The Women of Asia and Africa: Documents, Report of the Commission (WIDF, Budapest, December 1948)

=== [PDF page 1] === THE WOMEN OF ASIA AND AFRICA DOCUMENTS BUDAPEST, DECEMBER, 1948 === [PDF page 2] === HAROLD REPORT OF THE COMMISSION OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION WHICH VISITED THE COUNTRIES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND ADDITIONS PRESENTED IN THE COURSE OF THE DISCUSSION OF THIS REPORT BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE CONFERENCE OF — THE WOMEN OF ASIA AT BUDAPEST, NOVEMBER 23RD TO DECEMBER 2ND, 1948 (SECOND WORLD CONGRESS OF WOMEN FOR PEACE) B. LEE LIBRA e BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY VO, UTAH === [PDF page 3] === HERE ARE THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS BOOK BANERJEA GITA (India) BAZANOVA NATELLA (Kazakhstan) BERTRAND SIMONE (France) BOSE TARUNA 3 (India) BRANDT ZELMA (U S A) CHANG CHING CHIN (China) CHAUDHURY (India) DACHIMA SANJA (24ongolia) FIGHET SHEHU (Albania) FIROUZ MIRIAM (Iran) GOTTLIEB DOROTHY (USA) HOXHA NEXHMIJE (Albania) JOKTOMAMBETOVA KOULIPA (Kirguisia) TSCHO-ENE (North Korea) KIM HON-EK; (North Korea) LEE WEN I. (China) LIEN THI-THATI (Viet-N m) LU TSUI (China) MAKAROVA MARIA (USSR) MOROSOVA TAMARA (USSR) NANDY ASHIMA (India) OUDVAL SONCMINE (Mongolia) SENE-VONE-IP (South Korea) YOU-ENE-DUNE (South Korea) WU CHING (China) === [PDF page 4] === THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER Adopted on June 26, 1945 at SAN-FRANCISCO, by the United Nations Conference on International Organisation WE, THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS, DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and value of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and. of nations, large and small to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained and to promote social progress and better standards of life in large freedom, HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace, { DECLARATION REGARDING NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES Article 73 Members of the United Nations which have or assume responsibilities for the administration of territories whose peoples have not yet attained a full measure of self-government recognise the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount, and accept as a sacred trust the === [PDF page 5] === obligation to promote to the utmost, within the system of international peace and security established by the present Charter, the well-being of the inhabitants of these territories, and to this end: es, a) To ensure, with due respect for the culture of the peoples concerned, their political, economic, social and educational advancement, their just treatment and their protection against abuses; 2 b) To develop self-government, to take due account of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions according to the particular circumstances of each territory and its peoples and their varying stages of advancement; c) To further international peace and security. IN FAITH WHEREOF, the representatives of the United Nations have signed the present Charter. DONE at the city of SAN-FRANCISCO the twenty-sixth day of. June, one thousand nine hundred and forty-five, HERE IS HOW THE COLONIALIST COUNTRIES RESPECT THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS WHICH THEY SIGNED === [PDF page 6] === THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE IN BUDAPEST AT WORK === [PDF page 7] === THIS IS WHAT WE SAW... THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION ON ITS VISIT TO THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL, 1948 The Secrejtariat of the Women’s International Democratic Federation was receiving many letters from the women of Asia asking for help in their struggle for the defense of the rights of women, and children. This is why the Fourth Session of the Executive Committee, meeting at Stockholm in September 1947, decided to send a special Commission to study the conditions of women and children in India, Burma, Malaya, Indonesia and Viet-Nam. The Commission was composed of representatives of national organizations belonging to the Federation: Mme. Simone Bertrand, member of the Assembly of the French Union, jUnion of French Women; Dr. Pat Miles, British WIDF Coordinating Committee; Mrs. Zelma Brandt, Congress of American Women; and Professor Tamara Morozova, Soviet Women’s Anti-Fascist Committee. A delegate of the women’s organizations of China was to have been included in the Commission, but she was refused the necessary visas, While in India, the Commission was joined by Mrs. Bacon, a delegate of the Australian Youth Federation to the International Conference of Asiatic Youth. In India, the Commission visited Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Luknow, Assan, and a number of Bengal villages. In Burma, the Commission was unfortunately unable to proceed according to plan because: of the critical situation there, and visited only Rangoon. In Malaya, they went to Singapore, Kaula, Lampoor, and other places, } The Commission was unable to visit more than ‘these three countries because France and Holland refused entrance visas for Viet-Nam ‘and Indonesia. “ === [PDF page 8] === The Inquiry Commission in Singapore Visiting towns and villages, jute, tobacco and textile factories, coal mines, tea and rubber plantations, the ‘Commission studied problems pertaining to the social, legal, and economic situation of women and children, They collected information on women workers’ and peasants’ wages and working conditions, their living conditions and those of their families. They paid special attention to the study of the problems of children, education, and public health, At the same time, the Commission was interested in the development of women’s movements, WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN INDIA The new national government in India has not improved working conditions. Until now, neither prices nor wages have been stabilized. In the main branches of industry there exist no statistics concerning wages. === [PDF page 9] === A representative* of the All-India Trade Union Congress, basing his figures on government data, told the Commission that considering the 1939 cost of living as 100, in 1945 it was 225, and in (1947 more than 300. But considering that these statistics are based on fixed prices, and that the worker buys mostly on the black market, one can say that the cost of living has actually increased four times, while wages have risen only 30 to 40 percent. When the Commission was in Calcutta, male workers in jute plants earned 10 annas daily, while women earned only eight. According |to data published in the Indian Labor Gazette on September 18 and November 10, 1947, the average wages of workers in other industries were as follows: - Male workers in the Indian Pottery Company at Neilor in Madras earn 12 iannas daily, women workers nine, boys eight, and girls six,:: Workers in the Kanpur Leather Company, United Provinces, earn four to five annas daily. Miners’ wages in Berar and Orissa are eight annas daily for men and six for women. To show how totally inadequate these wages are, here are the prices of the most important items of food: \ Rice, 10 annas per seer (about 800 grams) Lentils, 12 annas per seer Sugar, one rupee per seer Milk, one rupee per seer (about one liter), If the worker is married a quarter of his salary goes for rent. One scanty meal per day is all that his family can afford. This food consists of a bit of rice and a small portion of vegetable. At the beginning of 1948, the Government, working in the interest of large trading companies, abolished price control on rice, the major food of the workers. The All-India Trade Union Congress protested against the abolition of price controls and although this protest was supported by all the newspapers, the Government ignored it, This abolition of price controls caused an increase in prices which in turn caused further lowering of the workers’ living standard. The external appearance of the workers and their families is evidence of their semi-starvation, These people on the verge of complete physical collapse become fast victims of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is caused by extremely bad working conditions and * Here, as hroughout, in order to avoid reprisals on the part of the various gouvernments, the Commission does not consider it feasible to identify by name the persons with whom they have been in contact. === [PDF page 10] === systematic undernourishment. As a rule, the production norms at the plants are so high that in order to fulfill them the worker must work 12 to 13 hours a day. The Commission succeeded in visiting two jute factories, Despite the jfact that the premises of the plants had been “prepared” for their visit, the true state of the workers’ conditions could not The Matunga Camp in Bombay be hidden, Each of the two plants (one of them Indian and the other British consisted » of one enormous shop in which all operations, including the finishing processes, were done, Semi-darkness caused by jutie-dust and a poor lighting system pervaded the plant, and the heavy, dusty air made breathing difficult. There was no ventilation system and the hot air from the street crept in through the open doors. The only light in the plants is that which comes through these open doors, When the Commission made its inspection of the plant, they were accompanied by the administration and tha police. At the British plant, a chain of policemen were lined up alongside the path, while the 10 === [PDF page 11] === commission members walked down. This was done so that the visitors would have no opportunity of talking with the workers. These workers are not provided with any safety equipment, and they have no holidays. In the case of industrial accidents the workers receive very small, inadequate compensation, The largest ‘accident compensation paid out amounts to 70 rupees, for loss of the right hand; after that payment, the proprietors can no longer be held responsible for aid to the crippled worker. The administration does not combat occupational diseases such as tuberculosis, or skin disdases. According to the law, workers of certain industrial categories including the jute plants, are allowed a pension of 10 rupees after © working at ‘the same plant continuously for 35 years. But this law, is never observed, employers fire the worker just before the required term of service is completed, thus depriving him of a fpension, The working woman suffers even worse conditions than those of the man, Her labour, not only in the jute plants, but in other branches of industry as well, is used on the most difficult and underpaid jobs, and is considered by the administration not as principle labour but as secondary labour for which the pay can be added on the husband’s. A talk with a representative of the Railroad Workers’ Union, Mrs. Debrugara, informed us that women ars used on the railroads as car loaders. They have no benefits. In the case of absence from work due to pregnancy, they get no pay. The administration takes no interest in bettering the condition of women. According to the representative of the All-India Trade Union Congress, out of the 2,642,977 women in India who worked in industry in 1945 (these numbers do not include native states, ‘plantation workers, miners and railway workers), protective legislation covers only 273,244 persons, that is one-tenth. In those factories where they have to pay pregnancy compensation and give maternity leave, the administration breaks the law without punishment, and throws out pregnant women. If they begin to work in another factory they lose their right to In Intura (Madras), out of 4,528 women. working in factories protected by legislation, only from three to six of them get maternity benefits per year. Employement of children under 12 years of age is officially prohibited in the largest industrial factories. Actually no one heeds this law very much and child labourers fron, the age of seven to eight are widely hired by the employers. But the administration carefully covers up this situation. Statistics, covering === [PDF page 12] === the condition of child labour are not available for any branch of industry. In cigar factories 25 percent of the workers are children six to twelve years old. We saw eight year old girls working all day long in horrible slums with no fresh air coming in, for as little aa five annas, the price of two boxes of matches. In Matunga we saw children seven to eight years old, who told us that they cleaned sewer pipes. They were able to ‘get inside because they were small, A large number of children, mainly of peasant origin, to escape starvation, are forced to work as servants in hotels or for well-to-do families In December 1947, there was an article in the “Student”, one of the Bombay newspapers, which in our opinion describes very accurately.child labour conditions in India, The author, referring to the report of the Government Labour Commission, gives some data on the wide-spread use of child labour in carpet manufacture, textile, glass and match factories, in the cement and mica industries, in tea gardens, coffee and rubber plantations. It is very profitable for the employers to use child labour on a large scale. Children begin to work at five ears of age, According to official data 13,455 children work fin the mica industry, one-third of the total labour force. In the mica mines children work under extremely difficult conditions, They have to carry heavy mica plates from underground to the surface, using a steep wooden staircase, z One can easily imagine what great profits the employers make if we take into consideration the fact that children get one third of the adult wage for equal work, E In Calcutta, the Commission visited the worker’s quarters of Haour. On a little square, which can ba easily taken in at a glance, there lived 23,000 workers of a near-by jute factory. The workers’ houses are nothing but half-destroyed huts. The streets are no wider than one and a half meters, and along the streets there are canals full of dirt. Terrible filth and stench prevail everywhere. People live in door and windowless rooms lower than human height, Although the area of these places is no more than four to five square meters they are inhabited by Ifive to seven people. These workers’ homes have no household utensils, In the whole area there are only a few water pumps and they work only at intervals. From four to five AM a long queue gathers for water. There is a shortage of water, The workers have to use stagnant water, filled with waste, Illness and death in this region are proportionally great, There is not even one bath tub or lavatory for these 23,000 workers, 12 === [PDF page 13] === Indian family in the southern part of India === [PDF page 14] === The workers’ plea to the City Council for an improvement of the water supply and sanitation System went unheeded and brought no results. Crowds of workers followed the Commission along the streets of the settlement and whenever we stopped, they formed a thick wall round us, stretching out their bone-like hands with a bit of rice clenched in their fists, (the poorest type of rice) and explained that this was their only ifood. They said it was difficult to digest and it caused illness in both adults and children. They demanded help from the Commission. The most vivid imagination cannot describe the horrible and desparate situation of these people. This was not an isolated case; the entire locality, without exception, testified to the same profound misery. The incident described shocked and moved the members of the Commission, ‘The terrible tragedy of a colonial people was brought home to us bluntly, Women miners — India 145 === [PDF page 15] === We arrived in Calcutta late at night; the first thing to shock us [was the crowd of people without homes. Not far from our hotel, the Grand Hotel, the best in. the city, beggars and the homeless slept along the street against the walls. According to the official figures, 30 percent of the population of Calcutta lives in hovels. Workers’ dwellings consist of only one small room without windows, and often the door is so low that one must stoop to enter. Large numbers of people have not even this.: But such conditions do not exist in Calcutta alone. Facts on housing construction for 1946 which we find in the government report support the observations of the Commission. In Bombay, the proprietors put at the disposal of 150,000 workers with their family members only 4,000 rooms. Consequently, a large part of these workers live under the sky or in tents made by themselves. In the same report it is mentioned that an inquiry at Madour (Madras) showed that there were 2,600 rooms occupied respectively by 10 to fiften people. ~ One reads further on that in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Canpore, and many other cities, the situation has become intolerable,.with thousands of homeless people forced to live and sleep on sidewalks, under trees, in cowsheds or any temporary refuge. The government has provided no sanitary facilities. Not far from the center of Calcutta, piles of rotting garbage may be seen, and the absense of toilets infests the air and creates still more filth on the ground. In the province of Madras, only 6.6 percent of the population is furnished with drinkable water; in Bengal, 7.3 percent; in the United Provinces, 4.1 percent. Unsanitary living conditions among workers cause epidemics of plague, cholera and small pox. Low standards of living, bad working conditions, and continuous malnutrition bring about exhaustion and tuberculosis. The death rate is extremely high. It was stated in the Hindustan Times at the end of April 1948 that 250 to 280 people were dying daily from cholera in Calcutta. Plague took 50 to 80 daily. This is when these epidemics were only at ‘their beginnings. Medical service for workers hardly exists. Medical care is organized in very few plants and factories. Also municipal hospitals do not play a very large part in the health program. The Commission members were amazed at the ‘unsanitary conditions in a hospital they examined at one of the jute factories. It consisted of two rooms with six beds each. In order to hide the horror of the situation, the sick had been removed 15: === [PDF page 16] === in advance, and only two youngsters, ten-ito 12 years old, lay ‘dying in a discreet corner. According to representatives of the trade union, the medical staff is generally+rude to the sick workers who must wait long hours to see a doctor or a nurse. In most cases, the sick workers return to their work without receiving care, because they are deprived of their wages for time lost. At Bombay, the Commission visited Pavel Hospital, a: modern building. Here the sick lying on the ground told us that to be admitted it was necessary to pay a great deal. Thus the majority. ‘of the sick cannot benefit from medical care. According to incomplete but official figures (Government Public Health Report of 1946), the average life span for Indian men is 26 years, nine months; for women 25 years, five months. Forty percent of Indians die before they are 15 years old. England has a life span of 58 years; the United States (white population) 59 years; and New Zealand, 65 years. THE CONDITIONS OF TEA PLANTATION WORKERS On March 3, the Commission arrived in Gochati, the capital of Assam, in order to learni about the conditions of women and children who work on the tea plantations. In order to go then to Dobrugar, it was necessary to undertake a long journey by automobile, under difficult conditions, but we were able to see things which otherwise would have been hidden. On our trip we were accompanied by representatives of the trade unions and of the Kisan Sabbha organization in Assam.. There are more than 300 tea plantations in the Dobrugar region. The Commission visited the Barbara Tea Estate plantation which belongs to the Indian Joint Stock Company called Jalan Indus Tea. Eight hundred people, of, whom 600 are women and children, are employed oni the 500 acres of the plantation: Tihe data on the working conditions and the number of workers was given by the administrator who accompanied us and therefore may not be quite reliable. According to him, men’s wages are 10 annas daily, women’s wages eight annas daily, and children’s three or four. There is no wrest day. The plantation proprietors obtain food supplies from the government at fixed prices, and this food is used to exploit the workers, who are, in fact, veritable slaves. Instead of paying the workers, the proprietors give them nearstarvation food rations and a miserable shelter to live in. 16 === [PDF page 17] === An Indian woman worker named Indiamoura told us, with tears, how she and her ten children had to work on the plantation, but do not succeed to. earn eaqugh to satisfy their hunger even once a day. A worker who misses a day’s work loses his right to rations for a two week period. The workers have no money to buy cloth-~ ing. Children up to ‘ten years old are completely nude. Men wear only loincloths, and women cover their hips and breasts with pieces of cloth. We were told that since it was established that they did not pay their workers, they were obliged to furnish each of them with five yards of material yearly. Nevertheless, we saw »plantations where the workers had not received a piece of’ cloth for years. We saw the dwellings of the workers. We went inside them and saw that they were not worthy of the name “dwellings”. The roofs and the walls were full of holes, protecting the inhabitants neither from rain, heat, nor cold. In a corner on the floor was a utensil or two in which the workers cooked their rice, and from which they ate it. The whole family slept on the floor. Only a few workers had jute sacks which they used as beds. Fever rages on the plantations. The sick workers, feverish and exhausted, must continue to work or lose their food ration. The situation on this plantation was not the worst, according to the member of the administration and the trade union representatives. And we were convinced of the truth of this when we saw the neighboring plantation. This one belonged to the joint stock company, the British-Indian Company. At this plantation, covering an area of more than 700 acres, there were about 3,000 workers, mostly women and children. On this visit, the Commission was accompanied by a representative of the All-India Tea Industry Workers’ Union. Information about workers’ conditions on this plantation was given by the workers themselves. Here the exploitation was even greater than on the first plantation. According to the Report of the Indian Government's Labour Inquiry Commission, published in 1946, 120,000 children worked in the tea gardens of Assam and Bengal in 1943-44. Since woman labour is cheaper and therefore more profitable than that of men, the workers are mostly women and children who range from five to six years of age to older ones. Men are sent to other places to do the difficult work. For this reason the plantation workers have no stable family. Venereal diseases are very wide spread. Nobody bothers to try to cure them in any way. We saw a great number of children blind since birth as the result 2 ‘ 17 === [PDF page 18] === of their parents’ venereal diseases. The plantation workers are so worn out and exhausted, so ignorant and downtrodden that very frequently they know neither their own age nor that of their children, nor where they came from. There are many old women at plantations who have been working there all their lives since they were 6 or 8 years of age. When they become invalids the administration throws them. out. They are kept by the workers of the village. Most of them, feeble from hunger and disease, were lying inside their huts. They did mot move or turn their heads during the Commission’s visit. Two old women crept out to meet us, and they could hardly stand on their feet, shivering all over. They were completely naked. At the tea plantations, tuberculosis and the specific disease “Khukhyvorm” are raging. If a worker, sick with tuberculosis, forms an open cavern and secretes blood, he may stay away from his work for not longer than three days. After that he must come back to work even if the bleeding continues. All the other illnesses, regardless of how serious they may ba, are not taken into consideration. The worker, under any circumstances, must come to work or he is deprived of his two weeks’ ration. The pregnant woman has no privileges. After confinement while she is still ill, she comes back to work.; Most of the workers hava pronounced cases of distrophy. The workmen and working women who had this disease showed how white their eyelids were. They were as white as paper. While the Commission visited the plantation and dwellings of the workers, a large crowd gathered around them and a meeting took place on the spot that was attended by more than 500 persons. It was not known how the trade union representative introduced the Commission, but after his speech the workers came out to the centre of the circle, beat their hollow chests and protruding ribs with their fists, and tears streamed from their fading eyes. They complained of their miserable fate and begged the Commission for help. PEASANT CONDITIONS About 80 percent of India’s population work, in agriculture. The main agricultural system of India is that of large landed estates, with a few small exceptions in some regions, where there is an intermediate layer of peasant farmers. There are three categories of farmers: 1, Permanent renters who achieved such a position due to the traditional right to own a fixed piece of land for a long time; 18 === [PDF page 19] === 2, Temporary renters, who have no right to the land on which they work and can be put off the land any time. 3. Agricultural workers with no property at all who get money or commodities for their work. The first two categories of peasants cultivate the land for the landowners at their own expense and give the landowners a fixed quantity of the crop. In Bengal, for example, the landowners usually get about one-half to two-thirds of the entire harvest. As a result of this system, peasants loose their own land. From 40-50%! of the peasants have no land at all, depending on the province they live in. In Bengal for example, 47% of the peasants have no land. According to stiatisties published in ‘he November 1947 issue of the newspaper “Indian Labour Gazette”, the wages of agricultural workers in Madras were the following: Men get paid for work in kind, 9—12 annas worth and women 6—9 annas. Peasants have nothing in addition to that. In the village Rojapur and Calpur, which were visited by the Commission, and where the population is three thousand (composed of 500 families) only 40%! of the peasants have their own land (maximum 1 acre). The greatist' part of the peasant land owners are in possession of half an acre and less. The other 60%\ of the population have no‘ land of their own. Both peasants who own land and those who have none, depend entirely on the landlords. Peasants try to help themselves by renting 2 or 3 acres of land, for which they pay 15 to 20 rupees per acre and give out fo landlords a part of the crop, Only 5% of the peasants have cattle. Cows are used as plough animals, The remaining 95%, who have no cattle hire them and pay for plough animals from 2—3 rupees per day. The “cost of cultivation of one acre of land is 180 rupees. The cultivation is done very primitively. They cultivate only the worst kinds of rice, called “paddy”. The crop is usually very poor. One acre yields only 18 mannds (one mannd is 80 pounds) anually. ‘a Peasants live under miserable } conditions. Right ofter the harvest, when they have this paddy they eat twice a day. But if they have no paddy, which is the case for a considerable part of the year, they eat once every two days, They have neither essential implements nor utensils. They look ‘like beggars. They receive no medical aid. Until last year peasants of these villages worked the land in return for half of the harvest. In 1947 they organized mass movements that spread all over the Khaura a 19 === [PDF page 20] === region, The peasants refused to pay rent according to the system previously existing. They succeeded in their struggle. At present the peasants give the landlords one-third of the crop. ' Because the national government did not pass laws to limit exploitation by the landlords, the peasants were forced to strengthen their fight against them. They stopped paying rents and giving them: part of the paddy, Last February the'Government of Assam passed a new law legalising eviction of'all peasants not paying rent to the landlords. EDUCATION IN INDIA Our commission could not find any statisfactory statistics on education. The only official document on this subject is the so-called Sargent report of 1944, the fifth edition of which was issued at the end of 1947, But even in this document no figures can be found for the number of schools and pupils in the different provinces. The schools can be classified as follows: elementary schools, where childern from six to eight years old are taught, middle schools for children from 11 to 14 and secondary schools for those between 14 and 17, The majority of children do not get even elementary education. ‘The other two categories of schools ara attended by a small group of children, coming from the middle and upper classes. Elementary education is free in only very few districts, The schools on the tea-plantations in Assam visited by the Commission were, in theory, free, but actually there were neither teachers nor pupils in these schools, because children under school-age were forced to work. In Bombay there are free elementary schools, but the parents’ wages are so miserably low, that they are quite unable to buy text-books for the children. In Bengal, people have to pay for elementary education, Education in the elementary schools costs from 8 annas to 12, and between 2 and 6 rupees in the middle-schools. In the villages of Rojapur and Calpur in Bengal, out of one thousand children of school age only fifty went to school, that is only 5%, In another village called Domjur we were shown a typical elementary school, under the sky. During their lessons children and teacher sat on the earth, copybooks and books on their knees. Only 44 children were taught there and were divided into four groups, although there were about one thousand children of school-age in the village. One teacher teaches all four groups and he gets ten rupees per month contributed by the children as a 20 === [PDF page 21] === salary. Much the same system was found in the other villages visited by the Commission. In India, the children of peasant or worker families who do not work are rare exceptions, and this is the reason why the number of children attending schools. is insignificant. The government figures on obligatory schooling in different regions of the country can by no means be considered accurate in view of the fact that there is no precise system for registering school children, According to the 1941 and 1942 data, the minimum expense for each primary school amounted to 172.6 rupees, of which 134.5 is provided by private sources and 38.1 by public sources. For each pupil 2.2 rupees is spent annually, a completely insignificant sum. The figures on the level of education of women are shocking testimony to tthe state of ignorance in which the British kept the country. According to the figures furnished by the Teachers’ Association of Bengal, only 0.0015 percent of women had completed secondary schooling. (Bengal comprises 60,000,000 inhabitants.) At Hyderabad also only one percent of women are educated. Of the entire literate population of India, only 10 percent are women,; Thus as a result of British rule, 85% of the-people of India is illiterate. The representatives of the Bengal Teachers Association gave the members of the Commission some data on material conditions of the teachers. The average salary of a teacher in the government elementary schools is 15 rupees per month but in village private schools frequently no more than 10 rupees... Often teachers do not get even the fixed salary. Considerable sums are deducted from their salaries as “donations” to the school, Teachers in the villages and little towns have frequently to entertain government employers, which is a great drain on the teachers’ budget. More than 15 percent of the teachers are heavily in debt. Lately discrimination against married women teachers has become more severe. The number of women teachers decreases every year. In some schools they were turned out immediately after their marriage. If they still continue to teach, they do not receive any material help during pregnancy. Among the members of the Bengal Teachers ‘Association’ there are only 1700 women, that is 10% of the total membership of ‘the Association.. At the beginning of 1948 nearly everywhere there took place strikes and conferences of teachers who demanded the increase in salaries. 21 === [PDF page 22] === There ate ho State créches of kindergartens for workers! children in India and no steps to set up such institutions are being taken. There lare some orphanages which struggle on miserably because of the lack of material support. The Commission has seen the best children’s creches in two jute factories in Calcutta. What are they like? On the factory ground there is a little unfenced cottage. Thirty-eight children were sitting or sleeping on the cement floor in a little miserable room, without furniture. They were left quite jalone. Conditions at the factory of another English company were q) ite similar. There were about 100 children in the creche. There as well asin other ereches visited by the commission we could see thatjthe children were terribly weak. Many of them suffered from malnutrition. Children of one or one a half years old were unable to hold up their heads from weakness. There is no special diet or nursing for such children. The daily ration for children which does not depend on their age or health is no more than a small cup of coffee and one little bun,; {The commission could not get any information on the budgets of these intitutions since the administrative department, avoiding a direct answer, told us that money is usually allocated “according to need”,: The Commission was able to visit some charitable intitutions for children founded by the All-India Women’s Conference. We had the opportunity of visiting an orphanage (Hindu Abala Ashram). This is a very unusual kind of institution where prostitues, abandoned wives and orphans are taken. There are 250 people in this institute, of which 180 are orphans. | The orphanage is in a most unsuitable building. Women live in roofless barracks. Three to four children sleep in one bed, and jas many under each bed. There is only one sick ward, where children lie in the same room with women in child-bed. ' Women are engaged in sewing and knitting. Children learn reading, writing and practical subjects. {The administration has only 25 rupees to spend each day for food for the whole institution, a sum which normally provides for only five people. The daily ration consists of a very small portion of rice, tea, and vegetables. We were told that owing to continuous undernourishment both children and adults are unable to study or work. The government gives no aid. Charitable donations and the selling of fancy work by women are not sufficient. Teachers work without pay and try to help everyone as best they can, but under these circumstances their work leads to no result, Now they themselves are beginning to doubt whether they can possibly carry on without help from the government. 22 === [PDF page 23] === ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN IN INDIA During. the visit to India, the Commission found several women’s organizations. The, nation-wide organization was the All-India Women’s Conference, created 20 years ago, Its work is based on the establishment of charitable institutions ‘for women and children, In principle, this organization encompasses all the Indian Provinces and has 42,000 members. In reality, however, as the Commission discovered after becoming acquainted with the work of the local organizations, the majority of its branches and members exist only on paper. Only the Bengal and Bombay sections work effectively. Tha activity of these is due to left wing intellectual elements. The All-India Women’s Conference;has worked, and continues to work, under the direction of the National Congress Party. Its fleaders are: Sarojini Naidu, member of Congress, the governor of the United Provinces; Kamladevi, member of the Socialist Party; Renuka Roy, member of Congress, member of the National Assembly; and Anusiabiai Kali, elected president of the organization at the Twentieth Conference of the All-India Women’s Conference in December 1947. A clean example of the differences existing in the Congress of India is found in the situation arising from the question of tha affiliation of the organization to the Women’s International Democratic Federation, Members of the organization openly declare themselves in favor of cooperation with the WIDF. In Calcutta, the Commission met with a considerable number of affiliated groups (women’s clubs, educational and medical groups). They were unanimously in favor of affiliation to the WIDF, and also of taking an active part in the Conference of the Women of Asia. In Delhi and Assam, contact with members of the Conference of Indian Women convinced us of an equal desire to cooperate with the WIDF. A positive attitude towards working with the WIDF and taking part in the Conference of the Women of Asia was also expressed by the president of the Muslim organization, Muslim Mochita Samity”. The leadreship of the All-India Women’s Conference has adopted an entirely different attitude. The leaders are opposed to cooperation with the WIDF and is opposed to participation is the Conference of the Women of Asia. The attitude of Sarojini Naidu on tthis subject merits particular mention. She is one of the leaders of the All-India Women’s Conference and holds an important post in the Government. 23 === [PDF page 24] === Demonstration in Calcutta against the attacks of the fascists during the spo. JDuUNWIWOD 24 === [PDF page 25] === During the Commission’s stay at Laknow, Sarojin Naidu, in frank statements completely unveiled her views which are completely incompatible with the interests of the progressive women’s movement. She declared the following to the members of the Commission: “At the present time I see no necessity for the functioning of women’s organizations. Every dream and every desire of the women of India has been realized. Every individual must rely upon herself to attain her ends. One needn’t look far for an example: I, for example, have become the Governor of a large province.” j Sarojini Naidu does not consider cooperation possible between the All-India Women’s Conference,and the WIDF. It became increasingly clear to us that the fate of the All-India Women’s Conference depends entirely on the attitude which will de adopted by its left wing. It is the most active and industrious in its work. As to the leaders of the All-India Women’s Conference and the bourgeois-aristocratic section, we can say that, they, supported by the government, firmly cling to their positions and will not agree to any democratization of the organization. A Women’s Defense League was formed in Bengal is 1943. (Mahila Atma Raksha Samity.) The main aim of this organization is to improve the material conditions of the women and children. and their education. Members of the organization play an active part in the peasants’ struggle against the landords and for a reduction in the price of land. At first the organization consisted of over 40 thousand members, but gradually the work of the organisation grew weaker and now it actually consists of only some 20 thousand. The president of this organisation is Mrs. Rani Makalanobis. During the war in Madras a women’s provincial Andra organization was formed (Andra Rashtra Mahila Samity), which consisted of 25 thousand members, mostly peasant women. Their main ‘slogans were: Fight against fascism, against speculation, and against hunger. After the war, this organization took an active part in the struggle against landlordism and tried to improve the material conditions of the working women. They also tried to have existing legislation enforced. Their tasks also included the building of libraries, reading-rooms and women’s clubs. Due to its influence, this organization includes women of 250 villages from seven large regions. The president is:Mrs Achatamba. 25 === [PDF page 26] === _ Mrs Achatamba, in the name of this organization, expressed a desire to join the Women’s International Democratic Federation. But no written application has been received because the leadership of the organization was arrested in April 1948, during one of their conferences in Madras. There are also small progressive women’s organizations in other Indian cities, The democratic women’s organization in Bengal — The Women's League of Self Defense — has applied to the commission for affiliation to the Women’s International Democratic Federation, This organization also sent a written invitation to the Women’s’ International Democratic Federation to hold the Conference of Women of Asia in Calcutta. INDIA TODAY British colonisers have been exploiting India for two centuries. Hundreds of millions of men women and children are beggars: they have been reduced to the position of slaves, despite the fact that their country is very rich, in cotton, rice and raw materials. At the time when the majority of people in India are deprived of even a handful of rice for dinner and a piece of cloth to cover their nakedness, British ships are exporting cotton and rice from the country. The capitalists have captured all the riches and used them for their own profits. They do not care at all for the development of the country, irrigation system or industrialisation. One half of the land of India is not being cultivated because the irrigation system jis not sufficintly developed. Big financiers of India and feudal landlords have succeeded in coming to an agreement with the {foreign colonisers, and preserving their own privileges. Together they oppress the people. The granting of the dominion status has not changed the situation, British imperialism which can no longer rule with the help of the old methods, has been triyng tofind new ways of deceiving the people. With this aim in view, contrary to the peoples interests it has artificially divided the country into two states: Pakistan and Indian Union. As a result of the uprising in Punjab, 800,000 people were killed and 80,000 women disappeared. They were abducted. British jmperialism gives support to bandits, who rob and kill, so that the population never feels safe. In spite of all this, the democratic movement is developing. The All-India Trade Union Congress has one million members. Numerous strikes take placa in which the workers set out their demands. Work is frequently stopped as a sign of protest against 26 === [PDF page 27] === atrests. At the present tinie, a law, the so-called “black law”, has been issued which deprives workers of their right to strike. This, however, does not make one forget that in 1946, 2,000,000 workers ‘went on strike and that in the period from January to October 1947 the same number of workers took part jin 1,782 strikes. In the villages, peasants’ leagues have millions of peasants under their influence. They often fight with arms in hand. For instance, in the native state of Hyderabad, peasants from 1,500 villages elected people’s committees and distributed the land among themselves. Commission members witnessed outrageous actions of the government towards women. In April 1948 women struggling against repressions were tear-gassed, and 77 women were arrested, the president of the Provincial Women’s Organisation among them. Despite the repressions of the Government we were sure that Indian women will continue to struggle for a better life and for their national independence. THE COMMISSION’S VISIT’ TO BURMA. In Burma, the Commission spent only a few days. A longer visit proved impossible since the situation was not favorable to the further work of the commission. Our Commission was openly and thorougly spied upon and followed. The government emplovees continually emphasized their hostile attituda towards our commission. During our stay in Rangoon 12,000 workers in the oil industry were on strike. They demanded a rise in jwages, reduction of working hours and the nationalisation of big industrial enterprises. The strikers were supported by a section of white-collar workers. Demonstrations and meetings were planned for Sunday, March 27. In the evening of the 26th we witinesssed the preparations of the police. At dawn the police placed its guards and prevented the workers from proceeding to their meeting place. Armed conflicts with the police took place. Both the mass demonstration and the meeting were in effect prevented since the police shot at unarmed workers. On the 28th and 29th there was mass repression and arrests of the leaders of the worker’s movement, and those who had taken part in the demonstration. Despite the unfavourable situation and the obstacles put in our way, the Commission nevertheless succeeded in establishing contact with the All-Burma Women’s Congress. The All-Burma Women’s Congress is a democratic women’s organisation on a national scale. It was founded at the All-Burma 27 === [PDF page 28] === Conference of Women in June 1946. The Congress unites 42 thousand women of whom 80% are peasants and the rest workers and intellectuals. Their main aim is the organization of the fight for the complete national independence of the country and the securing of equal rights for women. The war did serious damage to agriculture which in turn caused famine. But this didn’t stop the government’s rice exporting, the government acting in accordance with Great Britain’s orders. The All-Burma Women’s Congress demanded control of rice export and took part together with the peasants union in rice pickets, The women, im protecting their children from starvation, tried to hamper rice exporting. There were collisions between pickets and police, in which several members of the A.B. W.C. were killed and many arrested, At the end of 1947, members of the Congress were taking an active part in the fight of the peasant unions forland and they were also helping the workers in their strikes.. The Congress is undertaking a big job of maternity care and child welfare. The president of the Congress, is Mrs Daw Kin Ghi, The Commission has received from the Congress an application for membership to the W. I. D. F. Pry tla In Burma, there is another women’s organization, the All-Burma League for Freedom, but we could not establish contact with it. The president of the organization. To-Kin-La, a member of parliament and a member of the Socialist Party. The positive results of the Commission’s stay in Rangoon were, first, that we established contact with the All-Burma Women’s Congress and secondly, that we received an application from them for membership to the W. I. D. F. Besides this, the Commission received an assurance from the women of Burma that it would take an active part in the Conference of the Women of Asia. THE COMMISSION IN MALAYA In Singapore, we had the opportunity of visiting the Singapore warehouse of the Malaya Rubber Company, belonging to the French and also the rubber treatment Lamshyi plant. Most of the workers are members of the trade-union, women as well as men. The’men’s wages are about 2.5—3.5 Malay dollars per day. The women’s about 2—2.5. Most of the work is piece-work. There are no saftey measures at the plants. The workers receive no pay during sickness, nor any old-age pension. Women recive no pay if absent during pregnancy. The workers of the Lamshyi rubber factory have to work all day long under unsanitary conditions, 28 === [PDF page 29] === dangerous to their health. The dark, low worker’s barracks are filled with heavy damp air. Light comes in only through doors and cracks. The processes in the rubber manufacture are extremely primitive. For 10 to 12 hours a day the workers stand on the wet and slippery floor at their wooden machinery breathing the poison fumes of rubber manufacture. Tuberculosis and skin diseases are frequent occupational illnesses. A month before the arrival of our commission in Singapore the workers of this plant went on strike. Women also took part. ' The strikers demanded the improvement of labour conditions and a rise in wages. The management did not meet the worker’s demand. Instead it dismissed many of them and broke the strike with the help of hired thugs. y In the course of our travels in Malaya, we were accompanied by Chang-Li, the president of the Singapore Women’s Federation. Our principal purpose was to visit the rubber plantations and the Batu-Arang coal mines. The Batu Arang coal mines, jaiig to Malayan Coal Mines, a British company, are Malaya’s only source of coal, During the Japanese occupation, coal? mining stopped, and the miners took up arms to fight the Japanese. At the beginning of 1948, 3,000 men and women, were working in the mines. Working conditions there are extremely bad. The administration refused 'to show us the underground mines, stating that only surface mines existed. We knew that this was not true, but there was nothing we could do about it. The representative of the trade union who accompanied us dared not intervene. There are no safety measures in the mines. The ventilation 1s very bad. Miners sometimes work in water up ‘to their knees. For the sake of economy the management uses acetylene lamps, and so explosions are very frequent. If a miner is killed at work, his family receives one payment of 1,000 Malayan dollars. In case of illness, the miners jrecéive no compensation. Wages vary from 1.5 to 4.5 Malayan dollars, depending on the kind and ‘amount of work performed. In September 1947, a strike of underground miners tiook -place following jan attempt by the management to reduce salaires. The strike ended successfully. After that, the Commission visited the rubber plantations. In the Malay Union there are in all 426,329 adult workers on the rubber plantations, according to the 1947 Report of the Rubber Manufacturers Association. 29 === [PDF page 30] === The Chinese workers are payed by contract, which provides for payment per so many pounds of rubber received. By means of these contracts, the Chinese are exploited by the contractors, who deduct at least 10% from the sum that should be paid for each pound of rubber. The Indian workers are paid by the day and on the large plantations payment is fixed according to the amount of rubber Children on a rubber plantation produced, The majority of workers start work at daybreak and produce from 20 to 30 pounds of rubber. The Indians work under clerks and foremen ‘employed by the administration, They are supposed to collect sap from a minimum of 350 trees daily. After the stubborn fight of the Indian workers, wages were settled as follows: for men 1.45 Malay dollars, for women 1,25,for juvenile workers 85 cents to 1 Malay dollar. But ~ this agreement is often violated by the administration. On the rubber plantations of the Salagore Province, the daily wage of a Chinese worker is 2.2 Malay dollars, while an Indian worker gets 1,1, The wages of a worker ‘are not sufficient to support a family, since the cost of rice is 40 cents per pound and of meat 1.5 Malay dollars. In this province as many as 80% of the workers are women and children, The laws (providing for maternity care are not enforced and women do not actually get any maternity leave, 30 === [PDF page 31] === The Commission visited the rubber plantation belonging to a Scotch Company. We had a look at the miserable houses of the Indian workers, who are mainly women and children, We saw girls of 7 or 8 carrying on their backs heavy pails of liquid rubber, which forced them to bend to the ground. The salary of a/Chinese worker is 60 Chinese dollars per month, while Indians get 45 dollars. The norm for an adult worker is 400 trees. On the rubber plantations Indian children do not get any schooling while on some plantations there are schools for Chinese children and these require payment. While in the Malay Union the Commission members talked to women of different professions. A woman of Kajan, telling us about labour conditions on the plantations and in the tin mines said: “The Malayan workers fought against the Japanese invaders for three long years. Now, many of them are ill and unemployed, while others are imprisoned by the British Government. The workers’ families are starving. Our children have neither milk nor bread. We are forbidden to speak of our needs and to demand our lawful rights. On March 8, our women organized a demonstration to declara their demands. The police dispersed them. Several women were arrested. It did not bother the policemen that the women arrested had little children at home. When the anti-Japanese Army existed, all the workers, our brothers, sons and husbands were armed. They could have struggled for their rights but they did not do so because they believed the British Government’s. pledges to grant freedom — they handed in their arms hoping that these solemn pledges would be fulfilled. But the hopes of the Malayan workers were in vain. They were cruelly deceived.” The Commission visited Sungai-Layan village near Serembon, where there were more than 600 adults and 500 children. The peasants inherit their holdings, a maximum of three acres, a minium of a quarter of an acre. Eighty percent of the peasants possess less than an acre; only 20 percent owni animals of any kind. They are too poor to hire draught animals, so women replace them and pull the plows, In spite of the numerous children, there was no school, The one school in the district cost money to attend. Illiteracy is very high among the Malay population: 90 percent of women cannot read and write, and 75 percent of children do not attend school. One of the characteristic traits of the social and political movement in Malaya is the division of the workers into three principal nationalities: the Chinese, the Malayans, and the Indians. Because of events in the second. world war, and in the Chinese civil war, the number of Chinese increased considerably in Malaya, 31 === [PDF page 32] === so that they form approximately half of the population. The majority of the workers are Chinese. They form the basis of the Jabour force in every large jndustrial concern, in the tin mines, and rubber store houses and two-thirds of those working on rubber plantations. Indians generally do subsidiary work and also work, on the rubber plantations, and they suffer from serious discrimination on the part of the British. There are very few Malayan workers, but the peasantry is completely Malayan. THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT IN THE MALAY UNION Our Commission succeeded in getting ‘in {touch with the women’s democratic organization, the Singapore Federation of Women, and with its aid got to know nearly all the women’s organizations in Malaya. Within each state of the Malay Union, women’s federations and associations have been formed, including some provincial organizations. For instance, the Liaison Committee of the different women’s organizations in Gohore contains three provincial women’s organizations: the Kluan Federation of Women (with 1,188 members), the Segam Association of Women (with 915 members) and the Mahar Association of Women (with 170 members). The provincial organizations have their affiliates in the various districts. The activities of all these organizations are co-ordinated by a special centre committee, Bureau of the Women’s Associations of Malaya. J \: The president of the Bureau is Chang-Li (who is also the president or the Singapore Federation of Women). This Bureau coordinates the activities of 12 big associations. The Committee unites the democratic organizations of women in all the Malay states — 7,000 members. During our journey in Malaya, we became convinced that all these organizations did actually exist, and were working. | Members of the organizations meet once or twice a month, to discuss various questions, and read newspapers. Nearly all the organizations run free evening schools for women. With the help of the organizations free schools and hot meals have also been set up for orphans. The biggest federation affiliated to the Bureau js the Singapore Federation of Women, the purpose of which is to unite the women in the fight for their political and economic rights. 32 === [PDF page 33] === Among their practical «activities the women’s democratic organizations in Malaya arrange financial aid on a mutual basis, organize amateur performances by youth and children, provide employment for working women and organize evening schools for adults, The Commission acquainted itself with the activities of a number of institutions ofthe Singapore Federation of Women. We received a good impression of the appearance of the children and of the whole organization. Neither the schools nor the kindergartens gave the impression of being charity institutions — they were the institutions based on women’s independent actions. The purely Malayan association of democratic women, the “Angkatan Vanita Sedar” has 2,400 members, in 38 branches, of whom 80% are peasants, 15% workers, and 5% working intellectuals. -: Despite the fact that the organization is democratic, it is not affiliated to the Bureau, but coordinates its activities with it, Angkatan Vanita Sedar is similar to the women’s organizations affiliated to the Bureau, both in its programme and work, The Bureau of the Women’s Organizations of Malaya gave. the members of the Commission a declaration in the name of all its affiliated organizations affirming its adhesion to the WIDF and its intension to participate ‘in the Conference of the Women of Asia. i The Women’s Federation of Singapore feed the children and organise schools for them: === [PDF page 34] === THE SITUATION OF THE WOMEN OF IRAN On our way back from Asia, we succeeded in making contact with the leadership of the women’s organization, The Union of Iranian Women, which is affiliated to the WIDF. Thanks to their cooperation we were able to learn the working conditions of women and children in the various industrial enterprises of Teheran and Isfahan. | In Iran, the yeactionaries are carrying on a violent campaign against the concessions made in the past few years in the field of the emancipation of ‘women. Religious leaders are engaged in j{ntensive propaganda to force women to begin to wear the parandja once more. The majority of women have been compelled to wear it. In the old quarters of ‘Teheran women are mistreated if they show ‘their faces unveiled. The democratic forces of Tran, weakened by the persecutions which followed the events in Azerbedjan, cannot, today, fight actively against the attacks of the reactionary circles. The women of Iran have neither political nor economic rights. The electoral law states: ‘Women, children, and the insane may not vote or run. for office.” Within the family, only the father has any rights. For equal work, women receive only half of men’s wages, and often less than |that. In the brick factories of Teheran, the piece work system is in leffect. For 1,000 pieces, a Iman receives 6 toumans;, a woman receives one touman. Living conditions of the workers ‘here are as terrible as in the Khaura region in India. The workers live either in caves, or simply in holes in the ground which they dig for themselves near the factories. During the great rains, poth children and adults are the victims of accidents. Seven hundred women are working in the industrial enterprises of Isfahan. Women are employed only as secondary workers. In exceptional cases, if she is working with machines, the woman receives one-half or one-third of the man’s wages. After childpirth, women receive only 15 days leave. Often women give birth to their children while at work, for the leave prescribed by law is not respected. In the plants we visited, wages for men varied between three and 10 toumans (3.7 toumans equals one American dollar); wages for women were between 1.4 and 2.5 toumans. 34 === [PDF page 35] === On the streets of Teheran In the workshops where the plants containing starch are sorted and refined, only 'women and children are employed..The women are payed 0.6 to 0.8 toumans daily, that is, enough to buy 600 to 800 grams of bread. Pregnant women receive no leave of absence. In one of the workshops we saw a woman with a child six days old at her breast. In 1947 the workers appealed to the government to establish labor laws. No response met their collective demands. The majority of women are obliged to carry their ragged children with them as they work, tying them to their own [legs or to the body of their machines. The children are often given opium to keep them quiet. Because of the total lack of the most elementary hygienic conditions, 99 percent of the worker’s children suffer from tuberculosis, ulcers or smallpox. The death rate of working class children in Iran reaches 80 percent. { ‘ Child labor begins at the age of five, and is very widespread. In Teheran we visited some home-industries for weaving, dyeing and cabinet making. Here, children from eight to 12 years old are employed extensively. 35 === [PDF page 36] === In one of the rubber processing workshops of Isfahan, where 300 people were employed, about one-third of them were children from five to ten years old, We talked with some girls aged eight to nine, who said they had already been working for some years, some having begun work when they were four years ‘old. The mass use of child labour may be observed in the carpet industry. The younger the children are, the smaller their hands and the defter their work, the more delicate and beautiful the design ‘will be and the higher value of the carpet. Children aged four to 12 work in half-dark, stuffy rooms from dawn to sunset. Most of the girls in the carpet weaving shops are not older than eight. They are beaten for. any mistake in tthe design, or for being Jate to work. Their pay is miserably low. As a result of such exploitation of child labour, the profit of the pYoprietors of the carpet weaving shops reaches 700 percent, jand ° sometimes even more, CONCLUSION The Commission of the WIDF visited India, Burma, Malaya and collected ia wealth of information on the conditions of women and children in these countries, The Commission saw for themselves the ‘terrible crimes of British Imperialism in the colonies and the so-called independent countries. Illiteracyi and oppression of the people, mass death by famine and disease: these are the results oi British “civilization” in these countries. The working classes of India, Burma and Malaya have begun the fight for the defense of their rights. They fight against exploitation and misery and for national independence and freedom. Along with the men, masses of women are taking part in this fight. During World War II, there arose a democratic mass-movement of women, and women’s democratic organizations were formed, the aims of which were to solve the problems of the national struggle and to protect the economic and political rights of women. Studying a number of women’s democratic organizations, the Commission noted not only their accomplishments, but also the significant shortcomings of their work, In the Indian Union, the women’s democratic organizations have not yet become active in ‘the movement of the peasant women masses for land reform. In Burma there are two big democratic organizations that do not coordinate their work, but act separately. In the Malayan Union, the democratic movement is formed along national lines and the working women are not influenced by the organizations. 36 === [PDF page 37] === Through contact with broad masses of women, the Commission has seen that the WIDF enjoys considerable popularity and authority in progressive circles. The women’s democratic organizations are eager to join the Federation and work under its leadership. The Commission received applications for WIDF affiliation from the women’s democratic movemerits of India, Burma and Malaya. The most urgent task of democratic women is to establish united democratic women’s movements, conforming to the exigencies of their respective countries, and embracing the masses of working women of their countries. Simone Bertrand Pat Miles Tamara Morozova 37 === [PDF page 38] === INDIA To understand the the women’s movement in India, we must examine its political and social aspects. On August 15, 1947, the British imperialists handed over the Government to the National Indian Congress with Pandit Nehru at its head. In this way, the British imperialists assured the maintenance of their interests which were menaced by the people’s struggle and, in particular, by the post-war revolutionary upsurge when the soldiers revolted, the sailors mutinied, the workers and students built barricades in the streets of Calcutta and Bombay. These incidents culminated in armed battles led by the peasantry and other democratic forces in Telengana. The collaborationist policy of the government, its anti-democratic and proimperialist role, was shown more clearly during the events of the period which followed. During this post-war crisis, the number of striking workers © rose to approximately 2,000,000 in 1946, while in 1942 it was only 772,000. Confronted with the strikes of the working class for a living wage and against unemployment, the government proposed an industrial truce which practically makes strikes illegal. Advised by Mr. Grady, and in the hopes of receiving an American loan, the nationalization of key industries has been pushed back ten years while tha price of clothing. sugar, etc., keeps rising. Price control was removed in the interest of black marketeers and profiteers, In addition, as a result of the increase of school fees, the number of students has decreased by ten per cent. For example under the pretext of abolishing the big landed estates, in the Bihar, the assembly of this country voted to give a sum of 1,000,000,000 pounds sterling to compensate the expropriated zemindars only to redistribute, the next day, thousands and thousands of “bighas” of land to these same zemindars... Thus, the ministers converted the zemindars into “peasants” overnight. All the people rise against these measures. The government answers these just demands of the people by an even greater repression. This can be seen by the adoption of laws such as the Public Security Act which bans progressive newspapers 38 === [PDF page 39] === (five departmental newspapers with a circulation of 46,000 have been forbidden), etc... On the other hand, more than 1,000 union officials, many student leaders, leaders of women’s organizations, etc., have been arrested. In Malabar, due to the discharging of Moslem women of India peasants and the attacks against them, more than one thousand families were left without support. In Bengal after March 1948, many well known leaders of the M. A. R.S. (Women’s League for Self Defense) were arrested or warrants were issued against them, This wave of repression is met by the resistance of democratic opinion which always mobilizes new social groups. The enthusiasm and the courage of the women of Mymansingh in Bengal, who fought against battallions of Gurkhas with knives and brooms at the side of their husbands and their brothers, to save two-thirds of their harvest (Tebhaga), matured in the struggle. In Telergara, women stand guard with their husbands — arms 39 === [PDF page 40] === in fhand — in the liberated territories which cover more than 15,000 square kilometers, including 2,500 villages and 5,000,000 inhabitants. In the working class struggles, women are also marching forward. The recent strike of 7,000 street cleaners of Bombay on July 1, 1948 showed that working women were in the forefront, After the arrest of 70 street cleaners, the women organized a protest demonstration which was met with a police barrage, during which a 70 year old woman was killed. In, Calcutta, a huge demonstration of women went to the Assembly this year to protest against the arrest of democratic leaders. They were brutally treated by the 'police and several of them were beaten. In Bombay when the women textile workers called a strike and organized picket lines in front of the factories, they were so violently beaten by the police that one pregnant woman fainted and had to be hospitalized. The women’s movement of \Andhra was severely suppressed in April 1948.. These repressive acts developed the women’s consciousness more and more ‘and their protests are mounting as can be seen by the memorandum submitted by the members of the Civil Liberties League of Lucknow to the prison authorities and to the Ministry of the Interior of the Government of the United Provinces. The memorandum contains the following points: a) A general condemnation of the arrests of the leading partisans of freedom; b) Protests against the arrest of 300 women and children in the Agra; c) Protest against the ‘arrest without warrant of members of left wing parties and organizations; protest against imprisonment without trial, the bad treatment of prisoners, and against the application of Article 144, etc... On July 1, 1948, more than 40 active women met under the auspices of the Employed Women’s Sub-committee of the A, I. W.C. of Bombay. They made the following demands: a) For equality of rights as citizens, political, social or economic; b) For equal wages based on the principle of equal pay for equal work; \ c) Marriage is not a crime and should not be punished by employers with dismissal. 3 One must note particularly the absence of rights for women. They have no right of inheritance. They cannot choose their hus- 40 === [PDF page 41] === bands, who are imposed upon them by their parents. They marny very young. Hindu law forbids divorce, and the remarriage of a widow is looked upon badly. As long as the economic and political structure of the country remains unchanged, social injustice and slavery cannot disappear; and the raising of the economic level and the political status of women cannot be achieved before then. That is why we find women taking an ever greater part in the democratic movement for the establishment of a democratic government. The Delegation of Indian Women to the Second WIDF Congress Budapest, December 1948 === [PDF page 42] === BURMA Burma was a British colony until it was occupied by Japan from May 1942 until August 1945. Then, after the Japanese surrender, the British occupied it again. On February 1, 1948, Burma was declared “independent”, but remains, in reality, under British domination both economically and militarily. World News and Views The Government of Burma is engaged in fierce repressions against the population which wants an amelioration of living conditions and an independence which is more than merely a slogan. The Second Congress of the WIDF in Budapest was unable to hear a report from a Burmese delegation so we are reproducing below an extract from a report received by the WIDF in April 1948: When the British returned to Burma after the Japanese surrender, they began the repression of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League, which had grown out of the resistance movement against the Japanese invaders. This was a united front organization, with a membership of 200,000. Since that time, drastic measures have been taken against all democratic movements in Burma. Civil war between the Government and partisan troops has been developing since March this year. The partisans seem to have already gained control of vast territories in Central Burma and are extending their bases to the North. The All-Burma People’s Freedom League, composed of the right wing of the Socialist Party and the People’s Voluntary Organization, is in power today. It pays lip service to socialism, but in reality carries out a vigorous anti-peoples policy, such as: the prohibition of strikes; the murder of students; the bloody repression of the peasant movement against high land rents; the illegalization of the Communist Party and the arrest of its leaders; the carrying out of war against the communists and the partisans; the banning of newspapers; the promulgation of the Security Law 42 === [PDF page 43] === which deprives the population of the right to assembly; the promulgation of the National Defense Law which grants the Government the right of indiscriminate arrest; and the signing of the Anglo-Burmese Treaty which binds Burma politically, economically, as well as militarily, to British imperialism. The People’s Voluntary Organization in Burma is the organization of a former anti-Japanese militia. One section of the PVO supports the present policy of the Government, while the other, called the White PVO wants cooperation with the communists and the peasants. Because it rejected the Thalein-Nu program, 150 White PVO leaders have been arrestud in Rangoon. The All-Burma Peasants Union is very powerful. The last demonstration of its strength was the All-Burma Peasant Congress held from March 7 to March 17, 1948, in Central Burma. Twenty thousand delegates from all over Burma participated in the Congress condemned the reactionary character of the Government and resolved to fight for true national independence, for a genuine land reform, and for alliance between workers and peasants. Workers and Trade ‘Unions: There are 150,000 workers in Burma, of whom only 76,000 are real industrial workers. About 30,000 are organized in jade unions. The workers are struggling incessantly to raise the low standard of living. Important strikes took place in Rangoon in March and April of this year. The women of Burma: Under the colonial system, the majority of Burmese people have been forced to exist on a miserably low standard of living. Women also have suffered under this colonial policy. There is no compulsory, free primary education in Burma under British rule. There are no schools run by the British. The result is that only 17% of women ‘over 20 are literate. (Sixty-six percent of men are literate.) Men and women do not receive equal pay for equal work. However, after the experiences of World War II, the political awakening of women has been greatly accelerated. Burmese women, particularly among the working peasantry, took a very active part in the resistance against the Japanese, and now they take an active part in the present democratic movement of the people.; In July 1946, an All-Burma Women’s Conference was held and the Burma Women’s Congress came into existence. Its aim and objects are to participate in the freedom struggle of the country and to fight for all legal rights of women. 43 === [PDF page 44] === Various resolutions were passed, including participation in the national movement, training of midwives for every town, securing loans for women peasants, control of rice exports, and the formation of a united women’s front, and affiliation to the International Democratic Women’s Federation. The membership at that time was 40,032. In 1945 and 1946, the Burma Women’s Congress demanded the control of rice exports along with the Peasants’ Union, because agricultural output;was not sufficient for home consumption at that time. The Congress participated in the rice pickets with the Peasants’ Union. In Icgu, the picketers were arrested by the police and several women were severely beaten. Fourteen Congress members were arrested, and a pregnant woman lost her baby in the incident. Together with the Peasants’ Union, members of the Women’s Congress led the hunger marches in Pegu in September 1946. Approximately 80 percent of the Congress members are peasants.: In 1946 and 1947, the Women’s Congress, along with the Peasants’ Union, took an active part in the struggle for the forceful occupation of land, In one town, the secretary of the local branch of the Congress was shot and killed. Women have also taken part in the workers’ movement, They participate in strikes, collect strike funds, organize food for strikers, and join the picket lines, Report of the Burma Women’s Cong7ess April 1948 44 === [PDF page 45] === MALAYA: THE INCREASING COST OF LIVING The table below, compiled by Awberry and Dalley in the Government report, “Labour and Trade Union Organizations! in the Federation of Malaya and Singapore, 1948”, demonstrates the proportionate increase in prices, especially in foodstuffs: Commodity: 1939 1948 Rice (first basic food) = <4. 9.5. 30% 100 600 Bread (second basic food)..... 100 700 NDl:{{:jo Me Smee ee acres OWRD eck Ok Gee ek ra 100 500 Sugar ee kart age eat tee oe tee 100 400 Wepetables ssn ue > 2 weteen ae ee 100 600 SOA) chast oe fen ne see 100 600 The report does not quote the prices of other commodities, but it is known that the increase in prices is nearly the same for other items too. The standard of living is much lower than in 1939., The report tries to justify the situation by quoting the opinions of factory owners, who say that wages are very high in relation to production, The most serious fault of the colonial administration is in housing, The report admits that in the city of Singapore 300,000 people are crowded into a space of 1.000 acres, that is, 300 per acre. The report should have mentioned that in spite. of the dreadful situation, in spite of the lack of lodgings after the war, in March 1948, the Government, itself, authorized the landlords, following their demands, to raise the rents. z 1 a 1 j te [efecd World News and Views 45 === [PDF page 46] === TEACHERS’ SALARIES European men, minimum salary.--: - 400 dollars monthly European women, minimum salary. - - 300 dollars monthly Asiatic men, maximum salary.. - - - 300 dollars monthly Asiatic women, maximum salary... ~ 200 dollars monthly The beginning salary of a European male teacher is 25 percent higher than the maximum salary on which the Asiatic teacher retires from service; the beginning salary of a European A meeting of the Women’s Federation of Singapore woman teacher is 50 percent higher than the maximum salany, on which the majority of Asiatic women teachers retire from service. In addition to this disparity, special allocations are paid to Europeans for children. Besides this, they receive housing accomodations, or if they do not avail themselves of the accomodations, they receive special stipends. A very small number of Asiatic teachers are offered living quarters, put never special stipends. In contrast to the spacious dwellings of Europeans, Asiatiics’ lodgings are insufficient for the needs of a family, 46 === [PDF page 47] === Neither do Asiatic and European teachers enjoy the same conditions of work in schools subsidized by the state. We recommend complete equality between married and unmarried teachers. Therefore, we believe that the 1928 rulings on this subject should be completely repealed. According to this ruling, women teachers who are married after their nomination are forced to resign and be renominated only as auxiliaries. The Pedagogue of Singapore April 10, 1948 THE COLONIAL WAR In July, 1948, “The New York Herald Tribune” estimated that at the beginning of the month there was a total of 20,000 men under British command in Malaya. Since then, particularly after the war speech of Mr. Bevin in the House of Commons, this number has increased. Mr. Creech-Jones, British Colonial Secretary, stated that there were 17,000 armed policemen recruited for special service. The war began with 3,500 Gurkhas. Two British battalions, the Devons and the Seaforths participated in this campaign, as well as the 26th Royal Field Artillery Regiment. The Malayan Regiment was already participating in the war. Supplementary troops were sent from Hong Kong. Young Britons, just out of adolescence are being sent without delay to the jungles of Malaya “to complete their military training”, as we learn from the letters of anxious parents which even the “Times” has to reproduce. The Decree of the State of Siege, Number S177, 1948, gives tremendous authority to the police. It gives them control of all roads and streams; the right to restrict the freedom of movement, the right to prohibit all meetings of more than four persons; the right to prohibit the posting of bills and the publication of all documents which are, in the jpinion of ‘the police, “inciting to rebellion” and the right to arrest for indefinite lengths of time on the slightest suspicion. AMERICAN ARMS Just as in other colonial theatres of war, large quantities of American armaments are being sent to Malaya to aid the British. July 26: The USA announces the expedition of arms for use in Malaya. July 29: A Skymaster brings American weapons to Singapore. August 14: An American ship brings 59 crates of light weapons to Singapore. 47 === [PDF page 48] === August 30: Three warships leave Bombay, India for Singapore. September 5: The American heavy cruiser Toledo reaches Singapore, along with the destroyers Chevalier, Highbee, and a British cruiser. On September 9, @& member of the American Government announced that the British must send the United States 20,000 tons >of rubber under the Marshall Plan, and that this delivery will not be paid for in dollars. Supplimentary explanations regarding the war in Malaya have been furnished us by Mr. Walter Fletcher, a member of the Conservative Party, who stated in a recent speech: “America would be dismayed if she did not receive the tin and rubber. In a period when rearmament is beginning, it is absolutely essential that the flow of deliveries continues”.! i Bulletin of the World Federation of Democratic Youth October, 1948 ‘48. === [PDF page 49] === VIET-NAM For more than 80 years Freneh colonialism spread its domination in Viet-Nam, reducing the people to slavery. But the people never ceased struggling against the hateful yoke imposed on them. Every year of colonisation has been marked by revolutionary movements savagely repressed. In the course of this long struggle, during which the national consciousness of the people of Viet-Nam never ceased to develop toward that political maturity which can no longer be denied today, the Viet-Nam woman took a very active part and played an indisputable role. I. THE WOMEN OF VIET-NAM UNDER FRENCH DOMINATION A) Traditional subjugation: Under the old regime, a woman was considered a subordinate being. As a young girl, she was subject to parental authority which could decide on her marriage without her consent. Married, she was subject to her husband’s authority in every field of life. Polygamy was permissible for men, and adultery was not considered a crime. The woman had no rights at all, no authority over her children, and the law did not authorize her to dispose of the property which had belonged to her father before her marriage, and which had become the property of the family after her marriage. Only the husband could dispose of this property. In case of separation or divorce, the wife was not permitted to withdraw her property from the family. This automatically passed to her children under the authority of the father. In case of the husband’s death, the property was placed under the control of the family council until the eldest ‘Son was | of age.; B) French oppression: French colonization only Saplotted these social discriminations. 1, Working conditions of women: Viet-Nam received: no labour legislation. Men, women, and often children, worked’ 13 hours daily in factories, mines and plantations, where work began at ‘ 49 === [PDF page 50] === 4:30 AM. (See, “Working Conditions in Indo-China,” published in 1938 by the International Labour Bureau at Geneva.) “+ Wages were very low. A worker earned on the average of tigk to 45 piastres daily, while the price of rice is 30 piastres per kilo, and the price of cloth is 45 piastres per meter. One should note that the amount of rice necessary for daily consumption is 700 grams. A system of penalization was introduced in addition which further reduced the miserable wages. No social security was provided. Workers did mot have the right to indemnity in case of accident, which, alas, happened too often, Workers could be dismissed at any time without notice. As for women, whose wages ranged between 22 to 28 piastres, no law protected them from inhuman treatment on the part of their employers, Brutalities in the factories have been described by . the French writer L. Roubaud, in “Viet-Nam,” pages 167 and 168. The whipping of workers has been reported by M. Delamarre, work inspector, in “Working conditions in Indo-China”, as follows: “On March 25, at the end of the working day, two and a half kilometers from the village of Dong, a few coolies who were thirsty left their work in a courtyard and went in search of water. They were met by a Mr. M. V. (a Belgian overseer) who stopped them and brought them back to the courtyard. ‘After a short interrogation, he held back three women: Mg Thi Tuong, 21 years old; Nguyen Thi Lien, widow, 30, six months pregnant; Ng Thi Nhon, 36, mother of three children, Mr. V. told them to lie down on the ground, and they did. With a heavy wire wound rod he gave each one ten lashes. This incident was confirmed by the water-bearer, Tao Van Chi. But M. V. said he had used a plain rod, which, however, he was unable to produce as evidence, saying it had been mislaid.” 2, Peasant women: Peasant women, victims of medieval methods of oppression and exploitation of the French colonizers, led a harrassed life and were subject to crushing taxes levied by the French: land ‘tax, poll tax, indirect tax. Every year, at the time of the tax collection, many of the peasants due to lack of funds, were forced to sell their rica fields. (Seventy-five percent of the 4,600,000 hectares of fertile land belonged to the French colonialists, to the Church, or Ito big feudal proprietors.) Sometimes the peasants had to sell their bed mats and even their children. In his survey on Viet-Nam, L. Roubaud says on page 193, “Yesterday at the market, a congaie (young girl) of 18 offered me her baby which began ‘to ‘cry when it saw me. The interpreter explained: ‘She offers you her nho (baby). Why? In order to. make § piastres. This winter in the villages, the ‘price of children on the market fell to one and a half piastres.” 50 === [PDF page 51] === 3, Famine: On a people already living under conditions of semi-famine, the colonial trusts imposed a reduction of vital consumer goods in order to increase their profits. Mr. Lozeray in a speech to the French National Assembly on March 18, 1947, said that in 1938 the consumption of rice was 4,400,000 tons while the minimum essential for life was 7,750,000 tons, that is, a deficit of 3,350,000 tons. The profits of the colonialists were acquired at the price of many thousand dead. In the political design to demoralise the forces of the revolution, and with the aim of increasing the profits of the French and Japanese companies, which held the monopoly of rice purchase, the French colonialists collaborating with the Japanese fascists, provoked the great famine of 1944 to 1945, in the course of which 2,000,000 people starved to death. At Hanoi, the capital of Tonkin, the municipality gathered up every day hundreds of corpses which had accumulated in the streets in the course of the night and which faced people opening their doors in the morning. 4. Prostitution: Many young peasant girls, leading an existence of acute miserv. went to the towns and became prostitutes in order to live. According to an official report, in the suburbs of Hanoi, out of a population of 300,000, 1500 to 2000 women lived by means of prostitution, The city of Hanoi was in fact surrounded by. a network of brothels; authorized and accepted by the public authorities. “Their existence was a permanent and shameful challenge to the French authorities and civilization”, (excerpt ‘from. “The Venereal Danger in the Suburbs of Hanoi”, by Virgitti and Joyeux), In Saigon, a town occupied by Fremch troops, in 1948 it was a French policeman who held the monopoly of the houses of prostitution. 5. Ignorance: Very few schools existed and the proportion of illiterates was 90%. For all the population of Chinchine (5,000.000 inhabitants) there was only one secondary school set up by the Government. Even here, the French authorities did their best to obstruct. the evolution of the Vietnamese people, by keeping them in a stata of backwardness shameful for a country which speaks of “the civilising mission of France”. Il. FIGHT OF THE WOMEN OF VIETNAM FOR NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE, DEMOCRACY AND PEACE, The women understood that their fight must be closely allied to the patriotic movement, fighting national emancipation by liberating of the country from the colonial yoke. They sacrificed their lives, and gave proof of courage, of a spirit of sacrifice and i 51 === [PDF page 52] === unswerving faith, despite the savagery, and cruelty of the French repressive methods (mass arrests, tortures, prisons, deportations and convict prisons where the annual mortality was around 50%). Since the brith of the Communist party of Indochina in 1930, masses of peasants and workers have taken part in the fight Parade of working. women and students in Vict-Nam for national liberation and democracy. Women workers took part in the strike an Nam Dinh (North Viat-Nam). In the same year, in the province of Nghe-An, hundreds of peasants, men and women, demonstrated with slogans, such as “Land for the Peasants”, “Aid to poor peasants”, “Abolish the polltax”. On several occasions, French planes threw bombs on _ these crowds who were marching peacefully, and machineguned those who came to gather up the dead bodies of their relatives. In 1940, the Japanese moved into Indochina with the tacit agreement of the French who became their collaborators, in their attempt to maintain their sovereignity in this country at all costs. 52 === [PDF page 53] === French policy, under the direction of Decoux, delivered Indochina fo the Vichyism of Petain and Japanese fascism, The French made no reply to the proposal which had been made to them by the leaders of the Vietnamese revolutionary movement, to place themselves resolutely on the side of the Allies, to arm the population in order to ensure the defense of Indochina and bar the road to Japanese fascism. In November 1940, when the Cochinchine (South Viet-Nam) revolt broke out, which aimed at tha replacement of the French fascists by westing power in the people, it was a young girl of 25, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, who organised and headed the fight. Her arrest was the cause of the defeat of the movement. Minh Khai did not betray any of her comrades, despite the tortures which were inflicted upon her by the French police. She was condemned to death and guillotined as she shouted “Long Live Independent Viet-Nam”, But other women and young girls took her place in the fight, which continued to grow. In June 1941, the Democratic National Front, formed by Minh Khai and her comrades merged with the Viet-Minh League, which began to fight against the double franco-japanese domination. The Viet-Nam Association for the National Salute, a member body of the Viet-Minh League set up local sections in spite of the combined terrorism of the French and the Japanese, By use of force, some women restored to the peasants some rice that was stored jin guarded depots by French and Japanese troops. At the same time, they took part in military training in the high regions of the North and of Central Viet- Nam. In 1945, the locality of Yen-The, in the province of Ba Giang, was seized from the Japanese by liberation troops comminded by Mlle. Que. At Cao-Nang, another young girl, Mlle. Dao, the commander of a section of regular troops, disarmed a Japanese garrison.. According to the witness of two Frenchmen, professors at Hanoi, Mr, and Mrs. Bernard, it was a young girl who on March 9, 1945, the day after the Japanese took over authority from the French, posted up at Hanoi the first poster calling upon the population to unite against the Japanese. Also, according to these same witnesses, it was another young girl who, leaning over the water near the Les Rapides bridge, pretending to fish for crabs, straightened up when the Japanese passed by, killing five of them with her machinegun, Throughout the country, the people, by the Viet-Minh Front, launched the movement »Khang Nhat Cuu Quoc“ (Fight the Japanese to Save the Country). In villages far from the centres controlled by the enemy, Revolutionary Committees were formed 53 === [PDF page 54] === to replace the old administrative organs. Others joined the guerilla corps to defend the liberated zone, which comprised the six northern provinces. August 15, 1945, the People’s General Assembly gave the order for general insurrection, The Revolution of August 19, 1945 made possible the future of, the Democratic Government of the Republic of Viet-Nam, led by Ho Chi Minh. September 2, 1945, the independence of Viet-Nam was selemnly proclaimed.; Ill. WOMEN UNDER THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIET-NAM A new life began for the women of Viet-Nam with the Revolution of August 1945. Those who played a leading part in the insurrection were elected to People’s Committees and the National Assembly. Article Nine of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam states: “Women enjoy equal rights with men in all fields.”; Women have the right to vote and to be elected. In the elections of January 1946, eleven women were elected to the National Assembly. Eighty-five percent of all women voted, In the factories, workshops, and in administrative offices, women hold leading positions. They can have their share of the communal land, which the old system had deprived them of. They are members of the trade union committees and participate in all social organizations. Labour legislation has been adopted by the National Assembly. It is based on the principle ‘of equal pay for equal work. Articles 31 and 121 of the Labour Law provide for maternity leave with half-pay and full family allowances. Article 122 allows women workers who are mothers, a half hour in the morning and afternoon to nurse their babies at the place of work. Article 123 prescribes that every factory employing more than 100 women must have a nursery for the babies of the employees. Article 131 forbids the employment of women in the mines and other unhealthy industries. t On its part, the Government endeavours to give women every means to enjoy their new rights. Encouraged by this, women are educating themselves, and they are changing. The struggle against illiteracy is the most important aspect of this change. Eight million have already learned to read and write. In some provinces, such as Thai Binh and Ba Giang, only 20 percent of the women remain. illiterate. Thus, having shaken off the yoke of colonialism and gained their national independence, while at the same time doing their part 54 === [PDF page 55] === for the victory of democracy over fascism, the people of Viet-Nam will work towards the building of a world of freedom and equality, in fraternal collaboration with other peoples. However, seriously weakened in European countries, the forces of imperialism are trying to extend further their hold in the colonial countries of Asia and Africa, Particularly in South East Asia, they have launched new wars of oppression. Struggle against illiteracy in the Viet-Nam resistafice In Viet-Nam, three weeks after ‘the Proclamation of Independence, French colonial troops, armed by the British and supported by them, began a war of reconquest which spreads sorrow and destruction throughout the country. But these troops face a people fiercely determined to fight to safeguard a beloved independence. The people of Viet-Nam will continua their fight to the end because they are certain of winning. Since the first days of French aggression in the South, the Viet-Nam women, conscious of the rights which the Republican system had brought them and which it was their duty to defend, rose at the side of the men in a heroic resistance which spread over 55 === [PDF page 56] === the whole country as the French troops, aided by the American imperialists, continued their aggression towards the North. In order to better organise themselves in the fight for the defense of the country, the Viet-Nam women strengthened their ranks and decided on October 20, 1946, to constitute a single Front of all the women’s organisations, of all women fighting for the national independence, of all personalities known for their social activities. This single front, the Union of Viet-Nam Women, has today two million members and is part of the W, I. D. F. 5 Almost all the men having left for the front, the women, left * behind had to face the upkeep and the care of the household, the work in the fields, in industry, commerce and agriculture. Their activity developed as follows: a) The battle of production: In many provinces, the members oi ‘the executive committees of the Union of Viet-Nam) Women cooperate with the plan of the resistance committee and lead the country to increase production and produce more food, The surplus which comes from their efforts to increase production is offered to the local guerillas. The working women and the peasant women play an important part in reconstruction and the establishment of dams to avoid the floods which could destroy the harvests. b) Social work; At the beginning of hostilities in December, 1946, and during the first months of 1947, due to the lack off hospitals and maternity clinics, the Union of Viet-Nam Women proceeded to organise free medical aid for the refugees and started many nurseries and maternity clinics. The province of Thai Binh alone has 37 such clinics instead of teh five it had under the colonial system. The province of Hung Yen has 36 places for free consultation and for the distribution of most needed medicines. In the villages close to the front, the women organised emergency groups to help women and children. c) Aid to the army: Women gave unlimited aid to the army. “The Associations for the Mothers of the Fighters”, rendered services to the soldiers, such as cooking, mending, and supplying them with food. July 27 is the “War-Wounded Day”. On this day, hundreds and thousands of piastres, as well as huge quantities of cloth and delicacies are collected throughout the country for all wounded soldiers. In autumn, the women wage an agtive propaganda campaign for the “Winter of the Fighter’: Gifts in ‘kind, particularly woolen material, blankets, and warm clothing are sent to the fighters. In the province of Sao Bang (North Viet-Nam) Mme, Lang Loung, woman doctor, has nursed and healed more than 200 war wounded. 56 === [PDF page 57] === «d) The political and propaganda realm: The Viet-Nam women have supplied the resistance with a propaganda army and organisations, This staff organizes’informational meetings in order to keep the population of the country up to date with the situation, explains to them the duties of the citizen, incites them to raise production and fight against illiteracy. One of the greatest personalities of this political feminine staff, Mlle Minh Ha, 22 years old, died recently in a French prison, She had organized the workers movement of the coal region of Hongay (North Viet-Nam) occupied by the French. She succeded in bringing the local administrative committees to life again, which had been disorganized and had disappeared at the time of the sudden French attack. She was arrested at a secret meeting, imprisoned and tortured for refusing to give secret information. She answered proudly to the French agents who tried to intimidate her, “You have fought for your freedom, we are fighting for ours, Arrest me if you think this is a crime, but all those who are with me are innocent”. Having lost all hope of saving her honour, she committed suicide on July 14, 1948, in the jail of Quang Yen. IV. ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE a) In the capacity of army nurses: The women of Viet-Nam accompany fighters to the front lines and are famous for numerous acts of heroism. In the South of Viet-Nam, for instance, during an attack on an enemy post launched by the Viet-Nam troops, Mlle. Ba rescued a soldier whose shoulder had been pierced by a bullet. After having given him first aid, she carried the soldier on her back, trying to reach the nearest Red Cross station. In spite of the protest of the wounded man she continued to advance’ with her heavy burden, when she was seen by French soldiers who shot her in the head. b) Food supply service: In the province of Thai-Nguyen, 50 kilometers to the North of Hanoi, 2,500 women volunteered the service of food supply during the French winter offensive. The Viet-Nam troops who occupied the weaving plant in the North of Viet-Nam reported that they have. never done without a single meal, thanks to the presence of an entite corps of women. In the South, at the time of the battle of Hang Xanh at Giadinh, young girls of the Women’s Association for the National Salute had organized themselves to supply those soldiers who had 57 === [PDF page 58] === to remain at their posts — lying on the ground for several hours in the rice fields with rice and hot tea. Sometimes French bullets whistled over their heads but they intrepidly continued to do their duty. Thanks to them, the soldiers were able victoriously to continue their fight. c) Women messengers, scouts, and information agents; Liaison between ithe different guerilla zones was kept up by the women who gave proof of remarkable courage and ingenuity, even in the most dangerous missions, The following happened in 1946 in South Viet-Nam. As usual, Mai, @ young girl scout offered her services and departed alone, armed with her pistol, Her comrades anxiously waited for her for 24 hours. But she returned during the night with the most important information. While the attack was being waged on the morrow, Mai attacked the enemy position with her machine-gun. She was hit by a bullet in the chest. Before she died, she made a last effort, called her comrade H. who was near to her and said “Run quickly to save my pistol, please...” d) Women partisans and troop commanders: Women throughout the country continue to hold themselves in readiness and to prove, by their acts, the truth of the popular saying “when the enemy is at the door, women are as good fighters as men”, Local women partisan units were to be found everywhere. In some regions even an entire batallion was to be found..These are classified in two categories: militants and partisans, Examples of women who have fought heroically in the present war are without number. We cite, among others, the young girl of barely seventeen to whom the only golden medal of Ho Chi Minh. of the Southern Region was awarded. This young girl of South Viet-Nam, among other courageous acts, threw a shell in a police post in [Phu-Nhuan (suburb of Saigon), killing three policemen and seizing a number of rifles. Doon Campell, Reuter correspondent, wrote the following from Hanoi in January 1947: “The French throw bombs and shells on the Vietnamese who, nine times out of ten, fight with their hands. In the heart of that, which has now |become a desert of flames, I walk almost over heads of Annamite young men. A French colonel, commander of the tanks which have taken part lin the fight, said that they had been beheaded because they had refused to surrender. One finds a young girl |dead; still clasping the sword with which she fought with fanatic resistence”, Thus, the fight of the people is and shall continue to be arduous. Men, women, and children will still have to endure countless misery and a great many privations. But their confi- 58 === [PDF page 59] === dence in the future remains unswerving, because on their side hundreds of millions of other men, women and children in the entire world are victoriously fighting for the annihilation of every aspect of imperialism, and for the construction of a regime of Peace and Democracy.: ; |.V. FRENCH ATROCITIES Here are a few examples of French sadism: On the 10th of April 1947 the French troops raided Dai-La in North Viet-Nam. A pregnant woman who happened to be there took to flight. But she was caught and brought back. Disregarding her supplications the Franch raped her then slit open her stomach with bayonets. Then roaring with laughter they played with the foetus. } Leese At Hoi-Phu, in the province of Bacninh (North Viet-Nam) the French troops after having raped a young girl working in the ambulance service, forced her to run through the street naked. They then sprang’ into their cart, and catching up with her, dragged her into the car, raped ‘her once again, and finally crushed her under the wheels of the car. Still more scandalous is “the marriage tax” established by the French in Central Viet-Nam in ‘the zones controlled by them. This tax forces the husbands to offer their wives to the French on the first night of their honeymoon. The Chinese civilians in the town of Quang-Tri (Central Viet-Nam) are also subject to this shameful tyranny. At Binhtri Thien, commander ‘Lebris every month organizes a “rape in. series”: He chooses among his soldiers those most strongly attacked by vénereal disease and authorizes them to rape all women whom they meet. On one occasion 500 women were raped, In the interests of raising the morale of the troops, hundreds of women and young girls were seized and distributed among the soldiers at Laos, Hanoi, Haiphong and other towns. In North Viet-Nam, French troops invaded the churches on feast days, ordered the men out of the church and raped the women and the young girls. On June 18, 1947, in Cam-Giang in North Viet-Nam, the French raped and caused the death iof six ladies between the ages of 60 and 80. In the district of Cholon in Cochinchine (South Viet-Nam) during: the course of a “purge” in June 1947, soldiers made their way into a farmyard and machine-gunned a mother and her four children who had hidden themselves under a camp-bed. 59 === [PDF page 60] === The list of atrocites has no end and grows day by day. It can be explained by the fact that in the French Expeditionary Corps, men who had been former Vichyist collaborators, German SS (85% of the Foreign Legion) are employed. In order to compensate them for the lack of ideals to fight for, soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps are given complete freedom to satisfy their bestial instincts. j: ey el VI. THE PROBLEM OF CHILDREN IN VIET-NAM The problem of*children is one of the gravest created by the colonial regime, In the working-class population in the towns and in the countryside infant mortality attained catastrophic proportions, with the French authorities doing nothing to remedy this state of affairs. In the towns, the working-class families live under very difficult conditions. In almost every case, the father, mother and children sleep on the same camp-bed, often without a mosquito net. The mothers, who are over-worked and harassed, are often unable to feed their babies themselves and are unable to procure the milk necessary for their children. Even today, in a big center like Saigon (Cochinchina), under the centrol of the French authorities, the Food Supply Service automatically distributed 24 tins of condensed milk a month’ to European babies whether being nursed by their mothers or not. As for Viet- Namese babies, who cannot be nursed by their mothers, they are allotted three tins of milk a month. This allocation of milk can be obtained only with a medical certificate, which must be handed in every month to the Health Station which distributes these milk coupons. In order to procure this coupon, a Viet-Namese mother must wait for a whole half-day, with her baby in her arms, sitting outside on the street. Those who cannot wait, must pay an entry fee of five piastres (85 French francs) to the policeman on, guard. . Those women who work away from home are obliged to confide the care of their babies to their elder children, whose ages range from 3 to 12. The children of working-class origin rarely have the means to attend school. When they are not under supervision, they wander in the streets, almost naked, beg or become pickpockets. Minors who are caught in the act of stealing are sent to a penitentiary at Ong Yem (Cochinchina) where they are made to work like beasts of burden. In the countryside, parents are often forced to sell their children or place them as slaves in rich families. Schools are practi- 60 === [PDF page 61] === cally non-existent, and education is considered a luxury by such parents who need their children for work in the fields, Children are born and grow up lacking even the most elementary notions of hygiene. Children are never dressed and live for the most part completely naked,: Viet-Namese children under the Republic: Once again, the Revolution of August 1945 was the liberating instrument in removing the shackles which had for long years impeded the development of the children of Viet-Nam. The Government of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam, lays great stress on the education of the Viet-Namese youth for, as was stated by President Ho Chi Minh, “in their hands Bes the ‘future of the entire Viet-Namese nation.” Since the beginning of hostilities, children evacuated from towns, were taken to children’s camps (Krai Mhi Dong) where a special corps is entrusted with their education and tuition. Despite prevailing difficulties, kindergartens are increasing in number and school attendance has become compulsory up to the secondary classes. Two years of work by the national Minister of Education have led to the following results: in elementary schooling, just in Bao Bo (North) alone, 2,495 schools take in 142,571 children ith 3,534 male and female teachers, In secondary-schools, in Trung-Bo and Bac-Bo (Central and North Viet- Nam) have 48 schools with 8,700 pupils.. What is even more remarkable is that the Ministry of Education has recently set up a secondary school for the minorities, where education is carried on in their mother tongue, and, in addition, a people’s secondary school for adults and backward persons. High school education has also been reorganised. Law, medical, pharmaceutical and scientific faculties, as well as the School of Advanced Economic Studies, and a Foreign Language School have been reopened, People’s schools have in three years accomplished the miracle of freeing-9 million men, women and children from illiteracy. Thanks to the solicitude of the Government, in spite of the war, the children and youth have been able to continue their studies and form democratic ideas. School curricula have been adapted to the new spirit, A special commission is charged with the revision of the classics, with a view to uprooting the remains of an enslaving obscurantist culture. Viet-Namese children and the Resistance: Children were not spared by French oppression in this war. Many of them were 61 === [PDF page 62] === massacred by French soldiers during the last years, but they are also taking an equal part in the present fight and render great services to the Resistance. At Saigon during the month of November 1947, a boy of 12 was arrested and tortured by the French police for having in his possession a few songs of the Resistance. The children’s camps which have been evacuated in the North were machine-gunned without mercy two months ago. — THAI-THI-LIEN, of the Union of Viet-Nam Women and leader of the Viet-Nam delegation at the 2nd WIDF Congress in Budapest.; 62 === [PDF page 63] === THE MESSAGE OF WOMEN FROM VIET-NAM TO WOMEN OF NORTH-AFRICA North Viet-Nam, the 12" October, 1948. On the occasion of the second International Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation, we send you this message of solidarity and of fraternity. The women of North-Africa as well.as we, the women et Viet- Nam, are in the throes of ‘their fight againt French imperialism in order to obtain their national independence. In Viet-Nam this fight has taken a very violent form for three years. The French have mobilised many hundreds of thousands of men in order to defeat our country again. The women of Viet- Nam, with the whole population of Viet-Nam, have agreed upon immense sacrifices in order to defend their liberty. Our homes, have been ruined. Thousands of our sons have fallen on the battlefield. Many of our sisters were ravished and tortured, our children were burnt alive by the French. Times have shown that brutal force has no effect upon our people. The French colonialists suffer defeat after defeat, not only on the hattlefield, but in the political field as well. Our victory is sure, and it will speed the liberation of your countries. It is particulary painful for us to see soldiers of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria on the battlefield who fight against their Viet-Nam brothers. The French take advantage of their ignorance and they tell them incredible lies about us. They give'them alcohol to drink before going into battle, which excites their worts instincts and encourages them to commit ‘atrocities and murders. A soldier of Morocco who was captured by our troops in the neighbourhood of Thua Thien, confessed that’ he himself had raped 120 young girls of Viet-Nam. Mothers and Women of North Africa! 63 === [PDF page 64] === The time has arrived to make an end to these sad spectacles. You should protest energetically against sending North-African troops and war, materials to Viet-Nam. Persuade your husbands; brothers and sons to boycott their embarkation, Denounce such action of the colonialists before your people and world public opinion, and protest against the using of one colonial people against the other! Madame OHAN TAHN President of the Union of Women of Viet-Nam, 64 === [PDF page 65] === SIAM “Siam is a semi-colonial country and at one time was exploited by French colonial imperialists, followed by British and Japanese colonial interests. Before the war there were only two American firms in Bangkok. Today, there are 30. Formerly, tin was exported by British merchants to Malaya where it was smelted in British factories. Now, the tin goes to the United States. The Americans buy up rice, export rubber and other raw materials. Power in Siam belongs to the bourgeois-feudal clique. At the top of the hierarchy stands the present Prime Minister, Pibul “Sougkian, who has said. “Be friendly towards the Americans and welcome American trade and business undertagings in Siam.” — (World News and Views) SUMMARY OF THE REPORT ON THE CHINESE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT IN SIAM There are three categories of women in Siam: housewifes, professional women, and working women. Chinese society in Siam is very backward and the women’s struggle is very young, only seven to eight years old. But, in this relatively short period, this struggle can be summarized in three periods: 1, The anti-Japanese period, 1941—1945: The struggle was directed against the Japanese invader, against traitors and the ieudal power of Siamese fascism. 2. The period of struggle against the Americans and Chiang- Kai-Shek: The women’s movement was no longer clandestine and became engaged in open struggle which reached a high and successful level of work, 3. The present period: After the coup d’état of Pibul Songhram, the women’s movement was forced underground again, Now, over and above the fight against the Americans and Chiang-Kai-Shek. is the fight against Pibul Songhram. 5 ‘ 65 === [PDF page 66] === CHINESE WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN SIAM. UNION OF CHINESE WORKING WOMEN OF SIAM. The Union of Chinese Working Women of Siam was founded before the Japanese invasion of Siam. Several women workers felt the need of study and they organized an evening study group. The number of students slowly increased as did the bonds of friendship and mutual help. Each continued to study individually, and there were weekly meetings. Then, they founded the Organization of Mutual Assistance. Their aim was mutual help and closer acquaintance. In 1941, Siam was invaded by Japanese imperialists who took over the economic life of the country. Siamese fascism became a tool of the invaders, In order to support its battle fronts, the Japanese army. set up several factories jn Siam (shoes, stocking, cord and string, military clothing). They hired a great number of workers, and these workers, in order to earn a living, sought employment in the Japanese factories in great numbers, Then the Organization of Mutual Assistance realized that to have a strong anti-Javanese front, they had to associate themselves with the worker’s movement of Siam, participate in the international fight against fascism and in the resistance movement of the country. They decided to send their militant members into the Japanese factories, to work there and organize strikes and acts of sabotage. Here are some of the results of the organization’s work: In the shoe factory, Pei-Tchouang, where 200 women were employed, they began propaganda work explaining to the workers that to aid the Japanese production meant to helv the slaughter of their compatriots; that in order to liberate China, it was necessary to organize acts of sabotage and the slowing down of production. They succeeded in convincing all the workers. The Japanese obtained only half of the planned production. In addition, the thread with which the shoes were sewn had been cut in advance and the shoes fell to pieces after having been used once or twice. 2 Together with these acts of sabotage and the slowing down of production, they requested, on one occasion, a raise in wages. The management of the factory naturally refused. What, is more, they had our delegates arrested and tortured. The workers became enraged. They called a general strike in which the women workers participated. The struggle lasted for five months. 66 === [PDF page 67] === In another factory, a can factory, there were numerous acts of sabotage, even better executed. By the slowing down of work, the products could not be delivered in time to the Japanese army. This greatly affected the food supply of the Japanese front lines. The workers, by contaminating the raw materials used in producing the cans, caused the food to rot before it reached its destination. Several worker’s organizations were founded at that time under the direction of the trade unions. They are: The Kang-Tchang Branch of Women Workers of the can factory; the Je-Tchang Organization of Fraternal and Mutual Aid of the rope and string factory, and the Mutual Aid Organization of the textile workers. Then came the capitulation of Japan in 1945. Working women requested the fusion of their separate organizations, such as: the Mutual Aid Organization of the Bookbinders, the Kang-Tchang Branch of Women Workers and the Friendship Association of the Working Sisters. Under the direction of the General Federation for Reconstruction and the Salvation of the Country, the Friendship Organization of the Working Sisters arranged various solicitations of funds. But this was the fusion of only a few units. Other organizations still remained apart. Gradually, the sisters of all the organizations realized the necessity of having a united direction in order to. concentrate their forces and perform their work more efficiently, In order to achieve this aim, the Union of Chinese Women Workers in Siam was founded and -at present has approximatel _ 700 members.. WOMEN’S MATCH WORKER’S UNION The Union of Match Workers was founded in 1941. Life at that time was veny difficult. Women worked more than ten hours a day, earned only 30 cents and were, in addition mistreated by their employers. Our fight began after the Japanese invasion of Siam. The Japanese requisitioned everything. In order to live, we had to organize and fight. On the first occasion, we struck for two months. Finally, ‘we achieved victory. On the second occasion, we held out for eight months, an unprecedented event in the history of Siam. During the course of this long period, the workers stood firm, refusing to enter the factory before obtaining satisfaction of their demands. ee 67 === [PDF page 68] === During the same period, other women match workers secured employment in the Japanese rope and string factory. These women succeeded in organizing the women workers of the factory and involving them in acts of sabotage. The women match workers were also, the first to contribute funds to the guerilla troops whenever an appeal was made for funds. During the Japanese occupation, these women engaged in economic warfare four times. After the return of peace, they unanimously participated in the manifestations against the traitors; and what is more, they took part in the work of the Action Committees against the traitors. When the appeal had been launched from other quarters for the cessation of the civil war in China, they joined the movement by organizing propaganda groups. After the founding of the General Federation for the Reconstruction and: Salvation of the Country, they mobilized their membership for the collection of funds., In a word, the women match workers are very active in the fight for democracy. At present, there are approximately 500 members in the organization. This organization takes the most decisive stand of any of the women worker’s organizations of Bangkok. GENERAL FEDERATION OF CHINESE WOMEN OF SIAM | The General Federation of Chinese Women of Siam was founded in 1945, after the capitulation of Japan. The principle task of the General Federation of Chinese Women in Siam consists, therefore, besides supporting the democratic movement in China, in developing by all means, the education of women and in making collections for those in need. There are now several hundred members in this organization. As one method of work, courses have been organized for the teaching of women to read and write. The principle of education is to increase their knowledge of the present society and of the relations between women and the democratic movement. Besides, we have also created courses to teach children to read and write. THE SECTION OF YOUNG CHINESE WOMEN The section of Chinese Young Women was a small section during, during the Japanese occupation. It organized women and made collections in order to support the war of resistance against the Japanese. 68 === [PDF page 69] === After the capitulation of Japan, we participated in the movement against traitors, spread propaganda among the people for the maintaining of good Sino-Siamese relations, at a time when the Kuomingtang was trying to sow dissension between the two races, s In 1945, it became the Women’s Section of Chinese Youth in Siam, Since then, it has worked in accordance with the directives . of the central organization. Here are some of its activities: To raise the level of knowledge of young women through the medium of discussion groups, through courses in sociology and through organizing elementany courses in reading and writing, In addition, they have organized sewing groups with instructions in cutting, Such was our work during the last two years (1945—47). We then had about 100 members. | WOMEN’S CONDITIONS IN GENERAL 1. Women workers in the match factories number from about five to six hundred. In the morning they work at making matches and in the afternoon they weave or do hairdressing in order to earn more money. .2. Cotton mill workers: There are two to three thousand at Bangkok. They manufacture mosquito netting and muslin for windows and they also manufacture plaid cloth. But the work is very hard. Making mosquito netting is not as arduous but the wages are lower. A day’s wages is never more than five or six Chu. Most of the weavers are old women. The working day begins in the morning and lasts until seven or eight o’clock in the evening. 3. Women cigarette workers: They work 14 or 15 hours a day and are not paid’ more than seven or eight Chu. The work is difficult for it consists of rolling two to three thousand cigarettes per day. Most of the workers are sick, poisoned by the nicotine. Very young girls are hired in great numbers because they are paid a much lower salary, 4, Garment workers, Their work lasts ten hours a day. Actually they earn very little because business conditions are bad, 5. Women button workers, They work under unhealthy conditions, slowly poisoned by the odor of beef-bone. Also a great.number of these workers are tubercular. They work ten hours a day and are paid three to five Chu. 69 === [PDF page 70] === 6. Women shoe workers. They work very hard and earn seven Chu per day. Now that the Siamese market is flooded with foreign goods, many small shops have been forced to close or to cut down production. As a result, many of these women workers are unemployed. i 7. Women bamboo workers. They work very hard and are often injured carrying the bamboo shafts. Medical treatment is not paid for by the owners, neither are they paid for convalescent. periods. They earn. about five Chu a day. Most of them are organized. 8) Women glass workers. Women compose the majority of all glass workers, They work ten hours a day and in the course of their work they suffer frequent injuries. The owners do not pay for medical treatment, Many young girls have their health ruined by the heat and smoke. GENERAL DEMANDS OF WOMEN WORKERS. 1. Job security, This fs one of their minimum demands for they have absolutely no security and can be fired at any time the owner desires. 2. The right to education and professional training. Chinese Women’s Association in Siam September. 1948 70 === [PDF page 71] === PHILLIPINES This it the answer of the Philippine Women’s Society to the situation of women in colonial and dependent countries as ked for in the questionnaire sent out by the WIDF., 1948. The government of the Philippines during American occupation recognized 3 major groups of natives: Christians, Mohammedans (or Moros) and Pagans. The Christian Filipinos constitute 91% of the total population of the Philippines, Chief of the non-Christians are the Moros who are Mohammedans, The Pagans include Igorots, Ifugaos, and Kaligas who live in the mountains and forests. These groups do not all have the same rights. The Christian Filipinos who have generously accepted foreign influence ‘and institutions enjoy the most rights. Two provinces (the province is the accepted division of territories in our country) mostly populated by Moros have appointed governors while the governors of other provinces are elected. With the exception of the Christian Filipinos all other groups ‘have less economic and social rights. Due to the greater degree of backwardness of the latter groups and due to utter indifference of our administration, these latter groups have less educational facilities and_ social opportunities. In many ways the cultural rights of each group are respected, for instance the Moros dress. differently from the Christians. While the Moros practice polygamy, the Christians believe in monogamy. The traditions and customs of each group are tolerated by one another. However, the language of each group is not taught in the schools except the Tagalog language which is the official national language of the Philippines. Some groups have printed publications but the most widely and popularly publicized language is Tagalog. There are no sharp racial conflicts in our country. It can be said that there is a slight prejudice against Chinese who compete keenly in business and trade with the Filipinos. Our ex-president Manuel Roxas tried: ‘to fan anti-Chinese feeling, by exaggerating the disastrous effects on Philippine industries of Chinese competiton, to cover up the fact that our more monstrous exploi- 71 === [PDF page 72] === ters are the American monopolists, but his campaign did not gain much ground. There are no castes is our country. We have two distinct classes 1) the comprador class whose interests are tied up with American big businessmen, the nationalist bourgeoisie and the feudal landlords who own vast tracts of land, and 2) the workers and the peasants. Our middle class elements are poorer than the middle class of advanced capitalist countries. THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE ECONOMY OF OUR COUNTRY. I, General information. The dominant economy of our country is agricultural. Most of our heavy and important industries ‘are in the hands of American imperialists, the Chinese big businessmen ranking second in the control and domination of our trade and industries. In fact, 80 percent of our industries and trade are jin the hands of foreigners. Now Japanese industrialists are slowly gaining strength through the help of the SCAF by allowing into our country the entry of Japanese goods with the cooperation of our administration. The natural resources of our country are the agricultural products such as coconuts, hemp, wheat, tobacco and rice; different trees and plants having commercial value; gold (we are the 5th largest gold producing country in the world), copper, iron, platinum, silver, lead, zinc, sulphur, salt, kaolin, borax, gypsum, wolfram; fish, animals and birds. These natural resources are now only «xploited to a certain point but not entirely being utilised. We have enormous iron deposits in Surigeo, Mindanao, but they are not yet exploited. Women do not play a very salient role in the different branches of the economic life of our country. Our latest statistics before the outbreak of the war in 1941 show that women workers totalled 4, 247, 215 or 50.2 percent of all gainful workers. Nearly ‘/sths of that number are engaged in the domestic occupation group. Of the women workers 20.7 percent are doing agri- - cultural work and the 3.5 percent are in the commercial and professional services. Although all professions are open. to. women, very few women venture into the professions of aviation, engineering, architecture, and other “masculine“ professions due to pressure of feudal social concepts.: 72 === [PDF page 73] === The working conditions of women are deplorable. In most factories, there are'very few toilets for women often one or two to accomodate a great number of women workers. There are no rest rooms.‘ Working shop are poorly lighted and ventilated and. the surroundings are often unsanitary and unsightly. Factory inspection work jis either lax or nonexistent. The principal of equal pay for equal work is not applied here. Generally men get higher pay than the women for the same kind of work. i Women workers are engaged in such types of work as textilemanufacturing, weaving, shirt-making, cigar und cigarette manufacturing, sewing shoes, candy-making, lard manufacturing, embroidery, pottery, button making, cutting paper, making cardboard boxes, etc. They usually work from 8 to 12 hours a day. They are seldom made to work at night except for overtime work. They” have the right to join trade unions, however, because few women work in factories, there are few trade union members, and according to trade union organizers women are harder to organize into the trade unions than men. About protection of working mothers, the government gives vacation leave of one month and _ sick leave of one month with pay to women employees. While some private firms give this privilege to women employees, a general law for this purpose is lacking. Before the outbreak of the war in 1941, the average monthly wages of women in textile, embroidery, eiger and cigarette, pottery, shirt and candy factories and rice wills are as low as 8, 10, 12 and 14 pesos (2 pesos is equal to one US dollar). Plantation women workers receive 20 to 40 centavos for a 12 hour day’s work (2 centavos is equivalent to 1 cent American currency), The daily wage of women farm laborers was 32 centavos. POLITICAL STATUS. The general principle, equality between men and women is granted by the constitution and by law. However there are specific instances where such equality is still non-existing. A woman, for example, cannot leave a parental home to live by herself until she is 25 years old, except when the purpose is to marry. A man is not bound by this prohibition. ‘ Men enjoy civil rights which are still not accorded to women. For example, for the purpose of legally binding the conjugal partnership for the losses or liabilities of the commercial undertaking of the wives, women cannot engage in commerce except with the permission of their husband. Men are the managers of 73 === [PDF page 74] === conjugal property except when the husband is incompetent or under guardianship or is absent. In these instances, the wife may become the manager by proper application or petition in the court, given the proper circumstances. Women, like men can be elected. Commonwealth Act \No 34 was passed by the Philippine National Assembly to provide for the holding of a plebiscite on the question of woman suffrage on April 30, 1937 and on the said date, more than 300.000 women possessing the necéssary qualifications voted affirmatively on the question. Women can be members of the executive branch of the government, but so far no woman has occupied a high position in the executive branch of the National Government. Women are not at present employed in public works, though no prohibition is expressly provided by law. Yet women are employed in education, administration, post-offices, telephone Differences exist among men and women in employment and pay. Generally women get lower pay than men. It is easier for men to get employment than women. Married women especially, find difficulties in getting employment. Women can become lawyers, judges, etc. SOCIAL STATUS. Legal status: Women have the same rights of inheritance as men. Women have the full liberty regarding marriage contract and its financial conditions, except when a woman is still not of age. A woman becomes of age at 18 years. Without parental consent, a woman can marry at 18, with parental consent at 14. However, the law will recognize a marriage of a woman under 14 years of age, with the consent of parents, as valid, Women can marry regardless of differences of race, nationality and religion. We have no caste here. Generally men and women have the same rights and obligations in marriage, with the same exceptions. Whether she could still exercise. her profession, if it would constitute abandonment of the conjugal dwelling is a.moot question, A wife has. the right to exercise her profession legally speaking. A wife can freely dispose of her salary. She cannot administer or dispose of 14 === [PDF page 75] === any property belonging to the conjugal partnership, except with the consent of the husband in cases expressly provided by law. There is no specific legal prohibition by which the husband can prohibit his wife from working, But it is a custom still observed in the Philippines that when the husband prohibits the wife from working outside the home, she generally abstains. Divorce exists but a criminal conviction for adultery for concubinage must be had first before the party who wants to divorce can file his action,, A widow can remarry, Poligamy does not exist in the Christian regions. It is prac- ‘ticed among the Moros who constitute a minority group in the Philippines, EDUCATION, Women constitute half of the population of the Philippines and 50 percent of the population is illiterate. Elementary education is supposed to be compulsory.according to the constitution, but, the fact now is that there are hundreds of thousand of children of school age who cannot get accomodation in the elementary schools of the government. Conditions for men and women in education are the same. Schooling has the same length for both. They have the same diplomas. Classes are taught iin mixed schools. All types of schooling are open to women. This year not less than 350.000 school children could not be accomodated due to lack of schools. The curriculum calls for a lot of changes due to the swift development of the times and yet it remains unchanged. School teachers have very meager salaires not adequate for the quantity and quality of their work. Academic freedom is stifled in the schools and in the administration. WOMEN’S MOVEMENT. Fhilippino women are still bound tightly by feudal concepts which prevent them, for the most part, from exercising their true role in society. Even in the more advanced groups, such as in the labor movement, women must be content to sit in the silent background. Equal rights for women are not only unknown, but constitute a question which has hardly been raised. There are women’s organizations, it is true, but they are of a social or welfare nature of the most -innocuous variety. 15 === [PDF page 76] === We Filippino women do not lack our traditions, we treasure the memory of Tandang Sora, who fought in the rank of the revolutionary army in the revolt against Spain. In the recent war to free our country from Japanese oppression, hundreds of women volunteered in the guerillas carrying out every task, from leading units in the field to supplying and nursing the soldiers, There are many women to-day in the peasant movement which is resisting the mailed fist policy of the puppet Roxas administration. On March 8th, International Women’s Day, a new organization of Philippine women was formed called Philippine Women’s Society, The above extracts are taken from a letter of the Philippine Women’s Society, === [PDF page 77] === TURKEY The country has a population of 18 million. There are 30,000 villages with no schools at all. 60% of the Turkish youth is illiterate, and the situation is still worse as far as women are concerned. In order to conceal its impotence to better living conditions, the Government invokes the threat of an impending war, and makes propaganda against progressive democracy. The country’s economic situation is not balanced. The rise in food prices is uncontrolled, and housing conditions are critical. Trade Unions are officially suppressed. Women working in factories, in white collar professions and on farms have no organizations of their own. Employees, workers, professors, if suspected of illegal democratic activity, are dismissed. Wages for women are lower than those of men. Except ini her work, the woman has no chance for any training or education. The life of peasants is still more deplorable, for the lack of an irrigation system and of the construction of dams has disastrous consequences each year (such as hunger, the wrecking of homes, and even Thus, the life of the peasants is a very hard one. Often the peasant woman gives brith to her child in the fields, or under utterly primitive conditions. In an emergency, when an operation becomes necessary, she very rarely survives for she is hardly ever able to reach ‘the nearest town or surgeon in time. Land reform has been adopted by the National Assembly but wag never put into practice. The peasants are either working for + the landlord lor on their own farms. In the latter case they are short of any sort of technical equipment. Thus, they barely manage to subsist. Syphilis and malaria take their toll in almost, every The number of hospitals and medical centers are insufficient in proportion to the number of the population. Those situated in the big towns are unable to care for all the sick, and there are not any in the smaller places, 77 === [PDF page 78] === Elementary schooling is complusory for children of 6 or 7 years. But there are no schools. Children under 16, though not allowed to, are often driven by hunger to work in factories. The children of working women live in dirty hovels. Due to the housing crisis and the high rents, families of 6 or 8 members are often crowded in one single room. Sanatoria or hospitals are extremely scarce so that isolation is practically impossible. In the villages, innumerable babies die of dysenteny. Orphan homes, children’s homes and institutions for vagrant children cannot meet the ever-increasing demands created by destitution, At present, the progressive Turkish woman only begins to realize the part she has to play in the improvement of her lot. LETTER FROM TURKEY — November, 1948 === [PDF page 79] === CYPRUS On August 2nd the workers of the Cyprus Asbestos Mines Co. (Anglo-american) at '‘Amiandos went on strike due to the fact that the Company dismissed 200 women without any reasons and exiled the Secretary of the Trade Union, Lassettas. (Amiandos is a vilage owned by the company and the company does everything according to its own will.) On three times there were crushes with the police. The Company refused to give bread to the strikers, although the latter were ready to pay for it. As a result, the strikers twice rushed into the shops and distributed the bread among the workers. LETTER FROM THE PROGRESSIVE WOMEN OF FAMAGUSTA (CIPRUS) TO THE W. I, D. F. October 18, 1948. Dear Friends: The Committee of the Famagusta Women’s Progressive Union, received, through AON (Progressive Youth Organisation), your kind invitation, as well as respective documents for the Women’s Conference of Asia. Having studied them carefully, made our members aware of it, we came to the following decisions: a. to thank you for your honorary invitation, b. to send congratulatory telegrams, c. to make you aware of the conditions under which we live, as enslaved people, of a colony and especially as women under “a status quo” of compulsion and exploitation. The conditions of our living and especially for the women of lower social statum, do not differ from those of people of Asia. We and our children are deprived of every social and political right.: We greatly desire them, and have the will to struggle for a future security, for our freedom, political and social, for our national independence, and for an ever-lasting peace. 79 === [PDF page 80] === Unfortunately, however, we couldn’t organise and unify a Pancyprian Women’s Movement, to make our voices heard better and our rights to be more respected. We, for this purpose, are trying hard to unify the scattered, weak, women’s movement to a Pancyprian Democratic Federation of Women, with purposes and intentions like those of the World’s Democratic Women’s Federation and to put it under the leadership of the WIDF. Re wa ales A connection and guidance, would greatly help us from your part. We trust and hope, that the Council of the Women’s International Democratic Federation which remembered the women of our enslaved and oppressed island, will have the kindness to help in our Movement. 80 === [PDF page 81] === IRAN For centuries, Iran has been one of the most important centres of international politics. Until the October Socialist Revolution, Iran was a source of disagreement between British and Russian imperialism. Whether provisionally in agreement or disagreement, our country has always been the victim of these two imperialisms. The great October Revolution had completely changed the political situation of Iran, The Soviet. Union, regarding our people as free and independent, evacuated Iran, relinquishing the economic concessions obtained under Tzarist Russia and declared, in a Treaty signed in 1921, that “The Union of Socialist Soviet Republics terminates for ever the practice of power politics pursued by Tsarist Russia in Iran and wants the Iranian people to be able to freely dispose of its territory, its natural resources, and its future“. British imperialism, on the other hand now having a free hand attempted to impose upon us another Treaty aiming at the final colonisation of Iran. The Iranian people who have always followed with interest the development of the great Revolution, knew well that a nation can break its chairis and demonstrate its twill. The nation reyolted against the infamous treaty of 1919. England was forced to retreat. However, British imperialism was too firmly rooted in our country to so easily give up its prey. They put into power a so-called democratic government of the ‘people which, however,, soon revealed its real nature. The dictator selected by England, according the declaration made by Eden in the British Parliament during the Second World war, had absolute power over the country. It was a rule of jterror, stifling the democratic aspirations of the people, crowding the prisons, and the program that the British had already tried to impose by their 1919 Treaty was carried out by this dictator in all details. Iran was changed into a stronghold against the USSR. During the last war, British and Soviet troops occupied Iranian territory. The Soviet Army treated the Iranian people as brothers, as free and friendly people, while the British army trea- === [PDF page 82] === Women breaking up the stones under the broiling sun ted us like slaves. The Iranians who were kept in complete ignorance about the life of the Soviet people, and, due to imperialist propaganda, even considered the Soviet people as savages, began to understand, to love and esteem its close neighbour, the Soviet people, The English, were forced to admit American imperialists to the country which previously they had exploited alone. The American army ‘entered Iran and even surpassed the British Army. American imperialism had the following objectives: 1, To obtain the concessions of the oil wells under the same conditions as the British, that is by allowing the Iranian Government not more than 15 percent of their profits. 2. To’ control-the economic life of the country by appointing American exports to all administrative fields. 3. To control the army and the police by supplying them with arms and by appointing American officers to organise the Iranian army.; 4, To create military and air bases in order to transform Iran into a. fortress against the USSR in view its strategic position. The English ceded a large part of the shares in the South Iranian oil wells to the Americans, who are attempting to extend the territories under their control. 82 === [PDF page 83] === The Iranian Government signed a treaty with America by which it was agreed to abandon the army and police to the American exports and accept humiliating conditions for the Iranian people. The American Government under the pretext of introducing a seven-year plan is trying, whit the aid of their dollars, to enslave our country. A few individuals will profit by this, while our people will have to suffer the taxes and the misery, and see their country invaded by American arms, ‘The Iranian people does not wish to make war against the Soviet Union, but on the contrary wants to keep its friendship. The Iranian people are fighting with all their strength against the invaders, who have but one aim, to appropriate the wealth of Iran, exploit its people, and to prepare for a future war. THE WOMEN OF IRAN From. earliest childhood on, the women of Tran, do the hardest work, In the fields and the villages the most strenuous and exhausting work is their lot. In the Northern Provinces of Iran, in the great ricefields, it is the women who do the sowing and harvesting, and their sole aim is to satisfy the hunger of themselves and their families. In other regions they work in ithe fields, tend the animals and nurse the children, working like beasts of burden and treated like them. The conditions in the southern provinces make blindness and early death commonplace. Women are considered a mere burden, are thrown a piece of bread and rags for their clothing. The women of the tribes have a still more miserable life. They are looked upon with disdain, although it women who do the work, carry the touts. and the children, weave the carpets and tend the beasts. When the tribesmen are moving, she walks behind the caravan for several miles a day with the child strapped to her back. The man has full rights over her, and may eyen kill her without penalty. She lives ona handful of nuts anda peace of bread. Her nomadic life makes her extremely superstitious, INDUSTRY Industry can be divided into two main branches. 1. Modern industry which comprises the great textile plants with up to date machinery. Driven by misery, the women come to the industrial centres in masses, where they are the cheapest labour. Women are working 12 to 14 hours a day under the most Bs 4 83 === [PDF page 84] === unsanitary conditions. For example, in the Isphahan factories, women crouch on the ground, naked, cleaning wool in cold, gloomy sheds. The dust from the wool is so dense that it is impossible to see two foot ahead. The women work for hours and hours in this dust. Their wages are starvation wages: they are hardly able to buy Earning their livelihood at 7 years — Tran themselves their daily bread. There is no law to protect them and when taken ill they are mercilessly fired replaced by others equally hungry. The worst of it is that in these sheds you often see babies from one month to a year old, already destined for early death. In the tanneries one sees women who have lost the look of human beings, working sometimes fifteen hours a day in humid fever-ridden darkness, legs and arms covered with wounds caused by the acids they use, fed on indescribable scraps, and paid only a few pence a day. And even this slavery is not available for most of the year. 84 === [PDF page 85] === 2. The second branch of our industry is the carpets and hand woven tapestries. These latter are beginning to disappear, but the carpets remain and constitute an important source of wealth for the country. This wealth is entirely derived from the labour of the women. Everywhere in Iran, in the tribes, the villages, one can see women before a carpet loom, Born artists, with skillful fingers they create carpets of world wide reputation and magnificent design. It costs the woman the work of 15 hours a day to produce these masterpieces. She can be seen counting the stisches, creating brilliant colour combinations and at the same time coughing and spitting blood. The majority of young girls who weave carpets are deformed due to the position in which they have to work for hours on end. This deformity often leads to death when later they get married land become pregnant. We may safely say that each Iranian carpet is stained with the blood of our girls and women, who pay with their lives for the tremendous fortunes accumulated by the bosses of the carpet industry. Wherever she works, in!all branches of industry, social and administrative work, she-gets half salary for doing the same work as man. In the oil areas where enormous profits are made by British and American imperialism, misery often drives fathers to sell their daughters for 1,000 francs, and as stated by a Member of Parliament who exposed this disgrace, womeni are often used to draw the plough to break up the soil. It is not unusual to see pregnant women leading the plough as well as carrying their own weight. In the ports of the Persian Gulf, young girls who have no clothing, hide themselves during the day and only dare go out under the cover of darkness. From the sanitary point of view, the conditions of women are deplorable. Apart from a few large towns where one finds a few hospitals, medical care is entirely absent from the lives of the Iranian people. Young girls generally marry between nine and 12 years of age; and from the age of 13 begin to bear children. She never gets regular medical care, and the number of young women who die during childbirth is obviously enormous as they continue their exhausting work in the field or factories until the very, last moment, and it is not unusual to see a woman in labour in the fields or at the bench, and immediately resuming work. Unemployment makes women a ready prey to prostitution. In Teheran alone there are thousands of them. Young girls of 11 and 12 are infected with venereal: diseases. ° Legally, women are ‘admitted to all the universities, but the majority of ‘the Iranian people are unable to send their children even to primary schools: as soon as the children are able to use 85 === [PDF page 86] === their hands they have to earn a living. There are regions where girls can neither read nor write, jand 90% of Iranian women are illiterate. In recent years a wave of reaction and religious fanatisism has invaded our country and even the few girls’ schools which do exist were closed down by the imperialists. Children in the oil regions We have witnessed the outrageous sight of unveiled women being beaten up in the streets of our capital by imperialist agents in the name of religion. THE WAR AND THE POSITION OF THE IRANIAN WOMAN Although Iran was not a theater of war in the proper sense of the word, and did not directly suffer by the war, it was called “Phe Bridge of Victory.” In fact, during the war years, the country rendered invaluable services to the Allied Armies stationed in Iran, The Iranian people were striving for liberty, and spared neither blood nor work during the harsh years of war. Enjoying 86 === [PDF page 87] === its provisional freedom, it began to shake of the bonds of slavery and was endeavoring to lay the foundations of a free and happy future. Even in the province of Azerbaidjan, the people arrived at making their own laws, and their women obtained franchise. But imperialism, bolstered by the feudal lords and the agents in their pay, went to any lengths, including mass murders, torture, and imprisonment of anyone suspected of harboring thoughts of freedom and human rights. The province of Azerbaidjan suffered more than any other area. There was not a single village that could not boast of martyrs for freedom, not a single family that had not cruelly suffered. Atrocious scenes took place, taking human toll; people were stoned and neither women, nor infants were spared in any way. Concentration camps were created, and workers’ strikes cruelly suppressed. Women who took their veils off were forced, in the name of religion, to imprison themselves once more; Iranian mothers were beaten up, and injured in the streets to force them back to their confinent. Schools were closed down. American goods have invaded our markets, and in consequence, unemployement is rising daily. Welfare agencies are a Dundant and millions are spent on furnishing them, while the victims of the Khorassan earthquake are wandering hungry, benumbed by cold, without ever receiving any of their aid. In spite of this gloomy situation, the people are stirring: they have had a taste of freedom. Women are also taking part in the resistance movement, they have suffered too much to remain indifferent to the struggle in which the lives of their children and husbands are at stake. p Our organization has the honor of being the only one with the reputation of fighting for the acquisition of full rights for women, for the victory of democracy. The day when we proclaimed our affiliation to the Women’s International Democratic Federation was a happy one for our women. The Iranian woman wants to win her rights, wants to abolish the laws and customs enslaving her, the law which says: “Fools, children and women have no franchise.” The Iranian woman strives for her freedom and her dignity, she wants to be considered a human being. We have suffered from the war and are still suffering, and we want peace, as peace alone can ensure a happy and free future. Those who are trying to unleash a new war, who are thirsty for more blood, are well known to us: they ycannot disguise themselves, as we have satisfied their thirst with our own blood, and by the lives of our children for years and years. Their yoke is stranglings us, and we can no longer forgive them. 87 === [PDF page 88] === he women of Iran want: 1. The independence of Iran. 2, That the imperialist countries evacuate our land, that they respect the rights of our people and do not entangle them into their policy of aggression. 3. The right of mothers to their children. 4, Equal rights to women in marriage. 5. Equal pay for equal work. 6. The application of labor legislation for women and special legislation protecting the mother (maternity leaves, etc.). 7, Outlawing child labor until the age of at least 15 years. 8. Compulsory free education for all children. 9, Creation of Funds for the children of workers and peasants to enable them to study at high schools and universities. 10. Creation of ereches, hospitals and maternity homes in all communites THE PROBLEMS OF CHILDHOOD IN IRAN. The question of children is the most acute and the most painful in the life jof our society. Nothing has been. provided, nothing has been done to ensure the life of these helpless beings who will form our future generation. The mother, who has to go about her work, ties her baby to its wooden cradle and, jn order to keep it quiet, gives it a small opium pill which narcotizes it for hours and, somentimes, forever. International imperialism made opium the panacea available to our people, and it is obvious that the children who are accustomed to it cannot properly develop. They die at an early age, and infant mortality reaches 90% in Iran, The working woman takes her baby along, and keeps it at her side during her working hours. In Ispahahn, the center of textile industry, where women are exploited to a higher degree than anywhere else, they are assembled in large sheds to clean cotton. These sheds are cold, dark and humid, and the dust of the cotton is so thick that one cannot see two yards ahead. Next to their mothers, the babies lie on wooden cots. These small beings turn their sick-eyed heads around, without even having the strength to cry, and are easy prey to silicosis and tuberculosis. Their mortality rate is very high. Some of the women working in these factories pul their ‘children into other magazines of wool to save them. It is not unusual that these babies get run over by wool trucks. In the carpet industry children play an important part, Due to their skillfull fingers, they are sought after for the weaving of 88 === [PDF page 89] === the finest carpets, so that all over Iran, children sit at the loom for 15 hours a day in unlighted rooms that are prisons rather than anything else. The sight of children of four, sitting at the loom, their small fingers continously hit, weaving, with an occasional piece of bread for food, is heantbreaking. The working women made up little songs about their miserable life, and one can often hear babies babbling the songs of slaves, the words childishly distorted. In Southern Iran, in the oil region, where these enormous riches fill up the pockets of British and American imperialists, the children, half-blind by ophtalmia, naked and hungry, search the slaughter houses for scraps, or to feed even on the blood of slaughtered beasts. One can see them fighting for the rind of a watermelon, which, more often than not, is finally eaten up by an adult. In another province of Iran, Kirman, closely neighbouring the British dominion of Beludsistan, misery has reached such extents that whole bands of children emigrate and these starved, harassed, sick troops stagger along the highways in the horrible heat, begging and never reaching their destination. Their poor little bodies border the roads built by imperialism. The starved parents sell their children, and anybody possessing 300 francs can buy himself a baby slave. Many an Iranian mother accepts the death of her child as liberation for the baby Sanitary measures Needleess to say, there are no such measures in Iran. There are altogether two or three children’s homes in lamentable conditions. If an epidemic of flu or measles sets in, it takes a horrible toll in the village or district striken. Lately, 23 children died of measles in a village of 300 in a single day, due to the lack of medical care. Education Elementary schooling is compulsory but the law has never been applied. In the fight against misery, children of four have to work. Besides, there are no schools at all in villages and large communities, and very few in the capital. IRANIAN LEGISLATION IS BASED ON THE KORANIC LAWS AND HAS HARDLY BEEN CHANGED FOR CENTURIES Various paragraphs -of the law restrict the rights. of the women, or entirely suppress them. A) Law of inheritance. a) Women (mother, sisters, daughter or next of kin to the decased) inherit one half of what a man would. 89 === [PDF page 90] === b) Inheritance of the wife if childless: one quarter of the heritage: one eighth if she has children. In case of decease of the wife, and in the absence of other inheritable relatives, the husband inherits the property of his wife, while a woman widow inherits but one quarter and the rest is confiscated by the State. B) Marriage law. There are two sorts of marriage in force in Iran. a) Permanent Marriage. In this case, the “kabin” to be paid by the man is considerable, and his wife is more respected. b) Provisional Marriage. The “kabin” is rather low. This isa form of concubinage sanctioned by the representatives of law and religion. The man is entitled to keep the woman fora night, for ten days or for all her life. Such marriages are concluded and broken at a surprising speed. Polygamy is an uncontested right of the man who, if his financial situation permits, may re-marry or change wives infinitely. The.moslem woman is not allowed to marry out of her religion, The marriage of an Iranian woman with a foreigner, even if not prohibited by the law, can only be contracted under special authorisation (Art. 1509 and 160). Article 1117 provides that the man is entitled to prevent his wife from exercising a profession which is detrimental to his family interests or social position. This law is made ample use of in the cases of the few women who have their professions, in preventing them under more or less futile pretexts, to build up an independent living. Article 1405 stipulates that in conjugal relations the husband is considered!the head of the family. Article 1113 provides that in the provisional marriage the wife is not entitled to daily expenses unless so stipulated in a marriage contract. Articles 1114 provides that the wife is obliged to live in the quarters selected by her husband, unless a contrary clause has been made in the marriage contract. C) Divorce Law. a) Under Article 1133 the husband may repudiate his wif¢ at any moment he deems fit, while the wife has no such right. 90 === [PDF page 91] === Only in the following cases may a woman apply to the Tribunal and obtain a divorce (which is practically impossible): 1. If the marriage was not consummated, and there is no possibility of making the husband change his way of living. 2. Excessive brutality of the husband, making the life of the wife intolerable. 3. If living together becomes dangerous to the wife’s health, due to contagious or incurable diseases. 4. The refusal of the husband to keep his wife 5. Impotence. 6. Insanity of the husband. None of the articles prohibits the election of a woman to a jury, but no woman has ever been elected and at present there seems to be no hope for a change. No article deprives the woman of her right to be member of the executive power: paragraph 58;:of the Book of Complimentay Laws of the Constitution declares: “Any person fulfilling the following conditions: Inanian nationality, Moslem, and Iranian subject, may be appointed minister.” However, no woman has so far attained high posts in the Government administration, and the Government is categorically opposed to it. The law formally prohibits the woman’s access to the legislative body. Although there is no law preventing women from acting as judges, the Government in this case too is formally opposed. This prohibition shows the influence of the Islam. Report of the Iranian Delegation to the Second Congress of the WIDF Budapest, 1948 91 === [PDF page 92] === IRAK Irak suffers under terrible oppression, The democratic people of the whole world learned with emotion of the struggles led by the peoples of Irak against the treaty of Portsmouth in January, 1948. This treaty bound Irak ‘militarily strictly to British imperialism. The treaty was not ratified and Saley Jaba, resident of the Council, who had signed it, was obliged to resign. Here, some extracts of a letter addressed to the WIDF, illusstrate for the whole world the events that took place in Bagdad and most parts of Irak during the anti-treaty demonstrations: « |,The demonstrations of January! i4 were led by the students of the universities and high schools. The police organised a veritable siege against the High School of Law. Rocks: were thrown and there were many wounded. The demonstrations took on greater dimensions, with workers taking part in the struggle, There were bloody conflicts with the police, with 15 dead and several wounded. «..In many quarters of Bagdad there were clashes with the police lasting 48 hours without interruption, One could hear the steady clatter of the machine guns as well as the screaming of the women.: “..,The resignation of four ministers was followed by the resignation of the entire cabinet. A new cabinet was formed. “Thousand of men and women attended the funeral of the martyrs. Students marched in front of the coffins which were covered by the Irak national colors, and there was a multitude of flowers, The women carried sticks and there were others carring swords. The ceremony lasted more than four hours. This time the number of victims increased again, due to the brutality of the police, and there were 70 dead and 300 wounded, many of them critically. ° « "You could see young grils swinging revolvers in the faces of policemen, throwing themselves on official cars, mothers sending their sons into the struggle and filling their own pockets with stones to carry, as ammunition, to others fighting. I saw women 92 === [PDF page 93] === demonstrating in the streets, swinging every kind of weapon they could get; a young girl throwing her coat at a policeman’s head just at the moment when he was aiming his tommy-gun at one of her Ce thus saving his life. . One will never be able tell who were the most heroic: the Foune aa the young girls or the women of Irak. “,,.Lastly, we must mention the demonstrations that took place in Monassel, Salemaniya, Emarca ad Nagi. One hears that in Nagi, the police were encircled, the crowd captured their weapons, the commander escaped and some of his men were killed. 93 === [PDF page 94] === EGYPT Anglo-American imperialism wants to turn the Near East into a huge strategic base for an eventual war of aggression against the Soviet Union. But the people have decided to fight for their independence and,to put an end to exploitation by imperialists who rob them of their natural riches and reduce them to a state of misery. THE LIFE OF THE EGYPTIAN WOMAN IS TRAGIC Women workers: In 1947, there were 80,000 women workers or 4% of the working masses. A woman worker is at her job 9 hours a day and she earns about one-third of a man’s salary. She gets one day a week for rest but for which she is not paid. For her, social insurance is meaningless. She is entitled to a maternity leave of only 15 days prior to childbirth, But, for example, at Mehalla el Kobrah (large industrial center) the women hide their pregnancy up to the very last moment because otherwise they would be fired by the company, which would leave them free from the obligation to pay her for 15 days of maternity leave. The punishment meted out to factory owners for infraction of social insurances is only a one pound ‘fine. On the other hand, the woman worker does not have the right to organise. THE WOMAN IN THE FIELDS.: The number of peasant women doing non-productive work is 5,500,609. In 1937, there were 763,121 women working on farms with an unlimited working day, working as much as 15 hours with a minimum salary of 2 piastres per day. Very often, however, the woman gets nothing at all because her husband takes her pay. She enjoys no social security benefits and gets no maternity leave. As a result, she very often gives birth in the fields and the following day is back at work. 94 === [PDF page 95] === WHAT ARE THE WOMAN'S RIGHTS? Political rights: do not exist. Women do not vote, nor can they be elected. to office. Social rights: she has a lower family status than her husband. While she has no divorce rights, her husband has only to repeat three times “Go away” and he can get a divorce immediately, Polygamy still exists. While she has the right to civil service work, she can never be appointed Chief Supervisor, judge or minister, Only three to four percent of the women know how to read and write. Civil service workers and teachers get paid the same salary as men, but when they marry,.a part of their salary is taken away. HER STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRATIC LIBERTIES. The imperialists are using a new tactic in face of the peoples’ struggle. They ally themselves with the local reactionaries; recognising a formal independance [of these people while the local reactionnaires link themselves to the oppressors by the “alliance treaties”. But this new tactic was exposed in Egypt by the democrats and since the end of the war, the Egyptian people’s struggle continues on towards a total liberation and a true democracy. The Egyptian woman, above all, as student and ‘worker, more and more actively participates in this struggle. In 1919, during tho national revolution, women participated in a nation-wide mass movement for the first time in the history of Egypt.; Bee GOVERNMENTAL REPRESSION. In 1930 Egyptian women again played an important role — this time inthe demonstrations held against the semi-fascist government headed by Skidky Pasha. For the first time, in the history of women’s struggles, the authorities imprisoned hundreds of women demonstrators but they were quickly freed by the people. The progressives, outraged by these criminal méasures and inspired by the participation of women in ‘the revolutionary movement, tore down the prison gates and set the prisoners free. At the beginning of 1946, great movement took place among the Egyptian people, The League of Students and College Gradua- 95 === [PDF page 96] === tes (women) which was affiliated to tha WIDF, played a very important role. On the National Committee of Workers and Students (central body of the national liberation movement) one of the secretaries was a representative of the students (Faculty of Letters). Later, in July 1946, the Sidky Pasha government launched a reign of terror against all the democratic organizations in order to stifle the voice of the people. Several workers’ and cultural organizations among which, the League of Students and Graduates, were banned; eight newspapers and weeklies were suppressed; a decree was promulgated forbidding Egyptians from joining international organizations without government permission; 400 patriots were arrested and tried; antistrike decrees were issued. In spite of all this repression, the women of Egypt reorganized and have been very’ active, as for example, in the campaign against cholera. They have developed propaganda in order to awaken the mass of women politically. They edit the! women’s page in the only remaining democratic review “Al Gamahir”. For the past several months, the people have given rise to a wave of discontent, against the disastrous economic policy pursued by the Egyptian government. While the level of salaries continues to be extremely low, the cost of living, under the “benevolent” attitude of the government continuously rises. Strike of students of the elementary and advanced institutes: These students number 1,150. Formerly after basic ‘training and after three years of a superior level at the Institute they become qualified professors for primary education at a salary of 7% pounds. But suddenly, without any explanation, the Minister of Education added another year of basic training and set up standards for entrance into advanced training that required a general average of 75%. The students of the advanced school went out on strike at once and demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Education, where the Minister insulted the students. While refusing to see their delegation the students, in the primary grades, joined the strike in support of the demands of their fellow students. On the third day the students occupied the school buildings to prevent them: from being closed down. At this point the Minister of Education ordered the utility workers in the school to force the studerits out. Only in the evening did they leave to take care of those who were wounded, The school has been closed since and the government dismissed 68 students for having taken part in the strike, Teachers’ Strike in the non-governmental schools: They demanded the same conditions as teachers in the governmental schools. 96 === [PDF page 97] === The strike lasted two months and involved a large number of women as well as men, many of whom went on a hunger strike to win their demands, Strike of Nurses in Training: On December 22nd 1947, 500° nurses in training at the hospital Kasr el Aini went out on strike, and presented the following demands to correct the miserable conditions under which they lived: 1) The right, after five years of studies, to teach medicine; 2) Wage increases. A nurse in the lower category three years of studies) receives six pounds a month while skilled nurses (after five years of training and who continue to ‘work at the hospital, earn eight to ten pounds a day; 3) Against the government proposal to increase the training period while nurses in training continue to work at the hospital with practically no renumeration; 4) Revision of the work schedule. At present they work from 7 in the morning until 5:30 at night without any interval. Three days out of 15, they work 14 hours consecutively, Four months of the year, they work nights from 8:30 in the evening to 7:30 in the morning without any time off while they are expected to be awake and alert the following morning for courses in theory. 5) For the same right as male nurses in training. THE IMPERIALIST MANOVEURES Throughout the Arab world, the democratic forces were making good progress. In Egypt, following the return of Nokrachy from the United States, the democratic program of the nationalist movement became perfectly clear in the eyes of the people, those people who took up the cry for armed struggle against imperialsm, for the immediate and aunconditional evacuation of the Nile Valley. In addition, the Arab governments were faced with a sharp economic crisis, Larger sections of people were daily, joining in the struggle to improve the miserably low standard of living. In Egypt, the strike as a weapon was no longer restricted to the working class, but spread to such groups as college professors, officers, judges, etc, It is quite clear that imperialism and Arab reaction are faced with a severe political, social and economic crisis. They have only one remaning possibility and that is to sidetrack the movement for peace, liberty and independene and incite 7: 97 === [PDF page 98] === racial warfare, in the hope that the people will forget about their just demands and contribute their revolutionary fervor in a racial war that can only consolidate the weakened positions of imperialism and of the ruling class. They count on the Palestine question as a starting point in their criminal policy which consists of undertaking a holy war in the Near East and of inciting anti-semitism and racial hatred. It is under this disguise that imperialism hopes to wipe out the democratic movements with an anti-communist crusade that will make it impossible to apply the UNO decision relative to the withdrawal of British troops and to the termination of the British Mandate in Palestine. The government in Egypt, along with those in other Arab countries, has utilized the Palestine question for two reasons; 1 — To distract the attention of the people from their principal objective; which is national liberation and to orient this struggle toward a “holy” war and thus feed the hatred of the people for imperialism with the distracting incitement of antisemitism,. ) 2 — Declare martial law and in this way take on the most dictatorial powers it may need or want. The day martial law was declared, the police arrested 1500 persons. 2 concentrations camps were set up — at Huckstep (near Cairo) and the other at Aboukir (near Alexandria). Among those arrested there was large number of women and girls (some 15—16 yrs of age). A woman who had just given birth was also arrested. Prisoners were ‘segregated and handled brutally in these camps. Martial law has given rise to under-ground activity on the part of all democratic organizations including the women’s movement. It is for all these reasons that a delegation is not present today at the 2nd International Women’s Congress. They have sent us this report urging us to intensify our action for the liberation of the colonial people.. CHILDREN IN EGYPT _ Egypt.is a country of about 30,000,000 inhabitants, of whom approximately 6,000,000 are children. A strange and horrible sight strikes the eye of foreign visitors: an enormous number of beggars, the majority of them suffering from blindness, clothed in filty, evil-smelling rags. The Egyptian child lives in houses totally devoid of sanitation. There are entire districts in ruins, houses whose crumbling walls 98 === [PDF page 99] === and balconies continually ‘cause acidents, courtyards covered in filth and refuse, twisted, narrow staircases, dirty and smelling. The Egyptian family, generally including seven or eight members, as a rule inhabits a single room without windows, running water or electricity. There are no beds, and at night the family sleeps on the flor, almost one on top of the other. In the course of diligent research, we have often been compelied to note the flagrant contradiction between the official figures and statistics — of the Egyptian Government and prewar League of Nations — and reality, as it may be seen in all parts of ithe country. For example, Egyptian Government statistics for 1945 allege that in all Egypt only one worker of nine years of age is employed in the tobacco industry, whereas we ourselves found that at the Motassian cigarette factory alone, there are scores of these child workers. It will also be seen that Egypt is among those countries with the highest birth rate and mortality rate as well.; In 1943, the birthrate was 39.6 per 1000 inhabitante, second only to Mexico, with 43.6 per 1000 inhabitants. In mortality, it ranks second after Chile, with 28.3 per thousand. HYGIENE: Infant mortality is 152 per 1,000. Most children under the age of one die, primarily from congential debility and congential deformation.. This is due to the terrible physical condition of ‘the parents, caused by undernourishment, bad food, excessive number of preg- ‘nancies, decalcification, unhealthy dwellings, births without medical: assistance, and lack of running water, heat. and electricity. The Egyptian woman peasant gives birth while working. There has ‘been many a case wof a women going back to her. work a few hours after bringing a child into the world. At Mehala el Kobra, a textile industry center, women workers voluntarily and quite officially have abortions in order not to lose their jobs. At the Fouad I Maternity Hospital, the Bay eae fheeaifal for the Cairo working class, mothers must leave the hospital-within five days after giving birth, because of the lack, of beds. Children who escape death from congenital debility, soon succumb to diseases ‘and illnesses, such as bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis. It should be added that an infinite number of non-fatal diseases also undermine the health of children. These include par- 99 === [PDF page 100] === ticularly diarrhea, syphilis, eye infections, tracheotomy, conjunctivitis and various catarrhs which cause early blindness—hence the vast numbers of blind beggars. DOCTORS: The official figures, in themselves not a pretty picture: Year Doctors Midwives Pharmacists 1943 3,974 715 1,037 1944 4,032 751 1,052 These figures mean simply this: that there was, in 1944, one doctor for every 4,000 inhabitants (1944 figures). The majority of doctors are concentrated in Cairo and Alexandria. In the country, the barber serves also as the “doctor”. HOSPITALS: Due to the recent cholera epidemic which is still not over, it has been impossible to obtain the necessary information from the Ministry of Hygiene, this ministry having been mobilised to fight againt cholera, nor have we been able to find information on hospitals in any of the statistical publications. We can, however, state that: 1. There is only one major children’s hospital; 2. The few hospitals there are, are concentrated in the towns; 3. There exist in all of Egypt only five or six working class hospitals; 4, Even in these hospitals there are no special children's sections;: EDUCATION: Approximately 80 percent of the population is illiterate. In the towns, the illiteracy rate is 70 percent, in the country, 90 percent. { There has been up to the present no effective campaign against illiteracy. A few sporadic drives, such as the 1946 efforts to simplify the Arab alphabet, have shown little or no result. Teaching and education have suffered greatly. In 1945, the budget for teaching omiunted to six million pounds: one pound sterling per child for one year, out of a total budget of 102 millions pounds. Teaching in Egyptian schools is very poor and in no way corresponds to the needs of practical life. Furthermore, the children are suffering from malnutrition, and undernourished children cannot follow schooling effectively, nor really profit from it. NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS: Of approximately 4,500,000 children of school age, barely 1,300,000 actually go to school. 100 === [PDF page 101] === Under normal conditions of development, there should be a constant increase in the number of school children as the population grows-but not so in Egypt. Here a drop of almost 100,000 occurred between 1940 and 1943. The number of girls attending school is notably smaller than the number of boys. Here the government’s tendency to direct feminine education toward the “household arts” is also reflected. The number of schools has diminished by 500 between 1940 and 1943. Vocational training schools are almost non-existent, There are only 14 technical secondary schools-attended by only 1023 students. Similarly, there are only 27 schools for dressmaking, attended by 4,385 students. There is no physical education whatsoever for Egyptian children. In all of Egypt, there are but two physical culture schools, with 100 students all told. Both state and private schools in the poor quarters of the big towns are completely unhealthy — as unhygienic and damp as the houses surrounding them. Country schools are few and far between, and in any case are seldom attended, as the “fellah”, in his own misery, prefers to see his child work than study. WORKING CONDITIONS: In 1946, according to these official statistics, there were almost 20,000 children between the ages of nine and 17 working in Egypt’s under-doveloped industry alone of whom 130 were nine years and under; 432 between ten and 11; 2,934 between 12 and 13; 6,265 between 14 and 15; and 9,936 between 16 and 17. This does not, of course, include the country-side: there, all children from {the age of five must help their parents in the fields. The industries employing the largest number of children are textile, engineering, clothing and carpentry. The conditions under which these children, who should be at school studying, are fearful. They work, on the average, eight to ten hours daily and receive brutal treatment from their bosses. There are, of course, many children who work even longer hours. Miserable wages are paid to then on the basis of “apprenticeship”, whereas in reality they preform exactly the same work as adults, These children spend their days shut up in unhealthy factories and workshops, instead of being able to become healthy and strong breathing in pure a enjoying the sunshine, and eating good food. 101 === [PDF page 102] === LABOR LAWS AND THEIR REAL APPLICATION: Working contracts approved by the state specify children under the age of nine may not be employed in industry. In practice, however, this law is constanly evaded; children for the age of six and seven are hired as “apprentice”. As they cannot be officially employed, their wages also do not come under the law. They are paid what the bosses please, and the most shameless explitation is ‘the jresult. Wi have been unable to find any statistics on children’s wages, as they are not supposed to be working. But we have been able to establish some facts: At Khan Khalil, ‘the center of the jewelry and carpet industry, a child of 12 works eight houvs and earns 2 piastres; another, 15.. years old, earns 10 piasters, illustrating how completely arbitrarily their wages are fixed. Both sums, of course, are a mere pittance. We were stupefied by the flagrant contradiction of the official figures with the facts at hand. But this is easily explained by the fact that the Egyptian Government has no interest in revealing just how far the real situation in the country regarding child labor is removed from the official, legal one. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: There are in Egypt more than 500,000 beggars, the majority of them children, These children are “educated” in beggar schools and exploited by a “master”. The law against begging is applied through round-ups of beggars when some foreign notable passes through the country. These round-ups resemble those of cattle in the American West. The children’ are taken off by inhuman policemen and actually tied like beasts, then arg released again after a few days and thrown back into the street. Reformatories exist only in Cairo, admitting childrn only after they have been sentenced. During internment, in Cairo as well as in the villages, children are often mixed with adult prisoners who maltreat them and make them perform tasks for them. Official statistics indicate that in 1943 there were 2,125 delinquent children; in 1944 there were 2,034. The causes of delinquency do not require a long explanation. They are — as we know only too well — poverty and ignorance. The Government has done prachieely. nothing to remedy this state of affairs. REFORMATORIES: ‘Reformatories exist only in Cairo. The 1931 amendment to the penal code envisages a minimum sentence of five years with compusory release at the age of 18. ‘102 === [PDF page 103] === “There are four reformatories which can deal with only about 1,800 children, adthough 4,000 cases of delinquent children are examined annually”. This is a statement made by a high civil servant in the prison administration, Of these 4,000 cases, the Social Service Bureau, which concerns itself with young delinquents can examine only 200 cases. According to declarations by the same civil servant, 60 percent of the children who serve their sentences repeat their offenses. At the Barrage Reformatory (300 children), the children work, making cotton thread for prisoners’ clothing. The children are submitted to military discipline and are exploited to the full in the textile industry,:(Barrage Prison), as well as in agriculture, (Citadel Prison). Medical care is completely insufficient. Only one dispensary capable of caring for 20 persons, exists in each reformatory, while the number of immates varies between 400 and 9,000. The.majority of the immates suffer from the three major Egyiptian discases: bilharzia, euchylostoma, and trachoma. In addition they sufferd from syphillis, ringworm, mange.and pellagra. RECREATION: Children’s recreation facilites are totally nonexistent, Public parks are few-three or four, dirty and badly cared for, in the whole of Cairo. The only well-kept gardens, the Zoo and the Mour garden, charge for entry. It is quite normal then, that totally lacking recreation facilities, children play cards on the pavements, fight, smoke and so forth. Egyptian children are among the most miserable in the world. They age very quickly. As adolescents, they are already like little old people. It is said that childhood days are the happiest in a man’s life; but for the Egyptian, these are the years of suffering, a nightmare period which leaves a deep wound on his life. The situation of Egyptian children as it is described in the present report, presents an alarming problem for the appropriate international organizations. We consider British imperialism and its local lackeys soley responsible for this state of affairs in the country, and thus for the critical situation of the children. Our general demands can be summarized thusly: ‘happy, healthy and educated children. Note: For reasons of security we give no indication on the, origin of the reports from which we present extracts. 103 === [PDF page 104] === TUNISIA September, 1946 The situation of Tunisian women is distressing. The peasant women work from dawn to dusk for a daily salary of 28 francs. They receive no family allowances, They live in unsanitary qghourbis, 1 ia Travail pce ley, Ad USS SHorevag ead March 8, 1948. — in front of the Government House in Tunis Craftswomen, who are very numerous in the towns, are exploited by the big tradesmen who pay ridiculous prices for their work, They earn about 100 francs weekly. The situation of children is tragic. In Tunis in 1943, out of 7,765 births, 2,607 children died before they were two years old. Mortality is still higher in the interior of the country. 104 === [PDF page 105] === Sanitary equipment is very poor, For the whole of Tunisia, there are only 48 social workers, six hospitals, and no sanatorium. The ravages of typhoid, typhus and tuberculosis are devastating. But in February, 1948, 2,000 women demonstrated in Tunis. Delegates of the district committees of the Women’s Union of Tunisia hiked from neighboring villages carrying their babies on their backs, Women workers, housewives, mothers, demonstrated their anger at the ever-worsening living conditions.. The draft budget of the Government imposes 73 percent higher financial burdens on the common people, but does nothing about the huge profits of the large companies. In February, 1948. more than 1,000 women demonstrated in Kairouan > The efforts of the local authorities in trying to break up the demonstration and the police threats could not calm the discontentment of the women who, for one whole hour, shouted: “We are hungry! We are cold! Enough of this colonial regime!” Extract of the WIDF Bulletin, September 1946. 105 === [PDF page 106] === MOROCCO This year thousands of people died of starvation and deprivation. @fhus Morocco, a rich country, a. wheat country, has no bread for its workers and their families. Europeans there receive a bread ration of 300 grams daily, but the Moroccans receive very little and most of the time nothing at all. The Moroccans have no civil status, so they must buy on the black market. The black marketeers grow rich as they starve the people. The vast majority of Moroccans have no ration cards at all. In Casablanca alone, 40,000 people are without them, The child has no right to his own ration card, so he receives no sugar, no flour, no chocolate, no jam, and what is worse, no milk, ) Entirely naked, dirty, blind, and often covered with the sores of a skin disease, our litle Moroccan children line the beautiful thoroughfares of our cities. Every day we sce our little children searching the garbage cans for food and eating then and there the refuse they find, We have seen fights over these garbage can We have seen women driven from their bleds by the drought, or more so by the saboteurs of the rationing system. We have seen women give birth on the straets. On the sidewalks of Casablanca we have seen mothers die whose (babies hung to their empty breasts and did not want to die. Two million little Moroccans do not go to school at all. Only 33,000 have a right to rudimentary schooling. No social services, no haspitals, no nurseries, no sanatoriums. Syphilis and tuberculosis rage in the mellahs and medinas, in the shanty-towns, decimating entire wandering tribes. 3 Lucette Mazzella Moroccan Delegate to the First Congress of the WIDF Paris 1945 106 === [PDF page 107] === ALGERIA The women of Algeria are organizing and carrying out activity on a greater and greater scale. Res For peace: In October 1948, 1,200 women demonstrated at Algiers, 700 at Blida, 400 at Oran, In November 1948, they organized a petition campaign against calling men to the colors and against the prolonging of the period of military service. For bread: In June and July 1948, the women of the Blida region joined the struggle of the agricultural workers, who were striving for wage increases. At the same time in Algiers, women in great numbers signed petitions demanding 350 grams of bread. In one hour, 600 signatures were collected in a single neighborhood. In October 1948, during the worker’s strike at Algiers, the Union of Algerian women organized a solidarity campaign among the population in support of the strikers. In October and. November 1948, at Beni-Saf, during a miners’ strike, the women showed great courage and determination. At the beginning of November, in Algiers, 70 striking date workers won a 30 percent increase in wages, and forced the management to rehire the workers’ delegates who had been fired for strike activity. The strikers gave proof of real militancy. At Blida, 50 striking workers won their demands. In November 1948, the Union of Domestic Workers was organized.: For freedom: ted In April, May, and June 1948, women took part is mass “action against the election terror directed against progressives campaigning for the Algerian assembly. Committees were set up at Oran, Bone, and Algiers to defend them and protect their families. — The Union of Algerian Women. 107 === [PDF page 108] === NIGERIA The population of Nigeria is 21 millions. The country is governed by the British government.; The country is rich in palm oil; 35% of the world’s cocoa comes from Nigeria, In. addition, one finds rubber, cotton, furs and skins, tobacco, bauxite and chromium, diamonds, gold, salt, platinum, nickel etc. But alongside these riches there is an extreme poverty, The women weave, prepare the rice, take the palm-oil from the trees, ete. The United Africa Company monopolises the processing of palm-oil and kernel. Mbawsi women in East Nigeria were indignant about this as it is detrimental-to the interests of African dealers and demonstrated against the policy. The police were sent to intervene, 29 women were arrested 1% of women know how to read and write, There are only 4 secondary schools in the whole of Nigeria for young girls — but they work continuously and do extremely exhausting work, and there is no time for schooling, In the large city of Abeokuta there are only 118 water pumps; 17 public toilets. An arbitrary tax is imposed on all Nigerian women of which the collectors keep a percentage, The protests against!the arbitrary taxation of women in Abeokuta developed into a demonstration by the women of Egba, The Secretary of the Women’s Association Mrs Ransome Kuti has been indicted, Abonnema Women’s Association recently presented a petition followed by a deputation to the District Officer im charge of Calabari Division in Nigeria, demanding the representation of women on the Board of Abonnema Native Administration. (Information Bulletin WIDF No, 33. Nov. 1948.) 108 === [PDF page 109] === THE WOMAN OF FRENCH EQUATORIAL AND WEST AFRICA ”For the woman, hope of mankind, there is nothing.“ It is enough to examine the social organisation of French Equatorial and West Africa to realise the validity of this statement. No policy exists either for woman or for child. This no policy“ brings disastrous results in infant mortality which surpasses a rate of 80 percent. As for education, a ridiculous inequality exists which is illustrated by two facts: for the 24,000.000 inhabitants of French Equalitorial and West Africa there exists one teachers’ training school for young women and one medical school for the training of midwives. Sanitary organisation finds itself inthe same catastrophe. On the average, there is but one maternity ward with a few beds, or to be exact, a few sleeping mats, for every 100,000 inhabitants. In production and public taxes alike the contribution of women equals that of men. Thus, a poll-tax is paid indiscriminately by all individuals of the masculine and femine sex over the age of 14, and one finds that the young girl of 14 is obliged to participate in production in the same measure as the adult. The slogan formulated bythe women: "participation of women in the whole political movement, led to the consitution of © women’s sections of the Democratic Union of Africans. These women’s sections today represent a -veritable battery of women in the battle for democracy and peace. Their activity, up to the present, has primarily been organisational and one of recruitment. On the Ivory Coast, for example, there will be more than some hundred thousand women in this movement by the end of 1948. This movement which has been going on three years, has already made its importance felt in the electoral campaign, but it was no more than a spontaneous fight. The success and prestige of political leaders of French Equatorial and West Africa are being characterised by feminine fashions, which became veritable banners: it is the dress of the African bloc, it is the hair-dress of the Democratic African Union. — Report of the Women’s Section of the Democratic Union of Africans November 1948 109 === [PDF page 110] === UBANGI-CHARI. From a report presented in January 1948 to the French National Assembly in the name of the Overseas Territories Commission describing what took place in Ubangi-Chari (Equatorial Africa. dealing with cotton cultivation. After having described men called up to clear a corner of the forest land under an armed militiaman, the report states: “Soon, with babies on their backs, women come with small hoes, turning over the ground. They clear the tall grass and burn it; they sow and then weed, always under the weight of their latest born child; finally, they prop up the plants. Then the woman will do the harvesting and take it to the market, still burdened with her child. The road is long and the cotton is heavy on the head; and if it is still living, the baby will go with her, If it is still living? Yes, because many of them, after so many days spent under the pouring rain and the tropical sun, have gone to swell the statistics of the dead registered under the heading of infant mortality; and, we know the fearful percentage attaiend in French Equatorial Africa. “But let us see what is the fruit of these six months of hard daily work: on an average it is 150 francs. But, the woman will not take away all that. She will pay 60 francs tax for herself, 60 francs for her husband and will pay 40 francs to the Provident - Society — a total of 140 francs. “Her profit is all of 10 francs. But to make that she will still have to pay the tax for some dead member of the family’ who still appears on the list of the administration. These lists date from the last census which on an average takes place every 5 years.“ ex, tedeantie THE WOMAN OF THE CAMEROON The Cameroon is an agricultural country producing coffee, cocoa, arachides, quinquina, etc. It has no industry but is rich in mineral resources, wood, etc. Foreign trade is extensive with France, America, England and its exports consist mostly in wood, coffee, cocoa, arachides, bananas, gold and tin. Imports consist of textiles, cement, pharmaceutical products and others.. The women of the Cameroon do most of the productive work and therefore playse an important role in almost all parts of the country. Since. there iseno industry, the women are essentially peasants. 110 === [PDF page 111] === In some regions 95% of the women work on the land and sell their own produce. One percent work in administration. Equality between men and women does not exist, Women are given the right to vote only whem they have a certificate of primary education, while illiterate men are allowed to vote without it. Men enjoy civil liberties which (are not given to women. Thus, a man is allowed to open a shop, buy trucks, while women may not. Women. cannot be elected to office. Many. government ‘jobs are forbidden to women and until now the Cameroon woman can have only two kinds of jobs; she can be a midwife or a teacher. Women iwho hold scholarships are also restricted to these two profession and only these. 4 Do women wear the veil? Not in the South where the Christian religion predominates, but in the North they wear the veil if they are married and of noble origin. Up to 99.9;percent of women are illiterate. In the whobe * of the Cameron there are five girls’ schools with 300 students. Occasionally, the girls attend some of the boy’s schools. Although the diplomas issued jare the same, the level of the girls’ schools inferior to that of ‘tha school for boys. A teachers’ college and a modern college for the whole of the Cameroon has been opened only this last year, 1947. Girls are not allowed to enter these establishments, nor can they enter the professional training school opened in 1939 in Douala. The woman has not the.same rights of inheritance as the man. She does not have full freedom in marriage. Women must have a dowry, and most of the time, it is the father who chooses the husband. Although the custom of the choosing of the husband by the girl’s father tends to disappear, the dowry continues. Because the dowry amounts to about, 3,000 to 7,000 francs, many young women remain single |due to the lack of money. A girl does not get married before the age of 15 years. Men and women do not have equal rights in marriage, because the woman is in a way actually bought and is part of her husband’s property. The man may have as many wives as he can afford. They must work on the husband’s plantations and give birth to his children, The mother alone brings up the children, as the husband concerns himself with them only when he feels like it. Very few Cameroon women recive a salary and in general they are not free to use it as they pleasd. The husband can prevent his wife from working, force her to live in his house and beat her. === [PDF page 112] === The father cannot sell the children. The mother brings up her children as she is able, but cannot sell them. Divorce is recognised and when it happens, the dowry is returned to the husband in the same sume as he paid. Widows may remarry. Polygamy does exist and is unlimilted. Europeans have all the advantages over natives. A European doing the same work as a Inative will receive ten times as much pay. The native is watched while the European goes to.work when he feels like it. Trade unions, which greatly helped the Cameroun workers, are persecuted. Mothers who work must sometimes work until the very day of child-birth. ’ Prostitution is unlimited, is encouraged by Europeans who do not even respect the age of the children attracting tham with money and any other means. In some regions women’s organisations do exist and are directed by women called ‘“mafa” who are sisters or mothers of the village chiefs. Mutual help exists and is shown most effectively when the women come to the aid of a sick one and take care of her land. ‘Answer to the WIDF questionnaire by Juliette Niat, Cameroon, 1948 112 === [PDF page 113] === SOUTH AFRICA Out of a total population of about 12,000,000 in South Africa, non-Europeans make up four-fifths of the population. The chief industry is tht mining of gold.and diamonds. Agriculture is also one of ‘the main sources of income of the country. The problems of South Africa arise from the great size of the country, its under-population, its numerous races, and its recent and sudden development. LIVING CONDITIONS The indigenous and non-European population is segregatad in native reservations which are outside the urban areas. The report of the Protectorate Council of the United Nations dated August 2, condemned jthe system of restiricting the natives into reservations. The same report also stated that the Europeans, making up about one-tenth of the population, hold fifty-eight percent. of the land, and that the claims of the natives to be allowed to nemain permanently in areas only provisionally allocated to them, were rejected; that their right to recover the land which had belonged to them by inheritance and which had since been allocated to European colonists, was not granted. Non-Europeans are for the greatest part barred from certain jobs. In the cities the first-class cinemas and theatres, the parks, and libraires are accesible to “Europeans” only. The situation is different in the various regions. For example, in the Cape Province, mulattos and Africans use the same trollies, trains and buses. In Transvaal there is strict discrimination in all means af transport. In general, the effects of legal, social and economic discrirnination and laws regarding land-ownership, force non-Europeans in urban areas to the slums and ghettos, lacking all sanitation, in a neglected state and lying in tha towns. The community of Orlando, one of the largest African communities of the Union,of South Africa, which is not far from the centre of Johannesburg, is right : 113 === [PDF page 114] === by the side of the Orlando power plant which supplies all Johannesburg with heat and light. Still, the 80.000 inhabitants of Orlando have no light on their streets, which are never cleaned, and they have to use candles at night. Owing to the laws on land-ownership and segregation, the natives can own neither land nor houses. Actually, 80,000 Africans live in Johannesburg in,,flying camps“ consisting of huts built of canvass and old sacks, African and Asiatic people are not paid the same salaries as Europeans as this would upset the balance of the African areas; besides, “these races are inferior”, (according to the Report of the Civil Service Commission on Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar). This report reveals that the wages paid to Africans are approximately one-third to one-eighth of those of Europeans. Inter-marriage and sexual intercourse between Europeans and Africans is prohibited. It is prohibited for non-Europeans to operate machines driven by fuel or power (the law of 1925).. The Protectorate Council attached to UNO quotes in an analytical report dated July 23rd 1848, by Mr, Cartic, that the amount provided for the education of a European child is eighteen dollars while’ for a native child it is only twenty-eight cents. Schools are complety segregated and only children whose colour is light enough to be taken for white are admitted to the European schools, Europeans of 21 years or over, male-or female, can vote and may be elected. Non-Europeans have no universal franchise and are not eligible for election. Indians who had no democratic rights before, (except for a limited number in the Municipal Elections in the Cape district), were offered a chance of voting for two European representatives in exchange for escaping segregation in ghettos, as is applied to Africans, They refused and are conducting a campaign of passive resistance against this law. Poll taxes, house taxes and other taxes imposed by ‘the Government force the people to leave the reservations and to look for work in ithe towns or in the mines. Generally their families stay on the reservations where they are expected to provide for themselves; in this way, the mines can afford to pay extremely low wages to the workers.: The great majority, of the non-Europsan women give birth to their. children without any special care except perhaps the help of a neighbour. There are no pre-natal clinics for natives, 114 === [PDF page 115] === either in the towns or the country. The African women are not allowed to keep their children on the premises of their employers (this applies to all women doing house-work who live in the courtyards of their «mployers). As thousands of African women live in this manner and as they have no means of bearing their children in maternity wards, many of them bear babies secretly. “Thirty percent of the African population suffer from venereal diseases, Tuberculosis is endemic in the native regions and very often chronic. The germs of tuberculosis are imported into the reservations by the gold miners returning to their homes to die”. Typhoid fever is endemic in certain native reservations such as the Transkei and the Gis Kain Bilharziose is extremely widespread, almost universal, amongst the native children of certain areas. There are no statistics but there is an official report of 1942 throwing some light on the misery existing in these areas.. The Government was rather surprised by the extent of poverty of the native communities. This poverty is chiefly due to the extremely low living standard of the natives. It is obvious that the population in the native quarters of all towns old or new, is frightfully under-nourished. The National Commission for Health reported in 1943, “There is a striking contrast between the intolerable destitution of the non- European population and the luxury of ithe European population in this area.” In 1944 anothscw Commission stated that the great majority of the Bantu (black) familles live under circumstances which- are below the line of poverty. The great majority of the Bantu living in towns, who are not catered to in canteens or in private homes, do not make enough money to buy themselves ‘even the cheapest kind of food. LIFE OF THE WOMEN OF SOUTH AFRICA. Apart from the facts briefly-ountlined above, it should be remembered that this is a country where the population is overwhelmingly peasant but ‘where its structure is subject to rapid changes and where the population moves about.. In the reservations, Africans live a tribal life ruled by, their own laws and customs under chieftains who today have virtually become Government officials. The ancient tribal life, although primitive, gave protection to every member of the tribe. The tribe arranged that the work should be clearly allocated to men and women and parental authority was one of its basic features. Marriage ae 1 ' 115 === [PDF page 116] === was based on the obola between Africans, The obola was a kind of dowry; it was a contract between two clans of the tribe; the man brought with him certain capital in cattle, goats ete. and the woman contributed her capacity for bearing children. Actually a large part of the African urban population has lost touch with the tribes, being born and having grown up in ‘the towns. A great part of the population has been declassed. Hundreds of thousands of men work under contract in mines or in big industries; they live in camps surrounded by walls and leave their wives on the reservations. The conditions of life, which are abnormal in these camps, are the cause of the instability of family relations, of prostitution and the dirty living quarters. The most neglected members of the African population are widows, abandoned wives and their children. This is chiefly due to the view that despite the changed conditions of society owing ta the high degree of industrialisation, the tribe still has to bear these charges. According to native laws a woman under age must remain under the guardianship of her nearest male relative. If a widow or an abandoned wife without means were to appeal for help to the Government or to the social security institutions, she would be told that her traditional guardian is responsible for her children. In almost every..case this means that she is obliged to return to her kraal and marry her nearest relative, although she had been living in the town all her life. Her assets and those of her children are legally transferred to this relative who may expropriate them. Even though the widow has no income of her own, the Native Commissioner may refuse to pay her the inheritence of her declased husband if there is a legal guardian. While the European women in South Africa have certain legal setbacks, the legal position of the African women is so badly defined that she can never be sure of anything when it comes to legal matters exept that she will always come out badly. African women if living by themselves cannot lease houses in municipal quarters nor can they have a bank account; this applies also to divorced women and widows. The European courts authorize the father and the husband of the African wife to be divorced to have the case tried in her absence; this means that she can be divorced without knowing it. According to native laws the women cannot inherit land. Frequently, the widow of an African miner is deprived of any indemnity on the death of her husband while at work, The money 116 === [PDF page 117] === 1g received by the nearest male relative, and the widow is advised to go and live with him. The law ruling in urban areas goes as far as prohibiting women to enter the town unless it is to join her husband or guardian; these relatives must have been employed in the town for at least two consecutive years. This law has not been enforced lately but the housing shortage made the Municipal Council of Johannesburg insist on its strict enforcement. A newly-wed African woman is obliged by the law to live with her panents-in-law. If a husband maltreats his wife and she leaves him, the law may oblige her return his obola. Native law recignizes and apprives of polygamy, however it does not recognize the obligation of a husband to provide for his wife. An African women cannot prosecute the Europeans in court who are responsible for the death or injury of her husband. An example of how the native law works is given by the recent removal of an African chief, Sibasi, chief of the Bantu of North Transvaal, Sibasi was fired by the Government because the refused to perform certain services. He was replaced by his brother. All his property, his catte and his wives were given to his brothers. These examples will give ian idea of what the women of Africa have to bear in the country. THE PROBLEM OF CHILDREN. The rate of infant mortality among Africans is 400 to 500 per thousand in Witwatersrand (Johannesburg and vicinity.) Reseach among African children in various areas showed that 43 to 90 percent among them were under nourrished, which is an average of 70 percent. South Africa is one the countries where child labour iis employed. In general, the African children work as farm hands. Non-European juvenile deliquents are sent to farms where they work in a state of true slavery. The majority.of the European farmers are of the opinion that the children of their farms-workers must also work for them and dislike the idea of their going to school.; School education is compulsory and free of charge for European children up to the age of 16. For non-European children of all categories, schooling is neither free nor compulsory, The number of schools is not sufficient for the non-European children: three out of ten African children have the possibility going to school. 117 === [PDF page 118] === The children beg in the streets and have no ‘play-grounds. Hundreds of them make queues trying to be admitted into the owercrowded schools. The park situated in the center of Johannesburg with green lawns and flower debs bear the sign “For Europeans only”, The children who play on swings are only white children, and one of the lawns has a sign, “This lawn reserved for native nurses and white children”. Youth grows up without hope, hanging around street corners and knowing that even if they learned some job they could not make use of it as they are doomed to spend their lives polishing floors, running errands, sweeping the streets and offices. THE STRUGLE OF WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA. In spite of this a womens resistance movement has clearly developed. At the Assembly held on March 8, 1947 in Johannesburg, the following women addressed the meeting: Mrs. Suria-Kala Patel on behalf of Indian women, Mrs, Ling in the name of the Chinese women of Transvaal, Mrs, Hetty du Praz representing coloured women and Mrs. Josie Palmer on behalf of the African women; a European women was in the clair. The resolutions adopted by this meeting concern equal rights for women without discrimination as to colour or race according to the principle laid down in the Charter of the U. N., permitting women ‘the freedom of all work and special professions and granting educational facilities to non-European children, The committee elected at that assembly formed a committee for the All-Transvaal Women’s Union. The basic principles are: equal rights for women equal opportunities, equality before the law, protection of mothers and children and world peace. The All-Transvaal Women’s Union is in friendly relationship with the W. 1. D, F. CONCLUSION American expansion in the countires of South Africa is growing ever stronger. The hold of American jtrusts on the gold production in Transvaal is growing to the detriment of the native population which leads a miserable existence. In 1947, 3721 new American companies were formed. They all have interests in the gold-mines of Transvaal and in particular in those of ithe Republic of. Orange. (Reference made to the report of Mrs. Hilde Walle, Johannesburg 1947 and the documents of the Protectorate Council of U. N. O.) 118 === [PDF page 119] === MADAGASCAR At the source of the conflits which arose in several parts of the French Union, and in particular in Madagascar, we find the resistance of the colonial forces, of the great capitalist financial societies, and the large landowners from overseas who, together with foreign imperialists, use evry means to curb the nationalist movement in order to preserve their colonial profits. Produce:. Rice — 500.000 tons for a normal year — exports — destitution of the indigenous population — Manioc, corn — dry vegetables (leguminous plants) Coffee: 400 tons Vanilla: 34th of the world’s entire consumption. Pepper, clove, oil seeds, (ground nuts. coprah), castor oil plant, sugar, Nossi-Bé, perfume plants, ‘tobacco, textiles (Pakalisal). Mining resources (the major part not yet exploited) gold, graphite, mica, precious stones (amethyste, calcedony, «te..., oil, glucinum, berly, uranium (strategic materials). CONSEQUENCES OF COLONIALISM A. From the economic point of view . 1. Setback in exploitation 25.000 acres of good soil belonging to the financial society “La Lyonaise” are not exploited. The society expects the state to take care of the irrigation. The mines belong to the Sakos Coal Company of which, in turn, is owned by the Bank of Paris and the Netherland Bank of the European Union, the capital investment is mostly Argentine. 2. Destruction of forests Cut-rate labor. Madagascar imports coal. Oil is being explored, but the oil prospectors have been charged with the order not to locate oil. 119 === [PDF page 120] === 120 No weaving although it would be possible to utilize the fibers of a number of plants for making textiles. Unused source of water power, . Backward State of Agriculture. 11 per cent of the area cultivated. 15,000 plows for 1,200,000 acres cultivated and 700,000 peasants, With 500,000 plows, the cultivated area could be brought up to 7,000,000 acres. A lack of fertilizers (the guanos of the Juan de Nova, Island rich in phosphates, have been conceded to an Anglo-Saxon firm, problem of irrigation. . Cattle Breeding. Decrease of the cattle stock. . From the social point of view: . Public utilities in cities, Hygiene. The city of Athila, queen of vanilla production, lacks water and electric power. No running water in the capital city Tananarive; pigs walk in the streets, No sewage system. Often families of nine live in a single room, The hospital of Tananarive has only one doctor. Lack of medications — they sabatoged the use of medicinal herbs. Population underfed, Living standard extremely low — official salaries: 40° francs Salaries: November 1947 — men 45 francs with rations 85 francs without rations women 25 francs with rations: 50 francs without rations. Prices: Bread; 17.50 francs per kilo Sugar: 25 francs Wine: 80 francs per liter Milk: 25 francs per liter Rice; -20 francs Shoes: 1,100 francs A government official with four children receives a salary of 16,000 metropolitan francs in Madagascar — 32,000 in Paris, 27,000 in A. O. F. On these francs he pays the scheduled rate of tax, C. Political oppression: Use all means to sabatoge nationalist movement, — Acquired rights sabatoged or restricted, === [PDF page 121] === — no liberty of the press 3 — qualified vote system (in order to vote the taxes must be paid) — maintenance of two colleges (for natives and Europeans) — creating difficulties for the “Mouvement de Rénovation Malgache” (at the time of the elections) — attempts to break the national unity maintenance of five provincial assemblies, instead of one — creation of colonal parties — provocation of March 29th the national sentiment burns in thé hearts of the people of Madagascar; this was exploited by the colonialists 1,100,000 inhabitants in the revolt area fierce reprisals all over the Island. corporal punishment fit only for Gestapo (tortures, beatings, ice baths. etc.). Extorted confession attacks against defense lawyers (Douzon, Stibbe) provocations, police raids ° use of Moroccan and Senegalese troops against the Results of Reprisals 100 Europeans dead 90,000 Madagascar natives dead. . Cultural oppression. The Madagascar language is not recognised as the primary language; in schools, french is the first language Only 200,000 children out of 900,000 go to school. 1,350 teachers (up to 180 pupils in a single class). The liberation and the hopes of the people of Madugascar are vested in the profound national and democratic mouvement following the Second world War. Participation of the colonial people in the war. A blow was dealt to race theories. i The Madagascan language is not recognised as the primary colonial force and the imperialists can no longer force it upon them, 2 ‘ Hope in the charter of San-Francisco and in the Atlantic Charter and in the Constitution. 80,000 women in the movement of the “Renovation malgache” today suppressed (refer to the article Mary Bory, Counsellor of the French Union). 121 === [PDF page 122] === 122 THE AIMS OF THE WOMEN OF MADAGASCAR a. Peace. Stopping of the unjust warfare against their fathers, husbands and sons. Liberation of the prisoners numbering 20.000 most of whom were arbitrarily arrested. Stopping of the scandalous judgement of Mahenarive and arrest of the police provocaters and of those who put the arms into their hands. b. Freedom, Setting free of all representatives of the Madagascan people unjustly imprisoned and illegally detained for several months. Abolishing of all emergency laws which keep the people under a reign of terror. A woman never knows when her \husband leaves in the morning 1f he will return at night for they arrest people arbitrarily, put then’ into prison, and torture them upon the slightest pretext. ‘ Restitution of the right of assembly, right or speech, right of free movement; and the stopping of the persecutions, provocations, and investigations by police speaking neither French nor Madagascar, (Comorians, Senegalese, Syrians, Germans, etc.). Restitution to the women of Madagascar the right, which they had 100 years before the French women, in electing the chiefs of the Fokon-olona, to participate in the management of their country’s affairs. c. Means to Rear and Feed Their Children . Adequate salaries 2. Family allowances which have not existed until now 3. Abolishing of intolerable racial distiction in commercial and governmental services; actually a native professional worker has not equal rights with a French professional worker. Minor officials in certain administrative services recruited through civil service examinations have a starting salary of 50 francs per day if they are natives and 5,000 francs per month if they are French or assimilated. === [PDF page 123] === . Equality of Supplies At present, there are two queues at the entrances of shops; one for the French and one for the natives. The natives are not admitted before the French have been waited on, or sometimes they take turns, one Frenchman and one native, which is still unjust because the ratio of the inhabitants of the Island is: 20,000 Frenchmen to 4,000,000 natives. . Even distribution of goods The Madagascan retailers should not be set-back by the distribution system practiced by the big business firms which favor Indians and Chinese dealers who pay them black market prices. . Closing down of the Cooperatives of the Padesm is a hateful means of pressure on the voters, and creation of joint pro- ‘ducer and consumer cooperatives open for everyone without political or racial discrimination. Fight against the black market which is prospering more than ever, 7. Schools for children. 8. Humane social and health services managed by the people of Madagascar themselves. Actually infant mortality reaches 316 per thousand in Tannarive up to the age of one. It is higher still in the bush areas, Before the war, the number of births exceeded 36,000 the number of deaths. In 1945, the number of deaths was higher by 25,000. The sick are treated like dogs. Health institutions are directed by incompetent military doctors who, for the most part, are violent racists, There are no funds to purchase quinine at a time when they can raise thousands to pay spies and police provocateurs. . Sound and Inexpensive Housing. At present, families of ten or more live in dwellings with one single room without water, without light. The rents in Tannarive are at least 150 francs monthly for a filthy room. d. Improvement of Living Conditions. . Equal salaries to those of men. 2. Social services as provided in the internacional agreements ratified by France, paid maternity leaves, rest periods for. nursing babies, etc. 123 === [PDF page 124] === 124 3. Establishment of nurseries for the children of working mothers; in many concerns the women work all day long with their child “A babena” (that means, on their backs) supported by the “lamba” tied over their shoulders. 4. Prohibition of heavy labor for women, of their employment on road construction or in the building industry. 5, School for housewives: there are only two schools actually where they teach embroidery and other odd jobs irrespective of whether they are useful or not to a housewife. The only school for midwives has dormitories without wash basins and without running water: here is a nice way to teach principles of sanitation. Electrification, running water, improvement of communication, creation of village industries: the women have to handthresh the rice before they can proceed with cooking it, Letter from a group of women in Madgascar "(we withold the names for reasons of security) === [PDF page 125] === CHINA THE STRUGGLE OF WOMEN IN CHINA FOR NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE, PEACE AND DEMOCRACY The People’s Liberation War in China has reached a stage close to complete victory throughout the country. The victorious outcome of the last four months — the elimination of one million of the Chiang Kai-shek reactionary troops, the liberation of the whole Manchuria and the Shantung province — has greatly shortened the time required for the liberation of the whole country. World opinion, with tha exception of American reactionaires, unanimously declared that the Chiang Kai-shek regime cannot last long, and that American policy in China is a complete failure. Twenty nine months ago, the Chiang Kai-shek clique, the representative of the Chinese big land lords and the big bourgeoisie directed and aided by the American imperialists launched this ruthless civil war against the people of China. By that time Chiang Kai-shek possessed an army of 4,300,000 troops including 49 American equipped divisions. The Liberation army was only 1,200,000 troops and the population in the liberated areas was only a little over 100,000,000. Both the American imperialists and the Chiang Kai-shek clique boasted that the Liberation Army could be wiped out within three to six months and China would then be converted into a strongly fortified strategic base in the Far East. The Chinese people would then be enslaved without any resitance. But the development of events is going just opposite to what the American imperialists had hoped for. To-day after sending over US dollars 4,600,000,000 down the rat-hole of Chiang- Kai-shek regime, the American imperialists not only have not succeeded in converting China to a colony and a solid strategic base, but on the contrary, have enlarged and strengthened the people’s liberation army with US made arms. The People’s Liberation Army has now over 3,000,000 troops and is far superior both in quality and quantity in comparison with the KMT 125 === [PDF page 126] === 126 Liberated China: Student of military and political academy === [PDF page 127] === reactionary troops. The territory of the liberated areas in June 1948 covered 2,350,000 sq. km. with a population of 168,000,000. The victory of the Chinese People’s liberation War has proved that no matter how American imperialists boast about the “almighty power” of their US dollars and their US arms, the Amarican imperialistic policy in China is doomed to fail, 1. The Struggle of Women in Liberated China | The development of the women’s movement in China is closely linked with the development of the Chinese people’s liberation war. The victory of this struggle during the past two years has rendered to the women in,the Liberated Areas the securit'y the political, economic, jand social rights they so greatly desired and fought for. It has given the women’s movement a great opportunity to deepen and widen its scope. The war for liberation is in fact fought by the whole population, Irrespective of being at the front or in the rear, men and women, young and old are conscientiously serving the war. The 20,000,000 membres of the Women’s Union are engaged in various kinds of activities in fulfilling this task. 1. Women in Agrarian Reform The agrarian reform now being carried out in the rural areas by the democratic government has brought about the thorough elimination of the feudalistic land system that had existed in China for two thousand years. The system of “land to the tillers” has come into being. This great historical change of the economic system. has removed the fundamental obstacles which -stand, in the way of China’s independence, democracy,. unity and prosperity. At the same time it has paved the way for the. woman’s march toward complete emancipation. It. is stipulated in the agrarian law that “all land of landlords in the villages and all public land shall be taken over by village peasant unions and be unified and equally distributed, together with all other village land in accordance with the total populaBen) of the village, irrespective. of male or female, young or old”. During the past two-ylaars this problem has. been solved in an area with a.population of 100,000,000. - The agrarian reform movement spread like a storm over the broad countryside. Every remote and backward village was swept into the high tide of this movement. The slogan “women also have a portion!” moved the heart of every peasant woman. Their 127 === [PDF page 128] === unanimous response was: “This is the rare chance for emancipation which we women have-been waiting for thousands of generations!” The women arose. Like a volcano suppressed under the earth for hundreds of thousand of years, one day it explodes, giving forth strong light and power. The fighting strength of peasant women frightened the landlord class into fear and trembling. Women farm labourers and poor peasant women became the backbone of the movement and under itheir influence the great mass of peasant women awoke with a class consciousness. They spoke of the agony suffered by women for thousands of years under the feudalistic yoke. They exposed the crimes committed by their landlords. Peasant women, stretching out their strong rough hands to the landlords, ask to be repaid their debt of blood. “Give back to me my son”, they shout, and “Give back to me my husband!” “Give back to me my cow, my house and my tools!” “Give back to me;all the crops I raised!” The long suppressed sentiments of the masses of peasants tore off the dignified robes of superiority of the landlord class. In the work of distributing land, houses and other belongings which once belonged to greedy landlords, women manifested their characteristic capability and fairness. Officials and members of the Women’s Union, from President, vice-President and the majority of the members of the executive committee, down to the women leaders in villages, districts, and county towns, participated in the land reform movement. Women of the intelligentsia, including the famous woman writer, Miss Ting Ling, also participated in the movement to help educate and organize the peasants to join the movement. At the same time they themselves recived training by hearing from the peasants their fighting experiences. The leadership of the Women’s Union during the past two years has certainly brought it closer to the masses than ever before. An entirely new atmosphere now prevails over the villages where the land reform program has been carried out. Domination by landlords, rich farmers, and local despots exists no more. Peasants, other working people, and new-found democratic elements have come into power. An increasing number of peasant women are elected to leading posts in the administrative organs of villages and districts. Fifty nine women delegates coming from all walks.of life were elected to the North China People’s Provisional Congress, held last August. A total of 541 delegates were present at this Congress. “Tt is possible for me, an ord nary peasant woman, to speak at this meeting only because we-are in the Liberated Area”, said Li 128 === [PDF page 129] === Now, he Chinese peasant eagerly works on her land, which belongs to her alone Hsing-ke when she introduced herself to the Congress. Sold by her family during a famine when she was only a child, Li Hsing-ke ig now well known in the Central Hopei Liberated Area as “the mother of the People’s Liberation Army” for her work in helping the People’s Army both during the present war of liberation and during the anti-Japanese war. Among the labour heroines who came as representatives was Liu Wen-fa, who does a man’s job in the fiefds despite the fact she is already over 50, and Liu Liang-ti, a widow who successfully led the whole village in carrying out the agrarian reform, Other women delegates to this Congress included an assistant District Commissioner, several secretaries of the Communist Party County Committees, the head of the Medical Bureau of a border region government, and a professor of music. The presence of so many women delegates at the Congress is a sign jof the new status which Chinese women have attaiend in the Liberated Areas, where agrarian reform has given them land, === [PDF page 130] === a new democratic life, and the enjoyment cf full and equal rights with men. With the emancipation of peasants from the feudalistic yoke, the traditions and ideologies that had governed people for thousands of years were swept away. Emancipated peasants voluntarily opposed the cruel tradition of purchase marriages and that of keeping child daughters-in-law. Often a young girl under fifteen was sold by her family to the family of her future husband, where she was treated as badly as a slave. Young people, poor bachelors, and widows are now free to choose their beloved companions and build up happy families. Couples who have been torn apart, sons and daughters who were sold, can now be reunited. The agrarian reform has given equal political and economic status to women; it has also changed the social attitude toward them. Men and women are now working hard in build'ng harmonious and democratic new homes. During the agrarian reform, children also gave their efforts in helping the adults watch those landlords who were trying to hide their riches, and testified against their wickedness in exploiting young labourers. Children in the Liberated Areas have been brought up in an environment charged with war. At the same time they are nursed with the fresh air of democracy. They are already accustomed to a democratic group life, as in children’s corps, primary: schools, dancing groups, and productive labor teams at busy farming seasons. After the agrarian reform, the children of peasant families flowed into primary schools in rapidly increasing numbers. In Manchuria, the number of primary schools has been doubled during the past two years. At present there are 17,700 primary schools with an enrollment of 168,000 students enjoying free education. By solving the land problem the agrarian reform has created the fundamental conditions for winning the liberation war. Emancipated ‘peasants, irrespective lof whether male or female, young or old after receiving land, stand firm to support the war of liberation in order to protect their land and precious democratic rights. They have made inreasingly greater efforts to raise production for a higher standard of living and to meet the needs of the front. 2 2. Women and Production Two great tasks face the women of the Liberated Areas: Increasing production, and supporting the front. Before the agrairan reform women participating in farm work were limited to those from poor families and the work was 130 === [PDF page 131] === regarded as shameful. Today to be a skilled farm worker is an ‘occupation of great pride. Women now earnestly learn how to till and plough and are acquiring all the knowledge about farming. They pledge: “Men make merits of war at tha front, women make merits of production in the rear.” Women are taking an active part in Spring ploughing, in summer weeding, and in reaping the harvest. Last autumn there were more women than men who participated in the harvest campaign in the village of Touchen, Yang-Chen country, Shansi Province. Within four days all the millet fields in the village were reaped. Spinning is one of the most important auxiliary products of peasant homes. In an industrially backward countryside, clothing ‘for both army and civilians depend mainly upon hand spinning and weaving by the peasant women. In Spring of last year there was a spinning and weaving campaign in the Tai-Han region of North China, where seven hundred thousand peasant women produced over 670,000 catties (in weight) of cloth, a quantity suifficient to meet the needs of the army and the whole population of that region. The prosperity of rural economy as a whole is, furthermore, promoted by spinning and ‘weaving. The democratic government alloted a large sum to organize productive and consumer cooperatives for the development of spinning and weaving. Weaving women are voluntarily organized into mutual help groups according to their own will and interests. The old women take care of the children while the young ones weave, Labour exchanges are also carried out between farm work and weaving. In Hcheng county town jn Shansi, 125,000 weaving women (70% of the female population in that town) are organized in such a type of mutual help group. es Besides spinning and weaving, other auxiliary peeiice in rural districts vary from place to place. Generally speaking, they may be engaged in making reed hats, matting, fish nets, embroidery, or keep cattle, poultry, or silkworms ete. Following the advance of their political and economic status women naturally demand the right of education. With the support of the democratic government, character learning classes and newspaper reading groups for women have been established throughout the villages. The character learning groups are often simultaneously mutual-help groups. During competition campaigns many labour heroines land model students have emerged. The most enthusiastic and diligent students can read and write simple letters and read newspapers after six months of study. 9 131 === [PDF page 132] === 3. Women in Liberated China Support the Front The free and prosperous life of the women in Liberated China is only achieved iby continuous hard work and heavy sacrifices. "he women of China have suffered as much as, if not more than, her sisters all over the world as the result of aggression and suppression, Liberated China: a woman worker calls for the intensification of production With a bloody hand, aided by the cannon and guns of the American imperialists, Chiang Kai-shek has destroyed thousands of villages and cities and burned out all hope of peace without struggle. Wherever Chiang’s soldiers go there is desolation, able young men are forcibly taken away, grains:and cereals and even personal possessions are looted.: Even women’s combs and baby diapers were included. Chickens, sheep, and other domestic animals were killed or taken away for food, Finally, after everything of value has been acquired, they burn the villages to the ground so that those who are left hava not even a roof over their heads. 132 === [PDF page 133] === Last March, during the Chiang Kai Shek’s invasion of Yenan, the number of refugees reached 40,000, Thirty-seven villages were left uninhabited. Many young men were killed and women raped. This peasant woman made these shoes for the Peoples’ Army This year the Kuomintang army invaded Ch’ang Lo, Wei Hsien, and An Chu in Shantung. They killed a great number of residents. In the Li family village of Wei Hsien alone, moré than a hundred members were buried alive. In Tso Yuen and Yo Yu of Shanhsi, more than a thousand residents were killed by the Kuomintang troops. American-made airplanes’ bomb unarmed cities and villages in the Liberated Area. An important dike of the Yellow River 133 === [PDF page 134] === was bombed, resulting in the flooding of hundreds of miles of fertile land. This increased the number of refugees) to several million more. 3,000,000 childern alone required emergency care. The war of the Chinese people’s liberation is fought primarily by economically backward villages. Communication is very difficult and require the labor jof manpower and animals, so that a large number of people must be mobilized to effect transportation to the front as well as in the rear. Last year during the Battle of Lau Hu in Shantung, a half million people were mobilized for transportation. 1 The production of food and other work at the rear, even part of the administrative work in the villages, fell on the shoulders of women. The most dificult work of supporting the front lay in the preparation of food supplies, the sewing of uniforms and shoes, care of the wounded, guerrilla warfare, encouraging and enlarging the People’s Liberation Army, the production of the factories, and, lastly, the administrative work at the rear. These are handled willingly, efficiently, by the women of Liberated China.: PREPARATION OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES FOR ARMY For rapidly moving, big armies in a country as widespread as ours a well-planned food supply system is required, Using primitive means for threshing rice and grinding wheat, the women make bread and other foods to send to the Army at specified times. This is very heavy work and required the labor of women day and night. During the battle of Fu Li, ithe women prerared in a week 5,000,000 Kgm of cooked and raw food materials and delivered them promptly to insure the victory.. In this way, they help to feed the Army. The sewing brigades of the People’s Liberation Army are built up not in big factories, put among the families. The village women’s handwork must be depended upon for every phase of making the cloth and the clothes. The women in the Yenan Border Region last year supplied the army with 584,000 pairs of shoes. In Chun Tsu Yen village three hundre women in a few days made 3,000 winter uniforms for the front. The women of Chi Hsien of Shantung invasion of Hua Chih in the Yenan Border Region, there were 1,000 wounded Liberation Army soldiers. These were hidden among 800 village families. With the enormous contribution in this medical work even under scantily equipped conditions, the mortality of the wounded were greatly decreased. From July 1946 to June 1947 in the Eastern war section, the mortality of wounded was only 3.3%. 134 === [PDF page 135] === GUERILLA WARFARE Besides the above work, many young women joined the ranks of guerrillas. Sun Yu Min of the Women’s Unit in eastern Shantung is a famous sniper. From the fighting of Japanese fascists to the present time, she has killed seventeen of the enemy, THE WOMEN ENCOURAGE AND ENLARGE THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY The women of Liberated China know that in order to protect their rights and the rights of every human being, they must send their husbands and sons to the (Army. It is a common occurance in every village. The mother sends her son, the wife her husband and the sisters encourage their brothers to join and stay in the Army. In the 5th district of Ssu Shui of Anhwei province, the leader of the women’s group, Mrs. Wang, declared in the anti-Civil War rally: “I have five sons: my first son was killed by Japanese, my second and third sons joined the Main Force, and now the Kuomintang comes to fight a Civil War again. I have asked my fourth son to join the Liberation Army now. My fifth son is a cripple, otherwise I would send him also.“ Under her influence in that district there were more than twenty people who joined the Army. WOMEN IN INDUSTRY Women workers in the factories receive equal wages for equal work, as men workers. They have full freedom, as in organization of trade unions, to vote and be ‘elected, and to join managemznt committees of factories to discuss and prepare production plans. Maternity leave for two months with pay is prescribed. Medical care is provided free of charge if she is ill. In addition, day nurseries and school for the older children are set up by the factories. Under unions and factory management there are cooperatives and worker’s night classes. Women workers have no fear of hunger or unemployment. They have the opportunity to improve not only technique but culture. Because they know they are working for their own country’ rather than blindly they eagerly improve and increase production, support the front, and help supply the people’s daily necessities. In the keen competition between factories, we find many women among the best workers. At the Sixth National Trade Union meeting in August 1948, 135 === [PDF page 136] === Liberated China Women surgeons during a delicate operation there were more than thirty women leaders and model workers out of the 504 representatives, The life and work of the poorer women in the cities are also converted to better channels. Besides protections of their wages, they are guaranteed ‘homes to live in, In Harbin the government redistributed 10,000 homes to poor workers and coolies, thereby replacing their desolate shacks for clean and comfortable living quarters with electricity, water supply, and heat. These comfortable homes formerly belonged to a few traitors and to Japanese, but were confiscated by the government. Work shirkers and prostitutes are sent to occupational institutes to learn a trade. In short periods of time these were converted into productive workers, and some returned to the farm regions for their share of the land. WOMEN IN ADMINISTRATIVE WORK. Women who go into administrative work receive their positions depending on their abiilty. In Liberated China there are women factory superintendents, women managers, school principals commissioners, magistrates, or even members of administrative committees of the provincial government. 136 === [PDF page 137] === LIFE AND STRUGGLE OF WOMEN IN KUOMINTANG AREA There are 150,000,000 out lof the total 235,000,000 women still living in the Kuomintang China, suffering from the unprecedented calamities resuted from the reactionary rule. But, for their own existence, they are firmly struggling in cooperation with the liberation movement of the whole country. The women in Koumintang China, workers, student, peasants and intellectuals, shon their political consciousness bravery and self-sacrificing spirit in participat- ‘ing the anti-hunger, anti-persecution movements against Chiang Kai-Shek's traitorous policy and the American interference policy in China. American and Japanese goods are being dumped on the market. A great number of national industries are closing down. Vast numbers of workers are unemployed and prices of commodities reach astronomical figures. According to the statistics of last August the cost-of living index was 3,630,000 times that in 1936. The currency reform September 18, 1948 intensified the inflation 60 times. In the meantime tha price control tightened up the supply of the market. The cost-of-living index is now increasing even move rapidly. Women workers in Shanghai, laboring 12—15 hours a day and doing the sama job as men, get only */, to % of the average man’s wages which, from time to time, is further reduced by forfeitures under various pretexts. (The average monthly wage of a woman is barely enough to buy 25—50 kgs, of rice, hardly sufficient to maintain the simplest living of a family of two.): Pregnant women are very often simply dismissed. They must carry on even when their health is in danger, and medical treatment is out of the question. Workers live in the most filthy slums, with several families crowded in a small room. The food is deplorable. Sometimes, in order to keep their jobs, they are even compelled to endure physical violations from the foremen. The life of the unemployed is even more miserable. They live in small, damp, dark shelters built of straw mats and earth. In order to have some means of protection against the severe weather, they dig deep into the ground, where the whole family stays during the winter. From time to time one member of the family goes out to beg in the streets. Very often he has to put on all the worn-out clothing still possessed ‘by the family, leaving the others half naked in the dug-outs. 137 === [PDF page 138] === But there are still less fortunate people who cannot even afford to have a shelter, As a matter of fact, masses of unemployed workers takes shelter on the sidewalks of the streets during the whole year. As a result of the constant threat of hunger and cold there are 100,000 prostitutes out of the four million population in Shanghai and 25,000 out of the 750,000 in Nanking, According to the official report of the Shanghai Municipal Public Health Bureau, over 1600 corpses of deserted childern and infants were found in the street during October and November, 1947, Since April 1947 Rice riots“ occured in Shanghai, Chungking, Hangchow and many other big and small cities, The starving people rose to get food from the food shops or even from the boats loading rice, A great number of the poor hungry women and children took part in the riots were killed or wounded by the bullets of the police or died in the huddle. STUDENTS’ STRUGGLE After the students’ great rally held on the occasion of the first anniversary of the "May 20th“ this year in Nanking, four students of the Kuomintang Central University and the Chingling Women's college were arrested. The students of these two universities surrounded the office of the Kuomintang youth department from 3 o’clock jin the morning demanding the release of the fellow students. Those remaining in-the school collected two billion Kuomintang dollars, bought food and sent them to the spot for those who were surrounding the Kuomintang office. They finally had their four schoolmates released at 8 o’clock in the evening. In Kungming, ong of the traditonal centers of the student movement, great perscutions took place. In Jast June and July, more than 2,000 students were arrested by the Kuomintang authotities among whom one third were girl students, This arrest took place along with a month long fight between the students and the police. On June 15th, over 20,000 students in Kungming held a big demonstration protesting against the American fostering Japan policy. By the 14 th of July,after a three day combat between the police and the students, (the latter were finaly sent into a concentration camp. During recent months political oppression in Kuomintang China has again been intensified, ”Special tribunals“ set up 138 === [PDF page 139] === especially for prosecution of students, has launched an unprecedented reign of terror and resulted in the arrest of a great number of students. According to Kuomintang’s official Central News Agency, during the second half of August alone, 778 were blacklisted in Shanghai, Nanking, Tientsin, Peiping and Chengtu, These figures are, of course, far from being complete. The answer of the students to this was the Second Council Meeting of the National Student Federation iat the beginning of October in Shanghai. Reprsentatives from all major schools attended. ' Chiang Kai-Shek has sold the whole sovereign rights of China to the American government. On Chinese soil the American imperialists can do whatever they like without respect for any, law or social order, Atrocious activities of the American military personnel in China can rival only thoss perpetrated by Japanese fascist troops. American military jeeps never respect the communication regulations in the streets, and a great number of Chinese people have been run over by them. Under the bright sunshine they dare to insult women inthe main streets, Many cases have arisen in which Chinese girls were ravished and children knocked down or thrown into water by these barbarous soldiers just for their amusement, On September 23, 1946, a little girl of eleven was drowned by an American GI. She was playing beside the river in Chu-futao in Tientsin when the American passed by, suddenly embraced her, and: threw her into the river with great force, just for fun. The girl was thus drowned. A Chinese coolie tried to rescue the girl, but failed. The American GI standing by the bank gave no assistance. Side by side with the people’s democratic movement in the cities, the resistance agitation flames have been glowing over the broad rural areas of KMT controlled China. An extremely unjust feudalistic system still exists in Kuomintang rural areas. The landlords and rich peasants, who make up not less than 10% of the rural population, hold approximately 10% to 80% of the land, cruelly exploiting the peasantry. Farm labourers, poor peasants, middle peasants and other, however, who make up over 90% of the rural population, hold only a total of approximately 20% to 30% of the land. They toil through the whole year, knowing neither warmth nor full stomachs, nor freedom from debt. i:; 139 === [PDF page 140] === Fighting against illiteracy in Liberated China POVERTY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE But the civil war has made the life of the peasantry harder, In waging civil war Chiang Kai-shek depends mainly upon American aid. According to incomplete statistics, American aid to Chiang since V-J Day has already amouted to 4,600,000,000 dollars, including various kinds of credits and surplus material to train and equip Kuomintang forces, But Chiang Kai-shek must also rely on the broad rural areas to supply manpower ‘and food to maintain his forces. He has used and is using compulsion, abduction, and purchase in order to fill his ranks to be cannon fodder. Wherever there are recruit orders, local despots take it as an oportunity to make profits by kidnapping, blackmailing, and -+open threats, Suddenly, peaceful ‘peasant familiies are forced to separate, Heartbroken sobs can be heard from house to house as one passes by. Besides recruiting, there is always taxation under numerous names and pretexts, and seizure of the crops. Such uprisings are now flaming over the vast. rural areas in the rear of Kuomintang controlled areas and have become the heart disease of the reactionary regime. Women participating in the uprisings are undertaking a selfless struggle. The see clearly that they are not 140 === [PDF page 141] === Children of Liberated China strugging alone. They are backed by the whole population of over 168,000,000 in the Libertad Areas and by the Peopl’s Liberation Army of over 3,000,000 troops. CONCLUSION The struggle of the Chinese people against enslavement by ~ American imperialists and domestic reactionary rulers has already reached the stages leading toward complete victory. The Chinese woman, has been strengthened by the national struggle, conscious of what this struggle means: emancipation, independence, democracy, and a lasting peace. Report of the Chinese Delegation to the Second Congress of the WIDF Budapest, 1948 141 === [PDF page 142] === SOUTH KOREA Dear Sisters, As you know, the people of Korea were liberated from the chains of Japanese imperialism by the Soviet Army. In North Korea where the Soviet Army is stationed, the power is in the hands of the people and is exercised by the co-called People’s Committees created by the people themselves. In this way, they created the conditions for the Korean people immediately after the liberation under which they themselves could carry out far reaching democratic reforms. Enforcement of the law of quality of men and women is, of course also included in those great reforms. In contrast to North Korea, South Korea, where American troops are stationed, is marked by political chaos, economjc bankrupey and cultural. The Americans see that in North Korea, where important democratic reform were carried out, the country’s economy is likewise developing and they also see a firm foundation of a sovereign national state. Having clearly understood that they could not seize the whole of Korea, the Americans are now, pursing a plan of separating the southern half, occupied by) themselves, from the northern half, and changing it into a colony of their own. In the territories occupied by them, the Americans enforced separate elections and formed a separate puppet government for South Korea, This government consists of pro-Japanese elements, national traitors, reactionary land-owners and capitalists who are entirely at their service. It is obvious that the women in South Korea, under such a reactionary, government and the colonization policy of the American imperialists, are horribly exploited and oppressed. We would like to give you a few examples:: The average wage of a women worker in a textile mill amounts to 50 to 93 yens daily. A kilogram of rice costs 200 to 220 yens. Her daily wage can only buy a quarter of a kilogram of rice. 142 === [PDF page 143] === Repressive measures against the people’s demonstrations g' peop! which is about half of the subsistence minimum required: it is simply a stravation wage without parallel Offical statistics in South Korea openly admit that the actual income of an average worker or office employee at the beginning of 1948 dropped to 29% as compared with the year 1936. In addition women get only of the male wages. At that, 50% of women workers are unemployed as compared with the days previous to August. 15, This is also a fact which even the official statistics of the Americans do not conceal. Matters are no better with women ‘in the countryside. The country is ruled by an entirely feudal systiem. More than 60 percent of the workable land monopolized by the land-owners. The peasants in South Korea, desiring to get rid of such a mediaeval system of land-ownership, request an agrarian reform which will confiscate lands without compensation and distribute them gratis among the farmers. The Americans stubbornly refuse this request. They established high rents for the farms, and most of the “farmers” crops 143 === [PDF page 144] === are requisitioned, leaving them enough for only three of four months of the year. This shows the extent of the misery of farmers, and women farmers in particular, in South Korea. - Illiteracy, one of the remnants of the Japonese days, still prevails for over 90 percent of the female inhabitants in South Korea. The people of South Korea are carrying on an relentless battle for their liberation for democracy. We would like to give some examples of this struggle: The October Revolt of 1946, the general strike of March 22, 1947, the patriotic revolt of February 7, 1948, the fight against the separate elections of May 10, the campaign for the election of South Korean delegates of the Supremes National Assembly.of Korea this past summer, and the revolt wich began ‘during the month of October, 1948. In this struggle, the women of South Korea were heroic. During the October Revolt in Taikou (North Kensan province, focal point of the revolt), more than 3,000 women workers played a Police arresting women workers on strike 144 === [PDF page 145] === Sessa Massacre of the ‘Population leading role. Many others took part in the occupation of the police offices, Young women workers of the. textile factories of this city were in the first lines. of battle. They carried the flag of the Democratic Union of Women in a shover of the enemy’s bullets. We will never forget the heroism of Kim Tu Hen, a member of our League and a woman worker who participated in the revolt against the separate elections on May 10 in the city of Intchena. This young girl is still going through all sorts of-inhuman torture at the hands of the police. The page most characteristic of the struggle against the separate elections of May 10, was the armed revolt of the people on the island of De Du Do which made the elections impossible in that region. Here the role of the members of our Union was most important. At the time of the elections of deputies to the Supreme National Assembly of Korea, the South Korean police killed over 300 patriots and first victim among them was Te Ten Choun Huax, chairman of ‘the local chapter of the Union in Dindu, 49 145 === [PDF page 146] === Kennan province. Within three hours after her arrest, they tortured her to death. r These are but a few examples of the struggle of the women in South Korea. The Democratic Union of Women of South Korea has today some 1,030,000 members. In March 1947, our Union submitted to the U. S. Military Government a draft law for the equality of women consisting of nine articles. We published the draft and we persistently requested the U. S. Military Government to enforce the sex equality law also in South Korea as it was done in North Korea. This demand was energetically supported by all the women in our country. But the U. S. Military Government entirely ignored this request and resorted to a policy of terror persecution just as against all other democratic reforms. Among the 190 deputies in the Parliament elected during the forced separate elections, there is not a single woman, which proves clearly what the attitude of the Americans and reactionary traitors is towards women. Police arresting the department store workers 146 === [PDF page 147] === Is spite of the reactionary fascist policies of the American imperialists and their agents, such as Lin Sin Man, our people continue their heroic struggle. As We have mentioned already, in North Korea we have carried out general elections, created a supreme legislative body, the Supreme National Assembly and we established one central democratic government. The Democratic Womens Union of South Korea is now waging a persistent fight to have the political program of our national government realised also in South Korea, and to enforce the equality of men and women, The evacuation of South Korea by the American troops is a primary condition for the formation of a democratic national independent state and for the protection of the national sovereignty of the Korean people. The patirotic women of Korea who want the freedom, peace, security and independence of their “country are firmly united under the banner of the Union of Democratic Women and will not stop fighting until the U. S. troops are withdrawn. This task is of paramount importance. It is also a most importan task for all the democratic women of the world who are fighting for the peace and welfare of all mankind against those instigators of a new war. We request the Women’s International Democratic Federation to take a special interest in the activities and the struggle of the Union of Democratic Women of South Korea and to come to their aid. The delegation from South Korea to the Second WIDF Congress, 1948 ee 141 === [PDF page 148] === NORTH KOREA This is a comparison of the situation of the women of Korea under Japanese imperialism and after the liberation of Korea by the Soviet Army. For 36 years Korea was a colony dominated by Japanese imperialists. The people of Korea were exploited to an unparalleled extent, deprived of all political rights and any freedom whatsoever. This terrible colonial exploitation crushed the country’s economy, and resulted in famine and poverty of the masses, The national cultura of Korea was completely wiped out. The Korean women had the hardest lot to endure under this exploitation. They toiled for the Japanese factory owners 14 to 16 hours a day under the most inhuman conditions. Women. workers were the lowest paid, and their position was not mitigated by either social insurance or medical assistance. While it was forbidden for women to enter educational institutions, the sale of women for prostitution was entirely free. For a 16 hours working-day, the wages of women were not more than six yens, They were not allowed maternity leaves, either before or after childbirth. Nursing mothers were declined the right to feed their babies, and young mothers often: lost their jobs, It was not unusual to see young mothers faint, exhausted from the hard work which surpassed their strength, and from their strenuous life, The peasan women! were no better off. The land was in the hands of the big Korean Japanese landowners. Almost all the income of the peasants went to pay the rents, often reaching 10% or more, and there were some 80 kinds of taxes to be paid in addition. Food shortage reached such heights that peasant women we often obliged to eat roots of the trees and chew weeds in ie ots. i 1 { The children of the workers and peasants had no education facilities, Those who miraculosly succeeded in entering school were oppressed in all possible ways — they did not have the right to speak their own language. The Korean language was not taught, and it was even prohibited to include it in the curriculum. The Koreans were forced to change their names into Japanese names, and to adopt their way of life to that of the Japanese, They 148 === [PDF page 149] === Schools are opening were forbidden to call theier country “Korea”, but the “Peninsula” of “Part of Japan”. The women of Korea, shoulder to shoulder with the entire nation, put up an unwavering fight for the freedom and independence of their country. They founded active organisations: Association of Young Korean Women, Friendship Association of Women, etc. which grouped together and encouraged the Korean women in their struggle against Japanese oppressors, In the Kim-Ir-Sen district the women, weapons in their hands, fought against the Japanese for the liberation of their country. But the Korean people alone were not powerful enough to shake off the bonds of Japanese slavery. It was their great friend, the Soviet Union, who adopted the cause of the Korean people. The march of the Soviet Union towards the East crushed the power of the Japanese imperialists. On August 15th, 1945, the Korean nation was finally liberated from Japanese imperialism, and it was the Soviet Army that achie- 149 === [PDF page 150] === ved this historical deed. The American armed forces penetrated in the South of Korea only a month later, on September 8th, 1945. From that date on, the paths followed by North Korea and South Korea diverged, and soon became diametrically opposed. In North Korea, where the Soviet Army was stationed, the power was actually placed in the people’s hands. People’s Committees were established, reorganising the political life of the country and gaining more and more ground. é The people of North Korea today enjoy their political freedom. The national economy, culture and arts were reborn and are florishing. The American imperialists, pushed by their thirst for worlddomination, are seeking to transform South Korea into a military base for preparations of a new war of aggression. They made South Korea a prison for the people, and resort to the most vicious repression and destruction, That is why the political and economic picture of North Korea, ruled by a ‘people’s government, is so essentially: different from that of South Korea which is at the mercy of reaction, — even though the whole of Korea was liberated from Japanese imperialism. THE LIFE OF THE WOMEN OF NORTH KOREA UNDER A PEOPLE’S RULE As soon as they were liberated, the people of North Korea created their political parties and social organisations. The people themselves established the People’s Committees. These are organs of political power representing the people itself, and ‘achieving the long-harbored hopes and strivings of the people. A democratic government was formed which took a firm stand in the struggle against the Japanese guerillas and the traitors of the people. The People’s Committees issued a series of democratic reforms. Of paramount importance was the adoption of the law emancipating the Korean woman, guaranteeing the equality of rights whith men in the political, equonomic and cultural spheres. Thus, the social position of the woman was radically changed. In the fight for unity independence and the democratisation of the country, the Democratic Union of North Korean Women was born, Their membership grew each day. In May 1946 when the Congress of the Union was held they counted 356,000 members, and in the month of November already this number was increased to 1,023,744. This shows the extreme popularity of the Union of Women, On October 14th, 1947, the Democratic Union of North Korean Women affiliated with the Women’s International Democratic Federation. 150 === [PDF page 151] === Nurseries Thus the women of Korea, liberated from the colonial yoke which oppressed them for half a century, for the first time gained the possibility to form their own democratic organisation and to take part in the international democratic movement of women, to enlist under the banners of the democratic women throughout the world. At present, the Union of North Korean Women counts 1,369,188 members. From the social point of view the composition of the members is the following: women-workers 5.69%, peasant women 75.6%, employees 1.04% and housewives 17.67%. The break-up of the membership from the political angle is: Worker’s party 5.87%, Democratic Party 1.32%, Tchenoudan Party 3.31%, and non-partisan 89.5%. The Union has 86,474 local organisations, 14,226 rural committees, 72 factory committees, 122 Shop committees, 102 city and regional committees, and 6 provincial committees. The members of the Women‘s Union take an active part in the social life of the country. 1,124 members of the Women’s Union hold leading positions in the Union, including the regional branches. 33 women are deputies to the Supreme National Assembly of 151 === [PDF page 152] === Korea, 57 women are members of the Provincial Peopie’s Gommittee, 396 in the City Committees, 1,986 in the Regional Committees and 7,049 in the Rural Committees. The Democratic Union of Women forms a part of the United National Democratic. Front. Together with all political parties and with all the social organisations of North Korea they participate in the struggle for a democratic and united Korea, taking an active part in all economic measures and political embarkments of the Government and of the local organs of power, the People’s Committees. Fine work was done by the Union with regard to the elimination of illiteracy among the women. The committees of the Union of Women organised centers in every village, aimed at the uprooting of PRON) In 1947 alone, 737,000 women learned to read and write,: With the development of agriculture the financial situation of the peasant women has gradually improved. This is illustrated by the following facts: Since August 1947, 10,740 ‘peasant families built new houses, and 7,000 families rehabilitaded their homes. Prior to the liberation of North Korea only 25,690 families were supplied with electric power, while today 43,360 families of 77% of the population of North Korea enjoy the benefits of electric light. Radio sets, sewing-machines and other equipment were made available to the peasants, and were purchased in large quantities. The peasants bought 4,776 domestic animals, 890 agricultural machines and other equipment necessary for farming. The industry of North Korea made rapid strides forwards. Before evacuating the country, the Japanese imperialists destroyed all industrial enterprises, among others 17 hydro-electric stations, 242 railway stations and other means of transportation. Due to the nationalisation of industry and to the selfless cooperation of workers, a rapid reconstruction of the North Korean industry was possible, in the framework of the national economic plans. The 1947 jindustrial plan was cerried out to the extent of 102.5%. As early as the first half of the year,101.3%, of the 1948 plan was achieved, The land reform and the nationalisation of the most important industrial branches are largely _responsible for the progress of our national economy and the raising of our living standard. The achievements attained in our industrial life put an end to uneployment and allowed the reduction of food prices. These as well as prices of other comoditties dopped 20 to 40%. The women-worker of North Korea are equal in the work with men; they are protected by the law and enjoy the benefits of social securities, 152 === [PDF page 153] === The situation in the American-occupied South Korea is altogether different. Industry is in the hands of the American and Japanese business-men and of the traitors of Korea. In 1943 there were 10,000 technical and chemical companiies, today there are only 4,600. Textile and food output dropped to 29%, and transport volume to 10%, The number of workers was also reduced to 62%.. The leading posts in South Korean industry are ocupiad by Ameig Women celebrating the declaration of the law of equality rican business-men. In one year they exported 93,000,000 worth of gold and 50,000,000 of other valuables from South Korea. The wages of workers were heavily cut down. In principle there is an 8 hour:working-day in South Korea. There are no social insurances, and the wages of women-worktrs are 30—60% below those of men. Maternity leaves are unknown. The situation is almost identical in the agriculture. As before, the land is owned by the landed proprietors who are not more in number than 3% of the population, but hold 63%; of the land. The production of agricultural marchinery came down to 33%. The Americans prohibited the utilisation of the irrigation system. « 153 === [PDF page 154] === That is the way how they destroyed ithe agriculture of South Korea. The taxes imposed by the Americans lead to the ruin of the peasants. The women, of South Korea, unable to endure any longer the starvation and privation, leave their homes with their children, in search of a better existence. ‘And, while thousand of kilos of rice are decaying in the ports and in the magazines of the speculators, mothers begging in the streets are arrested and jailed for 3 years. Under such conditions, the workers continue to go on strike. These strikes are, however, cruelly suppressed, and all legal measures demanded by the Trade Union Council are refused. Numerous women who put up a fight against the criminal policy of South Korean reactionaries fell victim to their terror. On the 10th of May, 1948, the American imperialists issued the order to hold elections under the leadership of the “National Congress”. Despite the wave of terror that swept the country, the nation rose in masses to fight the elections, and appeals to strike were Jaunched, Several railway stations were destroyed, and the elections in the island of Dhyeh-Dew-Do could not be carried out. There is not a single deputy in the so-called,,National Congress“ formed after these illegal elections who would represent the working classes. The Congress is a meeting-place of anti-nationalist elements headed’ by the traitor ‘Les-San-Man. As a result of the reactionary police of the Americans and the Korean magnates, Korea is divided into two separate zones. Yet the roads for the revival of the country are already coming in sight,.As a result of the general national elections held on August 27, 1948, a Supreme National Assembly was elected in North Korea, a democratic Government was formed;during the first session of the Supreme National Congress, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was proclamed and its constution voted. The Union of North Korean Women made important contributions to the preparations of the general elections. More than 40,000 members of our Federation were active in the propaganda campaign, explaining to the people the Constitution and the election law. 7,500 members of the Union worked in the District Committees. The Committees thus supported “and organized 11,640 meetings of ‘women. 217,346 members went to visit the homes of the constituents. = The amateur musicians of our Federation, organized 11,354 concerts. In spite of the cruel terror and persecution suffered by 154 === [PDF page 155] === the people of South Korea, 77.52% of the constitutents went to the polls to elect the deputies to the Supreme National Assembly. 69 women were elected deputies to the Assembly. Among them, there are two Cabinet Members, one as Minister of Public Education and the other as Ministar of Propaganda. The central democratic Government, presided over by Kim Ir Sen, is the legal Government of Korea, and we refuse to acknowledge the antinational and reactionary puppet Government of South Korea. Agrarian reform gave the land to the peasants The Constitution iof the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ensures to the women full equality of rights in the political, economic and cultural fields. Paragraph 12 grants” franchise, paragraph 19 the right for education, and paragraph 22 provides for the women’s equal share in the country’s political, economic and cultural life. The same paragraph ensures the maternity leave. But - all these rights are only valid with nagard to the women of democratic North Korea, while tha women of South Korea are deprived of any right. To them, the example of their sisters in North Korea is a mighty encouragement to fight for their own emancipation. 155 === [PDF page 156] === We are convinced that only tha democratic Government headed by Kim Ir Sen, elected by, the unanimous will of the entire nation, will be able to guarantee to the women of South Korea the democratic rights enjoyed by the North Korean women under the constitution of the Democratic Paople’s Republic of North Korea, The Democratic Union of Women will bolster and assist the Government to attain this objective. The Korean women suffered the bonds of slavery under the imperialist system, and will no onger subject themselves to ‘colonial exploitation. They will Wage an unrelenting struggle against the attempts of American colonial forces to reduce their country to the status a colony.: They will fight agains the new war-mongers, for the peace of the world, for a better future Ifor their children and for the corroboration of friendship of all women throughout the world. Delegation from North-Korea. 156 === [PDF page 157] === MONGOLIA Dear friends! In the days before the Revolution, that is, before 1921, the Mongolian woman, playing no political or economic role whatever, was an oppressed and illiterate slave. The seventeen taxes levied upon the peasants by the feudal lords and the foreign invaders led to the pauperisation of the whole country, the disintegration of the family and a frightfully high infant mortality rate. In those days, the working women were totally illiterate, down to ithe last one. Misery and humiliation were the destiny of tha Mongolian peopls before the Revolution. The tragic situation of modern India and of the Indian women recalls vividly the terrible condition of pre-revolutionary Mongolia and of Mongolian women. Our popular democratic regime, however, has fundamentally transformed ithe status of women. They enjoy the same rights as men in public life and economic activity, and in the legal and social sphere, and ‘these rights are guaranteed by the constitution of the Mongolian People’s Republic. In the course of the years of independent (Mongolian existence, a new generation of women: who have never known the horrors of feudal and capitalist opprission, has emerged in jour country. They have never known such curses as hunger, poverty and unemployment, or the exploitation of man by man. These women of the new generation are an active element in the counitry’s public, economic and cultural development. They feel it their sacred duty to serve their people and beloved native country. For the workers, peasants and the Mongolian intelligentia are masters in their own land; it is to them that the means of production belong. During the war, the Mongolian working women’s councils addressed a message to the women of Mongolia, asking them to render all possible aid to the Red Army of the Soviet Union, which was waging a bitter struggle with the Nazi hordes. | 187 === [PDF page 158] === All Mongolian women,;without exception, actively responded to this appeal. Needle~work clubs, set up under the women’s councils in towns and countryside, produced and sent to the Red Army 10,760 pieces of warm clothing as gifts. The Mongolian people also raised a special fund for the building and equiping of an air force squadron and a tank column, which were dis- Women of Mongolia making embroidery to sell and to send, the benefits to the Greek democrats patched to the Soviet-German front. Moreover, the two units were supplied by the Mongolian people with all necessary supplies until the victorious end of jthe war. Aircraft and tanks built with the funds raised by the Mongolian people took part in the final battle for Berlin.; And when, on August 10, 1945, the Government of the Mongolian People’s Republic declared war on the Japanese imperialists, the nation as one man acclaimed the news and vigorously participated jin this holy war. In the war with the Japanese imperialists in 1945, Mongolian women played an important! part both in battle and in the rear. 158 === [PDF page 159] === Sixty-five women who participated in fighting were decorated for combat service. Since the end of the war, the Mongolian women, besides energetically participating in the development of the country, have been constantly rendering assistance to the women in the imperialist and colonial countries fighting for their freedom and independence, and for a better future for their children. Thus, Mongolian women sare shoulder to shoulder with those of other countries striving for peace and democracy. Our women have been (giving material aid to the Spanish and Greek women patriots and have repeatedly protested to the goyernments of India, Spain and Greece against their reactionary policies. Tha Mongolian women, now as always, endorse the principles of the Soviet idelegation and ithose of the other democratic countries to the United Nations, relating to the reduction of armaments, the employment of atomic energy for peaceful purposes and to the promotion of peace and democracy. THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS OF WORKING WOMEN IN THE MONGOLIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC The Constitution of the Mongolian People’s Republic is a truly democratic one, and all the rights and privileges granted to the citizens are fully carried out. Article 73 of the Constitution assures to the women the full right to elect and {be elected on a par with men; and Article 80 reads: “Woman in the Mongolian People’s Republic is granted equal rights in -the jeconomic, public and cultural life of the country”. The Mongolian Constitution assures to the women the same rights as to men in regard to work! and rest, social securilty and education. Under the Constitution, the Government safeguards the welfare of mother and child and grants women employees free pregnancy leave with full pay. Our women really enjoy all these rights guaranteed in our Constitution. This is best borne out by the genioral progress of Mongolian women during the past 27 years of our country’s freedom and independence, At present, more than (20 percent of the members of the socalled Little Khural, the suprems authority in the country, are women; 14 percent of the members of local governments are women; 65 percent of the cattle breeders; 38 percent of industrial personnel (in Ulan-Bator the percentage of women is industry 159 === [PDF page 160] === 1s 73 percent); 18 percent of the teachers; 23 percent of the}total trade union membership; 27 percent of the Young Revolutionaries’ League; 76 percent of the medical personnel and 25 percent of the students enrolled in the higher institutes of education. Hundreds of women are professional actresses, leading membres of clubs and other popular educational establishments. AH this is Nurersy vivid proof that women are directly and vigorously participating in every part of the country’s life, and the rights of women, laid down in the constitution are being fully carried out. The Government of the Mongolian People’s Republic highly appreciates the achievements of women. More than 30 percent of the title of “Celebrated Cattle Breeder of the Republic” are women, Likewise, 32 percent of the women workers are shock workers, showing a high level of labour productivity in industrial enterprises. Women constituted 15 percent of the foremost cattle breeders convened at a special national conference in December, 1948, 160 === [PDF page 161] === Batoryn Solya, a woman animal breeder of the Central Gobi Districht has achieved on increase of 40 percent of the sheeg in her charge in 1947. This year the increase was 24.8 percent, and next year it will be 45.5 per cent more. Another woman cattle-breeder, Namsarain Tseren-Dulma of the Bulgan District increased her flocks by 42.8 percent in 1947; in the current year by 300 percent. Darinchuluny Tserenzhid, an animal breeder of the South Gobi District improved her flock 29.4 percent in 1947, 44.4 percent in the courrent year. The number of women celebrities on the labour font is constantly growing, Our women are conscientiously and self-sacrificingly striving for the benefit of their democratic country on its road to Socialism. “Among the working women at the leather factory, powerstations, meat plant, fur clothing factory, textile mill, and numerous other establishments there are many who exceed their production quotas by as much as 600 percent. The women shock workers at the fur clothing factory. Tenimit and Enbieh, have exceeded their quotas even by 1,000 percent, while Ombar and several other women leather workers completed their two-year production programs in only 12 months. The best women workers are given the honorable title of,,Shock Worker of the Country“. Khorlo, a woman cattle breeder of the Kobdos District, prompted by patriotic urge, joined a factory collective’ in 1942, when Hitlerite Germany was waging war against the Soviet Union and when progressive humanity rose to fight Fascism. Her idea was to master an industrial profession and thus help the country to step up production. Later, Khorlo began working at the meat plant in Ulan-Bator, acquired great skill in the trade and now regularly exceeds her production target by 50 to 100 percent. For six years she has been steadiy exceeding all her production quotas and has won nation-wide fame. Khorlo says, “Our people’s power encourages in every possible way the workers who are struggling for the good of their country and their people. Our government has given us a prosperous life. As for myself, within a few years I have become a skilled worker”. Women receive equal pay for equal work, their younger children are all provided with free accomodation in the nurseries and kindergartens; and women in general live in comfortable quarters. Many women are engaged in the fields of national education and arts; many have earned the title of “Teacher of Merit”; ee 161 === [PDF page 162] === others have become outstanding artists and actresses, doctors and pilots, chauffeurs and foremen, tractor drivers and communication workers, We would like to mention here the women decorated with the high title of “Merited Artists of the Republic”, Tsokzolma, Ichinkhorla, Irintsin Norbo, and Dulgarsurun; the People’s Artist of the Republic Dashi-Delek; the stage director of the State Theater, Oyun, a People’s Artist and Choibalsan Prize winner; the Merited Teachers of the Republic, Batsukhe and Densimy. Article 77 of the Constitution states: “The citizens of the Mongolian People’s Republic have the right to education. This right is assured through free education, extension of the network of schools and technical schools, with instruction in the native language”. According to these provisions, all school age children attend elementary and secondary schools, Upon graduating, the boys and grils have the right to continue their education, without charge, in the special technical schools and other institutes of higher education, They are likewise provided with accomodation and food free of charge. * The school curricula in our country are based on scientific foundations. Before the Revolution, 99 percent of the population of our country was illiterate; in the 27 years of our indepedent existence, 42.8 percent of the adult population learned to read and write, and complete elimination of illiteracy and universal elementary and secondary school education of all school-age children are provided for in the first 5-Year-Plan drafted for the years 1948—52. The Mongolian women feel profound gratitude and devotion to the People’s Revolutionary Party, to their Government and their great leader, Marshal Choibalsan, who gave them freedom, independence and a cultural and prosperous life. Mongolia, for 27 years regarded as a backward country, has now become a progressive and democratic country in the heart of Asia. Prior to the advent of the system of People’s Democracy, the country had not a single theater, cinema, club, library, modern hospital; now we have all this in abundance. The Mongolian women are in the very midst of all this progress. More than that, in such spheres as art, culture and medicine, many gifted women have emerged. Marriage is a perfectly free institution for women in our country. Man and wife enjoy equal rights both in family and in life generally. They enjoy equal rights in regard to domestic property; the father and mother have the same duties as regards 162 === [PDF page 163] === the bringing up of their children. The children enjoy parental love regardless whether they were born before or after the official marriage of their parents. Under the Constitution, whoever sets any barriers whatever to the emancipation and equality of women, to their education and participation in the economic, public and cultural life, is punishable by law. University of Mongolia — 30% of the students are women MOTHER AND CHILD WELFARE AND THE BRINGING UP OF CHILDREN The lot of women and children in our country before the advent of the popular democratic power, was exceedingly hard. Only after the revolution, women have been freed from the fetters of famine and slavery and have been granted all conditions for the proper rearing of the children. Mother and child have been assured happy life in our country entirely due to the care displayed by the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and the Government, their great leaders Sukhe- Bator and Choibalsan, and thanks to the helping hand of the peoples of the great Soviet Union. + 163 === [PDF page 164] === Pregnant women are given a 90 day leave of absence with full pay at their places of work, apart from medical and other services. The number of maternity homes in 1948 has been enlarged 23 times as compared with their number in 1940. Mothers of large families have been given special government allowances in the past four years to the sum total of 14,771,800 tugriks. The network of special medical institutions catering to the children has been increased. Summer camps for school children are steadily expanding, and ‘the number of school boys and _ girls accomodated there during the summer vacations has been increased six fold compared with 1940. Maternity homes, nurseries and kindergartens have been set up in the capital of the country, in all district centers and at the larger industrial establishments; all these institutions are maintained by the government. There are many health resorts where people receive treatment according to the doctors’ prescriptions, and the number of these institutions is growing year after year. Much attention has been given in the five-year plan for the development of national economy and culture of the country, to the further improvement of the living standard and medical service for the rural population. More than 200 children’s institutions will be added to this network during the five years, Mother and child are provided free medical treatment in the government institutions, and whole series of measures for combating the social diseases are being taken; consequently, diseases and death rate among the population are steadily dropping. That is how matters stand with the Mongolian women’s equal rights in all the fields of economic, cultural and public life in our country. This atmosphere of women’s welfare instills in them a deep patriotic sentiment, a devotion to the native country, to the Party and the Government, to their great leader Choibalsan, a feeling of affection and friendship for the great Soviet Union, and these sentiments guide and inspire the Mongolian women in their endeavours toward the greater glory of their homeland. Soukhebatoryne Ianjima, Mongolian delegation at Budapest. 164 === [PDF page 165] === UNION OF FRENCH WOMEN Meeting of the Board of Directors October 5, 1948. DECLARATION The Board Directors of the Union of French Women feels that the French Union can only exist in an atmosphere of peace and fraternal collaboration. It therefore denounces the attitude of the French Government which, disregarding the Constitution and the human _ rights proclaimed by the San Francisco Charter, has placed itself at the service of capitalist and colonial interests and is developing a regime of oppression. This is especially true of the terrible repression in Madagascar and the shameful war against the Republic of Viem-Nam. The Board of Directors underlines the fact that these actions are responsible for the high cost of living in France, for the police aggression against the strikers and for the endangering of our independence by enabling American imperialism to gain control The Board of Directors calls upon all women and all mothers to unite in an unshakrable union for the conquest of democracy, freedom, peace and the equality of peoples. The Board of Directors proposes that a Friendship Committee be formed, to be called, “Friendship and Action Committee of the Women of the French Union, United in their Struggle against Imperialist Oppression, for Bread, Democracy, Freedom and Peace.“ The Board of Directors pledges itself to intensify its activity in France for a democratic government conscious of the interests of families, respectful of the Consitution, and which will apply the principles of the San Francisco Charter. Furthermore, it has decided to change the collection, which was started for the financing of the Viet-Nam delegation to the Calcutta Conference of the Women of Asia, to a permanent fund. The Union of French Women desires most ardently to help the women of the countries oppressed by French imperialism ‘in their struggle for freedom, these women ‘who are burdened with enormous material difficulties because of this oppression. This money, collected by the women of France, would permit them to come to the aid of the sisters for certain projects. 165 === [PDF page 166] === AT THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION SHOULD THE UNO ABOLISH SLAVERY? “SLAVERY and the trading of slaves is prohibited under all forms.” That is the way the Soviet proposal read when introduced during the discussion on Article IV of the Draft “Declaration of the Rights of Man”. “A majority of 22 voices voted in favor of this proposal. Amongst those countries voting affirmatively were the USSR, the Ukraine, Byelo-Russia, France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and a number of South American countries.” “Who would have thought that in the 20th century, at the Palais Chaillot, one would have found supporters of “slave trade?” No Negro in Carolina would be astonished to hear that the United States voted for the continuation of slavery. The “natives” of the British Dominions have only to stand firm and the Indonesian people have nothing better but to wait from the Kimgdom of Princess Juliana.” “One can understand less that India wants to maintain this system which dishonors a free country.” “As for Sweden, Norway and Iceland, their vote seems mysterious, unless these countries are planning colonial conquests or to affirm their disposition to serve the dollar?“ 166 === [PDF page 167] === —————SSss No YES NO ae ABSENT pees |e es oi ee Be ee eS SSS 1. Argentine Australia Afghanistan Bolivia a, Belgium Canada | Egypt Burma 3. Brazil China | Ethiopia Colombia 4. R. S. S. Byelo Denmark Costa Rica Russia Guatemala Salvador 5. Chili Iceland Haiti 6 | Cuba | India Iran 1. Czechoslovakia | Holland Irak 8. Dominican Norway Liberia Republic Neu Zealand | Luxembourg 9. Equador Philippines | Nicaragua 10. France Sweden Pakistan i. Greece Syria Paraguay — 12. Honduras Turkey Saudi Arabia 13. Lebanon Union of So. Siam 14. Mexico Africa Yemen 16, Panama England 16. Peru United States 17. Poland 18. R. S. S. Ukraine 19. U. R. S. S, 20. Uruguay 21. Venezuala 22. Yugoslovia TOTAL 22 17 3 16 IS IT NECESSARY TO ABOLISH THE DEATH SENTENCE? A most interesting debate took place on October 19th in the Third Committee of the UNO on the draft “Declaration of the Rights of Man”.; A Soviet amendment to Article 3 of the project provided that in the conclusion it should state “the death penalty must be abolished in time of peace”. One has seen those countries, who are accused of conducting a “reign of terror”, vote for the abolition of the death penalty in time of peace, while the “great western democracies” joined with the China of Chiang Kai Shek, the Greece of Tsaldaris and with fascist Turkey to vote against it. Uruguay finds herself in a rather delicate situation. In February 1946, at the first session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation, she proposed the suppression of the death penalty... for war criminals! This time the same Uruguay réfuses to demand the abolition of the death penalty 167 === [PDF page 168] === in time of peace, her representative finds, as a pretext, that by voting for the “total abolition of the death penalty, he would, by his vote, be committing himself against any kind of limitation. As it is shown by tho table below, the nine “totalitarian voices ° are opposed to an incongruous coalition where. the courageous abstainers contend with,the heroic absentes. Did the coalition perhaps simply want to vote against the USSR and the “totalitarian countries? Or did it mean to leave the field free for the Un-American Activities Committee? Or perhaps both at the same time? No YES 1|uUSs, Ss. R. 2. | Beylo-Russia S. S. R. 3. Ukraine S. S. R. 4, | Poland 5. Czechoslovakia 7. | Yugoslavia 8. | Cuba 9. | Dominican Republic 10. | Mexico 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16, 17. 18, 19. 20. 21. TOTAL 9 168 EET? United States England France China Afhganistan Australia Brazil Canada Chili Greece Guatamala Haiti Luxembourg Panama Philippines Siam Syria Turkey | union of South Africa Uruguay Yemen | ABSTEN- 4 TIONS | ABSENT | Argentina Irak | Belgium Paraguay | Burma Salvador Costa Rica Colombia Denmark Bolivia Equador Pakistan Egypt Iceland Ethlople Nicaragua Honduras Liberla India Tran Lebanon Holland New Zealand Norway Peru Saudi Arabia Sweden Venezuala 18 10 November 7, 1948. Extract from “Soviet Studies‘ === [PDF page 169] === MESSAGE TO THE WOMEN OF ASIA Dear Sisters, The Executive Committee of the Women’s International Democratic Federation heard with poignant emotion the story on the situation of women and children told by the inquiry commission which ‘visited India, Burma and Malaya. 3 With the fullnes in our hearts we realized the sorrow of the women, of the mothers whom foreign imperialism, deprives of liberty, maintaining them in extreme misery and to whom it ’ refuses the recognition of their legitimate rights. We learned with indignation of the shameless exploitation of children in the plantations, the factories and the fields, employed in tasks which often are the unhealthiest, most disgusting and miserably paid; these children who are hungry and who have no,opportunity of education. When our Federation was formed, women, crushed by the sufferings inflicted by a fascist war, took the path of gathering together the women of every country in the world; to struggle for their rights, establish a genuine democracy and insure a durable peace, only guarantee of the prosperity of the home and of the happiness of the children; to defend the vital interests of women, whatever the color of their skin, their nationality, their place in society, their religion, their political opinion. True to these principles, we loudly proclaim the right to life, to freedom, to the dignity of any human being and we protest against the enslavement of women and of children, Women of the Asiatic Countries, our Sisters! We salute with admiration your firm, your courageous struggle conducted in spite of misery, in spite of pitiless repression, to free your children and your country from slavery. We note with joy the constant strengthening of democratic women’s organizations. We bow to the heroism of the women and of the peoples of China, of Viet-Nam, of Indonesia and to the pain of those admirable mothers whose sons are giving their lives in the defense of reedom, We proudly congratulate you on the victories you have already won, such as those the women obtained in the Chinese Liberated Areas, in North Korea. These triumphs are a great encouragement for all the oppressed Asiatic women and show them the path to be followed for their common liberation. 169 === [PDF page 170] === The importance of your struggle is tremendous for the development of democracy in your respective countries and is decisive for the establishment of democracy in the world, for the weakening of the imperialist forces of the war-mongers. The struggle is decisive in stopping the crimes of the American, English, French and Dutch imperialists against liberty-loving Our commission has understood the anxiety of the Asiatic women who, after having struggled against the Japanese invader, see the war being spread through the will of men thirsty for profits and avidly reaching out for domination, The WIDF affirms to our sisters in Asia that it will support their struggle by fighting against the imperialist forces, In the course of the visit of the WIDF Inquiry Commission to — South-East Asia, some of the women’s Organizations of the countries expressed the wish to call a Conference of the Women of the Asiatic countries in October or November, 1948.* The WIDF supports the proposal of our sisters of Asia and calls, on you to answer this appeal..The aim of the Conference will be the discussion of vitally important questions: — The Unity of the Women of Asia and of the women around the world for national independence, for democracy, for peace; — The defense of the rights of women; — The defense of children, The Federation calls on all the democratic women’s organisations of the Asiatic countries to gather together, in preparation forthis conference, all the women and all the wornen’s movements — cooperative, religious, professional and agricultural — which are. in favour of national independence, of the recognition of the basic rights, of the happiness of children, and of peace. It calls on them to take an active part in the preparation of the conference, to’ send in suggestions and actively participate in its achievements, The representatives of the democratic women in colonial and dependent counted to attend these meetings. They will bring the assurance of sisterly solidarity and of the indentity of interests between women and mothers. The Federation feels sure that its appeal will find a profound echo in your hearts and that, united, we, the women of the entire world, shall build up a future of happiness for our children, ** The Conference was supposed to take place in Calcutta, It was pos!- poned because of the opposition of the Government of India which did not grant entry visas. 170