanced workers must be raised to the level of Marxists. We must prepare for the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. All working people, and especially women, must assume positions of leadership. Join the two mainstream political parties as card carrying members. Run for any and all political office, as candidates of both parties. Fight to abolish the electoral college. Organize marches and demonstrations. Ridicule and humiliate the members of the administration. Give the capitalists no peace. Any and all skills working people learn now will be put to good use after the revolution.
After the revolution, the bourgeoisie will have to be crushed under the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat. Workers will be placed in positions of authority. Any training they receive now will prove to be most valuable. It is very likely that most of those workers will be women, if for no other reason than that most men are simply not qualified for the task. It is my most fervent hope that in the near future, many men will rise to the challenge, and prove me to be mistaken.
Ladies, I realize that is a heavy burden I am placing on your shoulders. I regret that the only alternative is to resign yourselves to a life of drudgery, wage slavery and abuse of every kind. I am sure you will agree that such a life is not worth living. Allow the posters and banners to proclaim:
Onward to the Dictatorship Of the Proletariat!
Scientific Socialism!
Workers of the World, Unite!
Gerald McIsaac Science Project 