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Cuba Celebrates International Women’s Day

Hundredth Anniversary of International Women’s Day

BY: ANNERIS IVETTE LEYVA

A century ago, the Ungdomhuset building shone brightly far beyond the boundaries of Copenhagen, Denmark, when a hundred women from fifteen countries, following the ideals of Clara Zetkin, started a moment of light for the history of humanity, which takes place every year with the same intensity: the International Women’s Day.

CLARA ZETKIN, THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED THIS DATE.

Few women had realized, as she did, the need for organizing women, uniting strengths and wishes, in an international movement on a socialist basis.

Acute, and as clear as her name (which is what Clara means in Spanish), this German revolutionary leader always had a political perspective inextricably related to the classical Marxist texts and her friendship with followers of these doctrines like Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg.

They were all aware, after reading Marx’s Capital, August Bebel’s Women and Socialism and Engels himself in The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, that the moral, social and economic position of women with respect to men has always been of disadvantage, and existed in the very classist society they were striving to change.

It was evident for Clara then, that the triumph of the feminist’s aspirations could only take place in exploitation-free societies—either for racial, sexual, origin or age reasons. "The issue of women—she said—is a matter of class struggle, not between sexes."

During the Congress of Stuttgart, in 1907, the moment of creating the socialist international women’s movement came, and was finally led by Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg.

Three years later, during the 2nd International Conference of Socialist Women, and due to an initiative of the USA delegation, Clara established International Women’s Day, which would represent the work of women worldwide for achieving their rights and building a more just society.

MANY WOMEN STILL CONSIDER THEMSELVES HEIRS OF CLARA ZETKIN’S STRUGGLE FOR THE WOMEN’S CAUSE.

The date chosen was March 8, as it coincided with the date of the meeting, and to honour the victims of the 1907 events, when more than 120 female workers from the Cotton Textile Factory in New York—the majority of whom were emigrants—died during an induced fire since they had called for better living and work conditions, exactly on March 8 that year.

The essence of this terrible happening was summarized in the motto Bread and Roses, which became the symbol of the feminist’s struggles.

A day to be remembered for ages

The history of humanity has always been written by the winners—the rich, the white, the western…, men—; that is why the woman’s role has been so fragmented. What is worse, language also hinders any inquiry in this regard. For instance, when referring to the slaves’ rebellion in Sparta, the gender of the noun assures the presence of men in the event, but what about women? Language does not make the difference.

It is undeniable, however, that even though women’s role has always been that of carrying out the household chores not that of fighting, women have always had that same spirit of discontent of men, and have known how to manifest it.

Not undeservedly, one of the emblematic symbols of the French Republic is the image of Marianne, a bust of a woman wearing a cap, as an allegory of Liberty and the Republic.

This example of legitimating the women’s role in the history of humankind is, regrettably, an exception to the rule.

It is necessary to rescue stories, such as Micaela Bastidas´s, which are sometimes hidden among myths and legends. Micaela was as brave as her husband, the Inca Tupac Amaru, however, she didn’t receive the same recognition. Her leadership qualities made her lead the fight against the colonialist across her country.

The same happened to Juana Azurduy, born on a prophetic March 8. While recalling the bicentenary of the emancipation wars in America; people omit the name of that mixed race woman, who became a high-ranking official in the Peruvian independence war against the Spanish colonization.

Everyone should also know about Olympia de Gouges, author of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen—considered as a most radical statement for the women´s demands so far. Gouges was guillotined, two years after her publication.

Many are the attempts to gain force and visibility; however, so are the years of discrimination, based on divine and mortal precepts.

And there is no doubt that today, in a world full of increasing miseries, stuffed with women’s sorrows and sadness, a great number of women will get up to prepare breakfast for her family and continue her daily activities, ignoring or maybe forgetting , that today the world celebrates the 100th Women’s Day. Others will go out on to the streets to claim their rights.

Some "fortunate" women will open their eyes to dress up and be pretty because "being pretty is a social obligation", and will be congratulated for being a woman and not for having succeeded in life.

A century after the International Women’s Day was officially set up; March 8 is far from being a party of achievements. Instead, it is a remembrance of what women longed for in terms of equality since then, and is still undone.

March 8 in Cuba

Amidst big economic and political tensions, popular unhappiness and a strong anti Machado feeling, the International Women´s Day was first celebrated in Cuba in 1931. The Revolutionary and fighter Rosario Guillaume (Charito), and Trade Union leader Panchita Batet, among others, delivered their speeches there.

Many of those female participants then founded the Federation of Cuban Women in 1960. They created a movement that according to Fidel "was a revolution within a Revolution." From 1959 on, March 8 is a national celebration

Taken from the web site(www.granma.co.cu/english/index.html)

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