Soviet Woman, 1946: 'The Position of Women and Children in the Colonial Countries'

=== [PDF page 1] === РЕОМ$ From an oil painting by Olga === [PDF page 2] === THE POSI TI ON OF WO M E N AND CHILDREN IN THE COLONIAL COUNTRIES By N I N A BONDAREVA HE INDIAN Communist news paper People's Age recently pub lished a letter from a peasant wom an, one Mina R oy Chaudhari, addressed to the Prime Minister of Bengal province. She invited the Prime Minister to visit the village she lived in, describing what he would see in the following words: “First and foremost you will see middleaged, unemployed women holding their hungry children. They swell the ranks of those who die on the pavements of Calcutta. Their children die for want of m ilk, while those of them who are still alive, have lost all semblance of human beings. Many of the village folk die of cholera. “‘D on ’t be surprised if you see corpses in the gutters covered with leaves, or simply with paper. Where, are these dead folk to get the clothing they lacked while they were alive? I f you should visit our home, be so kind as to let us know in advance. My husband is a schoolteacher. But his pupils receive their lessons in our home. They have no clothes, and their teacher has nothing, to wear but a loincloth. We only have one clhoty which we put on when we go ou t__ There’s never any coal in the house—coal is something we simply can’t afford." “ W ill our miseries, Sir, never come to an end? When w ill we be able to supply our husbands and sons with a decent meal? And when will the landless peasants have land of their ow n?...” What can one add to this letter? Three-quarters o f the entire popula tion o f the British Empire live in India. The capitalists of England draw huge profits from that country, which is a tre mendous source of raw materials. It is a colony of boundless riches. Of the four hundred millions o f India’s population, nearly 70% are engaged in agriculture. But they eke out a most meagre existence. Every year millions of people go hungry in this land of boundless riches. During the war years three and a half m illion people died of starvation in Bengal alone. The peasants of India drag out an existence of never-ending poverty. A ll the fruits of their labours go to the landlords and moneylenders. Unpaid debts, that grow like the proverbial snowball, are handed down from father to son. In India British imperialism artificially maintains the remnants of feudalism. It draws its support from the most re actionary sections of the landlords and na tive princes, incites national and re ligious strife, and ruins the economic life of the country. In a society based on oppression and exploitation, the weakest— the women and children—always get the worst of the bargain. Labour Woman the journal of the B rit ish Labour Party women’s section, car ried an article by a woman member o f the Indian trade union movement. Describing the conditions of the women of India, it declared that you will find women in the numerous villages and towns of India still living under feudal con ditions. Modern technique and advanced thought have not yet affected them. In the countryside the women live in per manent subjection to the landowners, moneylenders, village priests and other representatives of the medieval system. Food, the provision ofsh elter for the fam ily, and the payment of intolerable debts— such are the problems that always occupy the minds of our women, writes the author of the article, and adds that the ruling forces in India do everything they ca n to stifle the voice of progress, so as to prevent it being heard either by the people of India, or by their friends beyond its borders. The women of India have no property rights. The number of women beggars would make up the population of a small European state. Women employed in tex tile factories (where the pay is higher than in certain other industries) receive only two-thirds of the starvation wages of the male worker. Fear of starvation drives the peasants from their miserable reed huts to the towns in search of employment. But in the towns, too, they seldom have adequate shelter and live almost on the brink of starvation. They increase the number of paupers. Worn-down by hunger, the popu lation is unable to resist disease and epi demics rage throughout the land. In dia’s death-rate is among the highest in the world. The average life-period of the Indian is 24 years. The annual deathrate among children is from two and a h alf to three times higher than in England. In Bombay of every thousand newlyborn babes 550 die before reaching the age of one year. Child labour, beginning with children of five and six, is extensively employed in industry, and on the tobacco, rubber and sugar plantations. In the whole of this enormous country there are only 600 maternity homes and other institu tions catering for mother and child. Only one-fifth of the children under 12 attend school. Eighty-five per cent of the popu lation are illiterate. These photographs were taken in Algiers in 1946. They provide graphic testimony of the extent of the poverty and exhaustion of the native population o f the colonies. Worst of all is the effect o f starva tion on the children. === [PDF page 3] === The British*journal, Great Britain and the East, reports that no more than 2% of India’s women can read and write. Of 85 million women in India over the ago of 20, only 4J/ 2 millions, belonging almost exclusively to the propertied classes, have the right to vote, and even this right depends on the property and edu cational qualifications of their husbands. Such are the fruits of the “ civilising” mission of British imperialists in India. It is, however, becoming increasingly difficult for them to keep the people of India under the yoke of colonial oppres sion. The national-liberation movement gathers strength with every passing day and India’s women are awakening to action. Even the backward peasant women are becoming organised. A national centre of the women’s movement has been estab lished with only a small membership as yet (its largest affiliate has 25,000 mem bers). Women take part in strikes, they fight against antiquated legislation, and are doing a great deal to help the hungry. The day is not far distant when the many millions of India’s women will play an active part in the struggle to liberate their native land from the imperialist and feudal yoke. Formally Egypt is an independent state, but actually it is under the heel of British imperialism. The entire economic life of the country is of a colonial character. The enslaved population live on the verge of starvation. Wages are hardly sufficient for the maintenance of a meagre standard of living and for the payment of rent for dwellings that are devoid of the most elementary sanitary facilities. Eighty per cent of the popula tion are illiterate; the younger generation is denied the right to free education. The womenfolk in particular are oppressed.They are exploited even more ruth lessly than the men, and receive much low er wages. Women are utterly barred from political life. Questions of marriage, d i vorce and inheritance are settled by the old law of the Koran. A ll rights in the family belong to the male: he can dissolve the marriago without the consent of his wife, he has the right to a twofold share of the inheritance, etc. The daughter is entirely dependent on the father, the wife on the husband. In universities girls consti tute only a twentieth part of the total number of students. Students play an important part in the women’s movement of Egypt. A conference of women students was hold in. the spring. The delegates, girls from uni versities and secondary schools ex pressed their confidence that before long they would have the support of all work ing women in town and country. A rep resentative of the women of Sudan speak ing at the conference said: “ The wom en of Sudan languishing under the yoke of imperialism are eager to work for their country’s liberation.” The democratic movement in Egypt has, however, to overcome considerable diffi culties. Fascist elements on the pay-roll of the imperialists are extremely active. They employ nationalistic and religious demagogy in the endeavour to divert the attention of the masses from the real causes of their evil fate. This explains to a considerable degree the failures and vacillations of Egyptian democracy in the efforts being made to close the ranks against the common foe—British impe rialism. This also explains the offensivenow launched against democracy by AngloEgyptian reaction, under the guise of combating the communist menace. According to recent reports, the Egyp tian police have closed down the demo cratic women’s organisations, the League o f University Women, and the “ Working Women’s League,” and arrested their leaders. But this onslaught of reaction will be unable to hold up the advance of the democratic movement, whose aim is to transform Egypt into a free and inde pendent country. “These mildest-mannered people in the world live on islands that encircle the equator like a garland of emeralds.” Thus wrote a Dutch poet of the Indonesians and their country. This idyllic picture corresponds but slightly to the real state of affairs in In donesia. For many months guns have roared and rivers of blood have flowed on the islands of Java, Sumatra, and Cele bes. For hundreds o f years, the capitalists of Holland have exploited these flourish ing islands, stripped of natural riches a country that is 53 times as large as H o ll and, and has a population 12 times as large. Oil, rubber, tin, iron, coal, bauxite, cop per, gold and silver, mined in Indonesia have enriched Dutch, British and Amer ican bankers, while the 70 millions of Indonesia’s population have dragged out a life of poverty and subjection. Now, after having cast off the yoke of the Japanese forces of occupation and having proclaimed their country to be an independent, democratic republic, the Indonesians have been compelled to resort to arms and engage in sanguinary battles in order to uphold their independ ence. W ith the aid of British troops the Dutch have succeeded in restoring their colonial domination over a number of islands. The most important parts of the country, however, are under republican control. And even in the areas where the Dutch regard themselves masters of the situation they are compelled to wage continuous warfare against the local population, who hate them. The island of Celebes was captured by the Dutch with the aid of Australian troops. The Dutch assert that the local population fu lly support them and do not wish to have anything to do with the Republicans. Recently an American journal, Asia and the Americas, published an article about the real state of affairs on the island. The journal declares that the entire popu lation of the regency of Polombangkang has settled in the jungle, and has em barked on partisan warfare against the Dutch troops. When the Dutch came to restore order, they found the houses empty. Polombangkang is 80 miles to the south of the town of Makassar, which is in Dutch hands. Another revolt broke out to the north of Makassar, in Ekrekang. The Pemudi (Indonesian youth) ambushed the Dutch and wiped out a small unit. When troops arrived in Ekrekang, all they found there was the Rajah and his fam ily. Palopo is a town on the northern ex tremity of the gulf of Bone. Dutch troops fired on the R ajah’s residence. The entire 54 population of the town, headed by the Rajah, wont off to the hills. Palopo was reduced to ruins. Indonesian patriots blew up bridges and severed communica tions between Palopo and other areas, so as to prevent the Dutch from receiving rein forcements. Thus, in three parts of South Celebes, the people have taken to the jungle rather than submit to Dutch rule. Indonesian officials who collaborate with the Dutch are in constant danger of their lives, for the patriots give traitors no quarter. From Bandermazin, a town with a population of 60,000, in the southern part of the isle of Borneo, comes the news of a huge demonstration headed by women. Thousands of people, bearing flags and banners, marched through the streets, voicing their protest against the restora tion of Dutch rule. The women of Indonesia regard as their very own cause the defence of the repub lic that has given them freedom and equality. One of the members of the repub lican government, the minister of so cial welfare, is a woman. Women have set up a committee to collect gold, sil ver, platinum and other valuables, so as to enable the republic to issue the cur rency necessary to carry on foreign trade. The reforms introduced by the republican authorities meet with wholehearted sup port. The women’s movement is constantly gaining strength. A congress of Indonesian women was held in Madiuna, attended by delegates of 14 leading national women’s organisa tions. It set up a federative body embrac ing all the women’s organisations in In donesia. One of the prominent leaders of the wom en’s organisations of Indonesia is Madam Hatta, the wife of the vice-president of the republic. An appeal by her addressed to the wom en of Holland was published in the dem ocratic press, at the end of September. She wrote: “The Dutch imperialists wish to make our independent country a colony once more. Fresh contingents of foreign troops are continually being landed on our islands. On behalf of millions of In donesian mothers I appeal to all the wom en of the world, and to the women of Holland in particular, to fight the capi talists who are trying to crush our people. Demand an end to the despatch of foreign troops to Indonesia, strengthen the bonds of fraternity and friendship between the peoples o f the w orld.” ■ The fate of the people of Indonesia is a source of concern to world democratic public opinion. Thousands of men and women in Amsterdam and other Dutch towns took part in strikes and demonstra tions of protest against the despatch of troops to Indonesia. Nearly a hundred years ago Indo-China fe ll victim to the policy of colonial ex pansion practised by French imperialism. Ever since then the peoples of IndoChina have been subjected to a regime of occupation and of police terror. In W orld War II, Indo-Chinese patriots fought courageously against the Japanese. Not only men, but women, too, took part in the guerilla movement, fighting in the ranks o f the Army o f National L ib eration. === [PDF page 4] === Events of historic importance took place in Indo-China in August 1945. The na tional colours— a yellow star on a red back* ground— were hoisted over the govern* ment buildings at Hanoi. “Independence or Death” — such were the words inscribed on placards posted in all the streets of the capital of Annam. These posters announced the overthrow of the Japanese yoke, the abdication of the emperor of Annam, and the establishment of the independent democratic republic of Viet-Nam. The declaration issued by the provisional government contained the following words: “ Our people have brok en the chains that bound them for a cen tury, and have again achieved independ ence. They have destroyed the monar chical regime and have set up a re p u blic.” The women of Indo-China have contrib uted in no small share to building up the young republic. Women are members of the government and o f parliament. Thousands o f women are helping to restore the country’s towns and villages destroyed by the war. Women are active in the fight to wipe out hunger and ignorance. The wom en’s democratic movement of Yiet-Nam is led by the “ People’s Wea” association, which has a membership of 762,000. The Association is now affiliated to the International Democratic W omen’s Fed eration. The grim experience of the war has has tened the growth of national consciousness among all colonial peoples. They have no desire to remain under imperialist rule: they wish to be masters of their own countries and of their future. The peoples of the colonial and depend ent countries, having made an important contribution to the common cause of victory over Hitler Germany and impe rialist Japan, quite rightly demand that the principles of democracy and independ ence, proclaimed in the Atlantic Char ter and in the declaration of the United Nations, should be carried into effect. They demand elementary democratic lib erties and the conditions necessary for economic and cultural development. At the July session of the Executive Committee of the International Democratci Women’s Federation, Madame Handoo, representative of the women of India, and Mrs. Mason, member of the U.S.A. Con gress of Negro Women, raised the question of the conditions of women and children in the colonies. The Executive Committee decided to set up two commissions: one of them to be sent to the colonies of Africa, and the other to the colonial countries of the Pacific, to make a survey of the conditions of women and children. Democratic minded women everywhere heartily sympathise with the women of the colonies in their struggle for the in dependence and democratic future of their countries, for the introduction of such social and labour legislation as will defend the rights of women workers, for the es tablishment of a widespread system of mother and child protection, for the pro hibition of child labour and for all-round political, economic and social equality as an unalienable condition of democ racy. A L B A N I A ’ S W O M E N MAP T H E I R C O U N T R Y ’S FUTURE IM PRESSIONS OF THE SECO N D C O N G R E SS OF ALBANIAN WOMEN OLGA KHVALEBNOVA IRANA, the capital of Albania, a city all but lost in olive groves, was festively decorated when we arrived as guests to the Second Congress of Albanian women. Delegates had arrived from all parts of the country. There were 420 o f them; over one-half were peasant women, about one-quarter were housewives, 80 were schoolteachers and only 12 were workers. These figures are a true reflection of Albania’s state o f eco nomic development. The congress was a very important event in the life of the country, with the Prime Minister, General Enver Hoia, and his deputy, General Kochi Dzadze, attending as guests of honour. Foreign fraternal dele gations included women from the U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, the Julian March and also fraternal dele gates representing Albanian women in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Rumania. The Soviet delegation w£ts greeted by a storm of applause when it mounted the platform to present the Albanian women with an embroidered portrait of J. V. Stalin, We learned a great ' deal from the speeches of the delegates, most of whom were peasant women, housewives and country schoolteachers. We learned what tremendous efforts Albanian women had made in the war against the fascists, and of their progress in building a new and free Albania. The courageous people of this small, rugged mountain country has indeed made an important contribution to the victory of the United Nations. Over the course of five years the Albanian people waged an unrelenting partisan war against the Ital ian and German invaders. Over 1,700 attacks were made on the enemy whose losses amounted to 55,000 killed, wounded and taken prisoner. The partisans also accounted for thousands of German and Italian lorries, machine guns, field-pieces and other military equipment. Women took an active part in their heroic struggle. They helped the partisans, concealed them from the Nazis and kept them supplied with food and clothing. The women of Tirana, for example, in the face of indescribable terror gave shelter to over 800 partisans though this meant risking their own lives. Margaret Tulani and Sheinazi Juka head the long list of women patriots who were tortured death by the fascist occupation forces. The highly responsible and equally dan gerous job of maintaining constant contact with the partisans fell almost entirely to the women. Enemy patrols on all the highways searched and arrested everyone who aroused the least suspicion. The young people were particularly per secuted, but whenever a girl fighter was killed her place was immediately taken by an older woman. Albanian women organised demonstra tions of protest and sabotaged Nazi laws. In February 1942 some 600 girl students of Tirana marched through the streets carrying placards with the words: “Down with fascism, down with the Italian op pressors!” boldly inscribed on them. The police were powerless, they could not pre vent this demonstration which lasted sev eral hours. A similar demonstration took place in September 1943 in the town of Korchi. The Germans fired on the demon strators and 57 women were killed. The battle for liberty and their people’s future helped the women of Albania over come their age-old isolation from public life. Their war experiences gave them con fidence in their own strength and ability and encouraged them to take an active part in civic life. Only a few years ago local custom pre vented Albanian women from taking part in public life, and the country’s laws de nied them the franchise. The new constitu tion grants women absolute equality with men. In the recent elections which resulted in a brilliant victory for the Democratic Front, six women were elected to the National Assembly. Women candidates, among them such outstanding champions of Albania’s independence as Olga Plumbja.and Lyria Gegha,were at the top of the poll. The war played havoc with little Albiania. The fascist invaders destroyed entire cities and burned down hundreds of v il lages. Albania’s women, however, are determined that their country shall be built up again. Their every effort is direct ed at promoting its well-being and they are playing no small part in carrying out the plans and reforms introduced by the government * We travelled extensively through the country and were able to see with what determination women were giving their volunteer labour on Sundays to the con struction o f canals and roads. In the course of four months preceding the comgress 165,000 women took part in rehabili tation work and volunteered three million hours of labour. They helped repair thou sands of buildings and brought many thou sands of hectares back to cultivation. Both the government and the women’s organisations are doing everything in their power to help the women make fu ll use of their newly-won rights. The president of the Albanian W omen’s League, Madame Nedjimie Hoja, delivered an interesting report at the congress on the role of the women’s organisations in the solution of social problems. From her re port we learned that the League has a membership of over 200,000. In the most difficult days the Albanian Government opened dining-rooms and food kitchens which catered to hundreds of thousands of people. The women took on the job of or ganising and serving these food kitchens..