Second Women's International Congress, WIDF, Budapest, 1-6 December 1948

=== [PDF page 1] === [Cover:] WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION SECOND WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS Account of the work of the Congress which took place in Budapest (Hungary) from the 1st to the 6th of December 1948 Published by the Women's International Democratic Federation [address: Unreadable] === [PDF page 2] === WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION DONATED in MEMORY of William J. Pennock and Lovise M. Hastert—Pennock . SECOND WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS Acount of the work of the Congress which took place in Budapest (Hungary) from the Ist to the 6th of December, 1948 a erreenereeie First edition Published by the Women’s International Democratic Federation 37, rue Jouvenet, Paris (XVI) === [PDF page 3] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 4] === PREFACE The years which followed the i914 —- 1918 war brought us deep disappointments. We saw barriers, which became ever more difficult to overcome, rise between the countries. We saw the beginning ot Fascism, and watched it develop with the complicity of the countries which claim to be democratic. We saw the war coming, and we could not prevent it, because in every country private interests wete opposed to an anti-fascist policy, since Hitler served them as a bulwark against Communism, We had hardly emerged from the war of 1939 — i944, when we beheld the re-appearance of the same policy of supporting the reactionary forces in all countries through fear of Communism. We know where that policy led us. This time, the invitation to participate in an anti-Soviet crusade is quite openly presented. Although the Goverments which lead us on this path came to power through legal means, we do not believe that they truly serve the interests and aspirations of the people of their countries. It is absolutely clear that all the peoples who suffered directly from air-raids and occupation want peace, and we are sure that the people of the United States or other countries far from the theatre of war also desire peace. In Europe; the Western peoples are not sufficiently aware of the. danger which threatens them. In America, well organised propaganhda: tends on the contrary to create the belief in the necessity o! a preventive war, against an imaginary danger. That is why it is necessary for all democratic organisations to come together to denotince the threats or deceptions which are leading us to war, to show the Governments that a large part of public opinion in their countries demands a policy of agreement and friendship between all the peoples, and not the formation of two hostile blocs. === [PDF page 5] === The Women’s Internationa) Democratic Federation, which unites numerous. women's organizations from all countries, is one of.the essential elements in this crusade for peace..It was born immediately after the second world war, of the determination of women to work effectively throughout the world for the extension of their rights, to improve children’s conditions, and to ensure the security of the family. These legitimate ambitions can only be satisfied in a world at peace, and peace is in great measure the affair of women. The delegates to the Budapest Congress strongly affirmed this, and since then the W. I. D. F. bas made a great contribution to the success of the World Peace Congress in April.1949 in Paris, It is necessary to join the Federation and help it in the accomplishment of its great task, IRENE JOLLOT-CURIE === [PDF page 6] === [Photograph: head-and-shoulders portrait of a woman with dark wavy hair] IRENE JOLIOT CURIE === [PDF page 7] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 8] === INTRODUCTION === [PDF page 9] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 10] === INTRODUCTION The Second Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation opened at Budapest on December Ist 1948, the date of the third anniversary of the Federation's foundation. Most of the women who took part in the inauguration of this great organisation were present, They were as much moved as parents who celebrate their child’s third birthday. A thousand questions arise: has the growth of the child been normal? Is he robust? What can be expected of him? To all these questions, epplied to the W. I. D. F., the Budapest Congress gave the most favourable answers. The very fact that 390 delegates of 51 nations were able to reach Budapest from ail parts of the world, emphasised, in addition to underlining the dynamic force of the Federation throughout the world, the facilities and the extraordinary welcome which the Government of Hungary, country of people's democracy, extended to it. Delegates from all.ends of the earth have wonderful memories of this welcome, in contrast with all the other difficulties they had to overcome, Indeed, to think of all the innumerable obstacles which have to be surmounted:at the present time to get visas, and to make the necessary arrangements for long journeys, is to understand immediately that it is only thanks to millions of pennies of millions of _humble working women that their delegates were able to get to Hungary. What a responsibility, then, for all these women travellers, bearers of so many just demands and such high hopes. “> The Chinese women were there, having set off on their journey many months before, and Greek fighting women in uniform who crossed the enemy lines on foot, by night, in the snow. The delegation from the United States of America included women from allt parts of that immense country, some of whom met each other for the first time on. the boat which brought them to Europe. Whether they were from Africa or South America, Iran or Sweden, Poland or Spain, U. S..S. R. or Cuba, the delegates, women from all spheres, iministers, deputies, scientists, poets, working or peasant women, ee tine 1 liken Mural === [PDF page 11] === all had only one ambition: to carry through well the mission for which they had been made responsible, And the delight of all these women whom trains and airplanes brought day and night to Budapest, was only equalled by the joy of the Hungarian women who met them at stations and aerodromes, their arms filled with flowers, their eyes shining with honest welcome. ft can be said that the whole city, decorated with the tlags of all nations, posters of the Congress, emblems of the W. I. D. F., celebrated our great rally. The Government joined with the people in arranging a magnificent welcome for us. It was in the Parliament that our Congress was held, and the President and many ministers greeted it at our imposing opening session. The innumerable manifestations of the friendship and solidarity of the women of the whole world, the consideration of the Hungarian Government, the statements from numerous leading personalities and international organisations, proved to everybody the worldwide importance cf the Federation. This book contains bundred of precise statements bearing witness to the Federation's achievements in the last three years, not only in the over-all repcris presented to the Congress, but still more directly in the speeches of the women from all the countries, large or small, free or oppressed. It is ptimarily the President's report of activities which shows how the W. I. D. F. has met the great tasks laid down in the Constitution in 1945, These tacks were: the fight against fascism - for democracy and peace — for the extension of women's rights -~ for the improvement of the conditions of children. Madame Kormanova, great educationist, member of the League of Polish Women,presented the Report on.the situation of children and the defence of their rights. She said:,,The reports of the National Commissions show in what countries the mothers see their children's future guaranteed by a reghne which, from birth, cares for their health and education; which, when their school-days are over, offers them every opportunity in the choice of a profession, access to the highest educational institutions, as well as opportunities for obtaining the highest technical -qualifications; and in what countries these opportunities remain the privilege of a minority, where all kinds oi economic barriers stand in the way of ithe cultural development of the youth; where the child's life is still oppressed by the weight of poverty and exploitation’. === [PDF page 12] === Mrs. Helen Phillips, member-of the Congress of American Wo men, spoke on the problems in connection with the economic and political rights of women. Wherever democracy is attacked, she pointed out, there is also an onstaught on the rights of women, and this reaches a terrible pitch in the colonial countries. That is why the W. IL. D. F., after having heard Madame Tsai Chang present a report on the devolopment of the woman's movement in Asia and. Africa, decided to hold a Conference in Asia in 1949 te defend the rights. of women in the countries where these rights are trampled underfoot. In a country of popular democracy like Hungary, where the delegates. to Congress could see the great political and social achievements'in process, the reports on childhood and the condition ot women appeared in their fullest significance. The delegates of the less favoured countries who had heard the tales of suffering of the women. of India and Iran, listened as in a magnificent dream to the voice of Madame Basanova of Khazakstan a Soviet Republic in Asia when she spoke to them of the reforms accomplished in her country since 31 years ago. nThe women were illiterate slaves; they suffered under the yoke of the wealthy, of the satrapes of the Tsar, from ignorance, savage superstitions, and from the pitiless exploilation of their own families. Today, active militants in social life, deputies and ministers, scientists and writers, heads of various insfitulions and large collective economic concerns, we are the equal companions of our husbands, and the happy mothers of happy children". These great changes can only be brought about in a world at peace. All women have long been convinced of this, but they were particularly strongly aware of it at Budapest last December, because of the obvious threat of a third world war. For this reason the Budapest Congress was throughout marked by the passionate desire of women for peace, Women in all times have been the worst victims of wars. They suffer from them materially, because they have a thousand supplementary tasks to do under all kinds of conditions while the men are fighting, and. morally they suffer still more. They see the lowering of morality during wars, above all during total wars, like the last, the increase in crime, denunciations, tortures which are a disgrace to humanity, with horror. And the women, for whom wars are also epochs of great courage, great sacrifices, as well as of great sorrows, the women Who know how to give their heroes, do not want their sons and daughters to be heroes for death. With all - their strength, they ardently desire the world to reject for ever the scourge of war. === [PDF page 13] === In an important report on the tasks of the international women's Movement in the fight for peace and democracy, Maria Maddalena Rossi, deputy in the Italian Assembly, closely examined the problem of war, and clearly pointed out those whose interests lie in starting a new conflict. The evidence of women from numerous countries brings tangible proof of the encirclement of the U. S. S. R. by American naval and air bases. These bases constitute a veritable staking out of the whole globe. It was the conclusion of this report which formed the basis for the Congress Manifesto, destined not only for the members of the W. I. D, F., but for the women of the whole world. This manifesto calls for the unity of all; it says: nWomen of all Iands; A great responsibility towards our children our people, towards mankind and history, rests on our shoulders. If we, the women, who constitute half of mankind, take a firm and united stand against the instigators of a new war, there will be no war".. And it lays down the path to follow in the months to come to prevent war: " Organize mass rallies, demonstrations, petitions, exposing the criminal plans of the aggressors... Together with all democratic organisations of the world, let us establish a solid front against the enemies of humanity, those who are preparing for a new war". The delegates separated with the firm determination to work actively, couragéously, in the construction of peace. Inspired by the Manifesto, they organised powerful demonstration for International Women's Day. They not only drew new women into the celabration of this day of struggle, but they also communicated their enthusiasm to many men in many countries. Faithful to the Manifesto, they have also worked with other democratic organisations, in particular with the International Committee of Intellectuals for Peace, born at Wroclaw, in the preparation for the World Peace Congress, which was so magnificently successful in Paris at the end of April. It is known that 2000 representatives of 600. million men and women took part in this Congress, and that the will to peace of all the peoples of the world was loundly prociamed there. The consequences of such a manifestation will be of the greatest importance; the field of activity for the W. I. D. F. extends every day, and its role, as the Budapest Congress declared, will be decisive in the battle for peace. ‘ - Long live the Women's Internationa! Democratic Federation. _EUGENIE COTTON” 10 === [PDF page 14] === MANIFESTO FOR THE DEFENCE OF PEACE Women, Mothers, Sisters! Three years ago at the close of World War II, we, women united in the Women's International Democratic Federation, solemnly pledged ourselves at our first Congress to fight for the complete destruction of fascism, for a just and durable peace, and to halt any new aggression, A durable peace is the only guarantee of the happiness of our children and our families. The wounds of the terrible war launched by the fascists have not yet healed. Cities and towns cruinbled by bombs are not yet rebuilt and already the real rulers of the United States and Great Britain, in military, industrial and financial circles, are preparing a new conflict, endangering our children, and all those whom we hold dear, They seek to ‘deprive the people of the fruits of their peaceful labour. War is profitable business for the monopolists who enrich themselves with the blood and the suffering of millions of common people. The fomentors of a new. war increase the production of armaments; organize military blocks and alliances; restore German militarism, create military bases, and revive Japan as a military potential, secking to establish there a military springboard in the Far East. They menace humanity with the most barbarous weapon of destruction, the atom bomb. They oppose, in the United Nations, every proposal of the Soviet Union and other peace-loving countries to consolidate the peace, reduce armaments, and outlaw the atomic. bomb.: === [PDF page 15] === American monopolists seek to dominate the world, With the aid of the Marshall-Plan, they deprive nations of their sovereignty, luming the people into servanis of the American warmakers, The women of the whole world must know that the Marshall Plan is not a European Aid Program, but a plan of economic and political servitude for the people and thus a step towards the preparation of a new war. Nationat economies of the Marshall-Plan countries have been severely affected, with numbers of factories closing their doors and unemployment on the increase. The standard of living is falling at an unprecedented rate. The Governments of these countries have allocated the major part of their national expenditures to war, and in turn grant military bases to American imperialists. The Marshall-Plan means the restoration of German imperialism; the Marshall-Plan means poverty, reaction and war. The imperialists interfere in the internal affairs of those nalions where the people are working for their democratic liberties and national independence. Already the tanks and the planes, the guns and the armoured cars of the Americans, English, French and Dutch are launched against the freedom-loving peoples of Greece, Indonesia, Viet-Nam, China, and Malaya. The only crime of these peoples is their wish to live free from the domination of foreign powers, lo be the masters of their own fate, to fight for liberty and peace, to provide food for their children and to live happily. Anglo-American imperialists are supporting both economically and politically the terrorist regime of Franco which the U.N. General Assembly has recognized as fascist. ‘Women, motbers and sisters! Thanks to the common efforts of freedom-loving people and primarily to the enormous efforts of the Soviet-Union, humanity has been saved from the horror of fascism. This victory has been the victory of the democratic forces over fascism, the victory of progress over fascism, of human reason and freedom over darkness and barbarism. However, the post. war years have shown that the final defeat of fascism is not to the advantage of those that profit from war, the men who put profits first and oppress the peoples of colonial and dependent countries, Weakened by the military defeat of fascism, the reactionary forces dream of revenge. They would like to take away from the 12 === [PDF page 16] === people -the life of liberty for which they have made so many sacrifices. Women! The democratic forces, the forces oi progress and peace, are growing and developing every day all over the world. It is our task to prevent our husbands, sons and brothers from being dragged into a new war where they wili become cannon fodder in the interest of adventurers and the owners of the atomic bomb. ti is up to us to silence forever the sound of bombs directed against our peaceful villages and killing our children. It is cur task never to permit hunger, fire and epidemics to wipe out millions of our brothers and sisters. Women of all lands! A great responsibility towards our children, our people, towards mankind and history, rests on our shoulders. If we, the women, whoa constitute half of mankind, take a firm and united stand against the instigators of a new war there will be no war. The 2nd Congress of the W.I.D.F. calls upon you! Condemn the warmongers, those who form military alliances, who establish military bases all over the world, restore: militarism in West-Germany and drive the world towards a new war. Expose was-propaganda in all ils forms. Protest against military intervention in Greece, China, Viel- Nam, Indonesia, Malaya, Burma, Extend your helping hand to the women and children of these countries, Collect funds, gather food and drugs for them. Protest with all your sirength against the terrorist regime ot Franco, Extend your help to the fighters of democratic Spain. Women of the United States. Great Britain, France, Holland! You must remember that a country which oppresses another cannot live in freedom. Urge your governments to withdraw their troops from Greece, China, Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Malaya, Burma and South-Korea, and halt all forms of interference in the domestic affairs of other nations. Demand the reduction of military expenditure, the limitation of armaments, the outlawing of the atom bomb, This weapon of aggression is designed to destroy peaceful peoples and the first to suffer are the women and the children, Demand that the resources of your country be used for the social needs of all the people and particularly for the children. Women of capitalist countries! There can be no peace without democracy. Defend the democratic rights which you have already won. Demand the === [PDF page 17] === abolition of anti-labor laws. Protest against the persecution of progressive organizations and their leaders. Women of colonial and semi-colonial countries! Continue with new vigor your battle for national independence and freedom from imperial control. Women of the New Democracies! Continue your active struggle for the development of the national economy of your countries, for the strengthening of your democracy. Women of the Soviet Union! Reinforce the strength of. your motherland, stronghold of peace, remembering that the stronger your country grows, the more firm is the unity for peace. Women of the World! Sisters in our common fight! Together with all democratic anizations of the world let us establish a solid front against the enemies of humanity, these who are preparing for a new war. Let al! cf stend together to save the peace! Organize mass rallies, demonstrations, petitions, exposing the criminal plans of the aggressors and prociaiming loudly our demand for peace. The W.LD.F, in its three years of existence has been untiringly fighting for peace and democracy. Because iis active work reflects the desires and hopes of millions of women in ‘the world, the Federation has won their deep confidence, and has become their most authoritative international women’s organization. On behalf of more than 80 million women of 56 countries, the delegates to the Second World Congress declare; with ever greater courage and strength we shall fight for peace, democracy, security and independence of all peoples, for the happiness of our children, for our homes! Our forces are mighty! United we shall win the battle for peace and democracy! Adopted unanimously by the 2nd Internationa} Congress of Women at Budapest, on the 6th of December 1948. === [PDF page 18] === THIS MANIFESTO WAS PREPARED BY A COMMITTEE ELECTED AT THE CONGRESS, COMPOSED OF MARIA - MADDALENA ROSSI NINA POPOVA JEANNETTEE VERMEERSCH MURIEL DRAPER IRENE FALCON TAMARA RUST EMILIENNE ‘BRUNFAUT VAYA VOURNA AU MONG CHU TCHO EN ANDREA ANDREEN HILDA BENJAMIN TANURA BOSE CONSTANZA CRACIUN SVERMOVA LILI REVAT THAT THI LIEN FANNY EDELMAN OLSEN HELVIN LAINE ITALY USSR FRANCE UNITED STATES SPAIN GREAT BRITAIN BELGIUM GREECE CHINA KOREA SWEDEN GERMANY INDIA RUMANIA ARGENTINA DENMARK FINLAND === [PDF page 19] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 20] === CHAPTER I _ REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES 7 OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION === [PDF page 21] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 22] === Madame EUGENIE COTTON, president of the Women’s International _ Madame MARIE COUETTE presents the Organising Committee of the Congress. Democratic Federation, declares the Second Congress open. Composition of the Organising Committee of the Congress i — Mme COTTON 2 — Mme POPOVA U.S.S.R. 3+ Mme TSAI-CHANG CHINA 4 -~ Mme ELISABETH ANDICS HUNGARY 5°-— Mme JEANNETTE VERMEERSCH FRANCE 6 — Mme MURIEL DRAPER UNITED STATES? — Mme MARIA MADDALENA ROSSI ITALY 8 -- Mme SARAH ABRAHAM INDIA 9 — Mme MARGUERITE PONCE ARGENTINA 10 -- Mme NORA WOOSTER ENGLAND 41 -- Mme HODINOVA CZECHOSLOVAKIA 12.—. Mme DOLORES IBARRURI SPAIN 13 — Mme CHRYSSE HADJIVASSILIOU GREECE 14 — Mme YU YIN DUN KOREA 15 — Mme THAI-THI-LIEN VIET-NAM 16 — Mme PRAGIERROWA POLAND 17 -- Mme ALLAOUCHICHE BAYA ALGERIA 18 -~ Mme ANNA NEVOLAINEN FINLAND Madame MARIA KOVRIGINA (U.S.S.R.} presents the Secretariat 4 ~~ Mme MARIE-CLAUDE VAILLANT- COUTURIER 2 =~ Mme ZINAIDA ‘GOURINA 3 — Mme BORIS FAI FRANCE USSR. HUNGARY 19 === [PDF page 23] === 4 — Mme ELISA. URIZ SPAIN 4. — Mme AGNES VUKCEVICH UNITED STATES: 6 — Mme EDWARDA ORLOWSKA POLAND? — Mme MARIA BERNETTE-BERNETTI TRIESTE 8 — Mme BEATRICE KING BRITAIN 9 — Mme VIBERG SWEDEN The Congress adopts the following agenda: 1 — Report on the activities of the International Federation of Democratic Women and a report from. the Credentials. Committee;. 2 — Ratification of requests for membership since the first Congress; 3 — The tasks of the international democratic women's movement. in the fight for peace and democracy; 1 4 — Protection of political and economic rights of women; 5 — The situation of children and the protection of their rights; 6 — Development of a women’s democratic movement in the countries of Asia and Africa, Madame EUGENIE COTTON. President of the Women’s International Democratic Federation presents THE REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION Dear Friends, The ist of December 1948, which is the opening of the Second International Congress of Democratic Women, is exactly the third anniversary of the birth of the W.LD.F. It is, for. the Delegates who have come from throughout the world, a profound pleasure to be united to celebrate. this great day in the beautiful town of Budapest, capital of the Hungarian Popular Republic. The numerous ruins of this magnificent city, the destruction of its great audacious bridges over the Danube, bear witness to the Nazi fury, but alongside this, the scaffoldings and the new roofs show the new Hungarian Popular Republic's will to reconstruct, After the liberation of: the country by the Soviet’ Army, Hungarian women courageously lined up alongside the forces of progress. We salute their magnificent ‘effort. In their factories can be read this beautiful motto:,Don’t work only with your -hands. 20 === [PDF page 24] === but work also. with your heart and your.brain.” ‘This is a~good ‘example to follow, and delegates to the Congress will do their best to act in this way in the days to follow. .. Like Hungary,:our Federation has continued to progress during ‘the last three years, In 1945, in Paris, the constituent Congress brought together the representatives of 41 countries, some of whom were only observers. The. Federation has National Sections in the. 51 following . countries: “ALBANIA KOREA ‘ALGERIA LEBANON ARGENTINE LUXEMBURG AUSTRALIA MADAGASCAR AUSTRIA MALAYA BELGIUM MEXICO BRAZIL MONGOLIA BULGARIA MOROCCO ’ BURMA NIGERIA t CANADA NORWAY ‘CHINA PALESTINE COLUMBIA PERU CUBA POLAND C7ECHOSLOV AKIA PORTUGAL EGYPT: RUMANIA FINLAND SPAIN FRANCE SWEDEN GERMANY SWITZERLAND -GREAT BRITAIN TRIESTE GREECE YUGOSLAVIA HOLLAND URUGUAY HUNGARY U.S.A. INDIA U.S.S.R. INDONESIA VIET-NAM TRAN TUNISIA ITALY The new and numerous affiliations show the magnificent extension of our Federation, particularly in the countries of Asia and Latin America, This does not surprise us, for the solidarity of the Deniccratic Women has spread throughout the whole carth. Our Federation is proud of having universally won the confidence and the friendship of the great masses of women. It is also - proud to count amongst its members eminent women of great 21 === [PDF page 25] === authority. Madame TSAI CHANG, our new Chinese Vice-President, is.a great heroine of the Resistance, and organizer of the Women's Movement in the Liberated Regions; she represents the New China, . whose daily progress is.of.so much encouragement to us. You. know how much the Federation owes to its other Vice-Presidents, to the indefatigable GENE WELTFISH -- Professor of Anthropology at Colombia University who defends so ardently the cause of ‘Democracy in the United States; to the admirable PASIONARIA, who is such an exalting example to all women throughout the world who are struggling for the independence of their countries and for liberty; to the energetic NINA POPOVA, Secretary of the Soviet Trade Unions, on whom such heavy responsibilities lie. She is a priceless driving force for our movement, and personifies for us the Soviet Woman, with.everything that means to us in gratitude ‘and admiration. Among the Council members of the W.LD.F., there were in February. 1947 5 Ministers, 18 members of Parliament, 1 General Secretary and 1 Secretary of a Political Party, 2 Secretaries of Trade Union National Centres, 2 Parliamentary ‘Vice-Presidents, 2° women responsible for Public Health in their Countries, and Municipat Councillors in the largest cities of the world. Is it necessary to add that, since then, TZOLA DRAGOITCHEVA has become Postmaster-General in Bulgaria, and ANNA PAUKER has become Foreign Minister of the Rumanian Popular Republic; it is the first time that a country has given the portfolio of Foreign Minister to a woman, and we are very proud of it. Is it not something to be ‘proud of that our Federation can count amongst its members, peasant women, workers, housewives, lawyers, novelists, poets, eminent scientists, and in particular the great physicist IRENE JOLIOT- CURIE? The rich and multiple life of our W.LD.F. is made up of the effort of every member, from the most famous to the most modest. What has been the activity of our great organization during the first three years of its existence, from the Paris Congress in 1945 to the Congress of Budapest in 1948? It is clear that the Federation has above all tried to succeed in the four principal tasks which were assigned to it in its Constitution: to strugle: -— against fascism, ~- for Democracy and Peace -— for the extension of women’s rights ~— for the improvement of children’s conditions, When we say,,the Federation”, we do not think of an abstract entity, but of a grouping of National Sections full of life and force. 22 === [PDF page 26] === We greet here delegates from all these Sections: the valiant women of the Soviet Union who fought alongside the men in the great October Revolution, and since then against all the enemies of Socia- _lism, and who gave proof during the Second World War of unequalled heroism, and who now work so ardently for reconstruction and Peace on an equal footing with the men. We greet the women of the Popular Republics of Poland, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Liberated China, Mongolia, and Korea, who appreciate still more each day the benefits of a democratic regime which opens the way to Socialism, We greet the democratic women of Italy, France,. Belgium, Switzerland, the United States, England, Latin America, the Scan. dinavian countries, and of all the other countries which have stili a thousand obstacles to overcome before they vanquish the vested interests which are opposed to the political and social advancement of the masses. We greet the women of Spain, Greece, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaya, and Burma who are fighting for the independence of theii countries, and. we greet all the women who still suffer bitterly throughout the earth from the misdeeds of imperialism and colonia. lism, and who fight for liberty. At the time of the first Congress of the W.LD.F., on the 25 th November 1945, immediately after the victory over the fascist States, we were justified in hoping that all the Allies would remain associated within the great United Nations Organization, to build together, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, that just peace for which we all hoped, Such, unhappily, has not been the case, and the fact that has dominated world history during these last three years, and which.we have pointed out at every one of our international meetings or Executive Committee in Paris, Moscow, Prague, Stockholm, or Rome, is the ill-omened role. of the United States government in postwai politics. We have witnessed a systematic sabotage of the work of Roosevelt and of all the international agreements in which he. took part; agreements which led precisely to the formation of the United Nations Organization. The American monopolies, which during the last war made fabulous profits, want to continue making them. That is why they are pushing for a policy of expansion. As this policy comes up against the Soviet Union's will for Peace, thee United States Government undertakes the most gross manoeuvres in an attempt to create the belief that a war is inevitable 23 === [PDF page 27] === because the U.S.S.R, wants war, and that the United States. are engaged in legitimate ‘defence. They give the name of,,red. peril” to the support that the people give to any policy of peace. They carry on a campaign of calumny against the Soviet Union because its prestige in the eyes of the people has still further increased during the war years, It was the Soviet Army alone which caused 90% of the German Army losses. It was the Soviet Army which liberated all the countties of Eastern Europe. That these countries remain deeply attached to the U,S.R.R. is not the result of pressure from Moscow, as they seek to persuade the world. It is the effect of a deep gratitude to the country which paid for the common victory over fascism.with the blood of 17 millions of its children, It is also a mark of gratitude of millions of men and women for the great people who carried through the 1917 Revolution, and who were the first to fight until power belonged effectively to the representatives. of the people. To those to whom the Governments of Great Britain and France brought Munich, the U.S.S.R, gave liberation, The prestige of the Soviet Union comes from the fact that it is the country where the great dream of Socialism, which lives in the hearts of all men and women, has become a reality, while the American - reactionaries try to make people believe that the spread of these ideas is solely the result of the influence of the Soviet Union. Under this pretext, they are trying to create a war psychosis directed against the U.S.S.R., and everywhere they can, are organising persecutions of the Communists. At the very moment when the U.S,S.R. is making disarmament proposals to U.N.O., and in particular proposals for the destruction of atomic arms, the United States is inciting the Governments of Western Europe to organise a General Staff in which they reserve to themselves the right to participate. They do not hesitate to foresee the participation of Western Germany, which has not been denazified and which would add its war potential to this anti-Soviet fight, together with the Greece of Tsaldaris, Salazar’s Portugal ind even Franco Spain.. After having condemned the Franco regime in the United Nations; the United States obtained from the House of Representatives, by a very large majority on 30th March 1948, the inclusion of fascist Spain in the Marshall Plan. But this vote had no practical result because of world disapproval, However, the American imperialists are actively working to make Spain a strategic military base. It is essentially because of American support that the Franco regime continues to exist, 24 === [PDF page 28] === The report which will be presented to you on the tasks. of the ‘Federation in the fight. for Democracy and Peace will give precise details On what will have to be, in face of the present situation, the policy of the W.LD.F,. during the months to come. It was necessary to point this out in the Report of Activity, because it is the “threats of war spread throughout the world which have dictated the action of the W.LD.F, It is for that reason that democratic women have organised throughout the world great mass demonstrations. for To mention only the year 1948, let us remember the striking way in which International Women’s Day was celebrated throughout the whole world — in all the Republics of the Soviet Union and in the new Popular Republics of Europe and Asia, without forgetting the imposing procession of French women in front of the Statue of Joan of Arc, This procession took place despite all the difficulties which their Government put in the way. Let us think of the effort made by the Italian Women to affirm, on the eve of the elections, the desire of the women and all the Italian people for independence; and let us remember the procession in Rome on the 14th of March, of 30,000 women delegates. who. came from all over Italy to the Peace As: sembly. Similar women's demonstrations took place in Morocco, Tunisia and in Latin American countries. In Australia, the,,Housewives ssociation” which has just asked for affiliation io the W.I.D.F, held a demonstration on the 8th of March. We have also received the news that even in Japan a women’s demonstration took place on that day. After having discussed the question of the participation of women in the realisation of the decisions of U.N.O. on the fight against warmongers, the Rome Executive Committee appealed to the women ‘of the entire world, calling upon them to reinforce their fight for Peace, Every day, we receive new proofs of the enlargement and consolidation of the women’s movement for Peace throughout the world. The Soviet women took an active part in the preparations for the first Congress, and have been participating since then in the ‘development and reinforcement of the Federation with the same energy. They are in the vanguard of the fight of women all over the world for the realisation of the great and noble tasks proclaimed by the first International Women's Congress. The Soviet Women’s Antifascist Committee, which unites in its ranks all the women of the Sovict Union, mobilises them for the active defence of Peace and against those who try to provoke and who carry on propaganda for 25 === [PDF page 29] === a new war. It distributes detailed information on.the life and the situation of. women in other countries, on the role and the successes. of Soviet women in the political and economic fields; and denounces: the talumnies and lies directed against the Soviet Union. Several times the Soviet women have asked U.N.O. to support the demands of the W.I.D.F. concerning peace, aggression and the liquidation of the nests of fascism which still exist. In their letter addressed to Mr. TRYGVE LIE, the Soviet. women wrote: vThe Anti-Fascist Committee of Soviet Women, member of the W.LD.F., supports in the name of millions of Soviet women the demand of the Federation addressed to the General Assembly of U.N.O, asking it to take a clear decision on the general reduction of armaments, the destruction and banning of atomic bombs, the use of atomic energy for the good of humanity, and effective control over the realisation of these decisions". The Soviet delegation declared to the Stockholm Executive Committee in September 1947 that war propaganda in all its forms must be recognised as a danger to Humanity, and that war propagandists must be judged and punished. This declaration was unanimously approved by the members of the Executive Committee. In order to tighten the bonds which unite them with the women of other countries, the Antifascist Committee of Soviet Women has. invited the delegations of France, Italy, the United States, Poland, Yugoslavia, Rumania, Bulgaria, and others, to visit the Soviet Union. Each time that question of defending peace or fighting against a new war arises, the firm voice of the Soviet Women is heard. Alongside of them, the women of the popular democracies are supporting and devoloping the work of the W.LD.F. for peace. They have no other ambition than to put all their energy to the service of the peaceful reconstruction of their homeland on a democratic basis. They hate even the idea of a war which would reduce to nothing the fruit of their efforts. It is not possible in this report to cite all the efforts for peace undertaken by each one of our Sections, Thus we give only a few examples, taken particularly from the countries where the Governments are making the most active preparations for war. The British women organised a peace meeting of women in Trafalgar Square, London, on Sunday the Sth of September. This meeting marked the beginning of a campaign for peace which the British women propose to continue in ali the large towns of their country. 26 === [PDF page 30] === The French Co-ordination Committee, having launched. a vast: ‘campaign ‘of sending letters and postcards to U.N.O., held an: imposing meeting in Paris where women speakers from the Union of French Women, the Communist Party, the United Socialist Party, the Progressive Christians, the War-Widows Organisation, the Union of French Girls, and the C.G.D., declared their unbreakable attachment to peace and their complete support for the proposals made to thisend by the Soviet Delegation to the United Nations. They demanded: the reduction of national armaments and war credits, the banning of ' atom bomb manufacturing, a ban on war propaganda, the payment of the reparations due to France by Germany and the end of the war on Viet-Nam, In Belgium, too, the women have organised signatures for petitions as well as mectings and demonstrations against the showing of the film,,The Iron Curtain", which preaches shameless propaganda” for war by propagating hate of the Soviet Union. The,,Women’s Rally for Peace”, which was formed recently, has already held a seties of conferences which have had a growing success. Moved by an ardent will for peace, women are uniting _ still more to transform this desire into concrete action. Thus, last Autumn: in Canada, the,,Women's Committee of Action for Peace” which has. just requested affiliation to our Federation and whose delegate 1s present’ at our Congress, was set up. The women of all countries are warmly supporting the propaganda concerning a reduction of armaments made by the Soviet Delegation to the General Assembly of U.N.O., which is mecting at this moment in Paris. The,,Wellington Women's Charter Association" (New Zealand), although. not yet affiliated-to the W.LD.F., has sent us the following resolution which it transmitted to the representative of New Zealand at U.N.O.: »The Wellington Women’s Charter Association is of the opinion that introduction of compulsory military service in time of peace 1s not a means of safeguarding peace. We are opposed to Paul Hoffman’s request that German industry should not be dismantled. We insist that in your capacity of Prime Minister of New Zealand and as our representative at the United Nations Conference, you ask-the United States to destroy all the atom bombs in stock and to forbid their production: 27 === [PDF page 31] === We insistently demand that you support the Soviet policy asking for progressive disarmament, a policy which was so strongly supported at the League of Nations by Mr. Jordan, together with the Soviet Union. This policy of support for the Soviet Union was completely justified by the results obtained by this country in the recent war against fascism.” A delegation of Italian women has been to Paris to transmit to Mr, Trygve Lie, General Secretary of the U.N.O., more than a million signatures of Italian women who demand a lasting peace throughout the world and the banning of the atom bomb. In ten days, the Bulgarian women collected 2,200,000 signatures ‘demanding a lasting peace throughout the world, and the banning of the atom bomb. These signatures have been sent by post, since the French Government refused entry visas to the special delegation which was to have handed them in person to the General Secretary of the U.N.O., Mr. Trygve Lie. As regards the struggle for democracy, and in view of the violence of the attacks against democratic liberties in the United States, {threat of imprisonment of all progressive persons by the,,Un- American Activities Committee", discharging of civil servants because they support the Progressive Party, prosecutions of trade union leaders, trial of the 12 leaders of the American Communist Party because of their opinions, the expulsion of women who have children who are American citizens, etc...) it is of prime importance to note the great rally organised by American women in the Manhattan Centre on October 25th. This meeting was held to protest against all these violations not only of the American Constitution but also of the Declaration of the Rights of Man approved at the United Nations by the United States delegate during the present session. The action of the Congress of American Women as well as,Women for Wallace" shows that the women of the United States are becoming aware of their role and the responsibility which is theirs in the fight for the peace of the world, which can only be saved by defending democracy in the places where it is most attacked. In the same connection, we must also recall.all that the W.1.D.F. has done since its foundation to fight with: all its power against all manifestations of war-mongering fascism. I shall be obliged to limit myself to the most typical examples. The Federation has always tried to come to the assistance, of the imprisoned Spanish women, and of all those Republicans whose 28 === [PDF page 32] === lives have been threatened by summary judgement..The cases of MERCEDES GOMEZ, TERESA TORAL, ISABEL-SANZ, ANTONIA SANCHEZ. ENRIQUITA OTERO, and ISABEL TORRALBA, have been vigorously denounced before world. opinion. But it was - necessary to do more because we knew that all Spain was an ‘immense prison. It was necessary to expose the judicial procedure which had ' thrown into jail more than 100,000 men and more than 20,000 women, ‘and to show what was the situation of these detainees. For this reason, the Women’s International Democratic Federation, in accordance. With the decision of the Moscow Executive Committee of October.1946,. organised in- collavoration with the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, a commission of lawyers of different nationalities, charged with enquiring into the situation of the detained persons. Messrs. DUDLEY COLLARD, FRANCIS LOEFFER (Great Britain) and VILLAMIL (Cuba) were the only three members who succeeded in getting the visas and visiting Spain. . Their evidence published in the pamphlet on,,Terror in Spain” | constitutes an overwhelming accusation and an incontestable. proof | of the fascist character of Franco justice, which for nine years nas been imprisoning, torturing and destroying the lives of the best sons and daughters of Spain.. ‘The W.LD.F, has fought and will continue to fight unfalteringly to bring the Franco terror to an end. The 20,000. imprisoned democratic women have always received the most moving proofs of solidarity from W.LD.F. sections. In particular the efforts made by the Czechoslovakian, Polish, Argentine and Mongolian women | should be mentioned. These Spanish women have been tried by military tribunals and condemned to long periods of detention (often to life imprisonment) for having upheld the democratic ideals which we serve, Sometimes ihey have even been imprisoned for the simple fact of being the mother or the wife. of a Republican. The Secretariat has asked the National Sections to undertake a continuous campaign in order to Obtain a review of their trial by civil tribunals, which, ‘in most Cases would mean their immediate liberation. The women in the Malaga prison have just given proof of remarkable: courage by denouncing the horrors they have to undergo.. But‘ the problem of Republican Spain is not only one of justice, ‘it is also a ‘problem which concerns the peace and security of the world, The W.I.D.F. has constantly called for the isolation of Franco and: the breaking of relations with Franco Spain. The resolution of the Executive Committee held in Moscow in October 1946 said: 29 === [PDF page 33] === nThe annihilation of the Franco regime is not only a moral duty ‘towards the Spanish people, but an international duty, and ap indispensable act which must be accomplished for the consolidation -of peace and security.” At the Stockholm Executive Committee, the Vice-President of “the. W.LD.F., DOLORES IBARRURI, once more denounced the cinterference of imperialism in the affairs of Spain, She said: The Franco regime maintains itself solely thanks to the aid and support which Franco has received from the United States and Great Britain.” _ Since these words were spoken by this woman who symbolises ‘the unwavering fight of her people, this interference has continued “to grow. While huge mass trials and death sentences, aiming clearly at hampering the growing struggle of the Spanish people, are going on, “Spain is becoming for the warmongers one of their main strategic bases. For this reason, the W.LD.F. insistently recommends its sections to follow the Spanish question with the greatest attention, -and to intensify their aid for the victims of fascism. With the same tenacious will, the W.I.D.F. has done its best to ‘make known to the world the crimes committed against democratic Greece, Everyone remembers with amazement and admiration the resistance put up by the Greek people against Mussolini's armies. There, as in Spain, the Anglo-Americans are supporting the fascist -government which they helped to install. Listen to this call from Greek women to British women: »Two years after the Liberation, civil war once more rages in Greece. The dark years of occupation, of fascism, and of pain have once more returned to our martyred country, and are accompanied by police raids, executions, the taking of hostages, and black terror. The horrors of Calaviyta and Distomo are being renewed every day in Xirovrissa, Kilkis and Vawmakou, in the massacring of innocent children and in the. cries.and moans of sorely tried mothers. The barren isles are overcrowded “with exiles, and once moree there are concentration camps where antifascists are imprisoned. The lives of 14,457 deportees are -endangered by starvation and death stares them in the face. Those who collaborated with the Germans are persecuting and ‘killing with the British armies. Republicans are taking refuge in the mountains to defend their lives. Terror and suffering have become once more the common lot of our tortured people who, =30 === [PDF page 34] === despite everything, remain unshaken and continue to fight for liberty.“ The enemies of the people know well that. the people cannot be broken; that is why they increase the terror and ask for foreign support. They demand still more Buty arms. They ask for further British intervention. Sisters Women of Britain: We the women of the national resistance, — and with us the women of all Greece — utter in our agony a cry of protest. ‘We appeal to your sentiments as sisters and human beings, to be alongside us in this tragic hour, Resist with all your strength the new British intervention which your Government is preparing. They have. told you that your sons have come to restore ordeer. It is not true. Before the arrival of the British, the Greek people had celebrated its liberation in an orderly way, in perfect harmony. The British occupation is the sole cause of the civil war; it is an occupation which supports fascism. They want to send your sons to the firing line, your sons whom at the risk of our lives'we hid from the Germans, and whom we welcomed with flowers on their arrival, Rise with us to stop a new massacre of your children! Prevent the sending of British arms for the civil war prepared by your Government. Demand the return home of your sons: it is on their presence here that fascism is based. It is an act of justice and wisdom that we ask. World peace is at stake in Greece. We, the Greek women who have fought so much against fascism and have lost so many dear ones, and you, the women of Great Britain, who have suffered so many losses in the war against fascism. let us unite today in a last effort to gain, through reconciliation and democratic liberties, the peace and wellbeing of humanity.” In January 1947, the Secretariat of the W.I.D.F. sent to the U.N.O, a telegram which had come from Greece, denouncing the crimes of the neo-fascist government agents. Arriving in a village, the murderers. machine-gunned 40 women in place of their husbands who were not there. In conclusion, the telegram said:,,We protest to the women of the entire world, and we ask for your help, so that the murderers may be punished, the Quislings may be dismissed from the Armed Forces, the civil war may end, and Greece be delivered from fascism." 31 === [PDF page 35] === And then in 1947 came an appeal from Greek mothers ‘to American mothers: Mothers of America, we want you to know the truth about our. tragedy. Your dollars do not come to us in the form of ploughs, wheat or milk, but as tanks, planes and shells, which kill the sons of Greece, We beg you, the mothers of America and the mothers of the democratic countries of the earth, to ask the responsible leaders in your contry — was it a crime to have listened to the voice of our Motherland in slavery, to have listened to the voice of the Allies who day and-night called on our children to resist the foreign invaders? Was it a crime to take up arms against the common enemy and to sacrifice one’s life? Was it a crime to have blown up ships, trains and factories which worked for Hitler, and to have punished treason, and by heroic acts to have shortened the deadly war which cost you and us so many tears? Was it a crime to believe that this war was won so that the Four Freedoms proclaimed by President Roosevelt should triumph in the world? Are your soldiers, who fought against the enemy at El Alamein, Cassino, in Flanders and elsewhere, judged by the tribunals of your country? Are your children executed for having been faithful to the same cause for which they resisted behind the enemy lines and, for having maintained the independence of their Motherland and their democratic liberties? The 16 young Greeks who were placed one day in front of the firing squad were members of our national resistance movement, and unfortunately this crime was committed with the encouragement of American,,aid”. People who collaborated with the enemy are being released, and resistance heroes are taking their place in the prisons. Our farms and fields are in ruins, Our mothers are wearing mourning for their children, and democrats go in fear that darkness will come with those who enter and take away their ones just as if the war was not ended. We are becoming another Spain, and who knows if the fire kindled here will not burn the children of other mothers and the towns and villages of other countries... We, Mothers ‘in mourning, Greek women whose lives are tormented by fear for our children in prison, ask you to consider the tragedy of Greece and look upon it as if it were yours, Put out the fire which has broken out in our country before it spreads to the whole world and burns your hearts also!” In our Bulletin of January 1948, we published,,The Voice of Greece”, a voice that should be heard like the voice of Spain if we 32 === [PDF page 36] === Mme EUGENE COTTON (Peance ) President of the Women's International Democratic: Federation === [PDF page 37] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 38] === do not want to be precipitated into a third world war. The free Greece must not perish. All the national sections have understood this, and have carried on great activity in support of Greece, either by sending medical supplies like the French and Swiss sections, or by taking Greek children like the People’s Democracies. We give as one example among others the campaign carried on in response to our appeal by the Federation of Rumanian Women against the sentence on BEATE KITSIKIS, 694 resolutions bearing 76,922 signatures have been sent, as well as 932 letters and 450 telegrams. This has been done because the women of all other countries have understood that to defend the victims of fascism is to defend themselves, You know that, in the Federation, we all have one great preoccupation: never to allow barriers to exist, behind which, supported by fascism, hate can develop, It is this which has dictated our attitude to ihe German democratic women. As early as April 25th 1946, the Central Committee of German Anti-Fascist women showed their desire to remain in constant contact with our Federation. In a second letter dated June 12th 1946, the same Central Committee announced the holding of its Congress on July 13th and 14th.in Berlin, and asked if the W.LD.F. would send an observer. The Executive Committee of the Federation, meeting in Paris from June 27th to July Ist, took the decision not to be represented at this Congress, but it proposed setting up a commission which would investigate in the four occupation zones the work of denazification in Germany and the role played by the German women’s organisation in drawing away the young people and children from the grip of fascism and educating them in a democratic way. This Commission was to have been composed of members of the women’s organisations of four countries —- France, Great Britain, We know what difficulties the Federation came up against in obtainine the necessary visas. A first commission composed of Ma~- dame PARFENOVA (U.5.S.R.) and MARTHE DIAMANT (France) was ale to visit only the Soviet Zone (February 2nd to 20th 1947): The authorisotion to visit the French Zone arrived too late to be used A second commission was then set up. It was composed of Mesdames PARFENOVA (U.S.S.R.) ANDREE DUTILLEUL (France) THYRA EDWARDS (U.S.A.) and CLAIRE BUENZOD (Switzerland) It Was able to visit the French zone from Aptil 10th to May Gth 1947; At the Prague Council (February 1947) Mesdames PARFENOVA and DIAMANT spoke in the name of the Enquiry Commission. At 8 33 === [PDF page 39] === the Stockholm Executive Committee, Mesdames Parfenova and Buenzod spoke in the name of the second Enquiry Commission. The following are the conclusions of this double enquiry: Whilst in the Soviet Zone effective méasures of denazification are being taken, such as punishment of war criminals, destruction of the war industries, liquidation of the big monopolies, agrarian reform. democratisation of teaching and the participation of women in the life of the country, nothing of this kind has been done in the other zones.: In the French zone, notorious Nazis have kept the most important jobs in the management of factories. The purge in the teaching profession has only begun, and women’s questions are purposely neglected, Still more, all the democratic organisations, particularly women’s organizations, are forbidden. The same situation, in an aggravated form, exists in the British and American occupation zons. Heavy industry is in the hands of the men who managed it under Hitler, The report of a delegation of English teachers to Germany in January 1947 dclares;,,The Univeysities in the British zone are class institutions, aud seats of political reaction”. * The British and American authorities are equally cpposed to all devolopment of the women’s democratic movement. Concluding its enquiry, the Commission of the W.LD.F, in Ger- Many underlined the great importance of the Democratic Union of German Women. The report said: nThe Democratic Union of German Women recently organised in the Soviet Zone has done great work in bringing together more than 200,000 women democrats. This Union is ihe only mass women’s organisation in Germany. The Commission is of the opinion that the Democratic Union of Women should have the support and assisiance of the W.I.D.F, The Commission asks the Executive Committee to grant it this support and assistance”, The Executive Committee then heard a delegation from ihe Democratic Union of German Women. The Executive Committee members meeting in Stockholm — Mesdames GAGARINA ({U.S.S.R.) VERMEERSCH (France) DOLORES IBARRURI (Spain) KOWALSKA (Poland) —- spoke and declaréd that in spite of the certain difficulties that the W.I.D.F. would encounter in carrying out this task, it must, in the supreme interest of peace, give the German women the help for which they had asked, on condition that they showed themselves worthy of it by efficient work. 34 === [PDF page 40] === At its Sth session in Rome on May 15th 1948, the Executive Committee was informed of the work undertaken by the democratic German women during the 6 months following the Stockholm’ Executive Committee, This information was given by. Madame Parfenova and by the two German women democrats, Madame Emmy DA- MERIUS, President of the Democratic Union of German Women, and Madame. SCHIRMER-PROSCHER, President of the Democratic Union of Berlin Women. It was shown that a great and sincere democratic effort had been made by the German women anda representative ‘of one of the countries most hard hit by the Germans — Madame Pragierova of Poland — declared: We will vote in favour of the acceptance of the German women’s organisation within our Federation for we are sure thus to ‘strengthen the democratic forces in Germany, and through this, the world camp of democracy and peace, fighting against the imperialist camp, which has not yet given up hope of seeing a reactionary and Fascist Germany become the tool destined to smash the pedgles of Europe. We believe that, in admitting a German deniocratié organisation within an international organisation for the first time, ‘we shall strengthen and encourage the German democratic elements who are opposed to the division of Germany and to the drawing of Geimany "and of the world into a new catastrophe. We ‘are convinced that’ the organisation of German women will justify our trust and it will fight with even greater tenacity for progress, for F dethoutacy and for a a just peace”, This expressed very well the opinion of the members of“ the Executive Committee. It therefore unanimously adopted the resolution concetning the activity of the Democratic German Women, which in particular said. ntaking into account the work done by the Union’ and ‘the ‘expressed wish of the German democratic women to struggle for demilitarisation in Germany within the W.LDB., the Executive Committee of the W.LD.F, believes that it is possible to grant the requést of the Democratic Union of German Women and to admit it ‘to membership within the Women's International Democratic Federation”, 3 T have set out at some length before the Second Congress the different stages in resolving this particularly delicate and important problem of the admission of the German women to the Federation. The information which we have received from the Democratic German women themselves, since they have been permitted to take part in the W.LD.F., shows us that they ate doing good democratic 35 === [PDF page 41] === work, Thus, they have translated and published the Federation pamphlets on the terror in Spain, and on the misery which exists in India. In October, they held a Congress on questions of childhood. Finally, on August Sth, they sent a telegram to the W.LD.F., denouncing the disaster at Ludwigshafen as the result of the fact that once again Germany is being used to make arms for the third world war, They asked the W.LD.F. to take part in the Enquiry Commission which it had been suggested should be set up. This commencement of activity in the German Section of the W.LD.F, seemed most encoulaging to us, In the same way the solidarity between all women and their need for justice led W.I.D.F. to take up a position against all racial discrimination. At the Moscow Executive Committee in October 1946, the W.LD.F. resolced to suppoit the petilion sent. by hundreds of thousands of American Negroes demanding that the Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations Organisation should do all in its power to obtain for the Negro population all the rights proclaimed in the United Nations Charter and which are theoretically inscribed. in the Constitution of the United States, though one would scarcely suspect it. Later, during the Prague Council in February 1947, the W.LD.F. concerned itself with the miserable condition of Negro women in South Africa, and in a general way with the grave questions raised throughout the world by the situation of the peoples in dependent and semi-dependent countries, A remarkable statement by Madame Alice Sportisse, Member of Parliament for Oran, and contributions from Viet-Nam and India, emphasised the justified aspirations of all peoples for independence. United in an upsurge of sympathy all of the women of the W.LD.F. decided to associate themselves closely with the demands of their oppressed sisters, and to support with all their means the South Asiatic Conference planned for the Autumn of 1948. I shall not dwell on this fascinating question, since it is to be the subject of cne of the important reports of this Congress, but I want to underline here the fruitful work already accomplished by the members of the Commission —- Doctor PAT MILES, representing Great Britain, T. MO- ROZOVA doctor of History and Member of the Antifasc’st Committee of Soviet Women, and SIMONE BERTRAND member of the Assembly ef the French Union. The first result of their work has been the affiliation to the W.LD.F. of three democratic women’s organisation in India, Malaya and Burma. As a result of the repression in Malaya and the Civil War in Burma, we have had no reply to the invitalions to attend the Congress. 36 === [PDF page 42] === ‘sent to the organisations of these countries. But we are determined to do everything possible to make contact once again in order to assure them of our active solidarity in their fight for the independence of their countries. Already, our new affiliated organisations in India, have in spite of difficnlties of all kinds, dene tremendous work to poptlarise the Asian Women’s Conference. They have made the W.1LD.F. known through the publication of a pamphlet and through numerous newpaper articles. On the 3rd of November, they held a National Congress which was attended on behalf of the Federation by our friend LU TSUI, Because of the Nehru government's refusal to grant visas to the delegates to the Conference of Asian Women, which because of this could not be held on the date fixed, our friend LU TSUI was the only foreign delegate present. . If one reads the article of T. MOROZOWA or the pamphlet of SIMONE BERTRAND cn their voyage to the Far East, one realises ail the horror of the fate for women and children in all the countries exploited by colonialism, I have witnessed in France and in Poland the great enthusiasm created by the approaching Asian Conference. It has not been pos- ' sible for vs to hold it this year in Calcutta, but a preparatory meeting has taken place in Budapest. Thanks to that, our sisters from the East, whom we warmly greet here will be able to take part in the work of our second Interrational Congress. This close contact has permitted us seriously to study tocether the conditions under which our wotk for the Conference of Asian Women, which will be held in the near future, will take place, We must also make contact with the Japanese women. We know that they already have democratic orqanisations, Despite our efforts, we have not yet been successful in getting into touch with them, but we shall succeed, CHILDHOOD The question of children and youth education is another form of the strugale for peace. which, because it aims at consolidating peace in the future, is particularly dear to the hearts of women. The world will be to-morrow what our children make it, and it is important to ensure that they have good health, and that they are brought up in a democratic way to prepare for the great tasks which await them, The war years have considerably tested the children, particularly the children of the invaded countries. Reduced nourishment, troubled sleep, svdden removals, separation from their parents, horrible sights, all has contributed towards making our little ones anaemic, 37 === [PDF page 43] === nervous, with a tendency towards tuberculosis, and sometimes cor--, rupted by fascist ideas. The number of war orphans is considerable in. countries like the U.S.S.R., Poland, and Yugoslavia. These countries can be proud of having done everything immediately after the war lo surround with tenderness and care these unhappy lirile victims of the great tempest. Unhappaly, it is not like that in all countries. The fate of the child victims of the world war gave rise at the Paris Congress to a fine report and to some moving speeches which led to practical resolutions dealing with the health, legal protection and education of children and adolescents. In the month of May 1946, on the occasion of the Victory Celebrations, the Feederation launched a great campaign for children. A large collection was made, which allowed us to help numerovs children and above all the children who had been war victims, in particular those of Spain and Greece, At the Prague Council, an International Children’s Committee was formed with the aim of coordinating all the action taken om behalf of the children by our different National Centres. However, we re sorry to state that despite our efforts, our national sections ‘do not keep us informed as to their activity in this field; it is almost by chance when we learn something about what they are doing and we dare say are doing a lot of things. At the 5th session of the Executive Committee TZOLA DRAGOITCHEVA was the only one who delivered a detailed report on the matter. Let us,quote just three figures which are most eloquent. In 1944, not a sing!e creche existed in Bulgaria, in 1948, there are 102; in 1947 they had 182 infant-shelters with 7.731 beds established; in 1948, the number is 2.315 for 100.C00 children while the children’s camp organisation,,Septemyritche” groups more than 600.000 children, The,Union of the Women of Rumania” is contributig to reducing infant-mortality in the country by creating lying-in hospitals in the villages. The,,Union of Hungarian Women", has set up seasonal day-nurseries thus enabling the mothers to attend to their field labour without being in trouble about their little ones. When we think of the woman in the colonial countries who is working for 10 hours and tore a day under the blazing heat of the sun with her baby fastened on her back, we cannot help drawing a parallel and we realise better what democracy brings to the children. What an encouragement for mothers to learn, for example, how the U.S.S.R is solicitous about the problems regarding the children, to know that 6 million pupils spent their vacation time without paying, thanks te the action taken by the Trade-Unions, and that in 1952, here will be creches enough for any 38 === [PDF page 44] === mother desiring to put her children and this despite the terrible destruction. due to the war. It is, of course, quite evident that our national sections in certain other countries face tremendous difficulties in the realisation of their program concerning this question as well as any other question but this does not at ali prevent them from carryng on their tasks. The-,,Union of Italian Women” has made tremendous efforts since the liberation in favour of destitute children in spite of the great impediments they met with because of the fact that the organisations of the Catholic women which ar heading all the welfare and emergency assiociations, are the only ones to benefit from the goods sent by foreign coutries for this purpose (UNRRA, Swiss Aid Children Fund, International Red Cross, etc,) Nevertheless, the democratic organisations succeeded in sending 50.000 children from war ravaged areas lo richer regions; they created also vacation camps for 109.000 children, kindergartens for 20.000. They have founded an orphan home for the children of partisans — schooi canteens and courses for illiterate people. Besides the efforts made with a view to organising consultation centers for infants, kindergartens, nurseries, vacation camps, campaigns on the occasion of the beginning of the new schocl year and for a Christmas-tree, the,,Union of French Women” launched a vast bread campaign as a result of which a higher bread ration has been granted, They are carrying on a campaign for the defense of the State school, of social security and by mediation of U.F.W. members, deputies to the National Assembly, they presented proposals of laws; for the aid to children, such as the creation of shelters where children i whose mother fell ill, would be admitted for the period of their; mother’s illness, laws facilitating child-adoption so that it would become easier for orphans to find a new family, laws allowing the leqitimisation of children of adulterous unicns pre-natal legitimisation of children born out of wedlock, equality ef children before the law, 1 etc, Of course, the reactionary majority in the National Assembly i rejecied these proposals, but our friends are going on striving-they i know that one day they will win. H The women of France and of numerous other countries have 4 participated, and are participating, vigorously in the struggles for F wages against the attempts of reactionary governments to lower the: standard of living of the working masses, The housewives have organised warm, effective solidarity for the workers in their struggles. In France, they collected millions of francs, they have organised soup kitchens for the strikers; they have arranged for the placing 39 === [PDF page 45] === of thousand of miners'children in other worker's homes throughout France, The struggle for children's needs in the capitalist countries is above all the fight for wages which allow workers to feed, clothe, house and educate their children. Again, I leave to the report on,,The situation of Children" the tission of enlightening you on the tasks which are our responsibility in improving efficiently the conditions of the children. However, I must inform the Congress of the position adopted by the Executive Committee in relation to the United Nations Appeal for children (U.N.A.C.). UNA, ivited the W.LD.F. to take part in the collection of funds destined to support. so it was said, the International Children's furd.. The Stockholm Executive Committee adopted a resolution which was favourable to the principle of this proposal, but on the condition that the W.LD.F, should be represented in the International management of the collecting organisation (U.N.A.C.}. But not having obtained satisfaction of our request, and having in addition noted that the funds collected by U.N.A.C. in certain countries, were utilised for political ends, as it was the case in Italy during the electoral campaign, to the advantage of certain children and to the detriment of others, as is the case for instance in China and Greece, the Executive Committee decided in Rome on 15th May 1948 to allow each National Section,,to decide its attitude towards the National Appeal Committee, and asks each Section to inform the Secretariat of any use of the funds which seem to it to be antidemocratic", WOMEN'S RIGHTS Ai the 1945 Congress, the Federation dealt with: 1) The improvement of the economic and material situation of women; 2) The guaranteeing of the political and economic rights of ‘women, The Prague Council also set up an International Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights. The aim of this commision is to keep themselves informed of the women’s conditions in the various countries, as far as their riqhts are concerned — to follow up their struggle and to benefit those who are backward by the experience of the more advanced. The Commission on the Status of Women after having issued @ questionnaire which was sent to each W.D.LF. section, has received 40 === [PDF page 46] === complete information on the political, juridical and economic rights existing in the folloving countries: ALBANIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, HUNGARY, LUXEMBURG, NORWAY, HOLLAND, POLAND, PORTUGAL, RUMANIA, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, TRIESTE, USSR, YUGOSLAVIA, COLUMBIA, BRAZIL, CUBA, AUSTRALIA, INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES, CHINA, IRAN, MON- GOLIA, INDIA, VIET-NAM, EGYPT, Furthermore, the Commissicn is in possession of a fairly complete documentation concerning CREAT ERITAIN, U.S.A., ITALY, ARGENTINA, GUATEMALA, PERU, - SPAIN, as well as of some information obaut the women in JAPAN, TURKEY, CHILE, URUGUAY and VENEZUELA. The information received by our Commission is all the more interesting as it indicates not only the state of the legislation in the various countries, but also in which of them the existing legal measures are carried out. On the cccasion of the International Exhibition of Woman, the Commission was able, thanks to the documentation available to give information about some contries the material of which did not reach us in time. The Commission is at present preparing a pamphlet in order to make known the women's condition in the different countries. Simultaneously, the Commission is preparing a report to be presented to the Commission on the Status of Women at the U.N.O, giving fairly -complets information on the rights of women in 35 —- 40 countries. This report will show the importance and the interest the W.D. LF, is attaching to the rights of women since its Constituent Congress. However; one of the weak points in the work done by the Commission is that they did not show enough through statistics how the situation of the women becomes altered by their struggle for their ‘rights, Here are some examples; the,,Union of Italian Women” along with the trade unions and supported by deputies, members, of the Democratic Front, is leading a campaign throughout the country in order, to carry a bill in favour of the rights of the working mothers and those of chidren, Out of 5 million children who ought to be assisted, 92% are not. The Union of French Women” and the General Confederation of Labour (C.G.T.) are striving for the application of the Croizat Bill which abolishes the decree of de Gaulle according to which women's wages can be 10% lower than those of men. As a matter of === [PDF page 47] === fact, the difference is practically about 8% and the bili on equality has never been applied without a battle between employers and | trade unions, Another victory won by the French women was due to the perseverance of JEANNETTE VERMEERSCH who has obtained the enactment by the National Assembly of a bil] granting for the first time the unmarried mater: allowances to wich hitherto only the married women were entitled. However, we can assert that since our First Congress considerable progress has been achieved in this matter, In the U.S.A. and in Great Britain, women are demanding equal wages for equal work and suppression of any discrimination regarding the women be they married or not. In Holland, the married woman is bound to be dismissed even when she is a civil servant. In Argentina; the women after having led an unremitting campaign have obiained the right to vote but they will not be able to. make use of it for two years; so they are now going on struggling, in order to reduce this delay, to have their rights, including the right to equal wages included in the Constitution, Actually the differences come up to 50% in certain industries. Tn Mexico, the,,National Block of Revolutionary Women” actively participated in the presidential elections of July 1946 in favour of Mr. Miguel Aleman who had promised the right to vote for women as well as the right of being a candidate at municipal elections. Although they have been granted the right to be elected early in i947 they do not yet enjoy full political rights; that is why they are aow carrying on their struggle for complete equality (admission to on, function, responsible post, etc...) any profe, the women demand political and economic equality with hey are working for 10 hours a day while their wages are only S e industry the women workers of the bill on compuisory materthe wage! demand the putting inte pr aity insurance, half of men, In As for the women in the people's democracies, they are fighting for the completeness of the equality of rights they are enjoying, thai means that the law is to pe in accordance with the Constitution. For example, the Union of Butgatian Women intends presenting io the presidency of the National Assembly the draft of a bill with a view to modifying the laws which maintain the former inferiority of women in juridical matiers (legacy, guardianship). On the other d the womens participation in each economic branch and, generaliy speaking, in the whole life of the nation, is superior to that in any other country, 42 === [PDF page 48] === Since its foundation, the W.D.LF. has asked to participate in the work of the United Nations General Assembly with cosultative rights, and in the Economic and Social Council with a deliberative vote. The question of the participation of non-Governmental Organisations in U.N.O. has been studied by the Special Commiltee, which, in its report of 19th June 1946, set out the conditions which must be fulfilled by these organisations in order to be consulted by the Economic and Sociai Council. The W.D.LF, fulfills these conditions and comes into the category of,,organisations which are interested in general in the work of the Council and which have a close contact with the Economic and Social life of the regions they represent’. For this reason in October 1948, the Executive Committee of the W.D.LF. resolved to ask for the admission of the W.D.LF, to U.N,O. as a category A association, Our different National Sections sent reports on the activities of the W.D,LF, to the Economic and Sccial Council, and ovr Vice President, Madame WELTFISH, brilliantly supported our cause befar the Commission on the Siatus of Women. But in February, 1947; we only obtained the status of an advisory organisation in category B within the Economic and Social Council. Naturally, we have continued to make approaches with a view to obtaining later our admission to category A and Madame LECLERC represented us at Lake Success in January 1948 to plead our cause before the Commission on the Status of Women. But the United Siates Consul made her wait for the necessary visa, and she only arrived “at Lake Success at the end of the discussions of the Women’s Commission, The question of the Status of the W.D.1.F, was first of all taised with the Non- Government Organisalions Commitiee by the US.R.R, delegate and his proposal was rejected by 3 votees, — United States, Great Britain and China. There were two votes in favour, those of the U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia; France abstained. The Polish delegation to ihe Economic and Socié? Council proposed the granting of the A. Status to the W.D.LP, and the W.F.D.Y. Their proposal was rejected by 12 votes to 2 (U.S.S.R. and POLAND) and 2 abstentions (FRANCE and TURKEY}. It is clear that we must try again. At its Sth session, the Executive Committee of the W.D.LF. recommended that the Secretariat shoud use more widely the right to present memoranda and documents on probiems of women and children to the U.N.O. Therefore we have already sent the welldocumented report of our Commission of Enquiry in South East Asia 43 === [PDF page 49] === to the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as to the General Assemly. In accordance with the rights involved in Category B concerning the participation in the work of the U.N.O, Commissions and Committees Madame DUCHENE represented the W.D.1.F. at the Commission. on Human Rights and at the Committee on Racial Discrimination which met in Geneva in December 1947, a In May 1948, the W.LD.F, sent four delegates: Madame SAKA- NINOVA (Czechosiovakia). Madame DUCHENE (France), Madame KORMANOWA (Poland) and Madame VINCENT (Switzerland) to atiend the Conference of the Non-Govermental Organisations also held in Geneva. In July, Madame DUCHENE and Madame SAKANINOVA attended ihe Seventh Session of the Economic and Social Council, on bebalf of the W.D.LF. SUZANNE ANTHONY represented us at Lake Success, and we are at the moment being represented by GABRIELLE DUCHENE, FRANCOISE LECLERCQ and NENA COT at the General Assembly of U.N.O, which is being held in Paris. The W.D.LF, has not always played the important role within U.N.O, to which it has a right. However, whether it is a question of Spain, Greece, Chile, Germany, Viet-Nam, Indonesia. Palestine, Paraguay or China, we have not failed to point out to the great International Avsembly all ihe shortcomings in international aareements in relation to the spirit of the United Nations Charter. This report gives many examples of our interventions. Moreover, we have always supported the point of view that 1t is nessessary to destroy atomic weapons. Indeed, the approaches made in November 1945 on the occasion of its Constitutive Congress which were mentioned in the resolution unanimously adopted, will be remembered. It is known, that the liberation of nuclear energy, in which work scientists of the whole world and in particular our friend IRENE JOLIOT-CURIE have taken part, produces enormous heat. One kiloqram of uranium completely transformed gives off as much heat as the comustion of 3.C00 tons of coal. One cannot yet state precisely what all the beneficial applicalions of this new source of energy could be. Humanity’s recent conquest is still unfortunately only known by its power of destruction. The scientists of the whole world are protesting against this murderous use of their discoveries, and the Congress of Scientific Workers which was held near Prague in Septem‘ er last, censured the collaboration of scientific workers in the preparations for an 44 === [PDF page 50] === offensive war. The commission on atomic energy will demand that the U.N.O, shall resume the activity of this commission and immediately prohibit the production of atomic weapons. The resolution presented by Mr. VISHINSKY to U.N.O, on 3rd October 1948 in the name of the Government of the U.S.S.R. interprets not only the desire of scientists, but the hopes of all humanity tor peace. the text is as follows: nNOTING that, up to the present time practically nothing has been done to implement the General Assembly's decision of 24 January 1946 on atomic energy control, as well as the decision of 14 Decem>er 1946 on the,,Principles governing the general regulation and reduction of armaments"; t RECOGNIZING as a task of the first importance the prohibition oi the production and use of atomic energy for war aims; RECOGNIZING that a general substantial reduction of armaments satisfies the demands for establishing a durable peace and for strengthening. international security, and is compatible with the interests of the nations in easing the heavy economic burden they face as a result of excessive and ever-increasing expenditures for armaments in various countries; TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the Great Powers, permanent members of the Security Council possess the overhelming number of armed forces and armaments and bear the main responsibility for the maitenance of peace and universal security; DESIROUS OF strenghthening the cause of peace and eliminating the threat of a new war fomented by expansionists and other reactionary elements, the general assembly, RECOMMENDS to the permanent members of the Security Council-United States of America, United Kindom, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, France and China -—— as a firsi step in the reduction of armaments end armed forces, the reduction by one-third during one year of all present land, naval and air forces. RECOMMENDS the prohibition of atomic weapons as weapons intended for aims of aggression and not for those of defence. RECOMMENDS the establishment within the framework of the Security Council of an international control body for the purpose of the supervision of, and control over, the implementation of the measures for the reduction of armaments and armed forces and for the prohibition of atomic weapons”, It can be understood that a resolution on such an important subject did not receive the unanimous approval of the Covernments, since there are some who wish to be able to continue with impunity, 45 === [PDF page 51] === atomic blackmail. However, the resolution underlines once more the will for peace of the great country which proposed it and it expresses the profound desires of all the peoples, at a time when the creation of Western European General Staff under the aegis of the United States of America only accentuates the war psychosis which our Federation has so often denounced. The Secretariat immediately asked al} the National Sections to inform U.N.O. of their support for this proposition, for which the W.D.I.F. has never ceased to fiqht since its foundation, As you have seen when we quoted the activity for peace of the National Sections, a large number of them have done this, and we feel sure that the Congress should express to the ULS.S.R. the profound gratitude of the 80 million women democrats united in our great Federation, for its unceasing fight against warmongers and for the world peace. Our gratitude olso goes out to all inteliectuals ardently working These men and women more and more feel that they are tional human beings, but that they are workers amongst other workers, This fraternity is ve comforting. In the Polish town of Wroclaw -—- 80% destroyed — four hun: dred intellectuals from the entire world, convened in Congress from the 25th to the 28th of August last, came together to discuss their participation in the work for peace, and it was symbolic to see two great mass meetings for peace in this same town, One of them brought together the democratic organisations of men and women from all Silesia. The other was organised by the Polish women affiliated to the W.D.1.F, These women from every region of Poland, with their regional costumes and banners, All the intellectuals who saw and admired them, read on their faces their will to serve, like them and with them, the great cause of a peace built on justice. The President of the Federation proundly feit on that day the force which our great organisation represents in the world. The same President must to-day confess that there are some days when she is also conscious of the weakness of our movement When we appreciate the importance of living and direct contacts, which are only possible through visits like that of ovr General Secretary to South America, or of FRANGOISE LECLERC, to the United Siaies, and of the journeys made by our Enquiry Commissions to Germany, Spain and Asia, we can but deplore the fact that our finansiai resources and the difficulties encountered by our representatives in obtaining visas, have not permitted us to multiply these contacts It is a fact that our Sections are not everywhere at the same stage of development. For certain of them, conditions are very dif- -46 === [PDF page 52] === ficult, and it is clear that a visit from the members of the Executive Committee would be of great heip to these sections. We have not always appreciated this type of assistance at its true value, If we had, we would have overcome al! obstacles whatever they might have been. _ Our practical work other democratic associations is not sufficiently pursued. We are not mutually proliting from our experiences, Our Constitution says:,The W.LD.F. works in collaboration with the W.F.T.U, and with the W.F.D.Y.; both on the national and international level, end considers its tesk as a contribution to that of the United Nations in the reinforcement of the democracies for a stable peace”. 5 We must honestly recognize that cur Federation has not made all the desired efforts to work in a constast way with the two other great international democratic Federations. Gur connections w: these two organisations have aiways been characterized by th greatest cordiality, and we have, on the occasion of our great Iniernationa] demonstrations, received and sent invitations and exchanged warm greetings, But much more should have been done, and we must therefore in the future, pledge ourselves to realise, in conformity with our Constitution, close collaboration on the national as well as the international level, Finally, while recognizing the valuable assistance which our Information Bulletin gives us, we think that the contents can te improved, while we are not losing sight of our desire to supplement it some day by a review worthy of the Federation. Meanwhile, we greet the pubiication of the pamphlet which is popularising the activites of the W.D.LF., and we must apply ourselves to finding a means of increasing their number. It would be good also to increase the nuraber of books such as those of G. WELTFISH and R. BENEDICT against racial discrimination, and, by giving an ovtline of them in our Information Bultetin, make them known to our Sections. All our Sections must make a great financial effort for the necessary development of our activily throughout the world and it is also necessary to enlarge our Execulive Committee and to ask of its members, in order to permit a still greater development of our Federation, effective work outside of our bi-annual meeting. Having said that, it is nevertheless true that the intense activity of the majority of our National Sections, and the spread of their mass demonstrations on the occasions of great anniversaries such as the 47 === [PDF page 53] === Internationa! Women’s Day, is showing to the entire world the importance of the W.D.LF. This importance was manifested in the most striking way at the International Exhibition:,.Woman, her Life, her Hopes", which was held in Paris from the i2Zth June to 18th July 1948, and in which -- do not let us forget it — 43 countries took part. Every National Section had, a long time previously, organised its stand, and had sent the women most qualified to present it to Paris, We can imagine the numberless obstacies that had to be overcome to obtain the necessary authorisations for people and objects; and the persuasive force that had to be used to succeed in getting workers of all kinds to build our stands, taking into account our very small initia] resources, It was a meeting place for workers and artists, confident in the success of our cause, and who went to it with their hearts. There was a numberless procession of visilors trom everywhere, from Paris, from the provinces, and from abroad. There were friends, critics, men and women. We had to extend the period of the Exhibition, From the diversity of stands presented with a perfect taste, arose an impression of profound unity and a unanimous will for peace, Everywhere was felt the solidarity and the friendship of the women of the entire world. Everywhere was understood in a striking way what democracy means to women, and in return the force that women give to democracy. We understood also that democracy does not come by itself, that it is the fruit of a long and sometimes bloody struggle, but without it there is neither security nor happiness., My dear friends, the achievement of such a beautiful and grand thing with such small material means has made us appreciate the infinite possibilities of our Federation, How can we doubt after that, its great destiny? . For three years our main task has been the struggle for the maintenance of peace, acainst the war-mongers, since without a lasting peace we are unable to achieve any aim the Federation is working for. We know that we cannot establish such a peace without’ the unity of ali those who want it and that. task of uniting the peace loving peoples should not be a bard one, as the great majority of the peoples want peace, But those who are interested in a new wat do not want unity te be realized and, to hamper, it, they find docile tools conscious or unconsicious. True to their mission of splitting the democratic forces, which are the forces of peace, the right-wing socialists are in the top ranks. 43 === [PDF page 54] === Mme DOLORES IBARRURI (Spain) Vice-president of the Women's International Democratic Federation === [PDF page 55] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 56] === Women like GABRIELLE PROFT (Australia) are doing their utmost te prevent the democratic women’s movement from uniting under the banner of the W.D.LF, by creating the International Organisation of Socialist Women, the members of which are given the order to avoid any contact with the W.D.LF. In other countries, as for instance in Sweden, the right-wing socialists try to draw away the socia list women who are Cooperating with us because ‘hey think, as we do, that our force is made out of cur unity, In Austria, they did all in their power to hinder as long as possible, the setting up of a national section of the W.D.LF. In France, after having tried to thwart the creation of the W.D.LF., the right wing socialists forbade the members of their party -- just as they are proceeding in the other countries, to join us. But they only are unmasking themselves without tkeing able to prevent the genuine socialists from joining with us in the common struggle against war-mongers, There are siill other ways of trying to weaken the women’s movement, such as attempting te prevent the evolution of woman by trying-te make her believe that her only place is in the home. This is the aim of the,,.World Movement of Mothers", an international organisation whose programme is the development of the reactionary slogan of, the tremendous economic value of the activity of the family and the housewife in the life of the nations’. Besides, the women who develop these theories do not put them into practice, since they are carrying on public activity in the organisations they lead. And their activities consist in trying to divert the women’s attention from the real solution of the problem: women’s emancipation. There are others who claim to fight for peace, but they never go to the root of the problem. Their activity is harmful because they delute these women believing in the efficacy of a,,World Federation”, a, World Government", a,,World Parliament’, while these names are nothing but smoke screens behind which the imperialists can do what they like, Others, such as the International Women’s Council, tried to make people believe that the solution is to be found in the judgments of the International Court, In addition, certain national branches of the International Counci! of Women, such as the Norwegian branch, were adopting resolutions on the so-called kidnapping of Greek children, an absolute siandey, as Was Teported by Madame MIMI LUNDEN, President of the Norwegian Section of the W.D.LF., who last summer visited the homes created for Greek children in Hungary and Bulgaria. It is not possible to fight against war by deceiving the peoples, omitting to say why there are wars and whom they profit. Since our first Congress numerous attempts have been made to 4 49 === [PDF page 57] === zevive old organisations and fo set up new ones, in order to oppose them to our Federation. At the Luxemburg Congress of ihe Women’s League for Peace and Freedom, reactionary women tried to make it an anti-Soviet, anti-communist, and anti-democratic platform for the lackeys of the war-makers,, The presence of the French delegation led by Madame DUCHENE, a delegation of Spanish Republicans and some others delegates rou. _ted the reactionary elements. The democratic elements in the Women’s League for Peace and Freedom are.members of the W.D.LF At the Intertaken Congress, the same attempts of reactionary grouping of women also teceived a set-back, The right wing socialist women, the reactionary women of M.R.P. and R.P.F. {De Gaulle’s party), English right wing socialists, and United states reactionaries organised a Congress of the,,.Women’s World Fellowship”. The character of this Congress, under leadership of right-wing socialist women such as Mme Vincent AURIOL, Mme RAMADIER and Mme Georges BIDAULT, with its slogans of friendship with the wives of murderers of the people such as Mme TSALDARIS, was such that it could find no echo among the masses of the peopte. The programme of this organisations consisted solely in building 4 women’s movement within the imperialist camp, under the pretext of carrying on a preventive struggle against a pretended danger from vthe Bast” against the,,West”. This Congress took place in Paris, The masses of the Frenchwomen net only were not represented there, but also the women's democratic-organisations organised a meeting in Paris against the presence of Mme TSALDARIS and the democratic press denounced the shamefui collusion of the right wing Socialists with the executioners of the Greek, people forcibly. Today, according to the admission of the leaders of fhe,,Women’s World Fellowship” themselves, this movement does exist. All the attempts to divide the women's movement have failed up to now. Tt has been impossible io set op any opposition movement of a breadth and activity comparable with those of our Federation. Pxt it would be dangerous to underestimate the efforts of the imperialisis to split the forces of democracy and peace. The more their war-plans develop the more numerous will thei: atlempts at division become, For this reason, the national sections of the Federation must denounce the splitters of the democratic movement among men or 50 === [PDF page 58] === women, and carry on their efforts to unite all the working women, all mothers, ail democratic women, in the ranks of the W.D.LF. It is not possible to really fight for peace without fighting against the war-mongers, that means against those whom war protiis. Now. neither the Soviet Union nor her neighbours have made profit cui of the war, nor was it the American people or any other people but only a handful of American monopolists who have made millions of dollars at the price of the lives of 40 million human beings, men, women and children. It this handful feel that they are opposed by the peoples all over ihe world, they will be obliged to abandon their plans of aggression. That is why our lask consists, in making the women understand, in the face of the threat of war, what a force they ave, by. approaching not only those who agree with our aims and are ready to work with us within the ranks of the W.D.LF., but also those who simply do not want war. Each day, all over the earth, new perspectives open up for us Young and old, workers, peasants intellectuals, women of all religions and tongues, of all colours and races, and of all convictions, let us work together courageously and as sisters to conquer difficulties, Let us think of the pledges which we gave to our dead. Let us think of the promises which we have made to our children. Let us think of that immense force represented by the solidarity which binds us, and which makes the struggle of some the struggle of all, and victory in one part of the world the victory ot all. Let us re member, that, united with all the forces of progress, we will stop the warmongers and save peace. Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! MADAME BORIS FAI (Hungary) — Member of the Council of the W.LD.F. -- Member of the Executive Committee of the W.1.D.P. presents the REPORT OF THE CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE The report on the activities of our Federation, which has just been presented to us by Mme. Cotion, pleases us all, for it is the living witness of the development and consolidation of the forces of women Who throughout the world are fighting for peace and are winning decisive victories in this harsh but fruitful struggle. We are justly proud of having been able to achieve so much in the course of the 3 years since our first congress. No other inter- === [PDF page 59] === national women’s organization can produce a record like ours in the cause of peace, We have succeeded in sending two Enquiry commissions to Germany, who have aided in denouncing the real dangers of war inherent in the lack of denazification of Western Germany. Aft the same time, our Commission attracted the attention of the forces of democratic women, who at the time began to develop. the Executive Committee heid in Rome, expressing the burning desire of women to secure peace, decided to admit the Democratic Union of German Women into the ranks of our Federation, It was a good job done in the interest of peace, We have succeeded in sending an investigating Commission to India. The account of their travels was extremely moving. It explains both the tragic misery of these people as well as their extraordinary bravery in the fight for nationa! liberation. It also takes into account the part played by the women of all the oppressor contries, and of the responsibility they bear in regard to the oppressed peoples-while at the same time enabling one to understand better the tremendous international ties of solidarity which unite all women devoted to liberty and who wani to build a life of happiness. It is thanks to the work of the Investigating Commission that the preparatory meeting for the Conference of Asiatic and African women has just been held — the report of which we will hear at this Congress, That was also a good job done in the interest of peace. We have succeeded in constructing, in the heart of Paris, the Women's Internationa! Exhibition — a vivid living witness, sensitive to the development of democratic forces in the world, to the better life in the countries of popular democracy, of good and free life in the countries of socialism. There once again we did a good job in the interest of peace. We have also succeeded in procuring several journeys {though far too few) into the countries where Social Democratic governments are impeding the unity, action and development of democratic forces, and we were able to denounce there the enemies of peace. It was also a good job done in the interest of peace. Now, to realize all this work which we have just commended it was necessary that once the goals were set, the means to reach that goal be found. These means are the finances of the Federation. The Credentials Committee does not feel it necessary at this time to give a detailed account of the receipts and expenditures of these past three years, First of all due to the necessity of jimiting each report as much as. possible, considering all the tasks === [PDF page 60] === of the Congress, and secondly and above all, because this question ts one of the most serious for the life of our Federation, we thought it would be better to remit in writing a detailed report to each delegate who then can and should carefully examine {t, and communicate their suagestions and propositions, in order to permit the Congress to take the necessary decisions on this matter. Thus the Credentials Committee is limiting itself to drawing the attention of the delegates to several observations which emerge from the examination of receipts and expenditure made by the Federation in the course of these three years. The first of these observations is that in 1948 the books show a tise in thi general costs larger than that of expenditure devoted to W.LD.F, activities and publicity. What has happened? First of all: General costs including fixed costs (mailings, phone, telegraph, rent, salaries, taxes} —- costs which must always be met, no matter what the rise in the cost cf living. Furthermore --- in France, headquarters of our Secretariat, prices have risen 24% times since May 1947, Here are some examples of costs obligatory for the functioning of the Secretariat: — the sending of an ordinary circular to each adhering country costs 3.375 French francs (11 dollars}.* — the sending of a letter to Peru costs 475 French Francs (1.5 dollars). ~~ the sending of a telegram to India costs 31,915 French francs {about 13 dollars). ~ the sending of the Inquiry Commission to India (over and above the important financial contribution brought by the Antifascist Committee of Soviet women, the French Co ordination Committee and the Australian women), costs the secretariat 500,000 French francs {about 1700 dollars). There has therefore been no tendency to out the expenses reserved for propaganda, but it was impossible to fit the general obligatory expenses into the framework of the budget established at Prague, in March i947. * We think it necessary to give here an indication in dollars, only to facilitate the transcription of the money of their country for the detegates. It is understcod that these indications are oniy approximate, taking ‘nto account the constant devaluation of the French franc. === [PDF page 61] === a tn car eee mmr Secondly. The expenses that the secretariat devoted to propaganda on this same budceet established in the Council at Praque, only partially represent the expenses of activities and propaganda of the Federation since the countries tock on the burdn of a large part of their propaganda expenses. For example: -~ the expenses of the first inaugural Congress were, in their greater part, covered by the sale of a stamp printed by tne French Co-ordination Committee of the WIDE. by aifts of subsidies obtained in France the end of 1945 and 1946, —- the trin of Mrs. Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier, in 1946. in the Latin American countries, was made possible thanks to the finances acsnred bv France, the women of Argentina, Uruquay, Brazii and Chile. ~ the exnenses of the Executive Committee meeting held in Moscow in 1946, were entirely assured by the Antifascist Committee of the Soviet women, —— the exnenses of the Executive Commitiee meeting held at Stockholm, in 1947, the Swedish women assured an important contribution, ~~ the Federation Council held in Praque in February 1947 equally costed a greai financial effort on the part of the women of Czechoslovakia. ~~ as for the Women’s International Exhihitton (Paris, June~ July 1948); if it couid be realized in spite of the living conditions that exist in France now, it is thanks io ihe extraordinary help and imagnificent effort of the countries that participated in it. P A second observation is that the successive devaluations of French money have seriously affected the buying power of the allowed budget to the secretariat. Before the first of March 1947, ene dollar was worth 118 frs 96, when the scheme fixing the affiliation fees was drawn vp in Prague in November 1948, one dollar is worth 313 francs. That means that the value of the franr has been reduced by a third. Now, only a few countries have taken into account this devaluation and maintained the ijevel of their quotas, But on the whole, if the amount of the quotas paid stayed the same in French francs, the diminution of the buying power of these devaluated francs has equally, diminished the forecast of the budget established at Prague. A third observation: the number of countries aot having paid their quotas-has more than doubled from the year 1947 to 1942. Among these countries there are those where war is now raging and therefore it is necessary to keep up the heroic struggle of the 54 === [PDF page 62] === people. Then there ate countries which are running inte multiple difficulties of currency. Certainly they are serious difficlties, but they are possible to resolve if one is convinced of the justice and necessity of the cause defended. What can be concluded from these observations? That it is necessary to increase the budget of our Federation. That is, to consolidate its financial] base which is the quotas of the adhering contries in order to give it the financial means which wil! permit it to carry out, with honour the immense job of information, propaganda and action which demand of it on one hand, the development of our movement in relation to the scope of democratic forces of the world, and on the other, the gravity of the struqgle against the makers of poverty, reaction, and war. It is the job of the finance commission, that the Congress is going to elect, to meet and meke the proposals, on which the Congress can decide. To conclude these few remarks, the Credentials Committee thinks it necessary to underline here that certainly, the finances of the Women’s Internationa! Democratic Federation are definitely insufficient and that this constant shrinking of financial means, put at the disposal of the secretariat, is not without having bad repercussions On our general activity. But the Credentials Committee thinks, also, that the delegates to the Congress, before whom the financial problem is posed, will be able to resolve it. For, the finances of the Federation are sound, since source is sound. tn fact, the money of the Federation, our money, is valuabie money, is the money of the poorest and the most oppressed, those who collect penny by penny, the women of the colonial countries who aspire to a free and human life. {t is money collected at the price of heavy sacrifices among people at war for their liberation, sent by the women of China, Viet-Nam, India, and also Spain. It is money that the women of the popular democratic countries -- ate proud to collect; those women who, knowing a better life already, know the difficuities of the struggle needed to reach it, who have perfected and are perfecting great efforts that this struggle requires and who know, also, that it can only be well performed by the consolidation of the internationalism of people who love liberty and peace. 55 === [PDF page 63] === it is money collected by the Soviet women, in the free couniries. of the Soviet Union, money that is for us the symbol of consciousness, generosity and highly human solidarity of people who, in the course of thirty years of gigantic battles, where nothing was spared them, neither famine nor war, were able to realize there, the deepest aspirations of all the people who want to -live and blossom in liberty and peace. Yes, it is valuable money, for it is the expression of the will to steadfast, indestructable struggle of the millions of women who want with all their might and with all their sacrifices, to centribute to the building of a better life for theirs and the generatious to come, That is why with money, the Women's International Democratic Federation was able to take so many of the happy initiatives to accomplish so many of the fruitful achlevements which open for us other perspectives and pose other tasks before us. As our president, Mrs, Cotton, so well put it about the Women’s International Exhibition, what we were able to do is not,the end” of our efforts, but the beginning of an even more assured course, of greater activity. MADAME GAGARINA {USSR} Member of the Executive Committee, Member of the Council. Being the first of the Soviet delegates to take the floor, I transmit to you, te you all, representatives of the women's democratic progressive movement of all countries, the greetings of our delegation representing millions of women of the Union of the Socialist Soviet Republic and { wish great success to the work of this Congress. Three years ago when the last shots of the guns stopped firing on the European and Asiatic theatres of the second world war, the democratic women of 41 countries founded the International Devnocratic Federation, Among those who participated in the Congress at Paris, not one will forget that event which had a great historical importance and was a new chapter in the world women’s movement. Those who participated in the first Congress remember, after the minute of silence in memory of those who had fallen in the fight against fascism, with what solemnity the delegates adopted a message to the women of ail the countries, and swore: — to contribute to the development of a powerful women’s organisation; 56 === [PDF page 64] === -~- to defend the economic, political and social rights of women, ~~ to fight indefatigably for a strong, lasting peace, the only guarantee of the home and the well-being of the children. Our Federation has fought indefatigably for the accomplishment of this sacred oath. It has grouped under its banner the tens of millions of democratic women of all religious and political opinions and in all parts of the world. The ranks of the Federation are consiantly growing. The delegates of this Congress have verilied with satisfaction that at present the Federation groups the women’s democratic organisations of 51 countries instead of the 41 of the first Congress. Under the banner of the Federation, at the same time as women of European couniries, fight those of the United States, Latin America, China, Indonesia. india and Australia. It has members in Nigeria and Madagascar. The president of our international organisation, Madame Eugenie Cotton who, with ever renewed energy is ready to pursue the fight for the development of our Federation, spoke ie us of the growing maturity and of the combativeness of the women’s democratic movement, She showed how varied the forms of work of the women's democratic organisation were in the fight for peace. This fight reflects the ingenuity and initiative of the national sections. The successes recorded in the course of 1948 in the activities of the Union of French Women, the Union of Italian Women and other organisations which Madame COTTON spoke of here, gave us deep satisfaction. Most of the national organisations have developed considerably and strengthened since the existence of the Federation and have proved their will to fight for the noble aims of our Federation. The women of certain countries like those of Korea, Indonesia and Greece, defend, with arms in hand, the liberty of their people. The successes of the women of the popular democratic countries who are on the march towards progress are brilliant. The Soviet women together with all the women’s democratic crganisations of the whole world are in the vanguard of the fight for peace, for the high and noble goals proclaimed at the first women's international Congress. They are contributing to the development and the strengthening of the ranks of the Federation. The International Democratic Federation is leading an active struggle for the social rights of women and the betterment of the tiving conditions of children. The road covered by the W.1.D.F. from the first to the second Congress shows that in the active fight for the defence of peace, 57 === [PDF page 65] === democracy, the political and economic rights of women, it has proved that it was the only organisation representing the democrati¢ women's international movement. The strength of the Federation tests on the fact that in the realization of the tasks that it has given itself, it has brovght an important contribution to the common work of ihe democratic people in their struggle for a lasting peace and a radiant future for the new generations. Our Federation presents itself at its second Congress enlarged, and hardened in struggle, with the firm determination to continue the fight for a just cause, imbued with the certainty of victory. However, the successes of our activily need by no means satisfy us, Experience teaches us that we must not stop half-way. The iask of today and tomorrow is to strengthen, even more, the roie and authority of the Federation, organiser and animator of the women's progressive movement. In the ranks of the Federation, we have, beside those sections which have a lot of experience, quite a few young organisations which have joined the Federation recently. The women’s organl sations of Britain, the Congress of Canadian Women, entered much latex than cthers the ranks of the Federation. Tt is less than a year ago that the democratic women's organisations of Norway joined us. These young sections need help in holding firm and they need guidance. They are waiting for us to make them aware of the experience that we have acquired in our work. We are convinced that the aid th. Executive Committee can bring is useful and even indispensable. Thus its influence on the women's democratic organisations of Belgium and Sweden and its recommendations were of great importance to the latter. We do not know enough of the life of the women in Latin America and the work of their organisations. The trip undertaken by our secretary MARIE-CLAUDE VAILLANT-COUTURIER in those countzies was very important for the establishment of relations between the Federation and the women's democratic organisations of Latin America. The Federation must in the future take all necessary measures to extend its bond with the women’s vorganisctions of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, ete... The proposal of Madame COTTON to establish links with the Japanese women merits our agreement. We think thaf this proposal wili be upheld by all the delegaies of the Congress. The growth of its influence in the colonial and dependent countries is one of the successes of our Federation. The women of Asia and Africa know, more and more, that the Federation is fighting 58 === [PDF page 66] === so that the right to self-determination will be accorded to all people of the world, and for the rights of all women. They look on the Federation as their defender and look for its help. They want, in their struggle, to lean on the friendly solidarity of the democratic women of all countries. The trip of the Commission of the W.LD.F, to India Burma and Malaya sirengthened the bonds between the Federation and the women of these countries. However, that is not enough. We must, at al! costs, summon a conference of the women of the countries of Asia, which, unhappily for a whole series of reasons, could not be held yet, But we must pul an end to all these difficulties. The Federation proposes to unite al! the progressive democratic women of the whole world, but there are a number of women's democratic organisations that do not belong to the Federation though its program corresponds to their desires and hopes. The Women's International Congress must, once again, cali the democratic women’s organisations which show their solidarity with the goals of the Federation, to join its ranks. We must unite all the effort and will of the democratic women of all countries to establish a lasting peace and democracy, to obtain the economic and political rights of women, to wipe out the consequences of war, as fast ag possible, from the face of the earth, to make the right to happy motherhood and childhood prevail, We must think particularly of the democratic organisations such ae unions and co-operatives. The International Guide of Co-operative Women is a mass organisation of the international co-operaiive movement. It has 17 million members, Its members are members of co-operatives, workers, housewives and farm workers. The Guide decided to work with the W.LD.F, We regret that the decision of the Executive Coramittee of our Federation to collaborat with the Guide has not yet been adopted. Our Federation will continne to grow. But we must not forget that the fight against the Federation increases in proportion to its growth and inflvence. Reaction’s hatred of the women’s democratic movement increases; the attempts to divide and break the unity of the women’s democratic forces multiply. That is why the watchtulness by the Federation, as well as that of the national organisations, must be strengthened.: The expansionist spheres of the United States, inspirer of war psychoses, strive to intimidate the most hesitant women with their shrieking about the atom bomb, of inevitable war, and attempt te 59 === [PDF page 67] === create a spirit of passiveness and to give birth to a feeling 01 despair, in order to weaken the people's resistence to their schemes The fight against the W.LD.F. is led in different ways and assumes the most varied forms, They set alt kinds of traps. They refuse visas to its members who must go abroad; they forbid its meetings and conferences. For another thing, international reaction is bent on creating an anti-democratic women’s movement which it would like to set in oposition to the Women’s Iniernational Democrafic Federation. To this end, it recreated the old women's organisations, and in a new so-called democratic form, These organisations wish to be thought of as fighting for peace and democracy. knowing that they could not group the masses of the women with any other slogan. Camouflaging their true aim behind noisy publicity, in reality they only want to mislead the masses of the women the better to stop the active struggle against imperialism. Some of them spread the illusion of the possibility of resolving the peace problems by the intermediary of international justice, and avoid calling the true warmakers by their proper names. Others, instead of interesting the women in the essentia) problems of their economic and political situation, direct their activity only towards charity. Some political parties also try to divide the women’s movement. The International Congress of Socialist Women of 16 countries, which took place last June in Vienna declard that collaboration with the W.LD.F, was incompatible with belonging to the Socialist party. This decision is a menace directed at socialist women who are worried about the policy practised by the right socialist leaders. International reaction attempts to influence the women in regard to their religious beliefs. Different religious organisations preach wwoman's place is in the home” and urge them not to concem themselvees with political questions. Thus, reaction uses all ways to attempt to remove women from the fight for peace and democracy Respecting the religious feelings of the women, it is necessary to explain, with patience, the aims and tasks cf the Federation that defends their vital interests, whatever their religious convictions may be. We must expose ithe harmful role of those who pretend to defend the interest of the women, but who in reality, oppose their emancipation. The task of the women’s movement in each country, is now to assemble the isolated groups and organisations of women and to consolidate the international unity of the women’s movement. We must get the women together, explain to them that their sufferings, 60 === [PDF page 68] === their unenviable fate, are closely bound up with the conditions in which their countries exist or ar found.. We must show the women that these conditions can be changed if al} of them unite and fight for the development of democracy. We must courageously expose those who, under the mask of democracy, try te break or divide the women’s democratic movement. That is why, indefatigably, we repeat that the doors of our Federation are wide open to those who agree with our programme. It is necessary for our propaganda to employ the progressive press, radio, meetings, reunions, and gatherings, to a large extent, That helps us to strenghthen the organisation of our national! sections. We are certain that the influence and authority of our Federation among the great masses of democratic progressives of the whole world will continue to grow. However, the role of the Women’s International Democratic Federation in the solution of serious problems of the social, economic and political situation of women will be more strengthened if they are accorded the category,,A” status in the United Nations Crganisation. Our Federation is the largest women's democratic organisation in the world and we must have the rights that correspond to ils importance. The presence of a democratic organisation representing tens of millions of women will be a precious support in the Economic and Social Council of the U.N.O., for, the Federation can validly study the questions which are discussed there, can deliver written declarations to the members of this Council, consult the committees and sub- committees, participate in the discussions, and, finally, pose questions that it thinks useful to bring onto the agenda of the Council. The status category,A’ accorded to the Women’s International Democratic Federation would also better the activities of the Commision for the rights of women at the U.N.O. That is why Congress absolutely must ask the U.N.O. to accord them the status,,A”, We are certain that the delgates will unanimously press this proposal. Dear sisters. The Second Women’s International Congress constitutes a very important chapier in the history of our Federation, which has become @ very strong and united organisation. Today, with even more assurance than three years ago, the Federation calls the women of the world te unite to fight for peace and friendship of the world. it says,,,We are numerous. We are half of humanity! And if all together we act against the enemies of peace, we will conquer”, 61 === [PDF page 69] === Mrs. FLORECA MEZINCESCU (RUMANIA) Substitute member of ihe Council Substitute meimber of the Exe e Committee. We have gathered here, women from all corners of the worid. united by the same thought. In the bus that brought the delegates to the Congress, I saw & peasant woman of Macedonia. beni with age, but with a firm look. women pattisants of Greece in military uniform; I saw young girls of Mongolia, women of France, Italy, Bulgaria, and Rumania. They sang and the words pronounced by each, in her own language, had the same meaning. What brings us together is our will to fight, with obstinacy, for peace, for our children, for a free and dignified life It is our consciousness of being on the right road, the only road that can lead us closely united, and with all the forces of peace, to victory against those who dream of launching a new massacre. Some of su, women of free countries, guided by our Soviet sisters, have come here aided by our Governments, which are the active agents of the peace front. Others had to overcome numerous obstactes; thev left their countries, where imperialists or their agents tule, with difficulty, and at times in secret; they had to slip over border tines guarded by those mortal enemies of peace and progress, who notice with rage, the development of strength of our Federation The fact that we are united here proves our determination to cvercome the obstacles. It shows, also, the growing consciousness of fhe masses of women who sent us to the Second Congress of the W.LD.F. so that the voices of the millions of mothers, wives and women could resound with force for peace against the imperialists The social forces that stand for peace, with their guide, the powerfu} Soviet Union, are very superior to the agqressive. forces. The bases of imperialism are greatly shaken, but, like a wounded wild beast who tries to bite cruelly, imperialism tries to maintain its domination and prepares for a new world war. The way to peace is. not an easy one. It is a continuous struggle, every moment, against American and English imperialism and ageinst their lackeys in France, Italy and other countries. Onr Congress is a great manifestation of forces that fight for peace, liberty and progress. The women call it the Peace Congress. During these three years of work and struggle our large family, the W.LD.F., answering the aspirations of millions of women, has developed and strengthened itself. It has increased its prestige and combativeness and constitutes one of the most powerful atmies for peace. 62 === [PDF page 70] === We have the firm consciousness of the justice of the cause tor which we fight. We have, likewise, the certainty that war can be avoided, The fight between the side of democracy and that of imperialism is sharpening and today the Women's International Democratic Federation is one of the most powerful forces on the besis of its programme, always working harder, we must convince the women who are still not with us, and draw them actively into our siruggle. Each woman, each mother, must understand that if she is not on the side of the Federation, she serves the enemy of her own home. That is what she learns from the women of Italy who, in spite of the terror launched by de Casperi’s police, were able to gather three million signatures by which they asked the U.N.O, to adopt the peace proposals of the Soviet Union; and what she learns from the French women who, for liberty and national independence, beside the striking miners, defied the bullets of the Queuille-Moch Government, She gains experience from the fight, arms in hand, of the Greek, Spanish, Chinese, and Viet-Nam women. Thus women will always be present in greater numbers where it is necessary to bar the road to reaction, and to thwart the plans manoeuvres of the war-makers. Thus women understand what the international solidarity and the political, moral and material aid are that each of them brings to the peoples who are fighting for peace. In our country, the women who call on each house in-the cities, and country speak to their sisters of the atrocilies and suffering that the monarcho-fascist Government. run by the imprialists. are inflicting on the Greek women and children; they let them know of the heroic struggle of the Greek people to win liberty. The women un. derstand that the fight led by the Greek people is everybody's fight for peace, and for the happiness of their children. Thus the hatred of imperialism, the Jove of those who fight, and the desire to help, awake in their hearts. Tens of thousands of letters were sent to Greek women in that way. Each women of our country brought her piece of wool or her handful of corn for the Greek people. In thousands of towns the women made clothes for the Greek children. We women trom all corners of the world, understanding thai the success of our cause depends on our unity on the international level and in the interior of each country, must fight, with even more force, for the application of the decisions of the Executive Committee ef Stockholm, which conceived the idea of single women’s organisations of each country. This has been realized in several countries. 63 psa era === [PDF page 71] === In Rumania, we have built a single women's organisation based on a wide campaign of enlightenment a view to realizing a political, ideological, and organisational unity. It is in this way we have closed our Tanks in the struggle for peace, against imperialism, and for the forward march of our country on the road to progress. Unity has been achieved by the common action of working women, peasant women, women intellectuals, and housewives belonging to different democratic organisations. Sometimes it was a question of a nursery for children that must be opened, sometimes of a maternity home. By the campaigns for the betterment of sanitary conditions, for the sowing of vegetables and their conservation, by housekeeping courses, by the fight against illiteracy, and by artistic and cultural manifestations, the women learned to work together. They have understood that their interests are the same and that, united, they can more easily satisfy them, The achievement of this single organisation in our country bas given a new vitality to our women’s movement. Two years ago the peasant women of our country closed themselves up in their houses when we went to visit them, but today we have organisations in almost every town. The peasants participate in the political and social life of the country more and more. By slander, reaction tried to provoke distrust towards the popular democratic regime, It tried to force the peasants not to sow, to disorganise the exchange of products between the cities and towns, it recommended that the women not make use of the maternity homes. not to send their children to the seasonal nurseries organised during the agricultural season How have we worked? We hawe sent workers who had their tamilies in the towns to the surrouding contryside. They talked with their relatives end neighbors, then with a larger and larger number of women. They searched for the origin of the reactionary propaganda and almost always discovered a former proprietor or a speculator whom they unmasked. These workers were preoccupied with the needs of the peasants and of the town, They told how they worked in the factories, how they organised emulation in production, how they created children’s nurseries, They spoke of the Soviet women, their way of life and their fight for peace. With the peasants, they began the organisation of activity linked up with the most immediate needs of the town. They started Action Committee to lead and survey the achievement of the tasks undertaken. 94 === [PDF page 72] === Hundreds of thousands of women are active today in similar Committees, hundreds of thousands of energetic and lively spirits, of hearts that love to build together a new life for their children. And this happiness they want to guard against all danger of war, as is the wish of all women and mothers. The discussions at our Congress, the exchange of of experiences that takes place between the women of the whole world, the experiences of our great Soviet sisters, must, in a decisive way, contribute to the development of the women’s mevement, to the success of the work and of the fight for peace by our W.LD.F., for the happiness of our children, and for the liberty and well-being of all. Long live the solidarity of the wemen of the whole world in their fight for peace, democracy and progress}. Mrs. JULIE DEWINTRE (FRANCE) {representative of Miner’ Federation) I am the daughter and wife of a miner. I know, therefore, the life and fighting spirit cf miners I bring to this magnificent Congress the expression of their gratitude and that of their wives for the great national and international solidarity which supporied their strike, In ail the fights that the people of France have had to conduct, the miners were always in the front rank. In the historic strikes of 1941 and 1943 they fought against the invaders, They do not have to learn a lesson of patriotism from anyone, At Arras, out of 220 men shot against the wall, 200 miners honoured the whole body of the mine workers. After the liberation, the miners worked 48 and 52 hours a week. They often worked on Sunday. They sacrificed hundreds of thousands of paid vacation days to give coal to the people. The minerg are courage personified. Every minute that they work they are on the watch. Since the first of January, that is to say {i months, in the North and Pas de Calais couniy 90 were killed, 1,712 seriously wounded 96,488 slightly wounded, and 3,900 got silicosis, the miners’ sickness, The wives, in anguish on account of the dangers that threaten their husbands, never listen to the radio when they are down the mine. The French miners have just carried on a struggle which was very hard. They fought 56 days against the Government which, through the Minister of production, published inhuman decrees which the miners could never accept. For 56 days, the coal-beds of France were a vast war zone where enormous masses of armed for- $ 65 === [PDF page 73] === ces were assembled. The C.S.R. a special strike breaking corps and the police, the,.Spahis” (Colonial troops) and the parachutists, using tanks, atlacked, night and day, the miners's installations, communes, and homes, abusing and illtreating the miners. They acted like real savages, killing miners, wounding scores of others, women and children. Tens of thousands of miners are still in prison, like under the occupation, others, having an arrest charcee against them, are obliged to live in hiding. The wives of the miners, among whom are former deportees of Auschwitz, widows of those who were shot, were savagely hit with the butt-end of guns and then interned, Like the nazis, they refused the mothers, wives and children permission to see or speak to the imprisoned miners, Out of hate for the people, the French rules refused the basic minimum wage, thus depriving hundreds of thousands of older miners’ children of their bread, and the younger ones of their milk, To cudgel the striking miners, the Government spent 600 million francs a day. To satisfy their legitimate claims 560 million francs were needed a month, Not succeeding in conquering the fighting spirit of the miners, the French Government has decided te declare war on the cradle ‘Out of class hatred, they attack little children. That is why they suppressed the family allowances, Before this, they had made the help, collected thanks to international solidarity, unavailing, by only Jetting 24 million francs enter France while 100 million francs was necessary. The miners were able to hold out thanks to the great solidarity of the French people, with the precious help of the French women who organised ccllections, soup-kitchens, and arranged to put the children with friendly families. The wives were on the picket lines next to their husbands and they accompanied them in the delegations to the public leaders, Last Monday, with rage in their hearts, but heads high, the miners took the road to the mine. It is not the terror that reigned in the mine-beds for 56 days that made them make this decision, but the hunger of their little ones, Crying, the miners’ wives said to us,,We would like our husbands to continue ihe fight, but we have no more money to buy milk for the little ones”. The miner's fight has made the democratic movement take a step forward. 66 === [PDF page 74] === The miners did not get their legitimate claims, but their fight permifted a naticeable gain in the miners’ retirement pension and the granting to all working personne] and day workers, a_ special pension that the Government had refused up to that time. Besides, it permitted other trade-unions, dockers, railway men, and metallurgical workers to obtain great advantages. The miners’ fight was a blow at the Marshall Plan. The miners’ strike showed that the policy of the Government, the seryani of foreign interests, was to ruin the country as is confirmed by the decision to give the Nazis back their war arsenal, the Ruhr, a,must” of the Marshall Plan. The miners’ struggle strengthened the unity of the French people showed the strength of the working class, and consolidated the position of the workers movement. The determined miners, united to the whole of the population, will be the first to bar the way of the makers of poverty, and to win their legitimate claims. ‘Mrs, MARY REED HAUG (UNITED STATES} {Representative of the Union of Electrical, Radio Workers of America). Greetings to the Second Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation on behalf of the delegation from the United States, We are proud and happy to be in Budapest. We are moved to note the solidarity of millions of women from all corners of the world who are fighting for peace and democracy. Qur Congress expresses the aspirations of millions of women of the whole world. We, of the United States of America, speak for the great mojority of the women of our country who passionately desire to continue to live in peace. We know that the mothers, young people, and honest men all over America who sincerely desire peace are many. The American delegation carries the great responsibility of representing the American women in this Congress. We know that there is, unfortunately, a. group in our country, a restricted group, which works against peace and against liberty. We understand that we bear the great responsibility of fighting for a programme of peace and libesty in our country. In America there are millions of people who are by our side. We uphold the ideas that animated Franklin Roosevelt in his fight for peace, and we feel that they will be expressed in the present world struggle. 67 === [PDF page 75] === We of the American delegation,.are going to take part in these foundations with the consciousness of our responsibilities. We hope te know the experiences of other countries. We fee] that we have much to learn from the popular democracies. We will do everything possible to aid in the fight for a freé world. We confidently believe that we can accomplish our task, Mrs, IRENE KOWALSKA (POLAND) Suhstitute member of the Council. Substitute member of the Executive Committee. The Polish delegation salutes the activities of the Federation since 1945, In our women's movement, the love and the devotion for the Federation has deep roots, Each woman worker in Poland prides herself on the fact that the democratic women who love peace have created such a large international organization in the fight for peace and a just life; each of us thinks, wiih love and gratitude of the temarkable women who directed our Federation in the past years. In the name of all the Polish women who were liberated by radical reforms, which were realized in the new Poland, in the name of the women who are enthusiastically building the basis of socialism: in our country, I bring all of you a friendly and warm greeting. Particularly to the members of our Executive Committee, I express our deep gratitude for the immense job so that the Women’s Internatio-~ nal Democratic Federation can illuminate the way like a lighthouse, to social and national liberation, towards a free and happy life for millions of women workers of all countries, all races, all nationalities and all professions, all over the world. It is thanks to the Federation that the women's movement became conscious of its strength, came to know the inexhaustible reserves which it is utilising in its. fight for peace and the building of a truly democratic society. It is for that that the Polish women are grateful to the directors. of our Federation. It is for that that they respond with a profound and active feeling of solidarity to each call of the Federation: the: intense activity for aid to the Spanish women imprisoned by Franco, the activity for aid to the Greek women and children who are victims of Anglo-Saxon imperialism, the celebration of May Day, in which one million three hundred thousand women took part, the meetings on the occasion of the eighth of March in which more than a million women actively took part this year, with great enthusiasm. We are exerting great efforts for the proffessional training and. professional reeducation of tens of thousands of women. 68 === [PDF page 76] === On the occasion of the Congress of intellectuals at Wroclaw, an old Polish city in the centre of Silesia, we held a large women's meeting in honour of our beloved and deeply respected guest, Madame COTTON. This meeting assembled 20,000 women representing the jocal organisations of the League from all parts of Poland and our president was able to see the fighting spirit and consciousness of the feminine movement in Poland. All these activities developed the consciousness ot the Polish women, gathered into a single women's organization, the League of Democratic Women. We now have nearly a million members and our weekly woraen’s magazine,,Przyjaciétka”, prides itself on the circulation of a million two hundred thousand copies. The women's sections of the trade unions number 840,000 -women industrial and transport workers, and women intellectuals. Our mass movement of agricultural co-operation, our,,Peasant Self-help Union”, is comprised of 200,000 women, Thus the democratic movement of women in Poland has considerable strength, more than two million organized women. It is with joy that we formed our Polish delegation from among the best of our women, the cream women workers who are et the ‘head of our textile and confectionery industries, as the woman secretary of the Union of the coal-mining industry, and the women who are in the vanguard in agricultural production, We promise you, dear friends to continue our work with even more energy to gather all the women workers of Poland together. We promise to fight to bring in even more women, to raise the ideolo- ‘gical Jevel of our women’s movement. We promise you to tighten our ranks of Polish women around our Federation even more, to fight more actively with it against the ‘menace of imperialist war, against the forces of international reaction against the forces of imperialism. With the example of the best of our international women’s army, with the example of the remarkable Soviet women, we promise to work better than before, to obtain even more success in our work, to raise our production norms, to increase the number of shock workers, to accelerate the rhythm of emulation of women in work, to respond te each insclent provocation of the imperialist war mongers by a new enthusiasm in the work, by new efforts in the building of socialism in our country. ‘Madame MARIA RENTMEISTER-RETTINGER (GERMANY) Substitute member of the Council. Dear delegates, dear guests! For the first time in many years, the democratic women of Ger- Many are again taking part in a world women’s congress. Among 69 === [PDF page 77] === you are here today many who suffered in Hitler's concentration camps and who lost their dearest relatives and friends in the Hitleritewar. We are ready and willing, in so far as we are able, to make good the damage inflicted on other nations during the socond world. war. Above all, we fell it our duty to play a particularly active part in the fight for peace. We, the members of the Democratic Women's Union of Ger-~ many, pledge ourselves solemnly before the women of the world that we shall fight against the forces of war and fascism, which stil! exists in our country, until their influence has completely disappeared from the life of our nation. We pledge ourselves to fight together with the women of alt countries against war-mongers everywhere and for peace. We promise to educate our children in the spirit of peace and democratic reconstruction and to make our country a bulwark of peace and democracy. We are grateful to the W.LD.F. and to the democratic women of all countries for the great support they have given us in our fight for a united Germany, and demorcatic reconstruction. The progressive forces of Germany consider the fostering of good neighbourly relations, above all with the Soviet Union and Poland, a vital question. Poland, like the other People’s Democracies and the Soviet Union, is supporting the just democratic demands of the German people for the formation of a central German government, a peace treaty with Germany, demilitarisation and denazification. These good neighbourly relations call for the final liquidation. of the menacing anti-Soviet and anti-Polish tradition in our country This demands from the German people the recognition of the Oder- Neisse frontier, as agreed upon by all the four Allies at Potsdam as the basis for peace. This year we were able to send two delegations, one to the Soviet Union and one to Hungary. This was a great help to us, and. we have done everything in our power to make use of them, ly a campaign of meetings covering six weeks we reported our exneriences at 250 meetings, attended by about 100,000 people, in all of the big cities in the Soviet Zone, Berlin and Hamburg. More than one third of these mectings were held in factories that is to say in the most important factories of our Zone. We addressed thousands of teachers, the police in Berlin and other cities, members of the Government of Thuringia, pupils of high schools, public health nurses, young activists and so forth. 70 === [PDF page 78] === The biggest meeting was held in Berlin with more than 3,006 women present, We are conducting a campaign to collect signatures for the banning of the atomic bomb. As the Allied Control Council is no longer functioning, the Military Commanders of the four zones were asked for permission to organise this petition. So far we have only received permission from the Soviet Zone. The representatives of the others have not answered. Already in the first four days it has become evident that our women are conducting this campaign with great vigour, There were factories where the women signed on the first day, All Parties and organisations in the Soviet Zone, especially the Free German Youth, are supporting this campaign. The Women's Committee in Hamburg and other organisations in Western Germeny have decided to conduct a similar campaign. Dear delegates, our gratitude goes out to the Soviet Union, the gteat country leading the world struggle for peace. The Soviet Union, in its zone of occupation in Germany, has carried out the Potsdam decisions, and therefore in the Soviet Zone the power of the monopolists, junkers and and militarists has been broken, Thus the conditions have been created which can guarantee peace and democracy in this part of Germany and strengthen our whole fight for unity of our country. That will mean strengthening the fight for peace and democracy in Germany. Madame CLAUDINE CHOMAT (FRANCE) General Secretary of the Union of French Women. The French delegation warmly thanks the Hungarian women for their generous welcome. It values the immense efforts of Democratic Hungary for having given the Second International Congress ail the magnificence that it merits. Since the First International Congress of Navember 26, 1945, the French women have worked with all their might to he true to the oath of the Women’s International Democratic Federation. For three years now, a greeat battle for peace and democracy has been taking place in France. We want to win this battle. We have great confidence in the women Of our country and we are certain that we will win it. We are certain that by our battle we can have a Government of Democratic Union, thanks to the unity of the progressive forces of France yailied together for the safeguard of national independance and peace. === [PDF page 79] === The French women and mothers have their eyes on peace and popular democracy, on the great Soviet Union, on the country of light, Thy know that the Chinese liberation army is winning new victories every day. They know that people ali over, in Greece, Spain, Italy, are conscious of their strength and that every day, in the fight, their forces rally together. A French bourgeols newspaper recently said,,,Time works for the Soviet Union”. That means,,,Time works for democracy and progress”, We are convinced that we can force the makers of war and poverty to retreat by leading, even more firmly, the fight for peace and the defence of the rights of women and children. In France, since the First International Congress, many things have happened, After the liberation, as in the popwlar democratic countries, a great hope was born in our people. But the American rulers, desirous of enslaving the world, have become the masters of of our country. They demanded the exclusion of the Communisis from the Government. Since then, the living conditions of all the laboring class of our country, have become worse and worse. The standard of life for the workers, has been lowered by 50% in comparison with 1938. Many workers do not even get the minimum basic wage even though our country is so rich. Luxury jostles poverty. In 1 ere were three millionaire groups in France. In 1948, there are forty-two. The smal) shop keepers are crushed with taxes, Many have gone bankrupt The peasants have heavy burdens and industrial products are at exorbilant princes. There is also ¢ t poverty for the smalj stockholders and old people of our countr As a consequence of the Marshall Plan, unemployment can already be seen in many industries: aeronautic, textile, film, electric appliances, dressmaking, etc... menaced, Shamefully, the present Government of France has abandoned the reparations owed by Germany and our right to the control ot the Ruhr, The 1949 budget for war is 600 million francs. It is because the present leaders of our country have betrayed its interests, that there are great fights in France each day, which ate developing towards victory, towards the creation of a Gogains acquired after the liberation like Social Security, are 72 === [PDF page 80] === vernment of Demoratic Unity in which the Communist Party, which represents a third of our country, will have its proper place. The French women, gathered in large democratic organisations like the Generaj Confederation of Labour, the Union of French Women, the Communist Party, the Union of Young Girls of France, Friends of the Peace, Family Associations, the Socialist Unity Party, have understcod that unity is possible. This year, in Paris, 100,000 marched on the seventh of March, for bread, peace and National independence. On the occasion of the Women’s International Day on the steps from house to house, mothers signed our note-books of demands, Hundreds of thousands of signatures were obtained for the increase of the bread ration. JEANETTE VERMEERCH, that wonderful mother, who expresses the sufferings which are in the heart of each. French woman and who symbolizes the courage, confidence, and certainty in the fight for a better life, happier for the children, made a proposal for the inrease in the bread ration before the National Assembly and thanks to our action, by manifestations, petitions, and delegations, we won the batile for bread, In fighting for bread we also fought for peace by demanding that the stocks of grain destined for war be distributed lo the people, In Noveniber and December 1947, nearly three million workers in all trade-unions went on strike for an increase in pay. An immense upsurge of solidarity made possible support of the strikers, The women were wonderfully devoted. They collected from shop keepers, and peasants, speaking to all classes of people. They went into the strikers families to comfort the mothers of the families. The children were lodged in other homes. At Verdun, the women, in Seplember 1947, heroically fought to prevent French sugar from going into Germany. In June, 1948, at Clermoni Ferrand the workers of the Michelin plant went on strike, supported by the whole population of the city, but the police of Jules Moch, the sacialist Minister, batoned the fighting workers. One worker of the Michelin factory is a French delegate to this Congress. A general two hour strike was held alj through the country to prolest against the police violence, And for 56 days, the French miners fought one of the greatest battles of the French labor movement. This battle convinces us that we must have faith in our people. The Government, the.socialist Minister, Moch, was dead set against the miners. It was no longer a miners’ strike but a war by the Government against the miners. === [PDF page 81] === it was with rage in their hearts that they went back to work. it was hunger that got the better of their courage, in spite of immense national and international solidarity. The Government discounted it, but hate lives in the hearts of the miners. They will have their revenge which will be the constitution of a Government of Democratic Unity. For peace, the French women have carried on a great fight. ‘We did not want to participate in the collection for the U.N.A.C. because we did not have control of the collected funds. The U.F.W. did not participate in the collection and it resulted in a failure whicir proves the influence of this organization which belongs to the W.LD.F, For our sisters in Viet-Nam, for the Asia Conference, halt ¢ million francs were collected in a few months by the U.F.W. For the valiant Greek fighters, medical supplies money have been collected. For the heroic Spaniards we have led a large campaign against the Spanish patriots’ murderers. The affiliation of the German women to the W.LD.F, caused great discussion in France. The French women have understood the necessity of accepting the German women's democratic organization into the W.LD.F, because a democratic Germany is necessary to build peace, During the U.N.O. session we made our voice heard, by telegrams, meetings and petitions. From this platform we have heard the speech of a deteaate who cast dovbt on the effectiveness of those millions of signatures, gathered on the petitions. We hold that the fact that the will of our peoples is constanty expressed by these millions of signatures, is more effective than the haggling of ca7tain Governments with American imperialism which is preparing for war against the Soviet Union, the great bastion for peace and de-~ mocracy. In France petitions for the support of the peace proposals of Vyshinsky, the delegate of the Soviet tion who asked for reduction of arms, and the suppression of the making of atom bombs, aré circulating. On this basis, thousands of post-cards were sent to the UNO A large unity meeting was held in Paris of 50,000 people to ratify the the choice of delegates to the Second International Congress. This Second Congress will be yet another encouragement for us. We pledge ourselves to justify the confidence that the women of the whole world have put in the French women, and, together, we will go to a future of Peace and Liberty. 74 === [PDF page 82] === Long live the Second Women's International Congress! Long live our president, Madame Eugenie Cotton! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! SPEECH Miss KUTTY HOOKHAM (in the name of the World Federation: . of Democratic Youth) Dear Friends, i bring to this second great International Convention of Democratic women, the warm fraternal greetings from the World Federation of Democratic Youth. We, the democratic youth of the world, assembled in the ranks of our Federation, greet your great struggle during three years in defence of peace, and for a better life for the peoples of the children and the young generation. We are proud to know that wé have been able to go hand in hand with you in this struggle. Like you, we are celebrating our third anniversary, are looking back and assessing our three years of work. Today, we have united in our ranks fifty million organised young people, fifty million youth fighting determinedly against the remnants of fascism, for freedom and national independence, for democracy, for a better life for our generation and all that follows — ahove all, fighting to win the peace. For three years the World Federation of Democratic Youth has carried out the tasks to which it pledged itself in the name of the millions of young people who sacrificed themselves to end fascism, and give us the possibility of a fruitful, creative future. During these years the ranks of the youth have become even more united around the WFDY. The WFDY has led great campaigns for better living conditions for the youth and children. Through our great actions such as the International Conference of Working Youth, the World Youth Festival in Prague, the Youth Conference of South East Asia and Latin-America — al! these events mark gieat stages in the march forward of youth along the road to happiness and progress, But the war-mongers, who grow daily more active and provocative — as they increasingly discredit themselves in the eyes of the ordinary peoples — have not disarmed. The magnates of Wali Street, and their servants, who constantly flout the greal principles 75. === [PDF page 83] === ~of the United Nations, which they seek to weaken and divide, —- -are responsible for the heavy and terrible menace which hangs over the world. Their dollars, their arms, their intervention in every form, strike -down fhe democratic people and youth of Greece, in a shameful and barbaric orgy of blood and corruption. Without their intervention, our heroic members, half a million strong in Greece, would be living in peace and freedom today. Without their intervention, the heroic youth and people of Spain would have seen victory of their long struggle against Franco Fascism. Led by the dollar imperialists, reactionary forces are attacking, persecuting, imprisoning, massacring, killing, in Malaya, Indonesia,’ Viet-Nam, India, Burma, Palestine. Their so-called economists, supported by police forces, pursue ‘ithe economic enslavement of Western Europe, Latin America and ‘other countries, The Youth of the world know that not one of us can be really free, so long as millions of our comrades, our brothers and sisters, -are in bondage. We are, everywhere, fighting side by side with the tens of millions of youth fighting colonialism, in Malaya, Viet-Natm, in Indonesia. We are, everywhere, fighting side by side with the fighting youth of Spain and Greece. Every young person can today understand that the fight for peace is the fight against oppressors and imperialists, who think that they can barter the life of a whole generation in the interests sof their aim of world domination. Every young person realises that none of the just demands of the youth of every land for better ‘conditions, or the struggle of the youth of any land against fascists and colonial oppressien, can be successful, if the atom-bomb imperialists succeed in their threats of unleashing war against the USSR. For such war designs are aimed not only against the great peoples of the USSR, but against the democratic struggles of the peoples throughout the world. That is why in celebrating our third anniversary, we have joined ‘the democratic women and peoples of the world, with a great campaign for the World Youth Day of Peace. Our call has received an ardent response from youth of every jand, every colour and race, from every corner of the world. The young generation, like the women, need peace in order to live, to work, to march forward to new victories in thee battle for a happier tomorrow. 76 === [PDF page 84] === We can say, on behalf of our members, that peace ‘is not a passive state — that peace will be won by the united democratic forces of the world, by the working people, the women, the youth, united in the struggle, just as the war against fascism was won. We have addressed, in the name of the youth of the world, the following resolution to the General Assembly of UNO in Paris: nin the name of the generation which made great sacrifices in the war against fascism, and a vital contribution to victory, the WFDY calls on the General Assembly to adopt a convention to ban the atom-bomb and destroy existing stocks, fo reduce arms and armed forces, and to establish within the framework of the Security Council effective international controls. Thus not only making war less possible, but restoring mutual’ cooperation and confidence, and laving the foundations of peace”. We want schools, not armaments, We want crealive work, not preparations for another war. We are against the war mongers and those who are trying to sow discord amongst the nations, The democratic youth of the world, like the democratic women, are united, We have no quarrel with one another. The hopes of Wall-street’s warmongers will be dashed to the ground by the efforts of the peoples of the world, the workers, the women, the youth.., . A great English poet republican named John Milton has said: Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war”, Peace will be our renowned victory, by our unity, our uniled struggle. Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Long live the World Federation of Democratic Youth! Long live the unity of the democratic peoples of the world in the glorious struggle for Peace! REPORTS FROM SECTIONS OF THE W.LD.F. SENT TO THE CONGRESS NORWAY, Long before the last world war, there existed a number of ‘women’s organisations in Norway. These comprised women’s groups of the political parties, organisations for the defence of the interests of different groups of women, the housewives, women trade unionists, professional women, organisations for health defence, protection of the child, etc., as well as branches cf international organisations such as the Suffrage Alliance, the Peace and Freedom League, Open Door International etc. === [PDF page 85] === Several of these belonged to the National Council of Norwegian women, (affiliated te the International Women's Council) which, however, did not succeed jn uniting all the women, as the working class women refused to co-operate with this organisation. As an expression of the co-operation between women of all professions, of all classes, during the war, most of the women's organisations in 1945 formed the Co-ordination Committee of Norwegian Women’s Organisations, with the aim of continunig co-operation. For the first © time, women from all walks of life met on a common platform, — It was this Committee which sent 5 delegates to the International Women's Congress in Paris in 1945, at which our Federation was formed. It was hoped that the result would be closer co-operation between Norwegian women and the democratic women’s movement throughout the worid. However, it turned out that the women let themselves be split for the same reasons which had caused them to be split into opposing organisations before. The representatives of the Women's Division of the Communist Party joined the W.L.D.F at the Paris Congress, being cerlain that the other organisations wovld do the same thing. This hope was not fulfilled. No other Norwegian organisations joined the W.I.D.F.; instead the older organisalions, which had been hard hit by the war, again gained ground. The Co-ordination Committee, which should have become a body for the real defence of the interests of all women, has become a body for discussion rather than for action. Its scope in activity is very limited, and though it has made some investigations and recommendations, it is not able to rouse the women in struggle for their interests, as few of the member organisations seriously want to make it a real instrument of co-operation. Instead, the Nationa} Council (branch of the 1CW), is extending its power. This body recently adopted a resolution condemning the,,kidnapping’ of Greek children, and their reception by neighbouring countries, on the strength of,,evidence’ from the monarchist government. At first, the opposition to the W.LD.F. was not openly expressed. There was, however, a marked resistance among the leaders of the existing organisations, on the pretence that it was a,,Communisi” organisation. These attacks grew much stronger when the slander campaign against the Soviet Union and the People’s Democracies was unleashed to its full extent in the beginning of this year (1948) when reaction also succeeded in splitting the Norwegian branch of the W.F.D.Y. In this situation, however, a group of Norwegian women established a branch of the W.LD.F, in Norway, to manifest their 78 === [PDF page 86] === solidarity with their sisters all over the world, to show their will to peace in the midst of war hysteria, This branch cannot point te reat achievements as yet. It has not been possible to reach out to the large mass of the women, who are afraid of a new war, but are mot yet aware of how they have to struggle to prevent it, The Norwegian organisation held a meeting on International Women's Day this year. This was the first time that March 8th was celebrated in cur country. We have also published as much material as possible telling the truth about the fight of the women of other countries, and we have especially concentrated on refuting the Hes heing spread about the Greek children who are being cared for by the women in the New Democracies. We fight against the defeatist propaganda about the inevitability of a new war. Much work remains to be done to make the mass of the women realise their responsibility in preventing a new war, but the help of our great W.LD.F., side by side with our sisters all over the world, we are confident that we shall succeed in our great task. ‘CHILE THE COMMITTEE OF WOMEN'S NATIONAL UNITY The year 1938, when the people, united under the flag of the Popular Front, tore themselves out of the feudal oligarchy the direction of our country's destiny, marked the culminating point in the fight led, during many glorious days, by the working class in the nitrate and coal districts and in the great industrial centers. Tt was a great movement for their claims in which the women played an important role, Since then, the popular masses have continued a hard fight to accelerate social conquests in the realm of political liberties. Chile is one of the American countries with a clear democratic consciousness, and the wage earners have always shown 4 fighting spirit in the defence of their interests. In the course of 1946 the presidential elections took place. A convention of the popular parties approved the program that the candidate for presidency, Mr. Gabriel Gonzales Videla, was to carry out when he took power, This program consisted of, on the international level; friendly relations with the big powers, consolidation with the UNO, breaking with the Franco regime, and close relations with Latin American countries in the fight against imperialism; and, on the national level; the improving of the laws in favor of the working class, impetus to trade unionism among the peasants, the political rights of women, agricultural reforms, industrialization of the country, eic. 79 === [PDF page 87] === As this program meant the economic liberation of our country from the yoke of imperialism and oligarchy, and it was supposed to speed up the development of democracy in Chile, the candidate, Mr. Gonzales Videla won in the elections. This triumph bad been assured him by the courageous fight of the devoted men and women who organized electoral committees all over the country. But soon the President disgraced his government with the most abject treason by denying the principles formulated in the electoral program, and becoming a puppet in the service of American imperialism of which he is the most typical and shameful executive. He has turned his Government into a neo-fascist tyranny in the service of internal and external reaction, by destroying the Chilian democracy., Before this Congress we denounce the methods used by our Government, because we believe that they are the application of the methods of imperialism in Latin America following a’plan for the enslavement of our country, and thet they show an element of provocation and agression towards the Latin American countries, We denounce our Government because, in its inauspicions task of destroying the Chilian democracy, it increases the poverty of our homes by delivering all our reserves to the United States and by facilitating the enrichment of its clique by scandalous affairs, and because, applying repressive laws which were accorded it by a reactionary Parliament, it bas created concentration camps—tlike the one at Pisagua — that we had thought gone forever with the destruction of Hitlerism. With great cynicism, the Government tries to deny its dictatorial character, but never has the country suffered from such a tyrannic and despotic Government. Civil liberties are suppressed. At the concentration camp of Pisague —- where there were more than 800 prisoners at one time—men, women and children suffer the hardest climate and feeding conditions. They are refused visits even of the members of Parliament... Without medical care without the proper nourishment, many children died there, as well as former deputies, Mr. Angle Veas; a poet and journalist, Mr. Felix Morales; professor, Mr, Isaias Fuentes, and the former governor of San Vicento, Mr. Luis Bello Oliva, Several people had to be put into lunatic assylums. No previous Government had dared, in ils measures of repression, to imprison or deport women, Today, many women, who fought to put this Government in power, are far from their homes, Even the children do not escape this iniquitous persecution, 80 === [PDF page 88] === Mme NINA POPOV A (0.S.S.R.} i Vice-president of the Women's International Democratic Federation === [PDF page 89] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 90] === In the uninhabitable regions, in the high Andes rocks, or in inhospitable places, there are hundreds of deportees of the dictator. In the police they are beginning to use methods of torture worthy of Hitler Germany. The Government of Gonzales Videla refuses the accused the right of defence, and often they arrest the lawyers. The independent press was reduced to silence but the reactionary press is protected, and it receives special subsidies. The repressive law which was just promulgated, containing the mosi monstrous aberrations of civil and penal law, bears the misleading name of,Law of the permanent defence of democracy”. In virtue of this law, even thought is punished; 20 percent of the electorate is deprived of the vote; they prevent the election of the union leaders according to the will of the workers; practically speaking, they suppress the right to strike; they punish the simple belief in a socialist society by inflicting penalties that range up to i6 years in prison and 30,000 pesos fine, and they sweep away all! civil liberties, The exploitation of the workers in Chile by foreign enterprise has become much worse. The methods used on Chile do not constitute an isolated fact in America where imperialism has the intention of perpetuating its domination in ailiance with the most reactionary sections, In spite of the difficult situation that our country is experiencing, the people are organizing and leading forward the fight for our political and economic independence, and every day powerful contingents are joining the opposition, more and more conscious that unity only, and the fight of ali ihe Chilian people wiil pul the country on the path towards democracy by teaiing it from the hands of imperialism, Last November 15, at the Pisagua camp, 300 patriots went on the most tragic hunger strike in the history of our country, to protest against the 4th period of,E—xtiaordinary Rights” given to the dictator by the legislative power.. The people will unile to demand their freedom. We know that the women gathered at this Congress, moved by this heroic gesture which will make 300 martyrs of these men, women and children can return to the homes from which they were torn away more than a year ago at the point of & gun by means of arbitrary warrants for arrest, The Chilian women, true to their fighting traditions, join the anti-imperialist front and the world forces in the defence of peace. In different ways they contribute to the united aid for those who were persecuted by the dictatorship. They are making the voice of unity and the fight for the restoration of our democracy heard. === [PDF page 91] === The Situation of Women and Children Our country, in spite of its great wealth in natural resources in its farm country as well as under the earth, does not produce the necessary goods to satisfy the material needs of iis population. Today it is in a worse condition than ever before, All around us we see appalling poverty, Starving and half nude children wander in our cities countryside. At the age of 16, they leave school to bring a few pesos into the home. They work as shoe shine boys, errand boys, or in the factories where they are admitted because 4 they do not represent much in the budget of the workers’ wages. Children predisposed to tuberculosis, rickety, have never known the happiness that is their right, From a population of 5,000,000 there ] are 400,000 children of school age who do not go to school, above ali because of their poverty and also because of the extreme | absence of school premises and teachers, Child mortality reaches one of the highest percentages in world statistics. ae eee Our country is in the middle of a production crisis caused by the { semi-feudal system that exists in our countryside, by the lack of \ heavy industry to convert our raw materials and by the policy of i imperialism which is smothering our national industry, making the | shortage of food, clothing and housing even worse. To these prob- | lems of an economic nature, faults on legislation which should effectively protect the working women and childhood, have recently been added. The Chilian women suffers shameful discriminations, and she is fighting, as a mother and as a worker, for laws to protect motherhood and childhood, which will permit the harmonious development of her capacities. According to the latest statistics, 433,000 wage earning women. that is 40% of the workers of our country, without counting those who take care of their homes, are in these painful conditions. The employers, in their greed. profit jrom the work of women by paying them much less than the men. The women workers believe that to resolve this problem of equal pay tor equal work, it is necessary to obtain legislation that designates a basic minimum wage without sex distinction. The law for the pretection of working mothers needs many changes, above all in respect to assistance to the mother before and after birth, the protection of the mother from the time of gestation and full payment of wayes during her absence. The women are also fighting for the application of the law for the installation of nurseries in all the industries where, nursing mothers are woking, without limiting the number of mothers. 82 === [PDF page 92] === The Work Code does not assure the smallest protection against ‘the exploitation of the work of children, There are cases where the businesses use children 9 years old for work much superior to their strength. DEVELOPMENT ANB EXPECTATIONS OF THE CHILIAN WOMEN'S MOVEMENT The Chilian women have a great fighting tradition. For a long time in the industrial centers, in the nitrate, copper and coal beds, they showed their firmneess in ma:king the history of the movements for liberty and conquering of the people's rights with their blood. Many women fell in the fight, riddled with bullets; like Ramona Parra, for example, on the 28th of January, 1946. Her blood was fertile in teaching, and, today, hundreds of women courageously arise in the fight against the persecuiion of the tyranny. The women know that Chile needs free play in its democratic instiiulions, and they are fighting without slackening to have them respected. The fighting spirit of the Chilian women workers, whe are the majoity in our Unity Committee, is shown by the long days of siruggle, economic and social in character, that even the strong repression could not succeed in paralysing, On the question of solidarity, they form Committees for the aid of political prisoners, thus bringing encouragement ail over the country wherever victims of the repression are found. We are with the heroic women of Spain, in their fight against Franco; with the Greek women, against their fascist monarchy; with the women of India, China, and Viet-Nam, and with all the heroic women of the whole world who are today uniting their efforts for the freedom of their people, by reaffirming the principles for which they fought in the last war. We are with the women who form the ranks of the great Women’s International Democratic Federation, because its leaders know how to guide us in the fight for a just and lasting peace, for the defence of our rights and for the happiness of our children, The Women's National Committee strengthens its fighting bodies by insisting on the claims of the people, and hopes to ask for its official admittance, as soon as possible, to the Women’s International Democratic Federation, making the solemn promise to direct the fight of the women of Chile against imperialism, and for peace and democracy.: 83 === [PDF page 93] === For the strengthening of the world front, for peace and against imperialism! Down with imperialism and its belligerent plans! Long, live the heroic women of Greece and Spain! Greetings to all the delegates and long live the Second Women's Tniernational Congress! BRAZIL REPORT PRESENTED BY,.MOMENTO FEMININO“ The newspaper,Momento Feminino” is, without doubt, a great experience for women’s work in Brazil. It appeared in Rio de Janeiro on July 25th, 1947, just at the time when it became more: and more necessary fo create a press organ capable of effectively fighting for the defence and interests of women. It is the interpreter of the fight of the women in the whole country, for it lends special attention to their activities in all States of Brazil. it is the only instrument for the exchange of experiences. acquired in the course of that struggle. Enjoying great prestige among the Brazilian women, ouy newspaper has contributed to the development of the womens activity of a national character, and it is considered as one of the factors for organising the women, for it gets to all points of the country, bringing knowledge to the women of which they were deprived before the existence of this free and independent tribune. Through the pages of,Momento Feminino”, the women of Brazil, who are not yet organized on a national level can exchange their experiences concerning their activities, have their sufferings and their hopes shared wilh others, and tie the fraternal bonds which unite them even more firmly. At present, our newspaper, with its network of correspondents, is able to inform all the women of Brazil on the subject of the development of the women’s. movement in each State, even in the farthest from the capital, by broadcasting all the communications that it receives on the lives. of ihe women in all the regions of Brazil. A women’s newspaper constitutes an indispensable need to the women’s general movement, for ihere is no force superior to that. of the press as an instrument of propaganda, or as an agent for unity between people. Today, before this Congress which has gathered together the women of all the countries to deal with the women’s international fight, their hopes in the collaboration of peoples for the reinfor- B84 === [PDF page 94] === cement of democracy and progress, we defend the thesis that states that the women’s press is a powerful arm for all women. Special attention must be drawn to this question, so that all the national sections of the Women's International Democratic Federation can have a women's. newspaper, a review, or at least bulletins in the service of the women's democratic movement. It is well to underline that the propaganda of the press is one of the best ways of reaching great distances, bringing truth of events to them, when this truth is deformed or falsified in the information from suspected sources. Also, a women’s newspaper, in the service of the democratic movement would be the strongest contribution to enable the women of the whole world to pass over the borders which separate them and unite in the common fight of all peoples for the defence of their emancipation, of their liberty and peace. The National Women’s Movement It has been possible to estimate, through.Momento Feminino™, the grealer spread of the women’s movement in the whole country. Between 1947 and 1948 we noted a great weakening in the women's activity, motivated by the enermous reactionary offensive in the whole country, which was trying to exterminate the democratic movement which had developed in 1945: The growing crisis, the high cost of living that is more alarming each day, which brings hunger and powerty to the Brazilian homes, the stabilization of wages and the imperialist offensive against our country, forces the Brazilian women, more and more, to fight to meet this situation, thus giving a rebirth to the organized women’s movement which spreads ovt on a national ievel and underlines the true fighting spirit of women who love independence and their country. They are awaie of the justice of their fight for a better and happier life. On the national plane, the women’s movement is centralized in Rio, Sao Paulo, Santos, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Nova Lima, Uberlandia, Juiz-de-Fora, San Salvador, Recife, Acaraju, Victoria, Fortaleza and Goiaz, These are the capitals of the States or important cities where the women’s work has developed new life where the tasks undertaken by the women show their determination in the fight and their fighting spirit for the defence of their interests, their dearest claims. Before, the women's movement had been centrailzed in the capitaj of the republic and in a few principal cities. Today it is uationally spread out, and the participation of women of ihe whole 85: === [PDF page 95] === country.in the great campaigns which are common to everyone, gives a new and decisive impulse to the tasks which they assign to themselves, Thus it is just to unde:line the work of the women ef Santos, Ceara, Minas Geraes and of Coiaz, who have distinguished themselves during the women’s fights, under the hold of strong reaction, in the midst of all kinds of difficulties. The first Women's Congress of Fortaleza, where the women discussed their common problems and the defence of peace, is a proof of the fighting spirit of these Brazilians of the north-east, in spite of the obstacles and the backward state cf the masses of these regions, These women want peace; they want their rickety children who are worn away by verminous diseases, to be protected. They ate true anonymous heroines who are fighting, above all, against the prejudices which keep the peopie of the State of Ceara in subjection and poverty, Another important thing is the first women’s Congress at Minas. Gerees, which had been preceded by local assemblies at Juizde-Fora, Nova Lima and Ubrlandia. In all these cities, reaction acted in a cowardly way towards the women. But that did not prevent them from continuing the fight. Conscious of the difficulty of their task, in spile of police intimidations and crimes perpetrated in these three cities, they discussed their problems, the problems, that the Govenment did not want to resolve. This courage, this tenacity have their reasons for existing. They are based on the fact that the women are ready to defend their homes and the future of their children, This defence will not te effective without the growing unity, without the organization of all the women. At Goiaz, also, the women held their Congress. It is the State where the men who rule are the men who acquired great fortunes by exploiting others, It is the Jand of powerfull cattle breeders, large properties and mines, where the women, until recently, were considered as inferior beings and kept down. _ Those are the new facts in the history of the women's national movement, to which has just been added the fight in other fields. such as those of art and culture, from which the women were always kept away. In Brazil there are many women's organizations of varied chavacter, It is obvious that a stronger unity between these organisations would reinforce the women’s movement and make their action for the progress of our country more effective. With the impulse of the growing necessities, touching the Brazilian families first hand, the women,s movement is growing in all the States of Brazil. It is 86 === [PDF page 96] === thus that the women of the most distant countrysides, having understood that the best way to fight ihe injustices, is by unity and organization, are setting up women’s associations based on simple statuies and using practical forms of work. These associations are autonomous, but their activities are connected with those of the capital of the Republic, especially with tne Women’s Institute for Constructive Service, for the exchange of experience and participation in the campaigns on the national level. The Life of the Women in the Countryside. More than 70% of the population of Brazil lives in the country in a primitive state, without resources, in poverty and abandonment. The women are considered as different beings there; who do not produce anything. They are the permanent servants of those who employ them, It can be said that they do not see their children grow up, They lack clothing and know no medicaments other than purges, herb teas, and the old wives’ prayers. They have no schools for their children and never saw a hospitai or a nursery, They do not own any furniture, even beds, sleeping in huts or under the stars without shelter, They give birth in the most miserable conditions. The same as their children, they suffer from malaria, verminous diseases, and other endemic diseases, They are very miserable, but kindly, and capable of depriving themselves of the last grain of corn to come to the aid of their neighbours. Recently, poverty in the countryside has reached such a degree that the families are emigrating towards the cities where they find the same poverty as well as unemployment, slums, and police persecution, Already in the countryside of Brazil there are examples of fights, strikes, which show the will of the peasants to put an end ta their miserable conditions. The women are participating in the work on the land as weli as in the fights for the claims of the peasants. The peasant families are very often evicted from the land that they are working, All that is necessary for Lhal is the least little discontent on the part of the,lord” or his family. Oid people, women and children are living wandering, without any guarantee of finding a stable residence. The peasants ef the north are emigrating to the south, Agricultural production is decreasing every year, provoking economic and financial crises in the northern States, as, for example, ip. the State of Ceara, 87 === [PDF page 97] === The,,Favelas” of Rio de Janeiro. Near the luxurious homes and the sky-scrapers there are quarters where we find houses built of tin sheets, old crates and pieces of old cloth. These quarters of the city are called.Favelas”. These blocks of slums can be found in several States of Brazil. It is a problem which is becoming more and more seriovs, At Pernanbuco they &re,.mucambos”, at Sao Paulo,,cortizos”, at Rio Grande,,malocas”. People live there worse than animals: without shelter, without hygiene, under-nourished, tired out by work and worn out by diseases, There is no water and no light. In the,,Favelas" of Rio de Janeiro, 400,000 people live, of which 150,000 children are completely left to promiscuity and poverty. This group of people is composed of workers, vagabonds, and all those whom society rejects, Entire families live there in one room. These,,favelas” are generally situated in the hights of the city. They are the populous centers. The largest Jacarezinho has 20,000 inhabitants. It is constantly against the despotism of the public powers. The Govern: ment considers them as a social calamity, but the measure that they adopted to bring a remedy to tbe situation is worse than the evil itself: it consists of evicting the inhabitants without assuring them any other lodging. But at was the governor of the city who went beyond the limit by ordering the police to storm the hovels in order to destroy them, as if the people who lived in them were mere contemptible animals, This fact, which is real savagery, provoked panic, revoit and resistance. Tt is the infant population of the,favelas", according to the statistics, who furnish the highest number of abandoned minors, vagabonds, deliquents and people who go astray, and our justice has not found a way te put a brake on this calamity. This truth {s not to the taste of the tourists, charmed by the beauty of Rio de Janeiro, But it must be known to all who are interested, not only in the beauty, but also in the poverty of this cily of two million inhabitants where people who are fighting for their well-being under an anti-progressive and reactionary regime, live. For Peace and for the Happiness cf Peoptes. «Momento Feminino", in the name of all the democratic Brazilians, can prociaim their motto before the Second Women's International Congress as:,, The Brazilian woman will defend peace”. 88 === [PDF page 98] === Yes, we will defend peace because we do.not want to lose our fathers, our children, our fiances, our brothers and our husbands; because we do not want the destruction of our homes; because we do not want the return of concentration camps; because we do not want to see children dead, mutiiated, blind, sick, or abandoned because of the war; because we do not want to see the world in chaos, but in happiness and progress. Brazil also suffered from the last war. Our soldiers fought in Italy. Many of our brothers lie in the cemetery of Pistoia. Other victims of the cruelty and perversity of Nazism lie in the bootom of the sea, killed by bombs or German submarines. They have left widows and orphans who still mourn them. We worked in the rear having many privations. We are stiJ{ feeling the consequences, for the monopolists who were enriched at the time continue to do so at the price of the poverty of our people. It is true that we did not hear the noise of the bombs in the sky in our country, we were not in the concentration camps and we did not have our children drowned in buckets of water; we did not know the gas chambers of Ravensbruck, nor the mass shootings;,but we shared your sufferings of the horrors of those crimes to children, women, and men, our brothers of other countries, who, like us, wanted life, progress, and liberty. The Brazilian women who hate war, bring to this Congress their immense will for peace. United to all the democratic women of the world, as we were during the last war, we are ready to fill our task with audacily and decision in the uncompromising fight for the defence of peace. Let this Second Women's Internationa! Congress be a powerful arm of union and understanding for all the women who want peace, in order to build a better world where ali the peoples of the world can enjoy the happiness that they merit. peoples could enjoy the happiness that they deserve. WOMEN'S UNION OF URUGUAY Even though Uruguay is relatively small with its 187,000 square kilometers and its 2,000,000 inhabitants, it, nevertheless, piays an important role among the Latin American countries. From the political point of view it is the most democratic of all these countries. Alt present it is following the same process as its neighbouring American countries and has to face the same problems. Its agricultural economy is very backward: 99.090 peasants possess, each of them, less than 100 hectares {about 250 acres}, while 240 people possess lands with more than 5,000 hectares (about 12,800 acres), that means that the land is in the hands 6f large land-owners. 89 === [PDF page 99] === That is the reason for our industrial backwardness, for the depopulation of our country-side, for the reduction in the birth rate and for our low standard of living. And for another thing, there are large foreign euterprises which control important branches cf our economy: refrigeration, railways, and gas.In league with the large land-owners and with all national reaction, these enterprises create a grave economic situation from which the common people suffer greatly. We are undergoing a period of enormous inflation which is devaluating our money. The application of the law on the instaljation of agriculiural colonies is impeded, a law that was obtained thanks to the fight of cur magnificent proletariat, and which is a step forward towards agricultural reforms. The forces cf imperialism, and above all, those of Yankee imperialism, are trying to keep us as suppliers of raw materials, as. they do with the other American countries. They also exercise a strong pressure on our country to prevent it from having a free economic relationship with the other countries, This situation determined the formation of a movement of the masses who are fighting for their just claims, raises in pay, agricultural reforms, industrialization of the country, social laws, protection of children and national independence. And logically, the women live, fight and suffer in relation to the political and economic situation. The Women's Union of Uruguay and its Activities. The Women’s Union of Uruguay is, at present, the only women's movement with national character, uniting women of all political groups without religious or racial distinctions. On the 25th of August, 1945, during an assembly called for by the Women's National Union, at which the general secretary of the Worten's International Democratic Federation, Mrs, Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier was present, the delegates of the Argentine organizations and of our country, decided to form the Women’s Union of Uruguay by fusing together the three associations which already existed: the Women's Nationa¥ Union, the Women's Action for Victory and the Clinic of the Working Women. From that date on, the Women’s Union of Uruguay, belonging to the W.LD.F., developed as a unity movement with its three sections; Health and Social Legislation, Culture, and Solidarity. The Health and Social Legislation section has a double task. For one thing, it takes on medica], suryical and obstetrical assistance 30 === [PDF page 100] === to the women workers and children. Its dispensaries are set up in the central office of the organization. There is alse a clinical annex in the Copurro quarter. It receives aid from the Minister of Public Health for medicines, X-ray machines, laboratories, eic., and works with the Minister of Health in the campaigus for vaccinations, in order to have the women workers benefit from them. For another thing, it mobilizes the Uruguay women to demand laws for the protection of the women workers, to fight for the protection of the mother and the child, to take steps for the creation of nursery schools in the Montevideo quarters where there are none and in all the towns and cities, to demand nurseris in all the businesses that employ a certain number of women, and to demand maternity homes in all the rural zones, to fight, above all, to obtain retirement laws for those who have worked 25 years without age fimit or 20 years for unhealthy werk, and for maternity imsurance. The Women’s Union of Uruguay began iis campaign to obtain these Jaws at the beginning of 1947 after the presentation of its projects to the Chambers. The first stage in this campaign reached its highest point after a series of demonstrations, the last of which took place on July 25th, 1947 before the Minister of Public Health. Thus the projects were studied by the members of parliament and the Senate formed a definite project. The second stage included radio programs with the participation of women workers, employees, liberal artists, intellectuals, etc., as well as docturs and members of parliament who, by a deep study of biological and social conditions, confirmed the jusiness of our claims. At present, we are continuing our mobilization to obtain these laws, and we are also asking for a 6 hour day in unhealthy work and the prohibition of night work for women and children, In the annex to our clinic we have installed a modern beauty parlour with regular service for facial massage, pedicures, etc. The Cultural Section gave French, English, Portugese, sewing, thytm exercises, and embroidery lessons regularly during the years 1947 and 1948, It orcanized conferences with filmshows to increase the cultural and bealth knowledge of cur women. We are now reorganizing the library, and we have a tea room directed by one of our collaborators. In the Solidarity Section, during the Women’s Assembly of 1946, the following decisions were made by the Women’s Union of Uruguay as a work basis: —- to fight inside cur country to reinforce our democracy, by actively participating in resolving the different problems whose solution can contribute to this reinforcement; === [PDF page 101] === —— to support the U.N.O. whose regular functioning can guarantee the rights of all peoples who hope that the international agreements wili be respected; to demand the participation of the W.LD.F. in the works of ihe U.N.O.; — to take the solemn oath to aid. with all its forces, the peoples of Purope and Asia, thus co-operating with the popular Governments which, with gigantic efforts, are leading their countries towards a better future, based on their economic, political, and social independence; — to demand the breaking of diplomatic and commercial relations with the Franco Government; to demand the participation of international jurists in the trials of the anti-fascist Spanish women, in agreement with the demand by the Women's International Democratic Federation; to aid the fighting Spaniards who are refugees in France, Conforming to these resolutions, we have ardently worked with the movernents in favour of Republican Spain, and we have taken part in all the demonstrations which are constantly going on in our country against the terror in Spain and for the liberty of the political prisoners. In this affair, women’s delegations, on several occas sions, went to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and telegrams were sent to the President of the Republic and other national authorities. As for the U.N.O., we have sent telegrams and petitions for the particivation of the W.I.D.F. in its work, for the solution of the Spanish problem, on the situation of the political prisoners in Greece, Paraguay, etc. Petitions were also sent, on this subject to the delegates of our country to the Quitandhinha and Bogota Conferences. We organized campaigns for aid to Spain. The proceeds were sent to Spanish children in refuge in France and to the imprisoned Spanish women. Since June of 1947, the Women’s Union of Uruguay has occupied itself, without slackening, with the aid to political prisoners of Paraquay, by means of campaigns for aid, by broadcasting on the radio and in the press special notes to all the democratic, trade union and cultural organizations and complaints to the governmental authorities. At present our organisation has a delegation to the National Movement for Aid to the Political Prisoners of Paraguay, which has for a goal, not only material aid, but also to let everybody know about the question in Paraguay by press and radio. For the genra) problems that affect everyone, women workers, housewives, etc, the Women's Union of Uruguay is working, by sending delegates, with all the organisations which are carrying out 92 === [PDF page 102] === work that agrees with our program. In 1947 we joined the Popular Workers’ Committee against the cost of living. We participated in the National Congress for children in the country. We are a member of the Co-ordination Committee for the law concerning unheailhy industries and of ihe Committee for the constructicn of cheap homes. . In the capacity of a women’s movement, we are working as much as possible, with the Union of Spanish Women in Uruguay and with the Women’s Union for Aid to Catalonia. At this time, our organization is occupied with the problem of the bigh cost of living and of housing, These will be the fundamental points to be dealt with at the women’s Convention which will be held on December 3rd. On the problem of housing, we have gained the construction of a series of houses in the Capurro quarter where the Women’s Union of Uruguay Committee is enthusiastically working. Civil and Political Rights of Women (Uruguay) In September, 1946, the,.Law for civil rights of women’ which grants us the same civil rights as men in all respects; marriage, management of property, commerce, paternal power, adoption of children, quardianship, ete.,, was promulgated. For a long time now we have also had the law on divorce. As for political rights, for 12 years now women have had the tight to vote and be elected under the same conditions as men. They can occupy any administralive post. As for legislation protecting the woman worker, there is a law of wequal pay for equai work", and the,law of the chair” (the right to sit down during intermittant work), and one for the prohibition of night work for women and children. But not one of these three jaws is respected. The Women's Union of Uruguay is fighting for the application of these laws. The Children’s Code and the Statute of the Functionaries establish a resting period for the working mother for one month hefore and one month after birth, keeping her job and receiving 50% of her salary, This law is applied in Stale bodies but it is not respected in private, industria! or commercial enterprises, where the women are given notice when they get married, We are also fighting to have the law for maternity insurance sanctioned, for it is a very just law and takes the situation of the working women, in this respect, into consideration also. Ai this time we are demanding legislation concerning reiirement, pensions for all women who work. It is already on its way for teachers and commercial employees. 93. === [PDF page 103] === The Problem of Childhood (Uruguay). The situation of children in our country is perhaps one of the proklems which the state is most precccupied with. On this subject - not only legislation exists but also effective work for the protection of children, illiteracy has diminished recently in the capital and its suburbs, Primary, secondary, and higher education is free and secular. However the Catholic church is permitted to give primary instruction, In fact the number of Catholic schoois is quite large, but they are run with official controls by the Minister of Public Education. The Council of Child, whose statute is the Children’s Code, catries out wide social work for the first and second periods of childhood, by establishing nurseries, maternity schools, etc. in the capital. There are offices of the Council of the Child and also school and maternity canteens where pregnant women can find better food. The National Food Institute contributes also to the installation of school canteens,and there are private institutions subsidized by the State, which are carrying out similiar tasks. As for the watchfuiness of the health of children of school age, there is a school sanitary board which periodicaliy visits the students of all public establishments. Weak, rickety, or poorly developed children of the capital are sent to open air schools, from which, during the summer, the children of the rest of the country also benefit. The Minister of Public Education also exercises, on this subject, a permanent watchfulness from the prenatal period, by means of free clinics, maternity homes, nurserles, etc., and by the fight against tuberculosis and contagious and infectious diseases in general. Traces of morbidity and mortality have diminished for infectious and contagious diseases but for tuberculosis, the difference is not very great, Unfortunately, this social work, realized in the capital of the Republic, is insufficient in all respects and it reaches the rural districts where there are poverty, illiteracy, slums and ebandoned children, only in a minimum degree. That cannot be justified in a country as smali as ours that has such fertile soil. With agrarian reforms, for which we are now fighting, when the large land-owners have disappeared, we will be able to carry out an effeciive protection of children in the whole country. BELGIUM THE CONDITION OF WOMEN This report is more of a sketch than a true study of the condition of the women of our country. 94 === [PDF page 104] === However, all that is given being strictly exact, we believe that this brief review can serve as an outline and permit the study commissions. of the Rally of Women for Peace, to deepen each question by taking into account its own particularities and also its relationship to. the whole of the problem. Stallstical Information The female population is a little more than 4 million, about 51% of the total population of the country. Out of 4,000,000 there are 3,405,413 women over 15 years of age (of which 1,300,000 are married women). 425,563 women are subject to Social Security, of which a little more than two thirds are factory workers, and the other sare clerical workers, It is necessary io add to these figures: 1, all the women who are employed as civil servants and non temporary workers in public services and ar not subject to Sacial “Security; 3. women who work at home; 2. unskilled workers; 4, agricultural workers; 5. house-keepers; 6. liberal professions; 7, the 320 thousand peasant women who devote a large part of their time to work on the farm and fields; 8 the women who work in the 396,903 commercial enterprises, not part of the personnel and who are very often the pivot of the enterprise, There are also 686,700 old mothers of over 60 years. Political Rights On the political level, the Belgian women have just seceived the right to vote in all types of elections. If the country can reach the end of the present legislature, the wemen will vote for the -Chamber, the Senate and the Province in 1949.The Belgian woman was however, a voter for the commune and eligible for assemblies. The number of women elected was 217 in 1939, and is 433 in 1948 of whom, 6 are in the Senate, 3 in the Chamber, 18 in Provincial Councils, 406 in Communal Councils, 36 aldermen, 18 burgomasters, and 32 Communal women secretaries. There were a few women attachés to the Minister, but no woman has ever been raised to the rank of head of the cabinet or ministry. 95 === [PDF page 105] === Civil and Judiciary Righis The Belgian Constitution declares that all Belgians are equal before the law, However the married woman remains powerless on account of the regulations in the Napoleonic Code still in in force. In fact, the married woman remains a minor in spite of the slight improvement made by the law of 1932 {.,,reserwed properties” — the salary of the woman — her own belongings — her work tools — of which the woman only has the right to freely dispose}. To have a liberty profession, to do any paid work, to be a tutor, to inherit, the woman must have the authorization of her husband. The proposal for a law signed notably by Mesdames Blume- Gregoire and Suzanne Gregoire, deputies, was placed on the Bureau of the Chamber the 9th of March, 1948. This proposal aims at a profound change in the matter of the sespective rights and duties of the husband and wife and claims the full legal capacily of the married ‘woman,. Finally, by decree of the Regent. a study commission has just been set up with the purpose of examining the revision of the disposition of the Civil Code concerning the respective rights and duties of the husband and wife and the matrimonial regimes. The vote of the proposai of the jaw cited above will tell us if the legislative chambers wil] witness the same unanimity that they did for the grant of the women's right to vote. Economic and Social Rights. Labour Legislation If the 425,563 women subject to Social Security represent 23% of the number of workers, we caa say, without risk of exaggeration, that there are more than half a million women doing paid work. Principal industries emploing women: Number Percentage TEXTILES manual workers 70,534 i clerical workers 3,646 49% CLOTHING manual workers §3,127 clerical workers 4,984 63% COMMERCE manuel workers 38,342 clerical workers 48,389 59% TOBACCO: manual workers 7,144 clerical workers 447 63% 96 === [PDF page 106] === HOTEL AND manual workers 18,982 6 49% DOMESTIC clerical workers 2,999 WORKERS HEALTH 3,300 SERVICES manual workers 59% clerical workers 4,458 PUBLIC SERVICES manual workers 7,543 State, provinces, clerical workers 17,763 communes. LEATHER AND HIDE = manua} workers 4,689 ow clerical workers 576 52% The women wage earners are divided as follows: manual workers -- 61%, clerical workers — 39%. Wages, The women are clearly made inferior in the domain of wages. The union motto,Equa! pay for equal work" is only applied in public services and in the textile industry, We must note however that in the textile industry the women only receive equal pay for work that is exactly identical. That is only the case in a few trades out of 55, At the Jast meetings of the National Conference of Labour (public authorities, unions, employers) the wages of the unskilled worker were 80% of the wages of the skilled worker. For all those who do not come under this classification, the percentage is very often inferior to 80%, Here is a table of a few of the wages: Wages in the second three months of i947; December 31, 1946, the average hourly wages for the Kingdom were; women workers; 10.40 francs; men workers: 17.20 francs; the two extremes were constituted by Virton (women‘s wages) 7.35 Verviers “ » 13.40 For the second three months of 1947, the average hourly wages for the Kingdom are: industry commerce women workers 10.95 9.75 men workers: 17.75 15.85 === [PDF page 107] === For industry, the lowest wages are in Masseik: 7.40 the highest in Verviers: 14.35 For commerce, the lowest wages are paid in Waremme: 6.50 the highest in Courtrat: 11.85 The highest women’s wages are paid in Brussels: industry: women 3,730 francs men 6,995 commerce:,, 3,400 francs men 6,130 frarcs the lowest: industry: Virton women 1,705 men 4,510 commerce: Philippeville _,, 1,505 men 3,755 If these salaries are not too recent, it can be said that the few changes that they have undergone have not diminished the difference which exists between the wages given io men and to women, but co the contrary augmented them. Little is being done to remedy this Jamentable situation. The Union movement itself, dominated by elements which consider,the work of women a bad thing”, not absolutely necessary, has never taken any energetic measures to have equality in wages applied or to permit the women to claim this equality in the exercise of a professional qualification. The privilege of learning a qualified job is almost entirely reserved to the masculine sex, if not by law-since no rule opposes it-in any case, in fact. Technical and professional schools exist, but are only attended by women and young girls when they teach,,specifically feminine” professions (besides fur, hair-styling, jewellery, and € little of the hostelry industry), Where the rules do not specifically forbid her to attain a certain grade, barriers established by obsolete customs are the grounds for unsurmountable obstacles. It is like that above all in the public services, The ministerial answer to a parliamentary question tells us that each minister determines whether or not. women should be admitied to any examination. In general, the superior jobs, confidential positions, are not allowed her. Often, to avoid giving @ woman the qualification of a superior job which she is occupying, they change, for her, the name of the job that she is in. Too Few Facilities for the Working Woman None, or too few social services have been created to ease the life of the working woman. While 120,000 children are born each year, the country has only 70 nurseries with a maximum capacity of 3,000 children. There are no nursing rooms near ~~ by the enter- 98 === [PDF page 108] === prises, There ‘are few canteens, few cheap restaurants, few communal wash-houses (the private wash-houses are very expensive}, and no center for ironing or mending. Secial Legislation The law of the 10th of Auqust, 1911, forbids nicht work for women, exceptions being made for nurses, those who deliver babies, and student nurses. Women can not work after 10 o'clock in the evening (law of the 14th of June, 1921); however there are many breaches of the regulation natably in the hotel business, cinemas {workers, cashiers), and in seasonal industries. Indemnity Paid for the Birth Rest Period The woman who works (worker or clerk} can interrupt her work for a period including 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after birth and receive, for that period, an indemnity of 50% of her salary. The payment of this indemnity is however subordinated to the condition that the woman be subject to Social Security 10 months, at least, before the day of birth, The wife, simply housewife and non-salaried worker, do not have the right to the indemnities for the birth rest period, Unemployment is constantly growing in our country. Naturally ovr Social Security system devotes a quota for unemployment nay, but the anplied princinle beina a certain percentage of the salary (50% of the wades of a labourer}, and the women’s wages being inferior, the women are greatly wronged. It is thus that in the large cities, for example, the women of over 2t years receive an allotment of 45.10 francs a day, while the men receive 59.40 francs. Let us note the obvious inequality between men and women workers: the qualified woman worker who receives an equal salary to that of “her fellow male worker doing the same work, however, receives an unemployment payment which is less, because hers is calculated on the basis of the lowest female waces. Now the number of unemployed women is growing in an alarming manner: 250% increase in controlled unemployment of women from October i947 to October 1948, while for the same period the increase in mate unemployment is 150%. The branches of industry particularly affected are textile, clothing, food, leather and skin. The categories that are especially hit are the unskilled wotkers and the young women of less than 19 years of age. === [PDF page 109] === This is a striking picture of the deplorable economic policy of the Government which is permitting huge foreign imports, without taking into account the vital needs of the country. It is also an obvious sign of the lowering of the standard of living, These are symptoms which only continue to get worse. If the family allotments are added to the unemployment allotments, we can however declare that the situation of the workers, particularly the women, in respect to unemployment, is becoming really tragic. It is certain the problem will not be resolved by a new rule for the unemployment allotments, but by a much deeper solution which will envisage the means ‘of putting a stop to unemployment itself. LUXEMBURG (The Union of Luxemburg Women). The Union of Luxemburg Women greets the Women's International Congress and wishes it great success, Because of financial difficulties, it is impossible to send a delegate to the Congress, but from now on it gives its support to the resolutions that will be made by it.. Onr country is part of,,Benelux", the nucleus of the group of the Five", that means that our political problems are those of all the countries of the west of Europe. We must fight against a Government resolved to sacrifice the liberty and independence of the country to the interests of the American trusts which are preparing the war against the Soviet Union and the popular democracies. To be ready to participate in military preparations, our Government abandoned our traditional neutrality policy. Our Women's Union organized a campaign against the abolition of neutrality. We broadcast tracts and calls to mothers to defend the lives of their children, We went from door to door soliciting signatures for petitions that we sent to the Chamber of Deputies, This campaign against the entry into the Block of the Five, against the introduction of cbligatory military service that our country had never known, was well received among the women and all the people. We were the only orgenization of women who stood up against obligatory military service which is in conflict with the sentiments of our smal} uation, profoundly attached to peace and hostile to militarism. From a social point of view, the Marshall plan has the same consequences with us as with the other countries, for the workers and small business people, a decrease in buying power. Wages have dropped at least 20% since last year. By leaflets, in meetings, in our newspaper we are mobilizing the women against this policy of 100 === [PDF page 110] === high cost of living and poverty. From the beginning of the strike movement of the workers of the great,Arbed” trust at Esch-sur- Alzette, our section took part in the solidarity movement for the strikers by organizing an action of aid ‘for the strike funds. Our industrial cities are suffering from a painful scarcity of housing, hundreds of families are threatened with eviction, Our section of Esch-sur-Alzette, the center of the industrial basin led a vigorous campaign against these evictions, We broadcast leaflets, by going from door to door, by setting up subscription stands in the markets, we collected hundreds of signatures protesting against the evictions and asking for a law against eviction. Now there is a project for a law against eviction before the Chamber of Deputies. During the summer of 1946 we invited French children who were placed in families of our members and syrapathisers. 60 children were thus placed by our organization. After the great French strikes of Jast winter, twice we organized receptions for French children from our neighbouring city, Villerupt. Twice we received about 50 little French boys and girls. We have also just organized a solidarity action for the French strikets. We sent a large truck of food for the miners, workers of the Micheville factory and Villerupt miners. We were received by our French friends the 28th of October, 1948 at Villerupt with great enthusiasm. Besides our participation in genera] politics, there is also our more specialised activity. Every week we have our committee meetings and regular meetings in which we occupy ourselves solely with feminine work, handicrafts and needle wok. These hours are valued by our members, Every year, for the holiday of St. Nicholas (Christmas}, we organize a party for the children, at which we distribute gifts. These partics have always been a great success. To the call of our friends, the Executives of the WIDF, we send telegrams of protest against the sentencing of Spanish Republicans, and execution of Greek hostages. We were also represented at the exhibition in Paris,: Ta all the sections, each year, general assemblies take place which elect their committees, A large national conference gathers together the delegates from ali the sections. At the Conference last year, we had the pleasure of weicoming our dear French friend, Miss Barjonet, who was able to see the progress that the Union of Luxemburg Women had made. Until the Jast war there had never been a political women’s movement in our country. A few smali idl === [PDF page 111] === groups of socialist women, a few Catholic,,Caritas’ and on our side, a solidarity organization. We therefore hed te overcome prejudices and difficuties unknown to our large neighbour countries. But our efforts and our successes, modest as they be, prove that our women have it in their hearts to follow the example of the other national sections, above all the valiant Union of French Women. We also greet, with all our hearts, our sisters in other countries that are, like us, threatened by the plans for conquest of the American war —- mongers and we admire the women of the Sovict Union and the popular democracies who are at the head of the struggle to safeguard peace and liberty. CANADA The Congress of Canadian Women. We herewith greet most warmly the Second Women's International Congress. We are happy to send our greetings through our delegate, Mrs. Gordon Agnew. The Congress of Canadian Women was organised in February, 1947, at a meeting of representative women addressed by Dr. Gene Welifish, President of the American Congress of Women, and Vice- President of the W.LD.F. We appreciate our membership in the W.LD.F., a unique organisation which unites women of all countries, without prejudice as to creed, nationality, race or political views. Our activities have been varied: i, We have held public meetings dealing with vital questions atfecting women workers. and social conditions. For example, we neld meetings to brind to public attention the conditions of ovr schools and teachers, and the economic problems of nurses and health facilities. We heave thus tried to win public support for better pay and working conditions for such workers and at the same time to improve our health and educational systems. 5 2. We hold regular meetings for our members, to discuss social problems. Here we take up the questions proposed to us by the Executive of the W.LD.F, 3. We held a large mass meeting this spring to promote the peace movement in our country. This was the first large rally held in Canada for peace. We sent appeals to our government urging a peace policy and asked our delegates to the United Nations to work for peace and understanding in that body. 102 === [PDF page 112] === 4, On International Women's Day we held celebrations, and planned them so as to bring together reprsentatives of all women in our community and advance their understanding of the role women can play in the promotion of peace and security in our country and in the world. 5. We have set up three commissions for study end action: {1} Peace and Security; (2) Education and Social Welfare; (3) Human Rights, including Status of Women, Labour Relations and Penal Reform, 6. We have sent appeals to our government and to the United Nations on behalf of women political prisoners in Spain; we sent cables to the Foreign Ministers’ conferences urging a_ united Dernocratic Germany; and to the Secretary General of the U.N., supporting the request of the W.LD.F. for status A. 7. We work with and support other women's organisations in Canada which seek to combat inflaticnary prices and fight for legislation to improve housing, welfare and civil rights for our people. We in the Congress of Canadian Women are keenly aware of the many problems that confront women everywhere and in our own country. We appreciate the bonds that unite us all in our common problems and purposes. We appreciate also the fact that, due to the labours and sacrifices of Canadian women in the past, we today enjoy certain rights and advantages, such as the right to equal education, the tight to vote and be elected to public office, the right to work and so on, But there are still inequalities te be corrected and problems we must seek to solve. Canadian women do not as a right receive equal pay with men, though they may do the same work; when unemployment comes, women are the first to be discharged and disqualified for employment; minority groups in our country suffer from economic and social discrimination.: Economic problems worry the majority of our people. Inflation bears heavily on thousands of families, reducing their standards of living. The democratic principle of equality of opportunity for healt and education has yet to be realised by many children, youths and women, since there are not enough schools, libraries, cultural institutions, clinics and hospitals for all, especially in the rural areas. The threat of a third world war is the most frightening prospect confronting the Canadian people, particularly Canadian women, 163 === [PDF page 113] === today. We are continually harrassed by propaganda from our press radio and all media of public information, designed to condition. our citizens psychologically for acceptance of war; a war which is portrayed to us as one to be fought by the United States and Canada in the interests of,.freedom, liberty and individuai rights’. We believe that this war threat should be viewed in relation to our high cost of living, shortage of housing and the government's failure to enlarge and improve public facilities for the care and education of our children; and to the increasing attacks on our rights and freedoms. There is, however, an encouraging development among us. This is the recent formation of many groups: in the country for the purpose of combatting the war hysleria. We in the Congress of Canadian Women are happy to be among the first anti - war groups, and the first to hold a large public meeting to protest against ‘war propaganda, We believe that another war would be catastrophic, especially for Canada, since our country would be a major battlefield. We believe international questions can all be settled by peaceful negotiations. We believe that our physicai and mental energies should be turned towards the constructive use of all our material and scientific resources, to give all people everywhere a fuller, more beautiful and secure life, Believing this, and because we feel the situation is one of emergency, the Congress of Canadian Women is using all its energies in a Peace Campaign, We are right now, launching a PEACE PETITION whereby we hope to collect at least a million names. This we are doing in response to the call from the W.LD.F, and we hope to add the voices of Canadian men and women to the millions from other countries, calling upon our respective governments and the United Nations to settle all differences amicably, to outlaw all weapons of wer and to banish war from human affairs for all time! The Congress of Canadian Women would like to be in correspondence with other national Women's groups, learn from them ebout their conditions and aspirations, and tell them about ourselves REPORT ON WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA Submitted by the Transvaal All-Women's Union 1. A NEW SITUATION CONFRONTS WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA _ Since reports on South Africa were last sent to you, a new situation has arisen through the change of Government brought 104 === [PDF page 114] === about by a general election held in May, 1948. As a result of this election, the previous government of the United Party, led by Field- Marshal] Smuts, was defeated, and Dr. Malan’s Nationalist Party (Herenigde Nasionale Party), in alliance with the Afrikaner Party, won 79 out of the 153 seats in the Union House of Assembly. We do not intend in this report to outline again the general conditions existing in South Africa, as this has been done in the past, and we will assume that you now know the important basic fazts about this country, with regard to the various sections of the population, their political rights, etc. Both the United Party Government and the new Government were, of course, elected by white voters, the majority of the population, the non-white peoples not being permitted to vote or to be elected to the House of Assembly on the common role. There, are however, serious differences in the new Government, The Smuts Government was a Government of big mining and industrial interests, The majority of people were without political fights, and pass laws, taxes and oppressive legislation and colour bar discrimination in all walks of life existed. But the new Government is worse. The Smuts Government permitted the legal functioning of Trade Unions and the Communist Party, even though it was under this Government that the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party was arrested and tried for sedition. (The charge, incidentally, failed, and after several atiempts at new trials, has been withdrawn). The Smuts Government allied itself with the » Western Bloc”, in fact Smuts was one of the authors and chief supporters of the idea of a,,Western”™ alliance. But the Smuts Government fought on the side of the Allies during the war, against Nazi Germany and Italy. The new Government is also a Government of capitalists. Its leaders are intimately concerned with the financial, commercial and particularly agricultural vested interests; both the parties in the new Government were pro-Nazi during the war and are deeply tinged with fascist influences. The Nationalist Party is ardently supported by the Nazi Greyshirt movement, and the Afrikaner Party opened its ranks to members of the fascist organisation, the Ossewabrandwag. A sinister secret society called the Broederbond — ultra-racialistic and semi-fascist, counts the Prime Minister and several Cabinet Ministers among its members. Proceedings and membership of the Broederbond are complety secret, and its members take an oath of secrecy. The new Government is more violently racialistic than the Smuts Government, and is pledged to a policy known as,,Apartheid", a policy of feudalistic and blatant repression of the non-white 105 === [PDF page 115] === peoples, Hard a life has been for the non-white peoples under the Smuts Gevemment, the new Government will make things very much worse, They bring the African, Coloured and Indian people of this country the rule of the sjambok — the leather whip. The Afvicans are their first target. They threaten the Coloured people with a drastic reduction in their status. Their policy towards the quarter million South African-born Indians is deportation; they wish to deport all of them to India. They speak of a,,white’ South Africa. Leading members of the Nationalist Party Cabinet, including Mr, Eric Louw, the South African Representative to the United Nations Assembly, are virulently antisemitic. Mr. Louw has stated his desire to introduce a quota system to restrict the entry of Jewish South Africans into the professions and Universities. As always with organizations of this nature, the biggest,gogga” is the so-called Communist menace, and with the usual fascist technique, the Nationalists label,,Communist’* any democratic organisation, or individual who opposes them. tow are women affected by the new government? Apart from the general policies and trends that affect men and women alike, the attitude of the new government towards women is a backward one, as may be expected. Women's organisations attached to or supporting the Nationalist Party do not organize their members to achieve equality of rights with men. No. They believe that women’s place is in the kitchen. They oppose equal rights for women, They ar opposed to the entry of women into public life. They are opposed to the progressive development of women. They threaten the progress of. women in South Africa. 2. POSITION OF SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN We have given in previous reports a fairly full description of the conditions of women in South Africae. White women have the vote, and their position approximates to the position of women in England and America — that is, nominally they are supposed to have equal rights and opportunities with men, but in actual fact this is not so, though many white women compete successfully with men in various spheres of jife. Rut the legal position of white women as regards marriage, children, property rights, nationality tights, efc., is bad, and leaves tremendous room for improvement. Non-white women, as non-white men, have no vote or equal citizen rights with white people, The colour-bar pervades all South African life, African women suffer especially under the mixture of tribal laws and common law thai deprive them of every rights. Theit conditions of life are intolerably hard. 106 === [PDF page 116] === Women's organisations in Sonth Africa — as with everything eise — have always been,,colour-bar" organisations. The largest and best-known woman’s organisation, and the only one that really claims io be nationally organised throughout South Africa, is the National Council of Women, with branches in all large towns. Its members are white women, iis programme generally liberal and progressive. It believes in and fights for equal legal and citizenship rights for white women, and an end to discrimination against married women by law, and in public life, for National Health Services, free education, adequate housing, penal reform, etc. It has a parallel ranch called the Nationa! Council of African Women. but it does not have equal membership for non-whites in its ranks, nor believe in equal rights for African and white women. There are a number of other progressive organisations among white women -— the League of Women Voters, Professional organisations, etc. Among non-white women, the only organisation with any claims to being a national organisation is the Women's League of the African National Conqress, the women’s section of the national organisation of the African people. Though it has been in existence for a long time, it has never been properly organised, and while branches function in some places, its scope and membership is actually very small. A Sarge number of Church and Welfare organisations exisi among African women, but all on a small and local scale. Women’s Food Clubs, self-help societies, exist in various parts of the country, but with no national link. THE TRANSVAAL ALL-WOMEN'S UNION is the first women’s organisation in South Africa which set out on progressive lines lo organise all women, regardless of race, colour or creed. Its memberhip has consisted mainiy of African women in lLowns and locations in Johannesburg and the Reef {surrounding mining towns}. It -has a few white, coloured and Indian women members. 3. PRESENT PROBLEMS OF ORGANISING WOMEN The Transvaal All-Women’s Union has not grown into a national women’s organisation. Due to a number of unfortunate incidents — the Chairman of the organisation was prevented from carrying out her office because her husband is politically opposed to the Transvaal All-Women’s Union; the vice-chairman left South Africa for a year; the Secretary and Treasurer were both ill, and the Secretary is at present in hospital, and unable to carry out her work; due to these and other reasons, the Union, although it had 107 === [PDF page 117] === attracted considerabie attention among large sections of women, and enrolled many members, was not working properly. But the response of progressive women in South Africa to the new government has been strong. Women as a whole realise that the new government will make their lives even harder and they are wilitant and aroused in the face of its actions. Under these circumstances, members of the Transvaal All- Women's Union have decided to organise, to enlarge the organisation and increase its activity, and also to enlarge its scope. A national progressive non-colour-bar women's organisation is urgently needed, and is possible to organise at the present time. The Transvaal All-Women’'s Union, therefore, is adopting a new conslitution, and will shortly change its name — the name will probably be the Union of South African Women. Members are being enrolled, and branches are being formed and becoming active. The organisation has contact with women and trade unions in other centres, and believes that branches will be formed outside the- Transvaal. We have every hope that we will be able to affiliate to the Democratic Federation next year, and to bring also the affiliation of a number of other bodies in South Africa. 4. GENERAL TREND TODAY The first action of the new government when it came into power was to release war criminals — men convicted of high treason. One of these men, who had returned to South Africa during the war on a German submarine to organise spy and sabotage work for the Nazi Government, is now forming ap anti-communist front on military lines, The Minister of Defence is organising a,,piatteland” {country) army to deal with,,internal disorders”. He will disband the Native Military Corps. The Minister of Labour has threatened Government interference in Trade Unions, and has appointed a commission of enquiry into the Garment Workers Union — one of the largest unions with mainly women members. The Commission follows attacks on the Union by fascists, and already friction has been engendered between white and coloured Garment workers. The Minister of Labour is also using the Unemployment Insurance Act as a means of forcing Africans to go and work on the farms. The Minister of Agriculture has raised the price of milk; and introduced white bread (since the war a brown ioaf only has been made in South Africa) by importing wheat instead of mealies, the food of the Africans. As a result there is an acute bread shortage today among working people.: 108 === [PDF page 118] === The Government is extending the,Ghetto Act” — the Act directed against the Indian people. It has introduced,,Apartheid” on trains in the Cape, where previously whiles and non-whites could use ithe same compartments, and now ihey are separate. It has raised restrictions on ex-internees; withdrawn the small family allowances previously paid to very poor Indian families; ceased giving money for school-feeding of African school children; attempted to stop both Dr. Dadoo and the Rey. Michael Scott from leaving South Africa to attend UNO, and announced that a list of people has been prepared who will not be permitted to have passports; it has reduced pensions to African ex-servicemen; is deporting thousands of Africans from the towns to work under terrible conditions as farm labour; has announced a national registration scheme, which will supercede all other forms of registration, including the usual voters’ rolls, and which will include all particulars regarding political and racial maiters (any white person who has one grandparent who was not white, will be classed as nonwhite; the registration scheme will give the government ful! information as to the individual, and pave the way to even greater discri tion against national groups than in the past). These actions, and many others, of the Nationalist Government, bearing the unmistakable stamp cf fascism, preparing the road to full fascism in South Africa, have been made possible only because the narrow and limited basis of democracy in this country. Democracy can never be safe if it is restricted to a minority of the people, We South Africans are now beginning to reap the bitter fruits of the National Convention of 1909, when it was first decided that votes in the new Union of South Africa would be limited to white people only, Everything that was done then, and has been done since, to limit democracy in this country is done in the name of preserving,,white civilisation”, to protect,.civilisation” against the barbarians, the,,uncivilised” black people of South Africa. But we know it is a lie. We are not protecting civilisation by these means. Such actions end only in the greatest barbarism of all — the modern savagery of fascism. 5, WHAT Is TO BE DONE We believe that the fascist threat in South Africa can be averted, A few days ago, a Communist was elected to the South African Parliament for the first time. He was elected as one of the three white representatives that the Africans are permitted to send to the House of Assembly, The government has announced its 109 === [PDF page 119] === intention of abolishing these African representatives. But the government, in so doing, will only arouse stfill further the anger and political determination of the peopie. The government is forcing unity among the people of South Africa, whose weakness has always been disunity. % More than ever today, we are determined to unite the women of this country, to resist the advance of fascism and defeat reaction by vwniting with a common aim and purpose. We ar more than ever determined to maintain and consolidate our international relations with women of other countries, through ihe Federation We look to you women of other countries for assistance and friendshin, as you have extended your assistance and friendship to the gallant women of Greece, Spain and other places. We believe that your organised strength can heip us. We appeal ta you to learn more about women of colonial countries, and to form even stronger bonds with the,backwatd” women of the world ~~ the women who have not yet achieved elementary rights. International action is a weapon in your hands. South Africa is the most industrially advanced and developed country in the great continent of Africa. Millions of women wait to be brought out of the darkness of racial oppression, ignorance, and primitive living conditions, into the light of the new world. Smal) as our organisation is at the present, we are forming contacts with women in other territories of Africa. The,,dark continent" is awakening, We join hands with you women of advanced Europe, of the great Soviet Union, you women from the Americas and many other countries. We send you ovr warmest qreelings. Ali success to the great International organisation of women! We wiil go forward with you — against fascism — to a free world, to a world thai will recognise and use the talents and powers of its womeni Jia === [PDF page 120] === RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION” «The Second International Congress, after having considered the report of Madame Cotton, President of the W.LD.F., on the activities of the Federation, approves unanimously the activities of the Federation in the course of the three years which have passed since the Inaugural Congress, and declares that by its constant drive tor the defence of peace, democracy, and the tights of women, the Federation has demonstrated that it is a most powerful mass organisation of women and has exerted tremendous influence upon women all over the world. The delegates to the Second Congress note with satisfaction that the Federation, through its activities, has firmly carried out the laws of the W.LD.F. and the oath taken by the women at the First Congress in Paris, Reflecting the ardent desire for peace of women throughout the world, the Federation has always supported energetically all measures designed to assure a lasting peace. It has fought and is still fighting with determination to the end that war propaganda be outlawed; that war-mongers and the instigators of a new war be punishable for their evil deeds; that the proposals made by the Soviet Unien in the U.N.O. calling for reduction of armaments, banning of the atom bomb and other means of mags destruction of civilian populations be supported. The Federation has faithfully observed the sacred Oath ot the women to,fight tirelessly in order that fascism be uprooted in all its forms and that true democracy be established throughout the world.” The Women’s Internationa! Demociatic Federation has untiringly demanded that Franco Spain be isolated, that diplomatic relations with Franco be cut off; it has energetically denounced to the whole === [PDF page 121] === world the crimes committed by the neo-Fascist government of Greece, At the call of the Federation, millions of women of all countries have taken action to defend and aid the women and children of Democratic Greece. This Congress also approves the action of the Federation and its national sections in the struggle to gain economic and political Tights for women in the colonial and dependent countries, in the struggle for the education and protection of their children, in a real democratic spirit. The Second International Congress of Women calls on all of the national organisations of the Federation to intensify their struggle for a lasting peace and. for friendship between the peoples — the struggle against the instigators of a new war, against fascism and for democratic liberties and national independence for all peoples, against intervention by the imperialists in the internal affairs of other countries, against colonial slavery. This Congress considers that the immediate tasks of mobilising and reinforcing the international democratic women's movement in the struggle for peace, for the rights of women and for the defence of children requires of the new Executive Committee of the W.I.D.F. an activity still more intense than that of the past. Therefore, the Congress recommends that the Executive Committee: a} direct its efforts to the end of establishing throughout the world the women's democratic movement, which must bring together the great mass of women of all countries; b) extend greater help to the National Sections of the Women’s International Democratic Federation, which, because of the difficulties they are encountering, do not yet play a sufficientiy large and continuous role in organizing and consolidating the struggle of women for the defence of their rights; c}) establish closer contact with the National Sections through personal visits by the directors of the Women’s International Democratic Federation; enlarge the collaboration with other international democratic organisations, organize joint demonstrations with all organisations struggling effectively to safeguard peace against the danger of a new war; e} continue to struggle for the granting to the Women’s International Democratic Federation of Consultative Status,A" at the United Nations Organisation; utilize more widely all 142 === [PDF page 122] === Mme VAILLANT - COUTURIER (France) relary General of the Women’s International Democratic F === [PDF page 123] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 124] === existing possibilities — namely, sending te the U.N.O. information, documents, concrete material expressing the opinion and the demands of large sections of the women on the vital problems discussed in the U.N.O.: strengthening the peace, the struggle against the danger of a new war, the rights of women and children, democratic rights for all peoples; f) strengthen the informational and propaganda aspects of the work, publish the Information Bulletin more often, increase the publication of brochures popularising the life and struggles of women. THIS RESOLUTION WAS PREPARED BY A COMMISSION ELECTED BY THE CONGRESS, composed of Mesdames: EUGENIE COTTON. President ZINAIDA GAGARINA USSR ANNA ZWELLINGER UNITED STATES ROSA FAZIO LONGO ITALY VERA NATCHEVA.» BULGARIA ANNA MOLLER SWEDEN LEE WENN I. CHINA GRIMICHOVA. CZECHOSLOVAKIA MARIA ARGUELLES CUBA NEL BOUDEWIJIN HOLLAND ANNA NEVOLAINEN FINLAND YU YEN DUN. & KOREA SONOMINE UDVAL MONGOLIA 113 === [PDF page 125] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 126] === CHAPTER If TASKS OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN THE FIGHT FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY === [PDF page 127] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 128] === Madame MARIA-MADDALENA ROSSI (ITALY) -- Member of the Executive Committee of the W.I.D.F. ~~ Member of the Council of the W.1LD.F. presents the report on THE TASKS OF THE WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN THE FIGHT FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY Three years ago, at the first International Women’s Congress, the representatives of forty countrics solemnly vowed, in the name of millions of women,,,to fight indefatigably to ensure a stable peace throughout the world, as the only guarantee of happiness for our families and happinesss for our children”. They vowed to,,fight indefatigably for the lasting destruction of fascism in all its manifestations and for the establishment of real democracy throughout the world”. This vow found the broadest response in the hearts of women all over the world for whom the war which the fascist invaders launched had brought immeasurable suffering and torment, grief and tears. Millions of women lost their dear ones — husbands, brothers, sons, Hundreds of thousands of women, girls and children died in the fascist death camps, or were tortured to death by the Nazis in countries temporarily occupied during the war. Millions of women, children and old people, many families, lost their homes and houses. The war brought incalculable suffering to mankind. 117 === [PDF page 129] === That is why women, who contributed so greatly to the defeat of the fascist aggressors, to winning peace, declared emphatically from the tribune of our First International Congress that they could not tolerate a new, still more sanguinary war. They wil) strive with all their power for a firm and stable peace, for the establishment of democracy in all countries. Only peace and democracy will give the peoples, including the women, the possibility of restoring their countries and building @ peaceful life for the coming generation. Only peace and democracy will ensure mothers the opportunity to bring up their children for e happy life and not for fresh sufferings and torments. For this cause, eighty million women have united in our Federation and have vowed to dedicate all their strength, energy and will to this great purpose — the establishment of peace among nations, so that the peoples shall never again know grim days, bitter hours, heartrending grief. Our First Congress was held when the war had only just ended, when the wounds it had caused were still bleeding, when ruined towns were still smoking, when the traces of horror and death were still fresh. But even at that time, there were people who spoke of new wars, who were starting feverish preparations for them.. In its decisions, the Congress pointed out the danger of a new war and appealed to women.throughout the world for vigilance, for an active struggle against militarism and war. Three years have passed since then; today, at the Second Congress, we have to state with bitterness and indignation that the clouds of war advancing over the world are thickening. Those who made millions during the war can only hate peace and normal times. Bernard Baruch, prominent American banker and monopolist, has stated Openly that since the war, the very thought of peace seems hateful. The monopolist circles of the U.S.A. are moving along the path of striving for world rule. They are dreaming of subordinating all the countries of the world, of enslaving them economically and politically, of depriving them of national independence. In the United States, a menacing economic crisis is approaching, with all the social disturbances it brings. The imperialists are trying to postpone the crisis by such extreme measures as the boom in the armaments industry and the,,Marshall Plan” — the compulsory import of surplus American goods into other countries. The economy of the United States, like that of other countries covered by the »Marshall Plan” is moving towards shattering upheavals. It is for this 118 === [PDF page 130] === very reason that the American imperialists are seeking a way out of the approaching catastrophy through war By means of a world conflict, they are hoping to enrich themselves still more, and at the. same time, to set capitalism on its feet. The thing they fear most of all is peace, and the peaceful competition of different systems in international co-operation among nations. The imperialists see the peoples turning toward a different social structure, After the defeat of fascism by the victorious Soviet Army, the peoples of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia received the possibility to take power into their own hands and to build up their lives in accordance with their national interests and their democratic wishes. During the struggle against fascism, the democratic forces became considerably stronger in all countries and particularly in the countries of Europe, while the forces of world capitalism and reaction weakened. Feeling that the ice is becoming constantly thinner beneath them, that the peoples are advancing confidently towards peace and social progress, the reactionary imperialist forces are seeking salvation in a new sanguinary war. They want to plunge the whole world into the chaos of warfare and to settle accounts with the democratic forces, Thus we see that the main reason for the growing danger of war is the activities of numerically small but powerful imperialist circles in the United States, Britain, France and other capitalist countries, bent on undermining peace and democracy. The American imperialists are the organizers of the aggresive plans of international reaction. While preserving intact the whole inflated apparatus of wartime production, they are continuing the militarization of the country and an armaments drive. The 1948—1949 budget allocations for military purposes in the United States are 11 times those of 1940, and 43.4% above those for the previous year, comprising in all 15.2 billion dollars or 36.1% of the total national budget. According to the President of the United States, 79% of American expenditures will be connected with war in 1949, and only 21% will be directed towards peaceful purposes. The first peacetime military draft in its history has been introduced in the United ‘States. Congress has decided to increase the armed forces by 52% and to maintain a large standing army with millions of men. Expenditures are increasing every year for the production of atom bombs —- a weapon of aggression and mass destruction of peaceful civilian populations. And the war-mongers boast ‘that they have provided yet other inhuman means of mass extermination of the peoples. ° 119 === [PDF page 131] === Rear-Admiral Zacharias, in an article published in the American magazine,,,United Nations World”, writes that in addition to the atom bomb, the United States possesses methods of bacteriological warfare making it possible to sweep the last remnants of human, animal, and plant life from the face of the earth. Following the example of their senicr partner in expansion, the tuling circles of Britain, France, Italy and other countries in western Europe are forcing the pace of the armaments drive. British military expenditures for 1948, for instance, top ail other budget credits; in France they constitute 31% of the state budget, and in Italy, 30%. American military bases have been set up in all parts of the globe, The United States has established control over the armed forces of other countries — in the first place, Britain and Canada. Under cover of the lying assertions of the necessity for joint,,defence” of the Western Hemisphere, the United States ruling circles have included the countries of Latin America in the orbit of their military expansionist plans. The United States’ monopolists have made use of the postwar economic difficulties of the countries that suffered fascist banditry in order to impose the,,Marshall plan” on sixteen countries, a plan which is actually directed to the economic, political and military enslavement of these countries, The,Marshall Plan” means unemployment and poverty for millions of working people; it opens the door wide for United States’ economic expansion and strangles the national industries of the »Marshallized” countries, The women of France, Italy and Britain can themselves feel, and very sharply, the ruinous effect of this plan. Closed factories and mills, unemployed husbands and sons, a flood of inferior goods for which there is no market in America: margarine, egg and milk powder for children instead of butter, fresh eggs and milk — these are what the,,Marshall Plan" brings. The formation of all kinds of.blocs” and,,unions” of the Western states, allegedly for purposes of defence, is nothing more or less than a means of launching a new war. The American reactionaries are openly plotting with Franco, the bloodthirsty butcher, puppet of Hitler and Mussolini, who is prepared to olfer his army for cannon fodder in carrying out the plans of the American warmongers. The United States and Britain are grossly violating their international obligations. Contrary to the Yalta and Potsdam agreements which laid down just, democratic principles for settling the German question, and the generaj line for regulating postwar problems in 120 === [PDF page 132] === Europe and the Far East, the ruling circles of the United States and Britain are restoring the armaments industry of Germany and Japan. While the victims of fascist aggression are deprived even of the smallest reparations, American monopolies are hastily reviving the Ruhr. Owing to the British and American violation of international agreements, no progress has been made in drafting peace treaties with Germany and Japan. Germany has actually been split by the formation of a separate west-German state by the United States, Britain and France. In the Western zones, not only are denezification and democratization not being carried out, but the old leaders of the Hitlerite regime are being openly restored to commanding positions in industry and administration, and the cartels which assisted the Hitlerites in their predatory activities are being resiored. Democratic organisations, including democratic women’s organisations, are being deprived of the possibility for normal activity. Repeated discussions of the German problem at meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers, in the U.N.O, and its bodies, have brought no positive results, as all efforts by the Soviet government and those of the democratic countries to solve the problem in the spirit of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements are blocked by the stone wall of deliberate and organized opposition by the Anglo-American bloc, The Anglo-American bloc in the U.N.O. meets with open hostility all proposals by the U.S.S.R. and other states directed against warmongering, against aggressors and their abbetors of a new war, If these proposals are accepted in the U.N.O., against the will of the representatives of the United States and British governments and their adherents, as happened in the General Assembly in 1946 (the well-known Soviet proposal on a generai armaments reduction and prohibition of the atomic weapon) and in 1947 (on measures against propaganda for a new war and against warmongers), then these representatives do everything possible. to reduce these proposals to a dead letter. The position taken by representatives of the United States and British governments at the General Assembly at the present time makes their aggressive intentions particularly clear, The Soviet government recently introduced new peace proposals based on the reduction by one-third of the armed forces of the great powers within one year, on the banning of the atomic weapon, a weapon of aggression, and on establishing international control over the carrying out of these decisions. 121 === [PDF page 133] === Had these Soviet proposals been adopted, it would have been a big step forward in ensuring a stable peace. Had the Soviet proposal for reducing the armed forces of the great powers within the course of a year been accepted, the heavy burden of military expenditures bearing down on the taxpayers would have been reduced by 5 thousand million dollars in the United States of America, by 140 thousand million francs in France and by 30 million pounds sterling in Britain. That would have meant that in these countries, mothers would have been able to buy considerably more milk, fats and bread for their children. In addition to this, measures for reducing the armed forces would have improved the international situation and created an atmosphere of trust among the nations. Owing to the efforts of the Anglo-American bloc, however these proposals were rejected after being discussed in U.N.O. After all, how could people who are hatching plans for a new war agree to the reduction of armaments and armed forces! How could they aqtee to prohibition of the atomic weapon when this is their trump card in influencing the people ideologically and in creating war hysteria! The initiators of this criminal plan for launching a new war are utilizing all means for influencing the people. Schools, churches, the cinema, the radio, literature —- all are put at the service of militarism. War is lauded just as it was at one time in fascist Germany. Hitler and the Hitlerites made it their object to corrupt the German people morally, to train the young people to be savage, bestial soldiers ready to commit any crime in order to establish German world rule. The militarists in the United States want to do the same. They want to make,,young wild beasts" of our children who would be ready to commit any crime against humanity. That is why such great stress is being laid on drawing our young people into fascist and reactionary organisations such as the American Legion, the Ku-Klux-Klan, the Catholic War Veterans and others. Can American mothers take it calmly when efforts are being made to turn their children into instruments for carrying out the imperialist’s criminal plans? Should they not protest in the most energetic manner against the cult banditism, mysticism and depravity deliberately being fostered in the United States. The warmongers are spreading propaganda about ferocious, insane schemes for destroying tens of millions of people with the aid of the atom bomb and by bacteriological methods. A certain Mr. Stase, an American,,specialist” in international law, asserts in the Journal of International Law that the development 122 === [PDF page 134] === of technical ideas in the twentieth century has turned the peaceful hearth into a military target and women and children into soldiers, He cynically asserts that in order to break the will to resist of any country selected as a victim of agression, it is logical to employ pressure on the civilian population and speaks of the,,foolish idea” of inviolability of the civilian population during military operations — in other words, he calls for mass extermination of peaceful people — women, children, old folks. i General Kenny, commander of the strategic air forces of the United States, expresses himself with equal cynicism. When speaking to a meeting of members of the Federation of Women's Clubs in Maine, Kenny cynically told his audience that armed forces which he heads are preparing to bomb the largest cities of the U.S.S.R. The transatlantic disciples of Hitler and Goering want to hurl the peoples of the whole world into the abyss of unimaginable suffering and torment. This is the destiny they are preparing for our children, But the common people do not want war. The terrible pictures of devastation, the mass murder and suffering are still too fresh in their minds, and it is not easy to break their will to peace. That is why the ruling circles of the U.S.A. are not stopping at influencing the people ideologically, but are also resorting to police measures, They are trying by sheer force to crush the ordinary people's striving for democratic liberties; with the gendarmes fist they are silencing every person who dares to raise his voice against the ruling clique and its militarist measures. De Witt, one of the editors of the reactionary magazine,,,The Readers Digest”, stated that the U.S.A. needs fascism to bridle the radicals with their system and philosophy, to prevent them from raising their heads. At present, the remnants of the people’s democratic rights are being ruthlessly destroyed in America. The monopolist circles have launched an offensive against the vital rights and interests of the American man-in-the-street. Terror has become current in everyday life, The Taft-Hartley\ Law which prohibits strikes as a weapon in the workers’ struggle against the attack on their standard of living, the Committee for Investigation of Un-American Activities, the dismissal, persecution and arrest of a number of democratic figures — this is the internal policy of the American ruling circles. In France, the government has sent tanks, machine guns and armed forces against the striking miners. The blood of peaceful working people is flowing merely because they do not want to lead 123 === [PDF page 135] === a life of starvation; they want bread and milk for their children; they demand that their government pursue — not a war policy — but a peace policy. While the imperialists try to stifle democratic liberties in their own countries, they are, at the same time, ferociously crushing other nations, striving for freedom and independence. War is being waged by the American, British, French, and Dutch imperialists against the peoples of Viet-Nam, Malaya, Burma and Indonesia who do not want to remain slaves. With the aid of American and British arms and soldiers, reactionary governments are being maintained in Greece and China, civil war is being waged, and terror and violence are being used against the peaceful populations —--women and children. The People’s will to national independence, democracy and freedom is being crushed by all modern means of warfare — aircraft, tanks, guns. With the object of freeing their hands for a military venture, the reactionaries are making stubborn efforts to weaken democratic organisations, The agents of reaction are trying to split the World Federation of Trade Unions and the World Federation of Democratic Youth. Similar undermining work is being carried on in our Federation, which is the largest women’s international organisation. The old and the newly-established anti-democratic women’s international organizations — those weapons of reaction — are opposing our Federation, trying to wrench the masses of women from it and have them follow their line. Some of them work openly for imperialism and reaction. Others camouflage themselves with democratic slogans in order to confuse and deceive women. Others don the mask of indifference to politics and appeal to women to ignore public affairs, Like the fascists, they call on women to devote themselves to the kitchen, the church and their children. This is just what the reactionaries want. To exclude millions of women from public and political life would mean weakening the forces of democracy and progress, the forces which are fighting war and reaction, Organisations such as the Alliance for Peace, the International Women's Council and the Civil and Social Women’s Union are also voluntary or involuntary assistants of the’ enemies of peace and democracy, In England, the right-wing Social Democrats, who enjoy considerable power in the government and in the unions, have an enormous 124 === [PDF page 136] === influence in the reactionary movement which supports rearmament and the creation of a German war machine. The standing committee on women, an advisory committee of the Trade Union Congress created by the Labour Party, has both locally and nationally the objective of dividing the progressive forces, and seeks by every possible and imaginable means to slander the progressive womens’ organisations in the women's movement. The Labour Party and the Trade Union Congress proscribed the British Soviet Society and its women's committee at its last convention, The Women's Co-operative Guild adopted a resolution barring communist women from admission to any section of the Guild, Trade unions are trying to drive communists out of their ranks, thus turning the attention of the workers away from the high cost of living. An official letter issued by the Labour Party and sianed by its Secretary, Morgan Philips, condemned any mass demonstration for peace on the basis that they embarrass the government. The activities of such organisations carry not a little danger to the cause of peace and the international democratic women's movement, Behind their backs are hiding the warmongers. We cannot ignore the alarming fact that reaction has always drawn several women’s organisations onto the path of direct support of the aggressive policy of American imperialism. On October 15th of this year, the national council of the Federation of Women's Clubs in the United States adopted a resolution affirming the necessity of the new American Congress’ passing the law which provides for arming and equipping the armies of the Western bloc by the U.S.A. Is it possible that the leaders of this council do not understand that the Western bloc, formed on the direct orders of American imperialism, is a weapon of aggression, that the armaments which the U.S.A. supplies to this bloc will be used for killing women and children in the European countries? Wright, representative of the council of this federation, stated openly that she had consulted the State Department on this question. So the national council of the Federation of Women’s. Clubs in the U.S.A. has come out openly as the mouthpiece of American imperialism and its bandit plans. Another example: one of the delegates at the Paris,,congress” of the World Alliance for Peace stated,,.War between Russia and America is inevitable. For this reason we must establish contact with American women". So this lady is openly preaching war, and asserting that in the conflict being prepared by the American aggressors, the World Alliance for Peace will side with the aggressor. 125 === [PDF page 137] === The right-wing Socialists of Austria, Britain, Belgium, France and other countries are trying hard to weaken the international democratic women’s movement, and thus, to weaken the anti-imperialist front. 7 But neither repression nor war propaganda can force the peoples to fight. For this reason, the imperialist circles are resorting to foul slander, They scream hypocritically about,,defence of democracy” which they allege is being threatened by a kind of mythical,,totalitarianism’’ from the East. One glance at the facts, however, shatters these assertions. Eve-_ rybody will remember a characteristic episode which took place last May. In its note of May 4th, the American government plainly told the Soviet government that the doors were always open for negotiations between these two governments. The Soviet government immediately expressed its willingness to enter into direct negotiations with the United States of America, Joseph Stalin suggested that the negotiations take as a working basis the proposals put forth by Henry Wallace in his well- known letter to Premier Stalin. And what happened? The American government refused to enter into negotiations, thereby demonstrating its reluctance to co-operate with the US.S.R. Since the war, the Soviet Union has reduced its military expenditures so that in 1948, they amounted to 17% of the national budget. All the Soviet people’s postwar efforts are concentrated on restoration and further development of the national economy, on further tises in the material well-being of the Soviet people, on the wide extension of housing construction, on the building of schools, rest homes, hospitals and cultural establishments, on further improvement of the life of the people and their working conditions. The United States is increasing its army and carrying out universal military training; whereas the Soviet Union has this year completed demobilisation of all classes called to the colors during the war. The United States is building military bases all over the world. The Soviet Union is not building any military bases but has taken troops out of enemy countries. Not the Soviet Union, but the United States, Britain and France ate breaking their international pledges and turning their backs on peaceful settlement of questions relating to Germany and Japan. The Soviet Union is waging a firm and consistent struggle against the forces of aggression, against the warmongers. This policy 126 === [PDF page 138] === of the Soviet Union has the support of all the peace-loving nations, of all progressive men and women. Having taken the road of progressive democratic development, the peoples of the new democracies are vitally interested in a stable and lasting peace. That is why the governments of those countries are pursuing a foreign policy of peace and are vigourously supporting the Sowiet Union’s proposals in the U.N.O., proposals aimed at ensuring peace among nations. The plain people of the whole world crave for peace.. They welcome the Soviet proposal for a one-third cut in armaments by the five great powers and prohibition of the weapon, This is expressed in the many comments which have been received from people of varying views, from different social groups in France, Britain, Italy, the United States, Germany, Austria, Australia, Canada and elsewhe- In a letter from Washington to the Soviet delegation at U.N.O., Glen. 5, Taylor says he considers the Soviet proposal to reduce armaments a good proposal and expresses the conviction that a road can be found to settlement of differences, although, as he says, there is too much egoism in his own country.,,1 am praying for you and for your country and ours, for a unanimous peace throughout the world”, he writes. Members of the Women's Christian Alliance, of the Women's Society for Peace and other women's organisations in Southern Australia have declared themselves resolute champions of the Soviet proposal to the United Nations Organisation, and urge immediate conclusion of an agreement on the complete destruction and outlawing of all weapons of. wholesale annihilation. The response of the French people to the proposals has been particularly warm. 223 building workers in Choisy, France write that they,,condemn the position of the imperialist powers, which are responsible for the military operations now being conducted in the world, as in Greece, Indonesia, India and Palestine, and demand that the great powers return to the policy defined in the Yalta and Potsdam agreements”. Support of the Soviet proposals has been expressed by 35,000 men and women workers of France’s nationalized enterprises, the National Association of Soldiers of the French Home Forces, the Union of French Girls, 35,000 aged mothers in the Paris district, groups of Spaniards from Alzon in the Department of Gard, 458 women from the city of Lille, the women of Denain and of many other places, 4 127 === [PDF page 139] === The facts given above show that the American and British imperialists' policy of inciting a new war is calling forth growing opposition from all progressive people, all democratic women. The peoples do not want to serve as cannon fodder, they do not want their blood to be converted into dollars. The movement of wide masses of people against this criminal, plunderous policy is assuming ever wider scope, the forces of democracy are becoming stronger, in all countries they are intensifying their struggle against the reactionaries. The struggle of democratic forces in France and Italy is growing ever sharper. The many strikes, demonstrations and meetings taking piace in those countries bear eloquent testimony to this. The present strike of the French miners, their courage and staunchness in the face of the government's tanks and guns, has won them the admiration of the whole world. Inscribed on the banner of the struggle of the French and Italian workers, peasants, handicraftsmen and intellectuals are the slogans:.for democracy, for the sovereignty and independence of our countries, against the Marshall Plan, against the conversion of our countries into American colonies and _ strategic springboards for new military ventures. In this struggle, the women of France and Italy are not only the loyal fighting partners of their husbands, they are also coming out on their own with demands that their governments reduce military expenditures and increase allocations for the needs of their children, Instead of guns and planes, they demand bread and milk for the children. They are organizing meetings and petitions in defence of peace, and protesting against the persecution of democratic leaders, In England too, the people's movement against the imperialist cliques is growing in scope, The working people understand more and more that the policy of groveling before American imperialism is leading their country towards national catastrophe. Democratic people in England, the women of England, are protesting against interference in the internal affairs of other nations, against support of the fascist regimes in Spain and Greece. They are urging the establishment of the closest co-operation with the Soviet Union and the New Democracies. Many British scientists have denounced the.atom" policy of their own and the American governments. In the United States, the wide masses of people showed at the polls that they are against the out-and-out reactionary and aqgressive program of the Republican Party. The democratic women of America have come out vehemently against the atomic weapon and the reactionary measures of their government. 128 === [PDF page 140] === The democratic movement is growing stronger in Germany and Austria,. The’ German ‘working. people, and among. them, the. women of Germany, are protesting ever more fearlessly against the dismem-.berment of their country and its conversion into a military base of American imperialism.: The Gréek people are fighting heroically against the royalist -fascist. gangs and their Anglo-American patrons. The insolent armed intervention by the American and British imperialists cannot. break the will of the patriots in Greece in their struggle for liberty and nationa] independence. In that struggle, Greek women are displaying matchless courage and stamina, The democratic movement is spreading in the countries of the Near and Far East; The Chinese people are fighting with marked success. against Chinese reaction, American colonial forces. The people of Southern Korea are firmly resisting American imperialism and the. reactionaries, ‘ Patriotic movements have gripped the peoples of Indonesia Viet Nam, Malaya and other colonial and dependent countries. Women are beginning to play an ever more prominent role in the national liberation struggle of the peoples of Asia. The women,of China, Viet Nam and Indonesia have inscribed many a glorious page in the history of their countries’ fight for nationa independence. All the attempts of the imperialists to crush the national liberation movement inevitably end in failure. This movement is growing in strength and scope, The forces of peace and progress greatly outweigh the forces of reaction, the forces of the warmongers. The fight for peace has become. a mighty movement of the plain people, a movement which has - drawn into it millions of democratic women. They will not let the imperialist clique intimidate them with atom bombs and embroil the world in another holocaust.. The ranks of fighters for a lasting peace include 71 million working people united in the World Federation of Trade Unions, 40 million young men ‘and women affiliated to the World Federation of Democratic Youth, 81 million women belonying to the Women's International Democratic Federation have come out with the watchwords:,for peace and friendship among the nations; against the instigators of a new war", In the three and a half years sfftce it was founded, the Women's International Democratic Federation has been tirelessly urging the women of the world to fight against. the warmongers and for peace 9 129 === [PDF page 141] === and democracy, The Federation and its national branches have taken many practical steps in defence of peace, about which you heard in the report on our Federation’s work. But today, when ominous war clouds are again gathering on the horizon, when our children, our happiness, our very lives are again menaced, we must ask ourselves: has our Federation, its national branches, the millions of women throughout the world done al} they should to prevent this growing danger? Have all the opportunities at our disposal been utilized in the defence of peace and our democratic rights? We must multiply our efforts in defence of peace,.alert. all woamen for. the struggle against the danger of a new war. And this is within our power. The fine work of a number of our national branches in exposing the aggressors and defending peace show us how this task can most effectively be accomplished. World public opinion is focused today on the ‘Soviet delegation’s proposal] at the third session of the United Nations General Assembly to cut armaments and outlaw the atomic weapon: This proposal voices the hopes and aspirations of all progressive mankind, of all women. The adoption of this proposal by the United Nations Organisation would be real step toward strengthening the peace and curbing the warmongers. Many national branches of the Federation have launched wide campaigns in support of the Sovict proposals in defence of peace and democracy, The Union of French Women held a meeting attended by 30,000 women in'the Winter Velodrome. The meeting was called for support of the Soviet proposals to the United Nations Organisation. Its keynote was:,,You cannot wait for peace, it must be won”, These ‘French women and mothers demanded that national armaments and military credits be reduced, the atom bomb outlawed and that a ban be placed on war propaganda; they urged cessation of hostilities with Viet Nam.,,We do not want war”, they declared, »We Shall fight to win the peace and we will win ath, The Union of Italian Women is also working energetically for peace, Suffice it to mention such remarkable facts as the appeal which Italian women addressed to the United Nations. ‘Organisation calling for disarmament and the destruction of atomic ‘weapons. This appeal was signed by 3 million Italian women. 2 million Czechoslovakian women have signed a declaration ia support of the Soviet proposals to the U.N.O. The campaign for peace has been gaining momentum in England. Large mass meeting of women have.been held in many cities. The 130 === [PDF page 142] === ‘Women’s Congress for Peace in Glasgow moved to send a telegram to Bevin and McNeil urging adoption of the Soviet proposals on disarmament and banning of the atom bomb. _ The movement in defence of peace is also growing in the Soviet zone of Germany, in Austria and in the Latin American countries and elsewhere,, The National Women’s Bloc of Mexico sent an appeal to the President of the Mexican Republic stating:,,.Jmcreases in the war budget, construction of new military bases, military collaboration with other countries, Universal Military Training and unification of ‘the armed forces of Latin America, Mexico, and other countries represent incitement to war, a threat to peace, and a part of the destructive activity aimed against other countries of the world. These splendid examples of struggle especially the struggle of the women of France and Italy, are an inspiration to all freedomloving women in the world. They do not merely desire peace — they are fighting actively to win it. Only such an active struggle can bring results. That is why today, at the Second Intrnational Congress of Women, it behooves us as representatives of millions of women throughout the world to solemnly declare that we shall not only desire peace, but will also wage an active struggle for it. We must alert the women of the entire world to unite their efforts in‘the struggle for peace. Let the mighty and single-hearted vow of hundreds of millions of women ring out in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. We must prevent a new war prepared by the imperialist clique. We must express our will to peace by mighty demonstrations, mass meetings, petitions. We must apply the experience of our saembers in France, Italy and other countries, to all lands. We must demand that an end be put to interference by the American and British governments in the internal affairs of other countries. Our Federation and its national branches have repeatedly championed the cause of the Spanish and Greek democrats, of innocent women and children, and have condemned the reactionary » reigns of terror instituted by the executioner, Franco in Spain, and the Tsaldaris government in Greece. The governments of these countries, supported by the Anglo- American imperialists, are continuing to persecute democrats. Death sentences have become a genera! practice. Thousands of women and children‘languish in prisons, or have been exiled to unpopulated 131 === [PDF page 143] === islands, There can be no peace as long as the Franco fascist regime exists and the blood of Greek people is being shed. The women of thé whole world must demand that British and American support of the Franco regime and the Tsaldaris neo-fascist government be discontinued, They must demand that the supplying of. arms and funds to the Greck royalist-fascists be stopped, and that the democratic Republic’ of Spain be reestablished. Expressing our solidarity with a profound sympathy for the heroic struggle being waged by women in the colonial and dependent countries for their national independence and against the imperia-. lists, we must demand that an end be put.to the hostilities in Viet- Nam and Indonesia, that American, British, French,and Dutch troops be withdrawn from the colonial and dependent countries.. We must demand liberty and independence for the colonial peoples of Asia and Africa.: The women in the countries which are colonial powers have a great responsibility. They must remember that no people can be free which oppresses other peoples; they must demand that their governments put an end to the sanguinary reprisals against the peoples of Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaya, and Burma who are fighting for freedom and independence. Our demands must be concrete. They must be addressed to our governments and to the United Nations Organisation. Each national women’s organisation must take into consideration the concrete tasks before it. Thé women of the United States and Britain must undertake to prevent the ruling cliques of their countries from undermining democracy and inciting a new war. To that end, the Congress of American Women and demo~- cratic organisations in England must rally around them all progressive women, all those who yearn for peace and who do not sympathize with ihe criminal plans of the imperialists. They must ruthlessly expose the warmongers, and demand that those who are fanning war hysteria, spreading slander and poisoning the minds of the working people, be stopped. The women of the United States and England niust wage ~ a constant struggle against the efforts of the reactionaries to instil} a militaristic spirit in the youth. Women cannot and must not allow their children to become the pawns of Wall Street, the blind tools of those who are: nursing plans to subjugate.the whote world and murder hundreds of millions of people.. The women of England, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland,’ Scandinavian ‘and’ other countries which have already been ern 132 === [PDF page 144] === or. are now being -drawn into the imperialists’ military blocs must take a courageous stand against their countries being embroiled in “military ventures on the side of American imperialism. They must expose the meaning of the,,Western bloc” and other blocs, _ The women of the countries affected by the Marshall Plan must expose this,plan” as a program of imperialist aggression and subjugation of the nations of Europe to American imperialism. The women of Germany and Japan must struggle incessantly ? against the resurgence. of fascism and militarism, against the converting of their countries into armed bases for attacks against peaceabiding. countries. They must demand faithful implementation of the Yalta and Potsdam decisions. A serious task lies before the women of Finland. Reactionary forces, and especially the right-wing Social-Democrats are tring to push Finland from the road she has been travelling since the second “world war onto the road of reaction and new military ventures. This threatens the working people with countless new hardships. The women of Finland must intensify their struggle against the sallies of the reactionaries within their country; they must not let them draw Finland into the aggressor's camp again. The task of the women of the New Democracies is this — they must work to strengthen the democratic regimes in their countries and give their support tu the genuine democratic changes which have been introduced there, to their governments’ foreign policy for peace. The women of the great Soviet Union are enthusiastically behind their government's policy, the purpose of which is to consolidate peace and democracy and to curb the warmongers. Our call to Soviet women is to maintain their lead as the vanguard of the international democratic women's movement for peace and democracy. The struggle for peace cannot be separated from the struggle for democracy and against the onslaught of the reactionaries on the democratic freedoms and the living standard of working people. The tuling circles of the imperialist countries would like to do away with all the democratic freedoms in order to break more easily the peoples’ resistance to the aggressive plans of the imperialists. They are attacking the living standards of the working people so as to be able to increase their war expenditures. Therefore, the struggie for economic demands and democratic freedoms is also part of the struggle for peace. The warm support 133 === [PDF page 145] === that they have been giving io workers’ strikes shows that thé women of France, Italy. and other countries understand this. The Union of French Women has started a campaign betokening their solidarity with the striking miners. Money and food are being collected for the strikers’ families; miners’ children ate being taken care of in other homes. For example, the Committee of the Union of French Women in the Department of the Seine is caring for more than twenty-two miners’ families and have placed 300 miners’ children in others homes. It has collected 50,000 francs for the miners and has sent food. to them. The French miners’ strike has stirred the sympathies of working people the world over. Men and women in France, Italy, Czecho> slovakia, the U.S.S.R. —- miners in England and other lands, are collecting funds and taking care of the strikers’ children. The sanguinary reprisals against the peaceful demonstration of French veterans of two wars, the persecution of all progressive elements in the United States, the denouncement of the Congress of American Women as a,,subversive organisation”, the hounding of Communists and trade union leaders in many countries -- all these things testify to the reactionary onslaught. on the democratic freedoms of the working people. It is the duty of ali freedom-loving women, of all those who yearn for peace, to defend democratic freedoms, to resist the abolition of the elementary rights of the toiling masses, to oppose anti-labor legislation. We must demand freedom of action for women's and other democratic organisations. Hand-in-hand with trade unions, we must seck improvemenis in the economic conditions of the wide masses. Women must demand increased allocations for the needs of their children and reductions in expenditures for armaments and for the maintenance of armies. They must demand that a halt be called to the construction of military bases and that homes, schools, hospitals and children’s institutions be built. They must demand wage increases, price reductions, and the curtailment of war taxes imposed on the working people. These are our key tasks in the fight for peace and democracy. Their successful realisation depends upon our determination, our energy and our resolve. We must not sit back or put down our 134 === [PDF page 146] === moral weapons as long‘as the war danger persists; so long as the warmongers continue. their activities. On our return from this Congress, let us hold mighty demonstrations and meetings in our countries, let us start peace petitions signed by millions of women, thereby expressing the will of women everywhere, But our efforts must not stop at that. We must con- Stantly remind those who are plotting a new shambles that we women are vigilantly standing guard over the peace. Our will to peace must find expression too, on International Women's Day, which will be celebrated on March 8th. May our meetings and demonstrations become larger and our movement more powerful! We will.win if we bring our forces into motion, if we are united. Our chief weapon in the struggle for peace and democracy against the warmongers is the unity of our ranks. Women make up half of humanity. If they are united in their will and strivings, if they bend all their efforts to prevent war, the plans of the aggressors will be foiled. In order to ensure the success of our struggle against the growing war danger, we must achieve unity in our own ranks, both within each individual country and on an international scale. We must mercilessly expose the machinations of our enemies and Stigmatize all those who are trying to disorganize the ranks of the fighters for peace and democracy. We must open the eyes of those women who have been misled by the demogogic propaganda of anti-democratic organisations. The success of our struggle, the over all success of the struggle “of peace-loving peoples against the warmongers also depends on how united and solid.the general front of struggle in all the nations of the world is. Therefore, it is our imperative task to strengthen our ties with other. international organisations, with the World Federation of Trade Unions and the World. Federation of Democratic Youth, The aggressive plans of the imperialists will be frustrated by the unity and solidarity of our forces, by the unity and solidarity of the peoples of the world, Long live the unity. of the international democratic women's movement! Onward in the struggle for lasting peace, freedom and democracy, in the struggle against the reactionaries who are. trying toe plunge mankind into a new world war! 135 === [PDF page 147] === Madame CHRYSSA HADJIVASSLIOU (GREECE) Three anda half years have passed since the defeat of Hitler., fascism and the end of, the most murderous and the bloodiest war that human history has ever known. However, one of the principal points on the agenda of our Congress is, with’ good reason,: the fight against fascism and war and for peace and democracy. Today, we no longer speak of the camouflaged vestiges of Hitlerian fascism which. must be uprooted. We, speak of. the fight against’ the fascism which imperialists. of the whole world, with American imperialism at their head, are bringing about ‘through the most shameful and cynical means possible. The explanation of this phenomenon is found in the very make-up of imperialism, In.a few countries in Western Europe and Asia, the imperialists brought the fascists out of the abyss into which the fight of the democratic people had put them and made them their collaborators. I do not have to give an example of other countries to show the truth ‘of this point of view.’ Unfortunately, our country can furnish the whole proof of what the hidden aims and aspirations of the American and English imperialists are, The events of Greece show and prove, once more, to all progressive humanity, that the indispensable and inseparable fellowtravellers of imperialism are fascism and war. The. expansiooist : politics of imperialism can not be realized without fascist oppression of people. All the fancy titles that imperialists have invented to camouflage their real goals, have been unveiled and exposed by inexorable reality. It has feen proved to the democratic and liberal people of the whole world that,economic aid”, the,,Truman doctrine", and the;,Marshall Plan” are nothing but the economic, political and national enslavement of the people who were unfortunate enough to see them applied in their country. When thé resistance of the people, against the American ‘expansionist slavery plan, becomes an obstacle to its realization, the imperialists of Wall Street, supported by local reaction, turn to fascism. Their methods and their ways resemble too well those of Hitler and Mussolini, Let us look at Greece as an example. That which we today call the Greek question, or rather the Greek tragedy, is being kept up and ‘will continue to be instigated simply because that corner of the Balkans is considered a favourable point for the strategic plans of Anglo-American imperialism against the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Foreign imperialism (English and Aawteni, has, with its heavy boots, stamped out Greek independence by economic, military and 136 === [PDF page 148] === : political missions aid; by armed: intervention. The rebirth of. democratic: Greece and its people constituted an obstacle for the imperia- ‘tists’ plans. Democracy ‘and imperiatist politics of conquest can newer ‘exist on. an equal footing. Therefcre, Greece had to lose its . ‘liberty and ‘independence as a sovereign state, and its democratic évolittion ‘had to cease, The Greek question has proved once more that, without national independence, democracy cannot exist in any country. 3 The present foreign intervention and occupation retrieved from the garbage can.of Greek social-political life, the bankrupt reactionary forces. They brought back to the surface and reinstated.the collaborationist principles of Metaxas and all the pre-war pro-Hitler dictators, with those who carried out their wishes, aS well as the S.S. men Charged with war crimes. In that corner of Europe, where the people so heroicly fought fascism, we have seen this strange phenomenon develop. The heroes of the national resistance and the national war for Liberation are tortured and debased, while the most confirmed agents of Hitlerian fascism, all the hangmen of our people, all the docile instruments of the S, S,, are proclaimed worthy children of the country and national heroes, So far, according to the official datum, 3,000 militants of the national resistance have been executed in Greece. In two years time, more than 160°women were executed. Six hundred other fighters of the national resistance, condemned to death years ago, ate now carrying on a hunger strike because the Government of Athens has sentenced them all to death. On the other hand, not one of the. collaborators of Hitler Germany has been execuled. In Greece today, entire villages have been burned and bombarded; their inhabitants, above ali the women and children, have been slaughtered just as under the German occupation. In Greece today, 700,000 inhabitants half of whom are women and children have been, evacuated, by force, from their villages, and thrown out; into the city streets starved and without shelter. There they will have to live thraughout the winter without any help.’ Even the German S.S.men did not dare to take such measures. In Greece today, 70,000 democrats whereof 5,000.women, are in prisons and concentration camps of the Athens Government and are ‘methodically exterminated. The tortures inflicted are such that dozens of women have succumbed or become insane.-A few days ago, in the dungeon of the Athens police headquarters Mrs. Tsouhlou, ‘65 years old; owner of a large and well known dressmaking house in Athens, died a horrible death! 137 === [PDF page 149] === In Greece today, the Anglo-American intervention in our internal affairs is so much the same as during the time of the German occupation. The Governments, being at the foreign beck and call, are made and unmade according to the whim of the United States. If the Sophoulis-Tsaldaris Government is in power today, it is because it was imposed by the Americans. The govermental crises, which break out each time a military defeat has been inflicted on the monarcho-fascist by the democititic Army, are hushed up in the most brutal manner by the American Embassy. The present Ministerial body has only had one majority vote, though it has been constituted under the protection of Parliament of national treason. That gives you an idea of the famous,,Western democracy”, which. cannot even tolerate the most elementary customs of Parliament. In Greece, civil war was provoked and is continued because American imperialism cunningly wishes to make the Greek situation, as the monarcho-fascist themselves admit it,- into a fuse ready to start a new war that they are preparing against the Soviet Union and the Popular Democracies,. In Greece, not only has there been no reconstruction of national economy but on the contrary, economic ruin is becoming much worse and the Greek people know well the. distress of unemployment, inflation, hunger, and annihilation. This brief description, of the inhuman situation of our country is quite sufficient to disclose the philantrophic mask of the,,Truman _ doctrine" and the,,Marshall Plan“ and to ‘show, in all its ugliness, the dark and sinister face of the fomenters of war of those who want to reinstate fascism.;. There would be no,,Greek question” if the imperialists did not try to make Greece a bridgehead and bastion for a new war. But dear friends, the Greek events not only show to the democratic and peaceful people, the goals of imperialism and the crimes it can commit. Greek events also teach us to thwart the imperialistic plans and bring about one after another, numerous defeats; and thus spread discouragement in the imperialistic camp. The resistance of our democratic people, the implacable fight of the Greek democratic Army for the last two years, not counting the sacrifices, have, up to this time, upset and reduced all the American plans to nothingness. Greece has not become a safe bastion of neofascism in the Balkans and in Europe as it was wished by the Wall Street and City imperialists. On the other hand, the fight of the Greek people, the foundations of the popular democratic renaissance have been consolidated, 138 === [PDF page 150] === The Provisional Democratic Government and the Democratic Gevernmental Army, at the price of hardship and innumerable sacrifices, are digging. the grave for fascism and foreign occupation. The monarcho-fascist regime of foreign make, and the Anglo-American occupation rest on an erupting volcano. The American dollars whatever is the amount invested, have not and will bring no positive results, Violence and reaction will not conquer justice and progress. The democratic and anti-fascist world movement has, so far, recorded a brilliant victory in this small part of the world which bears the name of Greece. It has tought, once again, the corrupt forces of the world reaction that then the historic necessity of a democratic change becomes the main question in a country and when that historic necessity becomes the aim the wish and the aspiration of the whole race of people, it can be blocked neither by dollars that are abundantly supplied nor by excessive military reinforcements. Two years of fighting of the Greek people and the Greek women, in the ranks of the Greek Democratic Army under the direction of the Provisions Democratic Government have reduced the cold calculations of the American monopolies into nothing. It has provoked a permanent economic, political, and military crisis for monarcho-fascism and has defeated the foreign policy of the United States in Greece, Instead of becoming a stepping-stone for a new war Greece has become an incurable sore for the imperialists, a- leech for the State budget of the United States. This is a victory of the world democratic antifascist front. The events in Greece show and prove that the democratic and antifascis' movement is stronger than the imperialist movement. For the goals that it pursues are moral and supreme. In this fight, in the sacrifices necessitated by the victory, the Greek women have taken and take a great part. In the critical period that our people and our country went through, the Greek women did not lintit themselves to the duties of rear-guard fighters. They were not content with bearing the burden of the difticult underground work only, any more than they were content with solicitude and devotion in the aid to the wounded, to the children and to all those who suffered from the war and privation. They also took up arms against the enemy — the monarcho-fascism and — the foreign occupation. Liberty, democracy and peace, the happines of our children and our families are dosely linked to the question of the independence of our country; this has become a profound conviction of the present descendants of the fighters of 1821. This constitutes one more guarantee of our victory and proves’ that the 139 === [PDF page 151] === popular democratic reeducation of our peoples has ‘itself become the inspiration and ardent desire of. all our hard-working ‘people, ‘from the biggest to the smallest, men and women alike. eo Every epoch creates its men. The present difficult ‘and critical ‘period of our national history has created the contempoiary ‘Greek ‘women — fighter in the Democratic Army. 12 to 15% of the actual number in the Democratic Army are, at present, women. There are young girls who have. taken part in approximately one hundred battles. Today there are examples of collective and individual heroism which surpasses all our national heroic traditions. Numerous are the examples of young girls who, wounded, do not abandon their posts and their machine-guns, but continue to fight. They rescue’ their ‘wounded comrades ‘by risking thei own lives. They give an example of courage and self-sacrifice in their unity, affection and solicittde, They are attentive, diligent, and persevering in acquiring.the vatt of fighting. They try to relieve the agony and the hate that monarchofascism and foreign occupation have sown, and try to englighten, at the risk of their own lives, those who let themselves fall into,the monarcho-fascist camp, calling them to fraternize with our fighters and to put an end to the massacre. And when they: fall into, the hands of the monarcho-fascists, they know how to die valiantly,.and heroicly, It is this new type of Greek woman that the popular arid’ reeducative democratic fight of the Democratic Army and the Provisional Democratic Government is creating today. It is. creating the fighting woman, who, by her dignity, her resistance, and her courage in the face of difficulties; eliminates the medieval prejudices: ‘concerning women, that fascism intentionally continues to propagate in our country. The strategic position of Greece has placed the Greek people and the Greek women, today, in the vanguard of the anti-imperialist and anti-fascist movement of the countries oppressed by the, American regime. In Greece today, all the imperialist. dreams of the -doamination over Europe have failed. The fight of the Greek people and of its vanguard, the Democratic Army, is the common fight of the democratic forces of the whole world, just as the victory of the Greek peoples is a common victory. a Up to today, the victories of the Democratic Army: have been ‘due, to a great extent, to the moral and material. support of the, de- - Mocratic forces of the whole world, From this platform,: the Greek women express their warm thanks. to the democratic women:.of. the -whole world and to the Federation, for the aid that has been given === [PDF page 152] === them, 15,000 children have been saved from inevitable death ‘and are now living and growing, thanks to the aid of the Popular Democratic countries. But the American imperialists are intensifying their efforts in arder to reach their goals. They are now preparing new-campaigns for:-1949, The reinforcement of the help and. the solidarity of the democrats of the whole world to the Greek democrats reduce the new criminal plans to nought. The Greek democrats —- men and women — are consolidating all their strerigth to inflict new defeats, ever more destructive, on the monarcho-fascists and their foreign protectors. The Democratic Army is striving to make this winter the turning point in the struggle of Greek democracy. The Greek women are devoting all. their: efforts to obtain this end. They want the proportion of their partici- Pation in the fight to increase and they want their percentage in the united combat to become larger. “ An active mobilization of the women of the whole world, and particularly of American and British women, will force their imperialist leaders to cease their support of monarcho-fascism and to withdraw their armed forces from our country, The daily and continuous mass fights of the democratic women will contribute toward removing this war cancer which thrives on our country. The women of America and Great Britain could, by fighting, force the Governments of their countries to abandon their policy of war and fascism, and to allow us freedom in finding a solution to our internal problems. With their moral and material aid, the democratic women of other countries can ease the burden that the Greek women. carry today;alleviate the misfortune, the privations, and the suffering of war. A warm piece of clothing can save our men and women fighters. who risk, being frozen in the snow and montains where the harsh battle is going on. A simple drug, applied at a proper moment, car save a wounded woman fighter. Food can save the lives of the women in the villages that are blocked by the enemy. Solidarity and assistance will give warmth and courage to the Greek women who are fiercely fighting to the command:,,To arms, all for victory”. Greece. will be free, independent and democratic. That will bring the common victory of the democratic and anti-fascist front of the whole world, That will be one more guaranteé for a universak peace,. 14¥ === [PDF page 153] === Madame MURIEL DRAPER (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) Member of the Executive Committee Member of the Council Secretary of the C.A.W. I have been asked to wait just a few seconds for the interpreters, our. valuable and universal friends who are waiting in dark corners at the end of the room, and who are making such a valuable contribution to our mutual understanding. Also, ‘the Americans, like all other people, go a little too fast about some things and not fast enough about others. So I would again ask the indulgence of the translators because in the printed report there are certain things T have omitted but will speak on. You know. how it is — life moves very fast. As fast as the blood in the human body; and there are things I did not say this morning that I want to say this afternoon. Now, may I go ahead? Are the interpreters ready? This is a report on the Congress of American women in the struggle for peace and democracy and our tasks for the future. The delegation from the United States ‘brings greetings to Mme Boris Fai from our National President Dr. Gene Weltfish, and her regret that she is unable to be present at this Second International World Congress of the W.I.D.F. We bring thanks for our delegation, as well as from millions of militant American women whom we represent in their fervent desire for peace to the Hungarian Womens’ Democratic Union which is making this great congress possible and to their goverment which has received us ‘with such generous hospitality. We not only salute the President of the Womens’ International Democratic Federation, but greet all the women of the world fighting for peace and democracy. At the first Congress of the W.LD.F., held in Paris in 1945, thirteen women from the Provisional Committee which sprang into existence at the call on behalf of the Union des Femmes Francaises represented the United States. With the help of this Provisional Committee the delegation, on its return to the United States, established the Congress of American Women. We held our first meeting on International Women's Day, March 8th, 1946, calling out to the wo-. men of America, to all those within sound of our- voices or within reach of our financial means and the United States postal service, to join us in a united determination to establish and maintain peace, to abolish war and fascism, to protect the children of our country and the world, and to work for the full economic, legal and professional equality of women. 142 === [PDF page 154] === In answer ‘to this call the.Congress of American Women now has a membership of 250,000 of which 2,500 are individual members, the rest affiliated. It has 12 branches in seven states and has its objective the growing understanding amongs all women on these great issues and has strengthened them in their fight for them. Here for a minute I. am introducing something not in the text. I would ask all of you here to remember what a very big country the United Stated of America is and what it is to get representation from different states of America; it is like getting representation from different countries of Europe. There are many different, backgrounds in these states: political, legal and cultural, and the level of prosperity is not the same in each state. It represents a victory ‘for the progress of our cause that we have established branches in these many states, Asa result of this — I. return now to the text — we come to you today, a delegation of 26 women, and are daily awaiting the arrival of 8 more delegates who have been held up by weather and possibly by practical difficulties. We have no news of them and hope they are on the way. Amongst these delegates are three outstanding Negro. women who represent the ever-growing number of Negro women in the Congress of American Women fighting militantly for the rights of working women. The women who are here come from all regions of the U.S.A., ithe Pacific coast, the Atlantic coast, the South, the Midwest, Washington, California, Connecticut, Illinois, New York and Virginia. They are workers, housewives, teachers, organizers,. and cultural workers, who represent different racial groups from the Slav Congress, Negroes, trade union leadership, (both in the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the American Federation of Labor) — all of us united together-in the desire for peace and the aims. of the W.LD.F. Our work is being carried out in the face of great obstacles. To you, who have been through major struggles on a much greater’ ‘and mote ‘tragic scale, they may not seem serious obstacles, but I am going to tell you a few only. The Congress of American Women is on the subversive list, put there by the authority of our Attorney General Tom Clark. — This means- that we are under strict vigilance both as to telephone calls, the post and all our literature, and. may any moment be called before a Court of Investigation. Some of our members are losing their jobs in their professions, are being brought before investigation committees, threatened with imprisonment and deportation and in general, subjected to terrorism. This takes place against a background 143 === [PDF page 155] === of anti-Communist hysteria and hostility to the Soviet Union initiated by reactionary-elements in our government, with the help of. the monopoly press, radio,-film and other means. of propaganda. The American Negro people in particular are being subject to violence, and terror, This is the form fascism is taking in an attempt to control America, disguised all the while as the defender of the American. way of life, our-Constitution and our national security. The work of the Congress of American Women and the whole progressive movement is to expose these methods to the American people and urge them to uphold our true tradition of love of freedom, peace,, an abundant life for all — and to fight for it: Our, educational work in this direction, is making clear to the women of America the causes of war, ‘the: struggle: for economic, political and military. domination by reactionary forces in every country. These forces in -America have succeeded in making the U.S.A. government the instrument of their foreign policy as carried out in Greece, Turkey, China and Korea. The Marshal Plan, the North Atlantic and Western Hemisphere Pacts, the plan to put the industries. of the Ruhr under German control, are part of this policy. They have formed a Western Bloc in the United Nations and are pursuing a vacillating policy towards Israel. They are responsible for the anti-Soviet propaganda within the United States and the support: of fascist) governments where possible, including Spain. In our domestic policy, this results in a wartime economy, causing high prices, housing shortages, attacks on labor, threats to our civil rights, racial discrimination, anti-semitism, atlacks on. academic freedom in. the profession and arts, the recent arrest of the 12 leaders of the Communist: Party, the 10 prominent writers and directors of Hollywood and the members of the Joint Anti-fascist Refugee Committee — who. have carried on such a valiant fight for the victims of Franco, Spain and who are now threatened with jail sentences. The United States Government's military budget is now 20 billion dollars. a year, which: means 500 dollars for_every family, plus 375 dollars per year per family in added living costs, while the profits of the monopoly corporations —- after paying taxes — have increased fronr 100. to 600% from: 1946 to 1948. ‘ In. opposition to ‘these policies the CAW has initiated several nation-wide campaigns, detailed written reports of which are now in preparation and will be available to the delegates: in print. .We have had a reduction-of-meat-prices campaign in Detroit, we have had a milk campaign all over the United States.to reduce the price of milk. We are preparing a peace poll now to present to the 8ist Congress, aided by a roll call for peace to. get 2,000,000- 144 === [PDF page 156] === Mme: TSAI TCHANG (China) Vice-president. of the. Women’s. International Democratic: Federation === [PDF page 157] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 158] === signatures; initiated by our first affiliate the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship. We had a,,Women Fight Back" rally on the 25th of October, joined by the Women for Wallace, the International Workers Order, Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee, and other progressive groups: We will join with the Joint Anti-fascist Refugee Committee in their campaign to keep Franco out of the United Nations and for which they are sending a delegation to Paris in the month of December with the cooperation of the Congress of American Women. We have protested many cases of Negro women's being imprisoned and men murdered, and managed to stay the execution of Rossa Lee Ingram, a Negro woman put in jail for defending her rights, together with her two sons who protected her from attack of a white ‘man, as a result ef which the man died. All three were condemned to death and because of the militant efforts on the part of the Congress of American Women and other groups, her sentence now has been commuted to a life sentence and, we hope, will be cancelled entirely. These are some of the campaigns we have carried out. We have protested the Indian government's refusal to allow the W.LD.F. to .hold its conference in Calcutta and we have co-operated with the Committee for a Democratic Far Eestern Policy. We have worked with the Council for Democratic Greece. { continue with the written report. The members of the Congress of American Women participated actively in the campaign to elect Henry Wallace for President. And at this point I would like to thank all the women in the different national affiliates of the W.I.D.F. who answered the call that I made to them through the Executive Committee meeting in Rome in May, to write to the American People and tell them why they wanted. Henry A. Wallace for President. We had response from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, from France. from Italy, from Poland and I wish to thank them now in the name of the Congress of American Women, because this proved very helpful in the campaign. We contributed to the platform of Mr. Wallace's Progressive Party on the subject of women, especially on equal pay for equal work, Many of our members were candidates of the Progressive Party. One is an outstanding national officer of the CAW and Vice- Chairman of the United States delegation, Helen PHILLIPS, who was candidate from Brooklyn. The work done by the Congress of American Women during the past three years won effective work in preparing the women of America to understand their problems and the issues arising from them, which was such an important part of Mr. Wallace's campaign. The election was a’ victory for the great majority of the American People who do not wish war or fascism and who recognized that 0 145 === [PDF page 159] === the Republican candidate, Governor Dewey, was a symbol of the very forces that are driving towards war. The American people defeated him. We must not forget one important factor in Mr. Truman's re-election: there are 61 million gainfully employed people in the USA. It is a tradition of American elections that in times of prosperity the Administration in office is apt to be retained. The women and workers of America do not yet realize that their employment is based on a war economy. It is one of the tasks of the CAW to make this clear to them. President Truman was reelected on promises of peace, civil rights, defeat of anti-labor legislation and a standard of living within the means of the average wage-earner of America, promises the fulfilment of which only the election of Henry Wallace could have assured. It is now the first task of the American people to see to it that President Truman will «arry out the promises on the strength of which he was elected and grant to the people of the United States and the world the peace we so ardently desire. Our future work will be concentrated on the specific issues of -a repeal of the peace-time draft, a mutual and friendly understanding between our great ally, the Sovict Union and the United States, a peaceful foreign policy, the use of atomic energy for peace as outlined in Mr, Vishinsky’s disarmament proposals, the repeal of the Taft-Hartley law and all anti-labor legislation and the prevention of further legislation containing threats to our civil rights and to the Communist Party of the USA. We will further fight for an end to discrimination of any kind on the basis of race, color, creed and sex, both at home and abroad, as well as for an adequate living standard for Americans. In addition, we will constantly bring our pressure to bear on the next Congress of the United States concerning these issues and insist that President Truman make diplomatic and government appointments that will be in accordance with these aims and the desire of the democralic ypeople of the world for peace and happiness. Therefore, in support of this work, the US delegation proposes As the present policy of the United States is driving towards war, seeing war as its only method of providing world markets, regardless of the economic needs of the people, and the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan under the slogan of halting communism and under the guise of praviding relief and creating real recovery, pursue an aggressive and persistent cold war against the Soviet Union, support reactionary governments in many. coun- 446 === [PDF page 160] === tries with money or military aid, including the fascist governments of Spain and Greece, the dictatorship of Turkey, the seactionary Chinese government, and under the false and demagogic cry of protecting freedom and insuring national security; the foreign policy of the USA attempts to suppress democratic and liberation Movements everywhere, among the colonial people of Korea and in the South Pacific and as it attempts to subvert the constitutional governments of the People’s Democracies, and then girdles the earth with military and naval and air bases, creating Anglo- American bases of empire on every accessible doorstep to the Soviet Union; and as it interferes with the domestic affairs of independent countries by creating Western Unions, Western Hemisphere, Buropean Federations and North Atlantic Pacts, and to this end is militarizing life and culture in the USA and preparing young people in many lands to kill each other; and as the people of the US as well as of every country, want. peace and do not want war, aggression, or reduced living standards, which must follow under the wide-spread war-prepdrations undertaken by the US and finding support in the present undemocratic administrations in other countries; Therefore we propose that the Womens’ International Democratic Federation demand an immediate: end to the,,cold war" initianed by the imperialist policy of the United States; to unilatetal actions whether in military plans of aggression or expenditures for relief and to reconstruction of the Ruhr industries under the same German management which brought on the last war; that the W.LD.F, support full relief and rehabilitation for all those war- ‘devastated countries who are the victims of fascism by and through the United Nations. 2 That it support an atomic energy policy for peace and for expansion for peaceful purposes. That it work to strengthen trade co-operation in every sphere and friendship between all peoples without discrimination and on the basis of the peaceful, democratic development of each country in its chosen way. Now in concluding, I would like to say one word to you: Remember that the democratic and progressive forces of America are only at the beginning of our resistance to the threat of fascism in our beloved country, We have learned much from the courage and nobility you have shown in your far greater struggle and the victories you have accomplished. This will help us in our future work and I urge you in the spirit of unity and the desire for peace om which the W.LD.F, was founded, to turn your minds and your “147 === [PDF page 161] === hearts and your eyes away from the imperialist policies of a small group of people in the United States, and just for once give it to us, the American people for our future help in a world at peace. Do not fail us. Have faith in us, as we have faith in you. ~ LONG LIVE THE WOMEN WHO WILL CREATE IT! : and LONG LIVE PEACE Madame ANDREA ANDREEN (SWEDEN) Member of the Executive Committee. Member of the Council. The Women's International Democratic Federation is the great and important organisation, to which we are very proud to belong. With 80 million women united against ‘the sufferings of humanity and eager to create a healthy and a happy world it is evident that their work cannot be in vain. Our President told us yesterday, of what we have. already teen able to do for the defence of the rights of chilhood and the rights of women, and we have done in the fight against fascism, In the ccurse of these days, we discuss the continuation of our efforts. It is to be hoped that in many of the countries a reform of economic plans will be undertaken, which will give a.foundation of a lasting peace. Madame Vaillant-Couturierc said that,,the defence of peace remains our: principal object, since the rights of women and the happiness of children are only realizable in a world of peace". Consequently there must. be peace now to give us time to work for its duration. It is of peace now that I would itke to sey a few words. In Sweden the rights of children have already been won or are being won. There is still the struggle for the rights of women, but one can not say that the women of Sweden are suffering. There is certainly a fight for living conditions, but it must be admitted that in the Scandinavian countries, there is more economic democracy than in the other Western countries, That is why we have greeted the Women’s International Democratic Federation, above all, as an instrument for peace. In the course of the last few years, we have untiringly repeated that friendship and co-operation between the East and the West must be established — if not, weshall have war, which would mean in our epoch, the devastation of the whole civilized world.. 148 === [PDF page 162] === It is here that I would lke tu speak of one weak. point of the W.LD.F, We have not yet been able to realize the fourth goal of our statutes:,Reinforcement of the friendship and union between the women of the whole world.” It is in the Eastern countries that there are nearly all the millions of our members. And why? You say, naturally, because the members of the Western countries have been less active, weaker 4n their work, Surely! That is why it is necessary to help them now, to help us.. I know very well that the most important guarantee of peace, ‘at the present moment, is the will of the Governments of the Eastern countries to have peace. But I fear that the lack of confidence and good-will between the West and the East may create -a situation of inevitable war, for you well know that in politics, prostige is more important than peace. The UNO alone is not strong enough to cope with the situation. it needs the strength of public opinion of the women of the whole world, The only organization that could make its voice heard is ours! But, at present, we cannot do it. In the Western countries we have not enough influence — in the Scandinavian countries we have even lost ground in the course of the last year. They say that we are only speaking with the voice of the East. You will answer me that nothing can be done about it, that we cannot change either our opinion or our goals. Evidently not. And I do not wish that we do, But we may perhaps, change our propaganda a little, not condemn the West so categorically and underline the positive facts a little more. After all, we cannot build a world just as we should like it at certain moment. It is also necessary to make sure that the construction material has not been «destroyed. Now, we well know that if there were an equal percentage of members in the Western countries now to that of the Eastern countries, ov resolutions would be formulated with more prudence than they are. made now. Do not believe that the small groups of adherents of the Women’s International Democratic: Federation in the Scandinavian «countries represent ‘all the democratic women of our country! We, -- those of us who are non-Communist, — are only. the hardiest; we are the group which wants peace above all. But to. gain others as well, it would be necessary to act with more finesse, wisdom, or diplomacy. _ Now I have a suggestion how to give a start to this positive propaganda! Quite simple, I should say, though a bit dangerous, but sere to be a great help to us in the Western countries. I propose 149 === [PDF page 163] === that the Congress formulate our will for peace in a message, and that this message — the same for all countries — be sent by each national section to the Government of its country. Long live the friendship and union betwen the women of the whole world! Speech read by’ Mrs, ANDREEN (SWEDEN) for Miss ELISABETH TAMM (SWEDEN). Sub, member of the Council. The problem of the possession of land. The principal point in the land question is the nature of the property rights. It is evident that the problem of land is closely connected with all the natural riches of a country, not only of the. tillable land, but also of the land utilizable for building, purpose. If the land is cultivated and not ill-used, all it produces gives men homes, resourses, subsistence, arid the possibilities of development, The Land is the source of all the riches, but the riches that nature itself limits in different ways, must not be used solely in favor of private profit, but must be used to create as great a prosperity as possible for all the mankind. Consequently, in order to create conditions in which the cultivator can obtain the best results, it is necessary, that the agrarian legislation, regulates the right of land property etic. In several countries, where greater re-organization has taken place recently, agrarian reforms have been realized. The process varied in different countries, but in the first place, the reforms aimed, on the one hand, at keeping a few of the large estates to protect the interests of the small cultivators by enabling them to acquire land, and on the other hand, at preventing speculation on land, They established collective and co-operative farms and at the same time private property was limited. Very often nature itselt dictates the property division. It is evident that, without having influence on the value of the whole land, small. properties, and farms can be possessed by a so called legal ownership — as long as this: right agrees with the others laws and is not a detriment to the rights of others, Since long ago, in Sweden, there has existed a law of property which was called the,Abo” law, (allowing the possibility of being a.farmer on public land). This law dates from the time when, after the migration period of the peoples they settled, down, and started regulating living conditions. In order to encourage cultiva-. 150 === [PDF page 164] === tion of tillable land, the provincial Governments granted the cultivators a certain piece of land. The culivators obtained the land on the condition that they would clear it. The successors paid a certain tax to the society. This law survived — but the number of such farms continued to diminish — up to the beginning of the 20th century. However, this law was renewed by a law in 1926, which granted certain land belonging to the State. This law provided that the land would be granted against an annual rent, with the right to inheritance, untransferable for an unlimited time. Consequently, the land could be transferred to successors, and with the approval cf the authorities to another person, but then it could not be mortgaged and therefore could not be the object of speculation, However, the advantages of this law, were not appreciated enough and the law was never put into effect. It is impossible to treat fully here, all the details of the agrarian question of the law of possession — even if we were competent enough — or to bring to light, in a few words, how this sort of law of possession could be applied to other riches of nature, But We Can Say that in general, it is true that land and all that it can produce is a source of wealth. The wealth gives means for speculation, allows to augment, other riches. One speculates to obtain the most lucrative products possible. That is why the armament industry, in contempt of needs and peaceful goals, can provoke war, in order to get more profits, to obtain power in trying to make itself master of the earth. The agricultural question taken as a whole, is a question which should, by its nature, interest a Federation which is working for peace.: The Swedish Section of the Women's International Democratic Federation, therefore, proposes that the Second Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation form a commission which would be entrusted with the task of preparing and presenting, for the next meeting of the Executive Committee, a resolution to the following effect: 1. Whatever be the rule of possession of land and the naturai riches of a country, in agreement with the specific national conditions, this law should not imply the right of speculation. 2. It is only preventing people and private enterprise to speculate on the land and on the natural riches for the sake of profiteering, that it will be possible to avoid war. 3. The solution of the agricultural question is an important and fundamental step in arriving at a lasting peace with people and between peoples, 151 === [PDF page 165] === Mrs, NORA. WOOSTER (GREAT BRITAIN) Member of the Council. Before I give you the British Delegation’s contribution to this discussion I wish to convey a message I was asked to deliver to the Federation. In her address, our President mentioned that we wished to work in close cooperaiion with the World Federation of Scientific Workers. The wish, Madam President, is reciprocated. I have here a message from J. G, Crowther, the secretary general of that Federation: »We have been following with great interest and admiration the work of the women organised in your Federation for the preservation of peace. We send vou the sincere wishes of the World Federation of Scientific Workers for the successful continvation and extension of its great work, Without the establishment of peace in a free world there can be no future for the progressiv development of women. Nor can they be emancipated. from oppressive conditions unless science is allowed to play its part.” In bringing to this Congress the warmest greetings of the democratic women of Britain, we want to welcome the great achievements of our Federation, described in the President's report. Without doubt the most important problem facing the women iy the world today is the maintenance of peace. In capitalist countries this problem is directly linked with a second — the defence of the standard of living. At the end of the war millions of people passionately hoped that ovr country would continue to follow the path of friendship and cooperation with the Soviet Union and the New Democracies. This would have increased trade, strengthened the bonds of friendship between working people everywhere, provided the foundation for improved standards of living, and given a basis for the maintenance of lasting peace. But instead of this they have seen their hopes of peace and reconstruction fading in face of an imperialist policy which has led to our country’s enslaversent to the American ‘dollar, a policy which threatens to lead us to a new war. In recent weeks our government has decided to embark upon a huge rearmament programme which can only be carried out at the expense of our social services, our wages, our housing and education, the future of our children. For this we have to thank Mr Marshall and Mr Bevin. 152 === [PDF page 166] === The Government has decided to lengthen the national’ service in the army twelve to eighteen months, even though we are terribly short of manpower in building, mining, agriculture and industry, Demobilisation is being slowed down, Parliament has just discussed the new Civil Defence Bill. Women are being deeply alarmed by these measures. They are beginning to realise that we, can have either recovery or rearmament, but we cannot have both, Like women in the rest of the world they passionately desire peace to sefeguard the future of their children and menfolk- In particular the women dread the establishment of U.S. bombing bases in Britain. We loath the sound of foreign planes cartying out night exercises over our sleeping towns. It is a grim prospect to serve ag an advance base for atom bombers, and as a launching site for rockets and pilotless planes. Women are beginning to question the need of sending their sons and brothers and sweethearts to Malaya to hunt down their former allies, who, only three short years ago, were cheered as heroes as they marched through London in the Victory March. And they join in their husbands horror and disgust at the imprisonment and execution of fellow trade-unionits in Greece and Spain.. In spite of the confusion created by the reactionary forces in our Country and by the press, the burning desire for peace is being reflected in our activities. We come from one of the countries where the Federation is weakest, so in this situation our paramount need © is to win over to our policy not thousands, but hundreds of thousands of women, We must widen our support for democrats in Greece “and Spain, we must explain the need to set our face against all colonial wars, rallying our forces so that the Government is forced to withdraw its troops. Now a few words about our peace campaign. The International Women's Day Committee, which is mainly responsible for the broad peace movement issued a manifesto called,Life not Death” which was signed by 300 prominent women in all walks of life. This formed the basis for peace meetings and demostrations organised in the main towns of Britain during the last five months. The campaign began in a great Tally in Trafalgar Square in London. Hundreds more women, maiuly led by the Women's Section of the Communist Party, have been organising peace petitions, peace stalls in markets, meetings and letters signed by whole streets to Bevin and McNeil. From many meetings telegrams have gone out to Bevin in support of Vyshinsky's disarmament. proposals! In several towns during the Government's recruiting weeks for the 153 === [PDF page 167] === army, women paraded with posters saying,.Homes before Bombers”, and,,Stop the war drive”, The International Women’s Day Committee is planning for the celebrations of International Women’s Day on March 8th to repeat its call for peace. They will arrange for a,,Peace Bus” to tour through the country, through the towns and villages of Britain with its message of Peace. It will be manned by factory workers, housewives, mothers and well-known women. The broad peace campaign has been organised mainly around the following demands: Friendship between East and West Prohibition of the Atom Bomb Stop the War Propaganda Support for Disarmament. It might be said of course that these points. do not include evetything, but our experience shows that in developing a movement in support of these demands, we are able to show where the war drive is coming from and against whom it is directed. As I said before, our women are also worried about the elfect of the present policy on their standards of life. In fact the encouraging prospect held out to us by Sir Stafford Cripps is that if Marshali Aid continues, in 1953 we shall be able to attain once more the standard of life we enjoyed in 1938. We cannot help comparing this with the solid improvement we know exists in the New Democracies where they are without benefit of dollars. It is these facts that we want to bring into cur peace campaign, because we believe that we: cannot have recovery and rearmament. The worry of women about the rise in the cost of living has been reflected in some of our activities. Even according to the Official Index of the Cost of Living, (which does not give a true, but unduly optimistic picture), prices have this year gone up by 8% while wages have only risen by 6. Significantly profits, in the same period, have risen by 25%, In the beginning of this year when the prices of vegetables had gone sky-high, women were organising in many parts of the country petitions demanding price control, the reduction of profits, and penalties for black marketeers. They held’ Poster parades and conferences, organised deputations to their members of Parliament, taking with them shopping bags. In some areas a movement called Grower-to-Consumer developed. This aimed at cutting out the middleman and his profits so that housewives could get directly into touch with the farmers, who themselves sold their vegetables and fruit. 154 === [PDF page 168] === Although we still have rationing and our rations are honoured, the.main freblem for the working housewives of Britain is not _ coupons, but taoney, This has been illustrated by the fact that when the Government, in response to pressure from traders, derationed shoes.and some other goods, sales remained stationary. One of the most burning questions for our women is the question of Housing, Dwing the election the government promised to treat produced regardless of vested interests, as bombers and tanks had been produced dunng the war. So far from this promise having been carried out, in London where bombing was responsible for a tremendous amount of damage, only 7,300 houses have been build by the London County Council, there are 160.000 families on the waiting list, At the present rate they will wait 50 years for their new homes, Many London families are still living in the so-called Rest Centres, which were established during. the Blitz to shelter people whose homes had been destroyed until alternative accommodation had been found for them. Or consider education: Since the ending of the war only 16 schools have been built in the entire country. - Many school buildings’ are completely inadequate and hopelessly obsolute. The classes are overcrowded. Although the School age in England is five years old, many children of this age are without schooling for lack of accommodation. The parents and teachers are beginning to get together to fight these conditions, through Parents and Teachers Associations, However, our movement around all these questions is not yet wide enough. It does not.yet involve the: wide masses of women, although it is beginning to grow. What are the main difficulties that we are facing. I would say first of all the tremendous campaign that has been waged by the teactionary forces, largely through the Press, misrepresenting the - Soviet Union, the New Democracies and all progressive movements. This campaign has succeeded in creating a great deal of confusion. There is also a very real fear among many women who experienced “years of want under a Conservative Government, that all criticism of the Government, however well it -may be justified, is dangerous, since it might lead to a return of the Tories at the next General Election, Another difficulty is the action of the Right-wing socialists in introducing bans and black circulars against all progressive movements, particularly those in which members of the Communist party participate, For instance, according to the Labour Party, it is a crime, for which a member may be expelled, to belong: to organisations which promote friendship between Britain and the Soviet Union, or ‘ 155 === [PDF page 169] === Britain and the New Democracies. The secretary of the Labour Party, Mr Morgan Phillips, recently denounced all the peace movements as,appeasement” of the Soviet Union, and has,,warned” all mem-~- bers of the Labour Party and trade unions againsi participating in them, The British Section of our Federation and the Federation itself are both described as Communist plots. _ In many towns and boroughs progressive organisations and the Communist party are denied the use of local halls for meetings. We cannot deny that these bans and bars have influenced many women's organisations, particularly those of the Labour Party and Cooperative movement, making our work with them very difficult. In these circumstances the progressive women's movement regards as its main task the winning over to its policy the key sections of the organised women, both women factory workers and housewives, At the same time we continue to work in the streets, amofig the unorganised housewives. To the extent to which we can develop pressure for house before guns, for equal pay and against wage-freezing, for clinics before planes, we will succeed in winning a wider and wider response. At the same time we will strain our efforts to strengthen and extend ‘our explanation of the role of the Soviet Union, and we _ shall increase our propaganda for friendship and trade with the New Democracies, expose the real meaning of the Marshall Plan. and assist the fiaht of our colonial sisters. An indication of the feelings of the wide masses who: have not so far been drawn into the peace movement, is the fact that the army recruiting weeks. of the government have sa tar proved a fai- Irre, At several football matches attended by crowds of nearly 70 000 people, government speakers for recruits were shouted down. The feelings of the women were reflected in these actions. The new turn is also illustrated by the bigger attendances at our meetings, by the type of questions asked and by the particular interest in all meetings dealing with the problems of the people themselves, and with questions which deal with the Soviet Union.’ It should also be said, however, that there is a disturbing growth of fascist activities, mainly due to the refusal of the Government and the right-wing leaders to take any measures against it: We believe the potentialities of our Federation are enormous. ‘One of the major tasks facing this Congress is how to develop a world- wide peace movement which will embrace millions of women and how to widen the peace campaign in the countries where the Federation is weakest. For it is weakest and needed most in Britain and America, and other capitalist countries. 156 === [PDF page 170] === i was glad to hear. our President express the feeling that we want to appeal not only to those who agree with our aims, but -to all those who want peace. We hope that from this Congress there comes a rousing call for peace which we hope will appeal to all the best sections of women in all countries. We also want the Federation to organise, maybe in the summer, a mass peace conference of women, preferably in one of the countries in Western Europe if possible, for instance, in France. This would not only make it more accessible to working-class women in our country, it would bring this: conference right into the war-monaers camp. I have no doubt that we in Britain would be able to bring large numbers of women from the factories, organisations, and streets, to such a conference. Long live the Federation, the first real international orcanisation _ of all progressive and democratic women, and its work for peace and’ democracy, Madame NINA POPOWA (USSR) Vice-president of the W.I.D.F. Dear friends, the women of the great Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics send you, the women of Europe, Asia, Africa, fighters for peace and democracy, their warm and fraternal greetings! We are united at our women’s Second International Congress, while the international situation is serious, while the fight between the reactionary forces and the democratic forces is bitter.: We have come from all-corners of the earth to strengthen. still more, our ranks in the fight against the war-mongers, in order to establish a solid and democratic peace in the whole world. Creetings, teleqramn and lotters. have arrived at our Conaress from the farthest corners of the world to express the desire and hope that there will be a new contribution to the efforts of the women of the whole world in the fight for a solid, lasting peace between all people. We have to bear the burden of a great responsibility, and / we must, with honor fulfil that mission. i The Swedish delegate, Madame Andrea Andreen has proposed a modification in our propaganda, to the effect that our ideas on! peace and war be formulated more prudently, with more diplomacy. i What diplomacy does Madame Andiea Andreen need to tell the iy Swedish women, workers, and peasants, what the imprisoned women in Barcelona write to us? What language must we vse to tell the Swedish women that the military courts in Spain condemn women, imprison them, shoot fhem, and torture them simply because they want to live free? What particular language must we learn to ex- 157 === [PDF page 171] === ‘piain to the Swedish women that our Congress is helping the Greek ‘women, who have brought with them the smoke of the fights in which they have just participated against the monarcho-fascist troups and the Anglo-American interventionists? We must tell the Swedish women so much more; we must untitingly explain to them the atrocities that the peoples had to undergo in the course of the second world war, the sacrifices that were made in the name of civilization and progress. Madame Cotton, in her report, told of the sacrifices made by the people of the Soviet Union, to save from Hliterian slavery, not only ‘its country, but also the people of many countries. The Swedish ‘women must know and it is not necessary to tell them in a diplomatic language, but in the language of truth, that if they themselves ‘did not have to suffer the horrors of the second world war, it was thanks to the sacrifices made by the Soviet Union for the salvation of mankind. Dear friends, if we truly want to fight for peace, we must know where the danger of war comes from, where and who are those war leaders who are attacking the peaceful work of the people. To fight successfully against the war-mongers, the women of the world must know who the enemies of the peace are. They must know that it is the present leaders of the United Siates and England who are the inspirers and organizers of a new war. We must know the facts that prove that in those countries an undridled arms race is going on, that military budgets are being increased, that armed forces are growing, and that they have created an atmosphere of hysteria there. The American imperialists are using ‘the Marshall Plan to enslave the people of Western Europe, * Latin America and many other countries, they are depriving them of their sovercignty, they subordinate the economy of those countries to the military interests of the United States. The reactionary circles of the USA and Great Britain are making insane invasion plans, They are trying to realize world domination by an English-American bloc. They are forming all kinds of,,unions” and military,,blocs" of Western, and Asiatic States, which have but one aim to prepare a new aggression and launch a new war. The United States is trying to develop Germany as a military base against the Soviet Union and the new democratic countries. In the Orient, the United States wants to make Japan a’ military ‘bridgehead, But it is a known fact that one cannot make a war without the participation of the people into whose hands the arms must go. 158 === [PDF page 172] === The provokers of a new. war know that in the hearts of the com-. mon people, the attachment to the. Soviet Union is growing and strengthening. They understand, more and more, that the country of the Soviets is a rampart of peace and of security of peoples. More and more they look to the socialist countries, for, the Soviet Union expresses and defends the hopes and aspirations, not only of the Soviet people, but also of all the humble people, whatever part of the world they may live in. The Soviet Union is in the vanguard of the international camp of fighters for peace and democracy. That is why the agressive politics of the fomenters of a new war is directed, above all, against the Soviet Union. That is why the war - mongers resort, more and more often, to base slander and lies against the democratic camp, masking their actions under deceitful declarations of alleged legitimate defence destined to fool the common people. United States reactionaries are using every means possible to make the humble people believe the monstrous idea that the danger of war comes from the Soviet Union, that democracy is menaced from the East, etc, etc. As the Russian proverb goes, they want to Blame the sane for the faults of the insane”. However, honest people, objective people, all those who have not been taken in by the degrading expansionist propaganda, cannot fail to see that all the domestic and foreign politics of the Soviet Government, working toward the realization of peace and solid democracy, is a contradiction of al] these slanderous inventions. The authors of the agressive politics of the USA and England, who want to start a new war, dread peace propaganda. As Marshal Stalin put it,,,Above all, they dread agreements and co-operation with the USSR, for a policy of agreement with the USSR endangers the position of the war-makers and renders their aggressive politics useless", While in the United States, England and other countries, the fomenters of new war are bending all their efforts toward the preparation for the aggression, all the efforts of the people in the USSR are turned towards peaceful and constructive work. Let us look at the facts. Since the end of the second world war, the Soviet Union has reduced, from year to year, its military credits. If in 1944, military expenditures equalled 52% of the national budget, in 1946, the first year after the war, these expenditures were reduced to 23.09%. In 1947, when there was a reduction of military credits, they were not more than 18.4% and in 1948, 17%. 159 === [PDF page 173] === In the Soviet countries, the credits granted for peaceful construction, for the development of industry.and. agriculture, tlie betterment of the well-being of our people, have increased constantly. Since the end of last year our industry has reached the level of 1940, the year before the war. This year's harvest has, surpassed those of the pre-war years. The successes recorded in the realization of the post-war five year plan for the reconstruction and development of the national economy, has permitted a considerable rise in the living standard of our people.: As a result of the suppression of the ration card system, ‘the reduction of prices, as well as the increase in basic salaries, the real wages of workers and employees have ‘more than doubled in relation to those of last year. Do not these facts bear witness to. the turning of efforts of the Soviet people to the interior of their countries? It is in the other direction that the efforts of the United States, as well as Great Britain, France and other countries which have fallen to dependence or semidependence on the USA, are bent. The American war budget this year reached its -war time: dimensions, It is 11 times as large as its 1940 war budget. The expenses for the manufacture of the atom bomb are increasing each year. The military expenses of Great Britain in 1948, surpass all other items of the budget, while in France these expenditures represent nearly a third of the national budget; 31% to be exact. The countries in the Anglo-American bloc are increasing their armaments from day to day. That is an undeniable fact. Asserting the facts that no one can deny, comrade Vys’‘nski, chief of the Soviet delegation at the General Assembly of the UNO, brilliantly proved that it is precisely the Anglo-American bloc that is making way for a new war. The postponing of demobilization in the United States and Great Britain, the increase of the actual number of reserves in the Navy, the acceleration of the output in the manufacturing of arms and munitions, the mass production of pursuit planes and tanks, all those things are real preparations for a new world war. While, in the United States, the actual number of armed forces in 1948-49. surpassed that of 1947-48 by 25%, while, in America they decree obligatory military service and general military instruction, and the American women who saw their husbands, brothers and sons go off during the war, will now see them called in time of peace, in the Soviet Union, demobilization of all contingents called to the flag in war time was ended in 1947. 169 === [PDF page 174] === The military expenditures which do not stop rising in the countries of. the Anglo-American bloc in the ‘first. place weigh heavily on the workers, whose standard of living in those countries does not stop decreasing. However, the profits of the corporations increase, Last year the profits of the American monopolists. reached: nearly 30 billion dollars. The profits of the French capitalists were, during the first half of the year, equal to 43% of the total nationat revenue, while the workers’ and employees’ wages represented only 39% of it. We wish to say from this platform that the main principle of the foreign politics of the Soviet States has been and remains a, consistent and unfailing fight for peace. (applause).,,Our foreign politics are’ clear”, said Marsha] Stalin,,They are the politics of maintaining the peace. The USSR is not thinkirg ot threatening anyone, and with greater reason, we ére not thinking of attacking anyone. We are for peace and we defend peace”. (applause). Dear friends, that is the truth that the democratic women must carry te the conscience of all the common people, Following the consistent fight against the new forces of agression, the Soviet Union presented, in 1946, to be examined by the UNO, the well known proposals on the general reduction of armaments and the prohibition of the atom bomb. Last year, the Soviet Union presented a proposal to the General Assembly concerning measures against war propaganda by the makers of a new war. This year, the USSR proposed the reduction, within a year's time, of a third of all the armed forces and armaments of five countries: the United States, England, USSR, France and China, who bear, in their capacity of permanent members of the Security Council, the principal. responsibility for maintaining international security — considering this proposal as the first step towards general disarmament, The USSR proposed, besides, the prohibition of the atomic weapon and the setting up, within the framework of the Security Council, an international body which would survey and control the application of the measures mentioned above. How did the Anglo- American bloc receive these proposals of the Soviet Government, simple and comprehensible proposals for all peaceful people? As we know, the Anglo-American bloc tock’ recourse to every possible means to reject the Soviet proposals! Now, the acceptance of these proposals would have not only given the peonle hone for peace, but would have, besides, bad a great practical imvort. It would bave meant that a third of the actual number of land and sea forces could have resumed their peace-time work and returned to their homes. 161 === [PDF page 175] === The American tax-payers would have saved, for the needs of their families, nearly 5 billion dollars. In France, 140 billion francs would have been free to use in restoring the economy of the country where confusion has so cruelly hit the workers, women and children, Great Britain would have used 300,000,000 pounds sterling not on the construction of battleships and submarines, but on the construction of homes fur the workers. The representatives of the Anglo-American bloc are afraid to tell all that to their people. In rejecting the Soviet proposals, the Anglo-American bloc openly confirmed the aggressive nature of its politics. Following a concistent policy, scrupulously observing its international agreements, the Soviet Union demands that these agreements be observed by the United States and England. These two, however, crudely violate the decisions of Potsdam and Yalta, following a policy of dismemberment of Germany, restoring its military potential, and making Germany a new bridgehead for military aggression. The Soviet Union's foreign policies are based on respect for the independence and sovereignty of large and small countries. That is why the Soviet Union always intervenes to defend the interests and rights of small nations. It evacuated its troops from all countries, except Germany and Austria, as soon as the peace treaties with these countries, delayed because of the United States, England and France, were signed.. The United States, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, on the contrary, are seeking to establish their domination in the colonies and in dependent countries in Asia and Africa; they are crushing the national liberation movement of the colonial and dependent countries, brutally interfering in the internal affairs of other states, Because of the United States and England, blood is being shed in Indonesia, Viet Nam, on the plains of Palestine, in the mountains of Greece, Because of the USA and Great Britain, best sons of Spain and Greece are put to death by the fascists. These, dear friends, are the facts, and facts, as they say, are obstinate things. What is the value of the slanderous declarations of the. American reactionaries, who pretend that war is inevetable, that the Soviet Union wants it, while the United States is within its legitimate defence rights? The plans of the abettors of war can and must end in shameful defeat! * Churchill, the main fomentor of a new war has already begun to lose the confidence of his nation and the democratic forces of 162 === [PDF page 176] === the whole world, The same end awaits all the other fomentors of war. The atrocities of the last war are too much alive in the memories of the people, and the social forces which defend peace are too great for the disciples of Churchill, by aggressive means to be able to destroy them and turn them towards a new war". These words were’ spoken by the leader of the people of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, reviving hope in the hearts of the common people of the whole world! The. peaceful politics of the Soviet Union are sustained by the strength of the people who desire peace. The Soviet Union is at the head of the peaceful people, and leads the progressive men of the whole world, It is for peace and against a new war that the popular democratic countries, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, Albania, and Yugoslavia, are fighting. The people of China and Viet-Nam, of Indonesia and of other colonial and dependent countries, by their courageous fight against the imperialist invaders are contributing to peace. It is for peace and against aggressive politics that the people of France, Italy, England and other countries are intervening. The anti-imperialist democratic camp of the people of the whole world is growing and becoming stronger. The World Federation of Trade Unions, the World Federation of Democratic Youth and our Women's International Democratic Federation represent a considerable force in it, The forces that defend peace are innumerable! We must not forget, for a single moment, that the forces of progress are much ‘superior to those of the reaction, to those of the fomentors of warl Today, the greatest danger is to under-estimate these forces. of democracy,: The activity report of our honored president, Mrs. Eugenie Cotton, as well as that of Mrs. Rossi on the tasks of the women’s international movement in the fight for peace and democracy, again raises in all its scope, the activity of the Federation and its national organizations, turned against the growing menace of war. Presenting before our Congress today, the summary of this fight, we can proudly state that new millions of women are taking part in our tight, This fight is becoming more and more tenacious. Women of all countries want a solid peace, and they are actively fighting to get it, The national organizations of the Federation do not limit themselves to addressing their Governments and the UNO, but go on to solid mobilization of public opinion for the defence of peace. Demonstrations, meetings, petitions signed by millions of women — those are the forms. of the fight for peace and democracy, which 163 === [PDF page 177] === are being used more and more by the women's democratic organi- - zations. The democratic forces, in spite of all the obstacles which they confront are increasing and gaining strength in the fight against teaction, We rejoice in the fact that the active fight of women, | far from being isolated, is linked to that of all the working people of the world. Today we salute the French women, who are leading a stubborn. fight for peace and democracy, for the improvement of living conditions of the workers of their country. The Union of French Women gathered together 100,000 people to demonstrate on the 8th of March in Paris, and- several thousand to the meeting last October. The Union of French Women actively participates in the strikers movement, bringing great help to the miners on strike. We must point out the admirable initiative of our Italian friends, who announced to the UNO the firm will of three million Italian women who demanded the guaranty of a strong and just peace, We send our warm greeting to the heroic women of China Viet-Nam, Indonesia, and Greece. Today, while the danger of a new war menaces us, we must redouble our fight for peace, give it even more scope. We must denounce, with even greater energy, the provocators of a new war in such a way that not a single manoeuver of the warmongers. remains uncovered. The fomenters of war must be surrounded by the hate of the people, by general contempt. War propaganda must be made impossible, and the war propagandists must be imprisoned as confirmed enemies, as criminals and murderers. In the report you will find quotations from the official press of the United States, which puts its pages in the service of the war propagandists. But Do one can quote a single case that shows that there is war propaganda in the USSR. This propaganda is impossible in the USSR. The Soviet people are firmly for peace and defend the cause. of peace, Dear friends, it is urgent that the hundreds of millions of women, in whatever comer of the globe they live, know that the worst enemies of peace and security are the aggressive circles in the United States of America and in England, that peace is.in great danger.. The women at this Congress will certainiy unanimously condemn the creation of a military alliance of the countries of Western Europe and the rebuilding of German imperialism sponsored. by the American reactionary circles. We will condemn their 164 === [PDF page 178] === activity which revives the forces of revenge, the German reactionaries who wish to transform Germany into a military base. We ‘will denounce, to the very end, the essence of the reactionary plans, the coalitions and military blocs that they are now setting up. The tasks of the W.LD.F. and of its national organisations. consist in closely linking the fight of the women’s organizations for peace to the fight of the other progressive democratic orqanizations, to ‘the fight of the large masses of workers against the menace of a new war.. The Women’s International Democratic Federation, its national organizations, all democratic women, will actively uphold the pro- ‘posals to outlaw the atomic bomb and to reduce by one third the armed forces and armaments of the great powers. The democratic women will brand those who fight against the partisans of peace. We must unleash our efforts for peace! Let the unanimous pledge of hundreds of millions of women be proclaimed in Europe, Asia, America and in all corners of the globe!,.We want peacel Henceforth we are going to carry on an even more active fight for “the ‘security of people. We are going to denounce resolutely the ‘fomenters of war! Inthe name of peace, we are going to consecrate all our strength in the fight for peace on carth, and for democracy.” By massive demonstrations, meetings, and reunions, we must give the war-makers a warning so that they will know that the women are continuing to defend the peace. The success of our fight ‘depends on our unity and cohesion. We must pitilessly, and without slackening, fight the attempts made by reaction to divide and weaken -our ranks, We must, sternly denounce the leaders of women's reactionary organisations, such as the Business and Professional Women's Association: We must completely expose the right wing socialist women who are fighting against our Federation. The partisans of a demociatic and lasting peace, united by a noble idea — to prevent war — have all the possibilities of bringing about the defeat of the plans of reaction, of overcoming the warmongers, and of maintaining peace in the whole world. In the solution of these problems women must play and are playing a great part. They are half the population of the world, and, if, in harmony with all the democratic organizations, alongside of their husbands, brothers, and sons, they take up the defence of peace, the agressive plans of the war-mongers will undergo complete defeat. To this end, the women must demand oj their Governments — this is incumbent, in the first place, on the women of the United States, of Great Britain, and of France — to honor their international agreements, which are the basis of peaceful regulations of the 165 === [PDF page 179] === questions between the States. We remember that these agreements, concluded during the war, are sealed with the blood of the peoples! _ The Soviet delegation assures. the Congress that the women of the USSR ardently uphold, the peaceful politics of their Government, actively defend peace against the fomenters of a new war, consolidate with every possible means the bonds and. friendly relation with all the women who aspire to liberty. They will continue to be in the vanguard of the fighters for peace and democracy, for the truth of the people. The people of the Soviet Union have a proverb which says, wTruth does not burn in fire and does not drown in water’. This truth is that of the Soviet Union and the people will know it! The women of our great Federation, by their active fight to unmask the enemies of peace and democracy, will do everything possible to make this truth, the truth of peace. of liberty, the truth of happiness, reach every Man and every women. In the name of the Congress we must say,,,Women of the whole world! if you do not want your nations to be exterminated, or your countries to.undergo barbarian destruction, fight resolutely against the abettors of war! If you want to assure the life of your children, fight for peace! If you do not want your husbands and sons to be mutilated, if you do not want to lose them in a new slaughter, fight the aggressors and the provokers of war! ‘ Our children, our sons and daughters, our brothers, our husbands demand peace! We mothers of the whule world, demand a real peace in the whole world! Women of the whole world! Arise, form the powerful battalions of fighters for peace and democracy, carry high the flag of peace and democracy!" The decisions of our Congress will be a powerful and a new encouragement for the reinforcement of the fight o! hundreds of millions of women of all countries for a democratic and strong peace, for the friendship and security of the people! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation, which is fighting for peace against the fomenters of war! Long live the women, who are fighting for peace and the security of peoples! M-me TCHO EN (NORTH KOREA) Sub, member of the Council.. Dear delegates, I am glad to attend the International Congress of Democratic Women and to make a speech on behalf of thé women of Northern Korea. 166 === [PDF page 180] === 3 I salute. fraternally the women of the Great Soviet Union and the democratic women of the whole world who are fighting heroically for peace, security and the defence of women’s rights. I express my unfailing gratitude to the great Soviet Nation and to its wise leader Generalissimo Stalin, who are the solid ramparts of the nations’ enthusiastic desire for liberty in the fight for a durable peace in the whole world, for the equality of other nations who played a decisive part in the’ destruction of mankind’s most inveterate enemies; fascist Germany and imperialist Japan. Dear delegates, as a result of the heroic fight of the great Soviet army three years ago, Korea was liberated from Japan's colonial slavery. With the coming of the Soviet army into Northern Korea its people — men and women — received for the first time political tights and democratic liberties, unlimited possibilities for participation in the political, economic and social life of the country. While women of Northern Korea received equal rights with those of men and extended rights: of participation in the country's economic, political and cultural life, and while the state comes to the aid of mothers and children, in Southern Korea, occupied by American troops, men and women are deprived of the most elementary liberties, such as freedom of speech, press, assembly, organizing, etc, The national economy is ruined and women’s rights are trampled on. In my report I wish to discuss in detail the actual political situation of the Southern and Northern parts of our country. Dear delegates, in Northern Korea, first occupied by the Soviet Armies, since the very first days of the liberation, the people have been given extended political rights, the Soviet army recognized the People's Committees, created by the will of the Korean nation and turned over to all the power of the ccuntry. The People’s Committees which are actually popular bodies composed of representatives from all the social classes of the population, have made a reality of the form of people's power, which expressed in the most satisfactory manner the desires and hopes of the Korean people, Northern Korea’s People’s Committees have accomplished a great ‘work in overcoming the consequences of the rapacious exploitations of Japanese imperialism, in restoring and developing further the industry and agriculture ruined by the Japanese. They have 167 === [PDF page 181] === ‘mstituted democratic reforms which have changed the political, economic and legal situation of Korea's people in their essence. In Northern Korea, the factories, mines, railways have been sestored in a short space of time, agriculture has been developed at an increased pace, Great results have been achieved in the sphere of public imstruction, public health, culture and art, Formerly, women had no political rights and were not accepted as citizens having the same rights as men. The women of Northern Korea have created their own organization, The Democratic Union of women, and have received equal sights with men, They have become a great power in the political, economic and cultural life of the country. The Democratic Union of Women of Northern Korea was formed en the 16 November 1945. It embraces large groups of women and it numbers more than 1,300,000 members. A historical document was published on the 30 July 1946: the jaw which grants to women equal rights with men in all domains ef political and economic life of the countiy, liberates them from feudal chains, and sets up a system of State protection for motherhood and infancy, The women of Northern Korea who do work which is equal to men’s work receive the same wages, have equal rights to leisure and to social insurances. Working women get 70 days leave during pregnancy. Polygamy and the selling of women for coneubinage is prohibited. Thanks to the aid of the Great Soviet Union, Northern Korea's women are forever liberated from slavery and exploitation, and have acquired unlimited possibilities for active participation in the political, economic and cultural life of their country. The proof of Northern Korea's women’s political activity is the fact that in the organs of popular power only, there are 3,488 women elected. In the professional trade unions 1,119 respcnsible posts are filled by women and in similar positions in the Peasants Union, there are more than 6,100 women. More than 5,000 women teach in educational establishments of all types. In public health bodies more than 2,000 women are doctors, medical aids and nurses. Among the students af higher schools the women constitute 28%, in the teaching institutes more than 45%. 168 === [PDF page 182] === Northern Korea's women participate actively in the development of the national economy. More than 6,000 women are factory- :workers, In 1947 more than 90% of the women-workers surpassed their norm by 100 to 400%. : A woman worker in a textile factory in Sinikgu, Cim Dem Hu, is considered the best worker in Northern Korea and her work achievements excel all records. A’ woman in the textile factory in Phenian, Tchan Oun Sek met her normal yearly production goal as early as June 2nd. A.woman worker in Senkin, Tsoi Soun-Nian, surpassed her normal production goal in the 2nd quarter of this year by 326%. Many remarkable examples of work are displayed also by Korean women in other areas of their country’s fife. Before the liberation, Korea’s women could not have even ‘dreamt of these things. Dear delegates, from all which I have reported to you, you will have learned how women live and struggle in the Northern part of our country, where, through the Soviet army's aid, the people have obtained full and complete power under the form of Popular Committees, and have accomplished great democratic reforms in the political, economic and cultural life of the country. An entirely different situation has been created in the Southern part of our country. Since the first days of its arrival to the country, the American military administration has not wanted to give to the Southern Korean people the right to organize their life for themselves. The United States government, avoiding the just solution of the Korean question, has created a puppet-government in Southern Korea with Li Sin Man at its head. This proves that the government of the United States is not interested in giving freedom and independence to the people of Korea and that it is trying to aggiavaie the separation now existing in Korea and to trasform South Kosea into iis colony and a strategic base in the East. S But the people of Korea understand the aims and intentions of the American imperialists clearly and aie firmly decided to fight against these intentions for their natioca! independence. Without fear of the cruel ierror of reaction, the persecutions and assassinations, the peopie of South Korea are fighting actively for the independence and the democratisation of their country. In this people's struggle the women of South Korea are taking ap active part. 169 === [PDF page 183] === In order to repress the patriotic fight of the women of ‘South Korea, the South Korean police have attacked the quarters of the central committee of the Union of Democratic Women in broad daylight, have destroyed the building and arrested and imprisane? many of its members. The American military authorities have not stopped the South Korean police who have discharged many women of democratit tendencies from factories, institutions, mines and schools. Thousands of them have been arrested and imprisoned. In Southern Korea there are still brothels. The violation of elementary human rights reach incredible. proportions. The regime established by the American military: authorities in South Korea surpasses considerably that existing during the Japanese occupation,. All the people of Korea are fighting against this regime and in ‘their ranks, the women constitute an active force, The Union of South Korean Women takes an active part in the fight of the National Democratic Front of South Korea and together with the Union of North Korean Women are leading an active fight for. the freedom and independence of their country. a By the will of an absolute majority of the Korean people, the higher body 6f the legislative power of the Popular Republic of Korea. has been created. On the 25th August of 1948 in the North and South Korean territories, the members of the Supreme People’s Assembly of Korea were elected. In these elections, the Korean people expressed their’ complete will. In Northern Korea, where freedom of speech and of assembly exist, 99.7% of the voters went to the polls. In spite of all the persecutions and terror in South Korea, 77.52% of the voters took part in the elections. The Supreme People’s Assembly of Korea was created as the result of the elections, and comprises the representatives of all social strata of Korea. During its first session, the Supreme People’s assembly voted a Constitution of the People’s Republic of Korea and created a central government which is backed by all'the population, at This is a real popular government. It’s composed of the best patriots of our nation and its leeder is the national hero and leadet of the Korean people, Kim In Sen. The programme of the government is profoundly popular. It meets the vitai interests and hopes of all our people, In the body of our supreme power and in the government, there is a large number of women: among the deputies of the Supreme 170 === [PDF page 184] === People’s Assembly, 14% are women; 2 of them are members of the Cabinet of the Supreme People's Assembly. The. Minister of Propaganda and Culture is also a woman. In the People’s Supreme Court, 2 women occupy high posts, Following the road which leads to the complete independence of our population, the government of the Great Soviet Union has granted the demand of the Supreme People’s Assembly to withdraw its’ troops from Northern Korea at the end of December of this year. This noble resulution is now being put into effect. The great Soviet Union was the first to recognize the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and to establish diplomatic and economic relation with it. Our People’s Democratic Republic has also been recognized by the Popular Democratic Republic of Mongolia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, Hungary, and other democratic coutries. By reconnizing our government, they have also agreed to establish corresponding diplomatic and economic relations. In this manner the Korean people have entered into the family of freedom-loving peoples. The whole people of North and South Korea express their immense gratitude to the great genius of humanity, liberator of oppressed people; Generalissimo Stalin, , With respect to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the tertories of Nothern Korea, all the Korean people urge that the government of the United States, folloving the example of the Great Soviet Union, immediately withdraw its troops from Southern Korea. But the government of the United States does not take into consideration the desires of the Korean people, and does not want to withdraw its troops from Southern Korea. This demonstrates that by force of bayonets, the Americans are trying to impose on the Korean peoples a reactionary rule and is threatening peace and security in the East.. We women must expose this shameless policy of the American imperialists who wish to obtain domination over the whole world, and who seek to provoke a new war at a time when the tears of millions of widows and orphans are not yet dry; when in Greece, China and other countries, millions and millions of men continue to shed their blood. Korea's women, who have experienced the heavy burden of imperialist slavery, do not want to be enslaved again by colonial policies and are fighting strongly against the attempts of American imperialists to make a colony of our country, and against the instigators of a world-war, === [PDF page 185] === The proposal of the Soviet Union’s delegate to the General “Assembly of the U.N.O., Vishinsky, on the subject of the control of atomic weapons and reduction of armed forces, is a vital and just demand to guarantee efective security for the world. We are addressing our appeal to all the democratic forces of the world to support the fight of our people for the realization ofa -democratic, single and independent State, By tightening their ranks, the democratic forces will. win) complete victory!. M-me THAI THI LIEN (VIET-NAM) Dear friends, the delegates of Viet-Nam are happy to bring fraternal greetings to the delegations participating in the Second International Congress of Women at Budapest from all Viet-Nam women. It takes. pleasure in thanking the Hungarian women warmly for their cordial welcome and affectionate hospitality. Our delegation intends to participate in the work of the 'Preparatory Commission for the Conference of the Women of Asia and Africa and in that of the Congress, in order to confirm by its presence the active part that we are taking in the struggle being carried on by the women of the whole world for national independence, democracy and peace. We intend to protest energetically against the refusal of the French authorities to. deliver visas to the members of the Enquiry Commission of the W.I.D.F., which would have enable them to go to Viet-Nam. What the Enquiry Commission was unable to observe at first hand, we have presented in a report to the Preparatory Commission for the Conference of the Women of Asia. The end of the second world war, marked by the allied victory over Fascism, opened up great perspectives for the future for the people of Viet-Nam, who had finally liberated themselves from the yoke of French and Japanese colonial domination. Our people pursued this struggle for national liberation and democracy for more than 80 years, up till September 2nd, 1945, at which time they solemly declared their independence after having ousted French authority, and, alongside the allies, triumphed over the Japanese occupation troops, In that struggle against the two most ferocious enemies.ot human progress, colonialism and fascism, the women of Viet-Nam showed their courage, their spirit of sacrifice, and endured sufferings equal to the men’s. Victory, therefore, seemed to owe to them the guarantee of a life of well-being and happiness in their homes and a better future for their children. 172 === [PDF page 186] === Alas, three weeks after the proclamation. of our independence war made its appearance anew in Viet-Nam. This unjust and cruel war has been imposed by the French colonial extortioners on our people, who had so recently freed themselves, in order to enslave them once more, and to satisfy colonialism’s thirst for domination and their selfish interests. But our people arose as one man to defend their threatened independence, for they are resolved never again to be oppressed, Our people faced the enemy artillery armed only with bomboo spears. Alone, they opposed the combined Anglo-Indian: troops, and in the South, the French and Japanese. Despite the unequal strength of the forces facing each other, the Viet-Nam troops are continuing their struggle against French aggres-- sion, which is proving more bloody and barbarous, Fntire villages are being bombed and rased to the ground, thousands of thatched: huts burned and destroyed, This is what the French authorities call «Mopping up operations” and,,bringing peace” in their local press communiqués. The French Expeditionary Corps, composed mainly of former Vichy collaborators, of German S.S. men, (85% in the Foreign Legion) delivers itself to innumerable acts of atrocity. These are repeated daily, and are so unbelievable, even inconceivable, that one can scarcely enumerate them all, Women and children are machine-gunned without pity while hiding under their beds during »Mopping up operations”. Everywhere, the French troops leap upon the women and children, eager to exterminate this dirty race”, according to their expression. Viet-Nam babies are snatched from the arms of their mothers and dissected alive.. However, the women of Viet-Nam, whose fighting spirit and heroism have already been demonstrated in the national liberation struggle, have not hesitated to take up this struggle again. Up to the present time, the colonial oppression, far from delivering them from the slavery of the traditiona) morals, has further humiliated them, Today, vast horizons are open before the Viet-Nam under the tule of the democratic Republic, which. grants to her rights equal to men’s in all domains. For example, they have the right to vote and to run for office. 85% of the women of Viet-Nam participated in the general elections held in January, 1946. At present there are 20 women deputies in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic. Conscious of their rights, proud of their contribution that they have made to winning these rights, the women of Viet-Nam are able from now on to raise their heads. Thanks to their efforts, to their work, the government of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam. 173 === [PDF page 187] === has been able to achieve two great task. The famine which claimed 2 million victims in the early months of 1945 was overcome by the work of the women in constructing and repairing dikes which prevented flooding of the fields and by their efforts in increasing agricultural production, The second achievement was the success of the struggle against illiteracy, which permitted 8 million people to learn how to read and write. Viet-Nam women realise today that they can freely look around the whole world and participate in the development of women of all countries, It is these gates to future that French colonialism wants lo close again. No: we are determined to fight to the end, to fight with all our strength for the defence of our righs. We have decided to build our future at any cost, to build our happiness with ‘our own hands. We know that in liberating ourselves from op- ‘pressive imperialism we are taking part in the world struggle of women for democracy and peace. Evetyone, young and old, is linked up behind HO CHI MINH, symbol of the national resistance and President of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam which has rallied to its cause all the strata of the population, including the ‘clergy and the Viet-Nam ‘Catholics who number 2 million, with the exception of a few puppets on the pay-roll of the French colonial extortioners. Today the French and foreign press is unanimous in admitting that the government of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam controls 90% of Viet-Nam territory. In this war which is raging in Viet-Nam, very young girls with child-like faces can be seen accomplishing their duty in the resistance, a smile on their lips. Nothing can deter them. Nothing tires them. Very often they march narefcoted for days and days under ine sun and the rain, following the fighters to the front, assuring the transmission of messages, collecting gifts of all kinds for their cherished soldiers, They always wear that calm, determined look of unshakable faith, a look in which the certainty of victory can be read, Young first-aid woman volunteers have also been heard to sing while the wounded were operated on, to lessen their pain. As 4 matter of fact, surgical operations were performed without anaesthesia at the beginning of the resistance, for we began our movement with only our bare hands. All these women, all these girls have chosen this life full of danger and - fatigue, knowing that on the outcome of this struggle depends their entire future. Dear friends, who have come here to defend the cause of. peace xthe women of Viet-Nam send you an urgent appeal: they demand your support in the struggle they are leading, for they know that they can count.on your support and solidarity. a“ 174 === [PDF page 188] === ... In particular, we address you, French wives and mothers, you who are so directly afflicted by this war. Many of you mourn the death of your dear ones, sent out to protect nothing but the interests of'a few colonial extortioners. This war which opposes the French to the people of Viet-Nam is a fratricidal, horrible war. French wives and mothers; we know that you have done much for us. By your fight at home for the establishment of a truly democratic system, yoti also contribute to the restitution of peace in Viet-Nam, for the people of Viet-Nam know that the people of France are their friends. Our presence here at this Congress, beside you, is a token of the firm ties of solidarity which unite us. It is up to you, however, to intensify this fight for our common cause, in order to spare the lives of your husbands, your sons as well as the lives of our dear ones. It is your task especially to demand that your government order the immediate cessation of hostilities in Viet-Nam by entering upon negotations with President Ho Chi Minh, the only lawful and legitimate representative of the government of the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam. We also address our words to the women of a country whose fatal influence on the French policy in Viet-Nam is not unknown. We are speaking of the United States, which supplies capital and weapons to the French troops for the continuance of this war of ‘colonial re-conquest. We appeal to the consciences, to the sense of justice of the American women, asking them to take a stand to de-;Mounce everywhere in their country this policy which permits French imperialists to carry on their work of murdering the people ‘of Viet-Nam. Finally, we appeal to the women of Africa in asking them to ‘protest immediately and to take action against the sending of Algierian, Moroccan, Tunisian and Senegalese soldiers to Viet-Nam to fight against a brother people, against whom they have no reason whatsoever to fight. It is absolutely inhuman to set up, one against the other, the people of the colonies, simply to promote the selfish interests of a few vile colonial extortioners. It is up to you, wives and mothers of Africa, to put a stop to this fratricidal war which has already cost you several thousands of dead. oP a he coriclusion, we thank the Second International Congress of the W.LD.F, for having approved at this Budapest Congress the affiliation of the Union of the Women of Viet-Nam, with a membership of 2 million. The creation of this great Federation was enthusiastically acclaimed by our sisters, who saw in this world- ‘wide organisation, immense possibilities for contacting the women of all, countries. It is thanks to the untiring devotion and the efforts 175 | === [PDF page 189] === of the W.I.D.F. that we find ourselves ali gathered in Budapest today. This international meeting seems wonderful to us, as it permits the establishment of close ties between the women of the colonies and the democratic women of imperialist states. The Congress also permits women to be enlightened as to the true situation in their countries and on the common character of their interests. Therefore, it is with all our hearts that we say: Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation: Long live the Second International Congress of Women: Long live the world fight of women. for liberty, peace and democracy. Madame JEANNETTE VERMEERSCH (FRANCE) The report that was presented this morning poses serious tasks before us, These tasks the French women will carry out with honour in the interest of peace, and democracy, and in the interest of the independence of France and of the French people. The task is hard for us, becausé our country is an important strategic point in the war plan of the American, British and French imperialists, In France, we feel the terrible effects of the war policies of the imperialists. Our country, which was occupied for four years, which underwent air-raids and plundering, had need of, from the time of the Liberation, a policy of reconstructicn, of re-building of industry and of our cities. Our country must restore our undernourished children’s health, Our country should have participated honestly in the organising of peace. Now if Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and imperialist Japan, as well as their hirelings, the quislings and Pétains,, received a crushing defeat thanks to the heroism and sacrifices of the people of the U.S.S.R, and the Soviet Army, the roots of evil were not weeded out in France. The big capitalists, their fascist and right wing socialist hirelings, who are now the most zealous watch-dogs of American imperialism, are doing their evil work, The day after the Liberation, all the fascists, all the nazi collaborators, went underground like rats; they were afraid of the people’s vengeance. Then with the complicity of de Gaulle, with the complicity of Leon Blum, the old socialist traitor, with the complicity of the high-ranking clergy, they came back one after another. French reaction needed to re-assemble all ‘its yes-men, ali its hirelings, to try to oppose the democratic movement which developed 176 === [PDF page 190] === Mme ZIN AIDA GOURIN A-(USS:R.) Secretary. of the Women's International Democratic Federation === [PDF page 191] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 192] === in France, with the working class and the French Communist Party at its head, ‘ The plan of French imperialism is to make the working class and all the people pay the expenses of the last war. The plan of Anglo-American and French imperialism is to make the people pay for the preparation of the next war, to make billions for those who make guns,. This criminal policy being followed in France is due to American imperialism, for, without it, the French people would have already ended French reaction. Without the American intervention, French reaction, considerably weakened, would be unable to oppose, alone, the democratic movement. This intervention is shown by the Marshall Plan, so-called nEuropean Recovery Plan”. But here is what the great bourgeois newspaper,,Le Monde” had to say of this recovery plan on September 16th last:,,.The Marshall Plan has been actually functioning for eight months, but the purchasing power of the workers, during this time, has, if anything, diminished.” And it is true, while our national production is 112% of pre-war production, the standard of living has gone down more than 50% in relation to the same period. The Marshall Plan is a poverty plan. The mass entry of products that we can do without, creates difficulties in our industries; 45% of the workers in the film industry are unemployed, 200,000 aviation workers are threatened, for the Government is buying American planes, Our automobile industry is paralysed by American competition in all the Marshall Plan countries. Our perfumeries are closing ‘their doors, putting thousands out of work. The Marsha!l Plan is poverty, the lowering of the living conditions of the working masses, unemployment. But the Marshall Plan is above all; war. In virtue of the Brussels and London agreements, the French reactionary Government must furnish the so-called,,Western“ Army with 750,000 men, and follow an armaments programme of buying armaments from the United States. All these war policies cost the French people a war budget of more than three hundred billion francs in 1947, more than 400 billion in 1948, and the financial projects which were just submitted to parliament, forecast 600 billion francs for military expenditure in 1949, According to the American European Recovery Plan, France should receive as a loan, 250 t> 300 billion francs with which it can only buy what the Americans want to sell, a loan which must 177 12 === [PDF page 193] === be repaid, but this same plan demands that France shall spend more than double that sum each year for military expenses. According to these agreements, the French reactionary Government, in fact, accepted the returning of the terrible war arsenal, the Ruhr, into the hands of the Ruhr magnates who supported Hitler. Thus it has been made clear to the masses in France, and to the women also, that the Marshall Plan is a plan of poverty, reaction and war, and the French men and women are becoming more and more numerous who think that the imperialists can formulate war plans, but to make war it is necessary to have people, and the people say,,.No, we will not go to war for the imperialists’ profits, we will not go to war against the Soviet Union, we will fight with all our strength against imperialist war-makers.” French women understand that one of the essential tasks of the French people is to fight with ajl their might against the Marshall Plan, against enslavement, and for national independence in order to fight effectively for democracy and peace. And we, the women in the democratic movements, we will make great efforts to enlighten the working women and mothers for the great combat, for it is the fight for their children’s bread, their future and peace that they are defending. The reactionaries aie following this policy in the name of a socalled,,Western civilisation’ against the,,East", that is, against socialism, and against the Soviet Union. But, as the great Soviet journalist, Ilya Ehrenburg, so well put it,,There is'no Western or Eastern civilisation, there is human civilisation and. progress which the people throughout the centuries have conquered, and to which the people of the U.S.S.R. brought, in Socialism, a magnificent ccntribution.“ Western civilisation” is the Taft-Hartley anti-working class laws, the Jules Moch anti-working class laws, it is the lynching of negroes, racism unworthy of man, hateful colonial exploitation, wars of plunder against the colonial peopies; it is the capitalist, the parasite, enriching himself to the detriment of the worker, and on the anaemic blood of the children of the proletariat. The people of the so-called Western countries, reject the conceptions of the,,Western Bloc” and,,Western cavilisation”; we, women of France, who are one of the countries commonly called Western”, we are in the democratic camp, and not in the East or West bloc.. The people in the democratic camp are the people all over the world, in every part of the globe, who are fighting against those responsible for poverty, reaction and war, and leading all the de- 178 === [PDF page 194] === mocratic people are the people of the Soviet Union and their Government, with the greatest fighter for peace, Marshal Stalin. We must oppose the odious bonds which tie the imperialists to each other, in spite of their differences, with the internationalism of the people, with the people's feeling of solidarity in the fight, for. as Jaurés said.,,A little internationalism isolates a man from his country; a great deal of internationalism draws him closer to it.” We will continue this task with more force, more courage, and more results by strengthening our solidarity towards the heroic Spanish women, and by fighting, as we ask the Federation to do, against allowing the Franco government into the bodies of the U.N. O., by strengthening our action in favour of the glorious fighters of Greece, by enlarging our action against the war in Viet-Nam, against military loans for that war, for the return of the soldiers sent to Indo-china, to end the war, for the recognition of the independence of Viet-Nam, and for a government of democratic unity in France, which would assure such policies. Hundreds of women’s committees have protested and are protesting, and have sent money to aid the women of Viet-Nam to participate in the Conference of the Women of Asia. We will develop internationalism by making known, even more, to the women of France, the lives and successes of the Soviet women in the building of a Socialist society, just as we will continue our action in favour of the peace proposals of the Soviet people submitted to the U.N.O. by Mr. Vishinsky. We will make known, even more, the lives and successes of the women of the New Democracies in the re-building of their countries, we wil] make known, even more, the struggles of the women in the colonial countries, and we will strengthen the bonds which link us to the Italian women with whom, their fight being identical with ours, we must unite, This will be an encouragement to us, the women of France, in our own battles, In the miners’ strike which has just ended after 56 days, the miners’ wives and all the French women could appreciate the solidarity; the internationalism of the workers, when the Polish, Czechoslovakian, Soviet, British, Hungarian and American workers came to the aid of the miners who were courageously fighting against the arms of the police and against hunger. The French miners, their wives, and the French workers will never forget that. Yesterday, while watching the grand parade of the Hungarian women, a French comrade said to me,,Yes, but they do not have the C.R.S, (the State Police Forces) against them.,.I answered.,,They 179 === [PDF page 195] === also had them but they no longer have them: It is up to us to unite the women, to help in rallying the people in order to defeat the reactionary forces supported by the armed police”. In the fight we are carrying on, we will find ourselves face to face with the best imperialist hirelings, the right wing socialists who are real blood hounds of imperialism. Leon Blum, Jules Moch and other. leaders of the socialists call for repression, order the repression of the people. Juies Moch, Socialist minister, had the striking workers fired upon; several were killed. The leader of the United Mine Workers of America, John Lewis, who can be by no means suspected of being a friend of the Soviet Union or of the Communists, wrote to Leon Blum; You would do better to put food into the miners’ shrunken stomachs than American bullets into their undernourished bodies”, They are conspiring against the most advanced party of the working class, the Communist Party, organising plots which however, prove their undoing. Without a fight against these right wing socialists, it is not possible to fight for democracy and peace. It is. possible to be anti-communist and democratic at the same time. A true democratic fights hand in hand with communism against reaction, We have in our delegation Communists, Socialists, Unity Party members, and Catholics. 18 organisations are represented; together ‘we will carry on this battle, together we will denounce the enemies. of the people, Nor is it possible to be anti-Soviet and a partisan of peace; anti- Soviet people are necessarily enemies of peace, and war-mongers,. and we must expose them as such. To conclude, I would like to speak to you of our faith, our confidence in the forces of peace, in the Soviet Union, the principal force of peace, because we know that the people always pay the expenses of war, and that when the people are in power they cannot want war; because we know, from experience, that when the Soviet Union is.attacked it fights with the courage of a lion until victory, giving courage to all the peoples in their common defence. - We have confidence in the New Democracies which are making. great progress, We have confidence in the people who are now fighting. We are certain that the millions of women of the United States and Great. Britain will come together, also, to fight if the Congress of American. ‘Women, the Women for Wallace, continue their fight for a peace policy in ‘the United States, and if the English women of the Co- ‘ordination Committee are able to: unmask the war plans of the Bri- 186 === [PDF page 196] === tish imperialist Government. We have confidence in our French people, for the French people are fighting. You have already been told of the 100,0C0 women who demonstrated in the streets of Paris, of the 20,000 women gathered together at the Velodrome d'Hiver in Paris, of the 10,000 women who demonstrated throughout France, and of the millions of signatures collected against American imperialism, and to uphold the peace proposals of the Soviet Union. Last Sunday the,,Assises de la Paix” (Peace Assembly) took place in Paris. 13,000 delegates from 81 provinces came. The common people, of all religicns and parties were gathered together. The demonstration planned for the occasivn ot this meeting had been banned. In spite of that, more than 50,000 people came to uphold by their presence this meeting of the Peace Assembly. At this meeting, the Abbé Boulier, who is fighting alongside other democrats for peace, declared:,,If the police came and asked who is communist, we would answer,,Everyone”, because our national interest demands that we should all be united...",,And now", continued Abbé Boulier,,,the Peace Assembly is finished and the action begins”, It is up to us, democratic women of France, to assume the leadership of the fixed tasks before us, that 1s to say, the fight for the revision of the treaties which chain France to the war chariot oi American imperialism, The fight against the Marshall Plan, the fight for the support of the peace proposals of the U.S.S.R., the fight to prevent the revival of Western Germany as a war bastion, the fight against the war in Viet-Nam, the fiyht for the internationalism of the peoples, Before the Congress, we promise to exert every effort in these directions, And now, I would like to say to the Congress that the French government has sworn out a warrant against,,X", because the Political Burean of the French Communist Party declared,,,The people of France will not, will never go to war against the Soviet Union”. All the people who taok this oath, will, it appears, be prosecuted.. But it would be necessary for the government to prosecute the Majority of the French people, for everyone thinks this and says it. And the Union of French Women, expressing the vow of the majority of the women of our country, has brought its response inscribed on the flag which we offer to the delegation of Soviet women, and which says: «Never will French mothers give their sons to make war against the Soviet Union",. 181 === [PDF page 197] === And together with the Soviet. women, and all the democratic women of ihe world, we will carry on the struggle and we will win Madame LU TSUI (CHINA) Secretary of the W.LD.F. Dear delegates to the Congress. The Chinese delegation which represents the women of the whole of China extends to you its warmest and most heartfelt greetings! We are happy to be able to attend this Second Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation, which is the glorious banner of the fighting unity of tens of millions of democratic women throughout the world, and we feel proud to be members of this great Federation. F We wish to declare our warm support for the report of Madame Cotton on the activilies of the W.LD.F., and we fully approve the report just given by Madame Maria Maddalena Rossi on the tasks of the women's international democratic movement, These two reports certainly give the correct direction to the struggle of women ‘all over the world for freedom, for a lasting peace, and for genuine democracy. Reactionary groups led by American imperialism are to be found, not only in China, but in many other countries as well; their tentacles reach out to al] corners of the world. There are countries now being subjected to the destructive effect of anti-peoples wars instigated by the imperialist bloc and by the reactionaries in these countries; there are other countries being choked to death by the Marshall Plan. With the exception of the great Soviet Union and the People’s Democracies which, with the former's fraternal aid, have already won their independence, the entire world is engaged in a bitter struggle against the forces of reaction. Because of this, we Chinese delegates are of the opinion that the fight against the instigators of a new world war, for peace and democracy throughout the world, is the common cause of the peoples of the whole world and not an internal problem of this or that country. The women of ail countries, united in the great Women's International Democratic Federation must rally their forces. After the second world war, the Chinese people, like all the other liberty-loving nations, longed for peace and democracy and were anxious to see that there shovld be no recurrence of aggression. But, contrary to the will and desire for peace of the nations of the 182 === [PDF page 198] === world, post-war American imperialism violated the declarations and decisions adopted during the fight against fascism and set out on a wild adventure with a view to subjugating the entire world. Among the first to suffer from this policy of American imperialism have been the Chinese people. Following the liberation of Manchuria by the Soviet Army and the defeat of Japanese imperialism; what did American imperialism do in China? It helped and is still helping Chiang Kai-shek by supplying him with war materials and loans, the total sum of which has reached more than 5 billion American dollars in the post-war period alone... to say nothing of the well-known fact that American imperialism is openly equipping and training the troops of Chiang Kai-shek and providing them with air and sea transport. It is precisely this factor which emboldened Chiang Kai-shek to launch the criminal civil war against the Chinese people, The second job that American imperialism has been doing in China is to intensify its expansionist policy, assuring itself of complete domination in China, a domination shared with none. On the one hand, American imperialism has made Chiang Kai-shek fully dependent on it economically by supplying him with everything he needs, from planes, guns, and other means of extermination, to outfits and food for his soldiers. On the other hand, by the treacherous graces of Chiang Kai-shek, American imperialism has secured priority rights in the extraction of useful minerals, in the building and operation of railways, in shipping, and finally in the financing and administration of these enterprises. The American imperialists have sent more than 5,500 military advisors to control Chiang Kai-shek's army, and they have thievishly seized China's entire network of air and naval bases. Thus it is clear that the overt American aggression in China and the aid rendered by American imperialism to the reactionary clique of Chiang Kai-shek for the ‘suppression of the liberation struggle of the Chinese people are part and parcel of the policy pursued by Ameiican imperialism to establish world domination. The active expansion of American imperialism in China is an important step in its preparation for a new world war against peace-loving nations, The question is, are these war-mongers meeting with success in their criminal operations? No, they are not! We may safely say, that 4t least in China, the war-mongers are already suffering defeat. The Chinese people have fully and completely smashed the American imperialist piot to enslave them. When he unleashed his anti-peoples war, Chiang Kai-shek bragged that he would defeat the People’s Liberation Army within three to six months and then set up his dic- 183 === [PDF page 199] === tatorship over the whole of China. Reactionaries throughout the world, especially the hirelings of American reactionaries, also bragged of his offensive. None of them thought that today, two years and four months after the beginning of the war, it would be the Kuomintang reactionaries who would be suffering defeat, and not the Chinese people and their People’s Liberation Army. Repulsing the enemy offensive, the People’s Liberation Army itself launched an offensive. One by one, Chiang Kai-shek is losing his strongly-fortified strategic points, his biq cities and railroads; his troops are being wiped out by entire divisions and armies. His higher officers and even the Commanders-in-Chief of military-strategic areas, are surrendezsing in groups. More than 3 millicn Kuomintang troops have already been wiped out. Of these, 1,800,000 soldiers have come over to the side of the People’s Liberation Army and are now fighting against Chiang Kai-shek. Large quantities of spoils consisting of American equipment, which was to have been used to defeat the people, have been seized and is being used by the people to defeat their enemy, Today, the pace and striking power of the People's Army is greater than ever before, while the morale of the Kuomintang troops is so low that in some cities, entire garrisons have laid down their arms and surrendered. Today, it is the task of the Chinese people to- bend all their eftorts toward speeding up the final victory over reaction and toward the complete liberation of China. Can we accomplish this difficult and historically great task? Yes! We are fully confident that we can. Remember July 1946, when the Kuomintang reactionaries started the anti-peoples war! The Chinese people had not yet had time to draw breath after the 8-year anti-Japanese war when they became the victims of an offensive prepared in advance by the Kuomintang reactionaries, Overcoming great material handicaps, thanks to the correct and firm leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, thanks to the genius and far-sightedness of Comrade Mao-Tse-lung the leader of the Chinese people, thanks to the solidarity and unity of the wide masses of people in the fight against imperialism and feudalism, thanks to the heroism and military skill of the troops of the People’s Liberation Army, we won and are still winning victories over the once technically well-equipped armies of the Kuomintang reactionaries, We now have a vast terrilory of more than 2,350,000 square kilometers (940,000 suare miles) an area with a population of 168 million people (at the end of June 1948). We have an agricultural economy, but agrarian reform has been instituted. We have industrial centers, including the rich territcry of Manchuria with its highly-developed-industry and close network of railways. The people 184 === [PDF page 200] === in the liberated areas are disnlaying unexampled enthusiasm in increasing production. The development of the national economy, improvement of the living standards of the people, and restoration and advancement of industry in the liberated areas — this will serve as the material base for the final defeat of Chiang Kai-shek. Comrade Mao Tse-tung, the leader of the Chinese, has stated clearly ‘that if only we do not allow ourselves to be intimidated but boldly answer the countr-revolutionary war, if the Chinese people rally their forces and establish unity, then there is no doubt that we will Win and that American aggressicn and the Kuomintang reactionary domination will be defeated. We are not afraid of American.impetialism. We, the Chinese people, have had plenty of experience in fighting against its odious activities. What is the position of the Kuomintang reactionaries now? Their troops are completely demoralised. Financiaily, they are more bankrupt than ever, and since the recent currency reform, prices have been soaring. The population refuses to accept the new,,goldbacks". Market places in Peiping, Tien-tsin, Shanghai and other cities are deserted and nothing can be bought now but coffins, and even these are fast being grabbed up now — only to get rid of the revaluated bank-notes, The American imperialists cannot remedy the situation no matter how hard they may try! Now, even the national bourgeoisie which is not linked up with the foreign-dominated Kuomintang regime, and the professors in higher institutions of learning are leaving Chiang Kai-shek and coming over to the side of the people, They are expressing their desire to collaborate with the Communist Party and are accepting its proposals as outlined in the May Day watchwords of the Central Committee of the Party, which call for the establishment of a democratic coalition government of representatives of all democratic parties and gtoupings, of people’s organisations and of persons active in public life but without party affiliation. Preparations have begun for the calling of a new, Political Consultative Conference of representatives of all democratic parties and of the masses of non-rarty toilers, a conference without the participation of the reactionaries. We are fully confident that a new, democratic, coalition government for the whole of China will soon be set up. No matter how much Marshall and Weydemeyer may intrigue, no matter how hard the Kuomintang reactionaries may try, they can never evade their doom in China. Nothing can check the triumphant onward march of the Chinese people! Responsibility for the realisation of this great historic tasks Tests on the shoulders of the Chinese women, along with the rest 185 === [PDF page 201] === of the Chinese people, and the Chinese women are shouldering their historic tasks with unprecedented energy and zeal. Chinese women have been making an all-out effort on the fronts of the liberation war and especially in production. This year, of the 34-million population of Manchuria, more than 50% of the able-bodied women work enthusiastically on the farms. The women of Northern and Eastern China have been showing the same enthusiasm in their work, In addition to participating in farming, it has been mainly the women who have shouldered the task of supplying the army of many millions with arms and clothing. Women care for the wounded on the front-lines and in the rear; women take an active part in the tenacious guerilla warfare in the front-line areas — this is an everyday sight in every war zone. Countless women have died a heroic death for the cause of freedom and this heroism is not restricted to a section of the more advanced women. Heroism is the organized effort of many millions of women. The Chinese women can claim a noble share of the sacrilices and brave exploits that are making our victory ceitain, Where did women get their high consciousness and heroism? It springs from the fact that women in the liberated areas have received social and economic equality as well as material security, along with the men. The peasant woman receives an equal share of land and the working woman, equal pay for equal work. Ajl that oppressed the women of the liberated areas under the old regime has been done away with, not only in the letter of the law, but iv actual fact. On a par with the rest of the population, women are now participating in the administration of the state. it is signiticant that the participation of women in the government is nvt confined to a privileged section of the women, but is the pratice of the wide masses, Women of every village and every town, of every region and every district have exercised the right to take part in running the country. There is not a single council of people's representatives in the liberated areas in which women do not participate. Chinese women understand very well that the emancipation of women is closely linked with the liberation of all of the Chinese people. To win their emancination, the Chinese people must overthrow the reactionary Kuomintang clique and drive American imperialism out of China. Consequently, in the struggle, Chinese women too must take their place in the front lines. It must be said that it is pot onty the women of the liberated areas who are carrying on a heoic struggle for emancipation. The oppressed women of the Kuomintang areas, especially the women workers in factories, are fighting shoulder to shoulder with us. 186: === [PDF page 202] === The women of all the countries united in the Women's International Democratic Federation must close their ranks against all Plots and intrigues aimed at splitting the women’s international aemocratic movement, We-call upon our sisters in ali countries to increase their moral and material aid to the women and children who ‘are suffering from war. We urge the women of the capitalist countries tc arise en masse to struggle against the anti-peoples activities of their own reactionaries, against the satellites of American imperialism, and to render aid to the women of the colonial countries in their struggles against the reactionary cliques and the imperialist powers. It we, the people of the entire world should draw our ranks still closer and unite firmly in the great front for peace. and dem cracy, utilizing every opportunity, every means and form of struggle to fight against the common enemy, the instigators of a new World war, we could smash the plots of the imperialist war-mongers and win genuine peace thruughout the world. And in this great struggle, we women have a powerful role to play. Long live peace and democracy! Long live the emancipation of women throughout the world! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Madame ANEZKA HODINOVA (CZECHOSLOVAKIA) Member of the Executive Committee. Vice-President of the Czechoslovakian National Assembly. Czechoslovakia, a People’s Democratic Republic, has entered into the period of socialist construction. At the present time, we are bringing to a successfui conclusion the two-year plan for the restoration of our national economy and We are preparing to introduce the first Czechoslovakian five-year plan. Industrial production, which at the end of the war was only 509% of pre-war level, todey is 110% greater than before the war. The gval of our two-year plan has been to surpass by 10% at the end of 1948, our pre-war output. The fact that our country is at peace, our people united, and that they have developed a great sense of responsibility — the working class in particular — accounts for our having attained our goal on October 28. 1948, the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Republic. On January 1. 1949 we shall put our shoulders to the wheel with the introduction of our five-year plan, which wili aim to transform and to turther develop the national economy and finally to assure a considerable raising of the standard of living. 187 === [PDF page 203] === The guarantee of the success of the two-year plan and the five- - year. plan lies in the fact that the key government posts are in the hands of the working people. The President, the Cabinet and the National Assembly work and govern in accordance with the will of the people. The strengthening of our national economy, the 1apid reconstruction of war-damaged areas, the awakening of the enthusiasm of masses of people for this reconstruction — all this has been facilitated by the fact that in 1945, Czechoslovakia was liberated by the Soviet Union which offered us all of the possibilities of free development and of an independent cheice for the future of our State and our people. This fact permitted the unity of all of the national forces in a solid front which no one has heen ebie ta destroy and, without which, we should not have been able {co maintain peace and order in our country. Immediately after the liberation, we learned what steps needed to be taken with respect to the policies followed by the former ruling classes, We condemned the traitors to the people and the Repntlc, we took from them their most sacred possessions -~ Lhose possessions for which they had betrayed the Republic in 1938 and during the occupation-their property. In Autumn 1945, we had assured the rationalization of the key industries, the banks and the insurance companies, which action permilied us tn envisage a planned cconomy. Without these essential mvasures end without the direct aid of the USSR, we would not have been able to face So Tapidly our post-war difficulties, to pay for war destruction. nor, without doubt, to overcome the effects of last year’s drought which under different circumstances, would have resulted in famine in our Republic The February victory permitted the people to eliminate reaction, which was making every effort to break the National Front and to provoke a civil war, as a means of restoring power to those who in 1938 had sold out the Republic. The February victory assured our country’s march toward socialism. During the three years immediately following the war, from May 1945 to February 1948, the Czechoslovakian people jearned to repulse the attempts of reaction and recognized that the policies of our President and of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party were the only policies which could lead our country to happiness and well-being. When, in February 1948,. reaction attempted to foment a putsch in order to re-orientate the country toward capitalism, to recreate the conditions which had existed in our country prior to Munich, our people rose up as one man and put reaction to rout. 188 === [PDF page 204] === The new National Front was formed in a single night in the form of action committees in each village and city. Immediately afterwards, the political situation in our nation was simplified: we were able to set ourselves to new tasks, to envisage far-off goals; socialist principles were reinforced and the question of real socialist construction became the order of the day. Afler the secoud phase of nationalization which followed that February, the major part of industrial production was incorporated into the socialist sysiem, even though some capitalist production principles still exist in the smaller industries, At the present time, we have three economic categories. There is the socialist category comprising 95% of the nationalized industries, 100% of the financial institutions, 100% of the export trade and 100% of the large-scale trade within the country, This category is growing and becoming stronger through the work of the cooperatives. Included also in this category are the large farms and factories belonging to the State, municipal insiitutions, the public transportation system; namely, the essential elements of our economic life. The second category, the capilalist section, covers the enterprises in which work is still carried on in capitalist fashion. This includes the properties of rich land-owners, the wealthy peasants, small factory owners employing less than 50 workers, artisans and businessmen, This calegory has diminished and grown weaker since February.. The third category comprises the very small producers, peasants and artisans who do not employ other workers. This group is static. The five-year plan has as a goal to reinforce the first category and to squeeze out of existence the capitalist group. With respect to agricultural production, in which the number of small producers is very large and in which 90% of the small farms are privatelyowned, our policy will consist in assisting the small farmers, taxing the middle-class farmers and decreasing the number of large, privately--owned farms. We want to construct a wide net-work of State-owned stations equipped with farming machinery and to support all efforts toward establishment of producing co-operatives of all kinds, After the February popular victory and the elimination of reaction, our working people constituted a National Front more solid than ever and this strengthening of unity has brought on a surge of initiative and enthusiasm for reconstruction among the popular masses, In effect, the events of February permitted our 189 === [PDF page 205] === factory workers, except in a few areas, io surpass their planned goals and to realize the two-year plan well before the date fixed. We have sustained a grand success in putting an end to the long-standing division among the working slass by achieving the merging of the Social-Democratic and Communist Parties, now forming a single Communist Party guided by Marxist-Leninist doctrines. In addition, the later merging of the Slovak and the Czech Communist Parties, forming now a single national! Communist Party, was a great step forward. The Communist Party, which from the very beginning was the chief inspirer of our efforts toward construction and which, in February, directed with a firm hand the people’s fight to maintain and reinforce, in face of reaction, their revolutionary conquests, has thus well merited the confidence of the great mass of people and has acquired the right to lead the nation. The National Front continues and is constantly gaining strength; through it, we will prevent the other political parties — the Czech Socialist and the Popular Catholic Parties — and the mass organisations which do not form part of the National Front from ever again falling under the influence of the enemies of the people. We know that reaction, even though subdued, remains dangerous and would not hesitate to turn to sabotage, to libel the government, to spread subversive propaganda, to resort to even worse crimes. We know that otr march toward socialism portends an even more acute struggle between the classes. The experiences of the Soviet people, in the same way as ours, teach us never to rest on our laurels, never to relax our vigilance. During the past few months, our food supply has improved. The rations of bread, flour, sugar and fats for certain categories of consumers have been increased, while the peasants have been authorized to put on free sale those farm products which remain after the government quota has been met. We have overcome the terrible difficulties due to last year’s drought and have avoided a famine thanks to the help of the Soviet Union. In the future, we will be able to make consistant improvement in the food supply by way of further deliveries from the USRR. And despite the fact that there is still much to be done, that we must recognizé some insufficiencies, we can state frankly that we have passed through the difficult period and are pressing firmly abead. The women of Czechoslovakia have supported with all their force the efforts toward reconstruction. In the course of the twoyear plan, they have given many, examples of their comprehension: thus, in the Czech country alone, 180,000 women work in national 190 === [PDF page 206] === production, i. e., 57,2% of the total workers reinstated. 107,800 women came directly into industry from their homes; 59,000 are young girls of whom 14,000 had never before worked at regular paid jobs, But in order successfully to realize the five-year plan, we shall need 482,000 workers. Our reserve labor forces are to be found among the women, It is for this reason the movement of Czechoslovakian women sets up as one of its chief objectives the further entrance of women into the productive life of the country. Brigades of volunteer workers have furnished hundreds of thousands of hours of unpaid work, The Communist Party, which set for itself the task of furnishing for the 30th anniversary of the Republic, 30 million hours of voluntary labour, supplied instead a total of 76 million hours, We can state without fear of dispute that the greatest part of this labour was performed by women. Women occupy an important position in the social policies of the government as they apply to working people. The social security plan introduced this year benefits all workers — industrial workers, peasants, artisans, intellectuals — and signifies an important rise in the standard of living, Housework is elevated to the level of other productive activities and women who are too old or incapable of working receive benefits accordingly. Women who are agricultural workers, artisans or intellectuals have the same right to benefits as men. Social security provides for retirement pay for aged workers, financial help to persons who are unable to work or who are too poor to support themselves after retirement, even if such persons have not in the past made national insurance payments, Important help is given to working women through the creation ef nursery schools and rest homes as well as through the opening Of co-operative laundries and kitchens, From May 1945 to December 1947, the number of nursery schools increased from 921 to 3,310. In the rural areas, we are attempting to relieve women’s work by establishing co-operative laundries and developing further the mechanization of housework., Our women take a full part in public life. There are 773,034 women organized in trade unions; 1,590,000 in co-operatives and of the 2,500,000 members of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party, 762,534 are women, The Council of Czechoslovakian Women, which unites al] womens’ groups, represents trade union women, those of the Czech Agricultural Union, the co-operatives and youth groups. We are witnessing today a widening of the influence of the Council, for throughout the Republic, new groups and new sections are being formed. 191 === [PDF page 207] === Other examples can be given: in Parliament, out of 300 members, a total of 35 are women. The first Vice-President of the National Assembly is a women. During the Parliament sessions, @ women deputy Madam Mouralova, was appointed general reporter on the preparations for the five-year plan. Madam Jankovcova is Minister of Food Supplies. Women have been honored with the title of National Artist. Today, women occupy as never before, responsible places in all phases of public life. The women of Czechoslovakia are, at the present moment, actively engaged in collecting signatures in support of the propositions made by Mr. Vishinski before the United Nations Organization, 2,500,000 signatures have already been obtained and the campaign is continuing. This movement has constituted a _ real political education for the women. They have discussed international political questions, spoken of the forces of world peace and learnd of the peaceful policies of the Soviet Union. The spirit of international solidarity is very much alive in the ranks of the Czechoslovakian people. The aid given to the Greek children and action in favor of striking French miners are concrete proofs of this spirit. Our working people contributed millions of crowns to show their real solidarity with the miners on strike. The women were not left behind. At a single meeting, the wives of the miners ‘of Ostrava collected $0,000 crowns. The Council of Czechoslovakian Women knows that the strengthening of people’s democracy in our country means the reinforcement of the International Front for peace and democracy and progress. Eecause of this, the Council consecrates all its work to reconstruction, to helping women assure the food supply, to achieving the next five-year plan, to the development of socialist competition — all essential conditions for the raising of the nation’s standard of living. In the future, we will do even more to encourage among out women a spirit of international solidarity with their sisters who are still fighting against fascist barbarity. We will find new ways to consolidate the world peace front and to support the efforts of the USSR and the People's Democracies for a lasting peace. The unity and action of the pecple, their common will and ‘that of the Government and President Klement Gottwald — these are the guarantees that Czechoslovakia will never turn back -but that she will continue to advance steadily toward sociatism. 492 === [PDF page 208] === Madame ANITA MARTINEZ (SPAIN) The Union of Anti-Fascist Spanish Women brings to this great international Congress the fraternal greetings of the heroic women who have been fighting for 12 years in Franco Spain for peace and democracy; the fraternal greetings-of Spanish women who fight and work under conditions of forced exile in France, England, Latin America and North Africa. Our great Women’s International Democratic Federation and its leaders are loved and admired by these heroic Spanish women. The women of the resistance movement, the mothers of our heroes, the anti-fascist women who for 9 years have been submitted to torture in Franco's jails know that, alongside our dear leader of Spanish Women, Dolores Ibarruri, women such as our great friends, Nina Popova, Tzola Dragoitcheva, Madam Cotton, Anna Pauker, Tsai-Tchang are working in the W.LD.F. at the head of millions of democratic women from all over the world, for peace, democracy and the liberation of the peoples. The work of the W.LD.F. for Spain is known by the women of our country, by all the people. The sending of the Lawyer's Commission to Spain, the pemmiament campaign for those who are imprisoned and condemned to death, live in the hearts of all our people. Spanish women know that the women in the Federation- put into practice their solidarity with Franco’s prisoners. We understand clearly that if the soil of our country is watered every day with the blood of patriots, if children die of hunger and tuberculosis, if our people are still under the fascist tyranny of Franco, it is the fault of the American and British governments which are utilizing the Spanish fascist regime, created by Hitler and Mussolini to carry out their plans for future aggression. Spain is one of the pillars of American imperialist plans for domination in its policy of preparing a new war against the U.S.S.R, and the new democracies. The imperialists find a favorable climate in the Franco. regime. Franco fascism, unable to stop the fight of the guerillas, the activity of the peasants and of the women, the demonstrations of the workers in the factories, unable to silence the cries of protest and of hatred which rise louder every day from the whole people against its rule, today is handing. over to the Americans what it gave up to Nazi Germany yesterday; that is to say, all the wealth of the country, areas of our territory which are being converted into strategic bases. 13 193 === [PDF page 209] === In. this policy, each pursues his own aims: Franco fascism that exist; Anglo-American imperialism, that of of continuing to dominating Spain, In the economic sphere, the American imperialists are taking possession of our industries, our mines, our agriculture. Each day, new details are becoming known of imperialist infiltration’ in the economic affairs of Spain. The imperialists are taking possession of heavy industry, The electrification of the railways is today in the hands of large American concerns, as well as the telephone and telegraph systems and the air lines, As for the military measures which have been taken in Franco Spain, they effectively ensure strategic positions for the Anglo- ~ American imperialists. The latter have obtained from Franco theright to utilize all Spanish acrodromes and to use them for transporting troops to their European bases. The construction of air fields is being carried on at increasing speed throughout the whole peninsula, in the Balearic Islands, the Canaries, and Morocco, etc. and alongside this, a whole system of radio-telegraphic communications, code systems, installations for night-flying, laboratories, etc. To. give an idea of American "enetration in Spain, suffice it to say that in 1939, aerodromes occu, ied: 2,000 hectares, and at the present time, they occupy more than 14,700 hectares, The American naval. commission displays great activity in Spain, In the ports of Vigo, Santa Cruz, Barcelona and others, it is carrying through a great program of enlargement.of port: facilities. To this series of precise measures of preparations for war, and for unconditional submission of Franco fascism to the American imperialists, must be added the recent provisions of the,,Franco Junta for Passive Defence”.. According to the correspondent of the - International News Service, instructions have been given by the said Junta on building air-raid shelters, on extinguishing fires started by incendiary.bombs, on evacuation of the civil population from all centers’ likely to be attacked from the air. Committees are being created to study the measures to-be taken in each section of the strategic zones, Franco, the faithful servant of imperialism, is beginning to use. the vocabulary of war-mongering which he used at the beginning of the Nazi aggression. Recently, he made a speech in Seville in which he servilely offered his services. to the warmakers in waging war on the U.S.S.R., just as formerly, he offered them to Nazi Germany — thus again exposing, the agressive and fascist nature of his regime. 194 === [PDF page 210] === The Franco regime means:war for the Spanish people. for the benefit of the American imperialist magnates. The heroic guerillas of. the Association of the Levant denounce it in a manifesto addressed to all Spaniards, in which they say:,,The present government maintains itself in power in Spain above all, by the help which is given to it by imperialist, reactionary groups interested in seeing our country continue a backward and miserable state, and in order that they can more easily impose their conditions, ‘Obtain. the monopoly in exploiting the wealth of Spain and the military and strategic points necessary to the development of imperialist plans for aggression”. The growth of the people’s struggle reflects the increasing indignation which exists in Spain against Franco's provocative declarations and against the manoeuvres of the American military leaders who deal with Spain as with a conquered ccuntry. The magnificent exploits which take place each day from one end of Spain to another and which show much heroism, demonstrate that our women, our people, our youth are lined up with those who fought against Hitler's fascism, with the countries where real democratic regimes ensure well-being to all of their citizens, and with the Soviet Union which gave us such splendid, disinterested help in our war for independence and which today is the most ardent defender of the right of the Spanish nation to be free —- master of its own destiny. The struggle of the Spanish people for the Republic and for ‘democracy is becoming stronger and stronger. The most unrestrained terror cannot stifle the burning desire for freedom of our heroic people. The guerillas in the mountains of Andalusia, in Estremadura, the Levant and Galicia remind Franco and his masters every day that they have against them a fighting people which they will never subdue, no matter to what the methods they may resort. In the factories, the Spanish workers by their campaigns of demands are firmly opposing the Franco regime. The solidarity of the peasants with the guerillas show that they heve not forgotten that the People’s Republic gave them land ‘by agrarian reform and that they fight alongside the entire people to win it back and to rise from the poverty and slavery to which they are subjected by the present regime. The Spanish women participate heroically in all demonstrations against Franco's rule, for freedom and independence for their country, for peace in their homes. 195 === [PDF page 211] === Spanish women fight: because fascism has suppressed all their rights, won in a lifetime of struggle and work. Today in Spain, the woman who works is submitted to brutal exploitation. To get work under Phalangist rule, a woman is obliged to serve six months without pay in the Phalangist social organisation. When women commercial employees marry, they are dismissed because they have no longer the right to be employed. In factories, and above all in the countryside, women’s wages are much lower than men’s, In the canning factories, for example, a male worker earns 14,33 pesetas per day, a woman worker only 815 pesetas. The political and social rights granted to women by the Republic have been trampled underfoot by Franco rule. The Spanish women know that in order to be free, to ensure peace in their homes, to save their children from the terrible poverty which they are undergoing today, they must bring the weight of their efforts to bear on the common task of all Spaniards today: to tear Spain from the hands of Franco Fascism, to liberate it from foreign imperialism and to fight for an independent, democratic Spain. Spanish women take part in the heroic guerilla fighting against Franco tule. Here are some. examples: Carmen Orozco — condemned to death — and her companions Maria Blazquez, Clementina Gallego, Josephina Gonzalez Cudeiro, Mercedes Clora, Ampara Harranz, Mercedes Sanz Avellano and Flora Martinez, convicted for having helped the guerillas. This is one proof of the heroic participation of the women of our country In the struggle against Franco Fascism. The heroic fighter, Gomez Gayoso, who has just been murdered by Franco, said in the letter that he sent to his wife:,,...There are also four women prisoners who are behaving magnificently; not a single word has escaped from them. They are Maria Blazquez, whose stomach was perforated by a bullet and who is here in prison without having had the bullet removed; Clementina Gallego, who has a paralyzed leg; Carmen Oroczo, a teacher, seriously ill with a cardiac lesion; and Josefina Gonzalez Cudeiro.” At this moment, four women are in prison at Catalonia because they organized the Union of Catalan Women. To the long list of our martyred heroes, the names of Gayosa and Seoane have just been added. A new Franco fascist crime has independence, for the freedom of the peoples. 196 === [PDF page 212] === 19 men condemned to death await the dawn of the day when they will. be executed. There are tragic dawns in Spain under Franco. fascism. In Franco Spain's jails, terrorist methods take monstrous forms. Here are a few examples of what is happening in Barcelona’s Model Jail. Wilson Batle, after 75 days in the punishment cell, had to be transferred to a mad house because he had been given an injection of 10 cubic centimeters of essence of turpentine. Santiago Ubeda and Angel Marques Cortes, accused of attempting to escape, were condemned to the punishment of being shut up, completely naked, for six months in an underground cell with water oozing through the walls. But at the end of four. months, ‘they had to be taken out, the former having gone mad and the latter seriously ill with tuberculosis. The fact that there are at present 20,000 women in Franco jails shows the enormous extent of the participation of women in the fight against Franco fascism. The women of Spain struggle at the sides of the rest of the people to free their country, to re-establish the democratic Republic and against the war plans of Franco's Anglo-American protectors. The Spanish people were the first to fight against fascist aggression, Their heroic war for national liberation lasted almost three years. Millions of Spaniards fell in the course of those thirtytwo months of battles for freedom — more than Britain and America together lost in the last world war. Spanish mothers, the Spanish people, will not: permit Spain to be dragged into a war against the country of Socialism, against the great Soviet Union, against the New Democracies. If the Spanish people were able yesterday by their struggle, to prevent Franco from plunging them into the war of Nazi aggression, today, when the democratic forces throughout the world, thanks to the victory of the U.S.S.R. over Hitle1ism, are infinitely. greater, the Spanish people will know also how to prevent Spain's becoming an arms dump for Anglo-American imperialists, The struggle is hard and demands great sacrifices. The Spanish right-wing Socialists, imitating the Blums and the Mochs, under the orders of London and Washington, are lending themselves to negotiation with Franco and monarchist reaction in order to prevent Spain from becoming free and democratic. But no difficulties can stop a people which, like ours, is ready to die for freedom. 197 inc niiitttbencaiaaaSltbiiet eats tal ces sa ee saan hee tas ciated tes ita S === [PDF page 213] === Led by our great Pasionaria, our President, Dolores Ttarruri, we Spanish women urge the Spanish people to fight for victory. Long live. the heroic, anti-fascist women of Spain! Long live our great Women’s International Democratic Federation! Madame EDWARDA ORLOWSKA (POLAND) member of the Executive Committee. Dear friends, I speak in the name of the women of one of the countries most devastated by Hitler fascism. We still mourn and weep for the 6 million Polish men, women and children killed during the war. One must. see the ruins of our capital, Warsaw, in order to understand the full meaning of the werd,,war”;,,war", that word so lightly. played about with by those who know how to profit from it, how to turn blood into gold.. It is not astonishing that Polish women are fighting with all their strength to safeguard peace and freedom. It is not astonishing either that we should be fearful of the attempt to rebuild German imperialism and of Anglo-American imperialist intrigue, which, contrary to all international agreements, is making the Ruhr into a new base for agression against the countries whose sole desire is peace. The German industrialists, Hitler's collaborators, ail war criminals, are once again taking over the Ruhr metal industry. American imperialists are stirring up Cerman desizes to revise again our Western frontiers, which are a guarantee of peace. We can understand ‘the German workers, who for their part,- want to build a new Germany on a democratis basis. This struggle of the democratic forces, in which democratic German women are playing an important part, greatly interests the Polish Republic, Polish women are watching the activity of reaction in certain countries with anxiety; they are watching the attacks on the rights of the working masses whose heroic struggle they admire. We protest with indignation the persecutions of the patriots who are fighting heroically for the freedom and independence of their countries. American imperialists want to make all countries submit to their will, and want all peoples subjugated in this way to become the tools of their aggression, We know, and events confirm it, that the European populations, like those of the colonial countries, do not want to be ‘slaves. We see that the world democratic forces are fighting against all those who want to continue this exploitation. We see the growth of the democratic forces throughout the world and the strengthening of their resistance against those who want to continue the policy of 198 === [PDF page 214] === exploitation and force. The heroic struggle of the French miners and millions of French workers arouses intense interest among Polish . people, For us, Dolores Tbarruri is the symbol! of the heroic struggle against the Franco regime, which is threatening world peace. We are following the course of the historic victories of the Chinese People’s Army with great joy as it strikes terrible blows against Chiang Kai-shek, hireling of foreign imperialists. Approximately 200 ‘million people have been freed from the yoke of feudalism and capitalism in China; These -historic victories, which are destroying the plans of the imperialists and sowing disorder and confusion in their camp impress us deeply. “ We admire ‘the heroes of the Democratic Army of Greece, fighting against the attacks of the American-supported monarchofascists, We, along with all the working masses of the world, see the power of the U.S.S.R., the country of victorious socialism, increasing more and more. We know also that the power of the U.S.S.R., which freed the whole world from Hitler barbarism, is the bulwark of world peace and security. All the Polish women approve the policy of the U.S.S.R. which, in the interest of the whole world and especially of all women, demands disarmament and the outlawing of the atomic weapon. In hundreds of meetings organized in Poland, all the women have united and are ready to struggle to win this policy championed by the U.S.S.R. If Polish‘women understand that every victory of the progressive forces in all countries is their own victory, they also realise that their victory is also that of the democratic camp as a whole. Our success in economic affairs rejoices our friends and puzzles our enemies, This year our industrial production surpassed pre-war levels by 50%, Our towns are being rebuilt at ever-increasing speed. New plants and factories are working. We have no more rationing. We are rebuilding in all domains without Marshall Plan,,aid’ and without having sacrificed our freedom. We have achieved all this because we refused to submit to foreign capitalism in the guise of the Marshall plan. We owe these developments to the work of the entire population, and above all, to that of the working class and to the help of our friend, the U.S.S.R., which delivered us from Hitler barbarism. All Polish men and women await the 15th of December next with impatience, on which date our two working class parties will merge,. This unification will wipe out existing dissention in the working class and will strengthen our country, our People’s Democracy. The 199 === [PDF page 215] === lessons of the past teach us that division in the working class is the most dangerous weapon of reaction; it opens the way to fascism and to war. That is why this unification has not only national, but also international, importance. It strikes a blow at international reaction; it is a great. victory for the democratic forces. It means that the Polish Socialist Party has freed itself from the influence of the right-wing socialists, represented, for example, by Blum and Bevin. The trial of PUJAK, former General Secretary of the right-wing Polish Socialist Party, which has just closed has shown that the Polish right-wing Socialists, formér agents of PILSUDSKI, became agents of the British and American secret services after the war. They are rejected by the Polish working class. After having purged itself of these agents of imperialism and their ideological influence, the Polish working class, the Polish women, can set to work to continue the improvement of their everyday living conditions by socialist competition, Polish women joyfully hail the unification of the two working class parties because it will put an end to right-wing tendencies which had been created in the ranks of the women’s movement. The Women's Committee of the Polish Socialists has -condemned the attempts of the right-wing Socialists to set.up, on an international scale, opposition women's organisations with the aim of splitting the ranks of the W.1.D.F: Polish women are becoming more and more active in the economic, social and political life of our country. They are waking from the deep sleep into which they had been lulled during centuries of oppression and ignorance, They are now fighting for democracy, socialism and peace. We know that in other countries, our sisters, drawn up in serried ranks, understand the threat of a new war and understand that unity among women brings added strength to the democratic, anti-imperialist camp. We know well that peace camp is stronger than the camp of the war-mongers because it is composed of the New Democracies and the peoples of China, India, Spain, Greece and Palestine who are fighting heroically for their freedom; and added to it are also wider and wider sections of the working masses in the imperialist countries. The peace camp is much stronger because at its head is the invincible power, the U.S,S.R, Our Federation, our Congress — at which we women from scores of countries, mothrs of children of different-coloured skins have found a common language, have joined hands and become members of a great, progressive, peace-loving family — are they a symbol of the power of the peace camp. 200 === [PDF page 216] === We feel at home in Budapest, thanks to the hospitality of our Hungarian comrades, whom I thank in the name of the Polish delegation, but above all, thanks to the regime of the People’s Democracy, which, in Hungary as in Poland, provides the conditions for developing towards socialism, the conditions for true democracy and freedom, Precisely because we are strong, because the peace camp is stronger than the war-mongers, our enemies are redoubling their attacks and provocation, We cannot rest on our laurels. Women can and must play an active part in the>struggle for peace. The enemy is trying to demoralise the peoples, to befool them with war. propaganda, It is counting on their ignorance, on their lack of political experience. Unhappily, this propaganda finds fertile ground among certain women. It therefore follows that the political education of women is absolutely necessary. We must give particular attention to this question. The millions of women who detest war constitute a great power. This force must be mobilized in the service of peace. A second problem is particularly important for our sisters in the Anglo-Saxon countries, and in those countries under the Marshall Plan. It is the fight against reactionary propaganda, against the war-mongers, against the calumnies aimed at the Soviet Union and the New Democracies. It is to make known the role of the U.S.S.R., defender of peace and of the national independence of all countries. The third problem is the need to develop international solidarity still further, above all, the bonds of friendship with the U.S.S.R. We must also help our sisters in India. China, Greece, Spain etc. We must popularise widely their struggles and the situation in their countries, The fourth problem is this: to co-ordinate the activity of the Women's International Democratic Federation for peace with that of other international organisations, such as the World Federation of Trade Unions, the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the International Federation of Former Political Prisoners etc. This collaboration is necessary both on national and international levels. We promise you that the Polish women will continue their fight for a lasting peace against the provokers of war. We promise to rally the greatest possible number of Polish women under the banner of the Women's International Democratic Federation. 201 === [PDF page 217] === Madame Rosetta LONGO FAZIO (Italy) In the report presented by Madame Maria Rossi on the tasks of women in the struggle for peace and democracy, it was emphasized that the Marshall Plan is not a plan for the reconstruction of Western Europe, but in fact a plan of colonisation and preparation for war. Wallace's words,,The Marshall Plan serves the ends of American businessmen and militarists* are confirmed by the real political situation in. Italy, The attention paid by imperialist circles to our country is justified by its important position, as much from the strategic and military point of view as from the political and economic standpoint, s Today, the imperialists want to enslave Italy economically and politically, so that tomorrow they can use our country as a depot for the atomic bomb, as a starting point for their bombers; so that they can transform our ports into naval bases and utilize our men for their war aims. In their plan to enslave Italy, the Americans have the whole government, from the Liberals to the Right-Wing Socialists, at their service. Just as Hitler could former'y rely on the collaboration of the Fascist leaders with the active agreement of the Italian capitalists, so today, these same capitalists are determined to collaborate with the American imperialists in order to safeguard their own class privileges even though they cannot be in favor of making concessions to these over-seas monopoly capitalists. Yesterday, it was class interests which were at the bottom of the policy of wealthy Italian circles, that is to say, the policy of the government in power which represented them; and itis the same today. It was the present government which took upon itself the grave responsivility of imposing two essential things on the Italian working people: 1) the economic consequences of Italy's,,Marshallisation” with all that that implies — the liquidation of certain Italian industries, limitation of Italian exports to the Eastern European countries, and the consequent aggravation of unemployment, poverty and hunger for a large part of the Italian workers and their families, and, 2) the ideological and military preparation for a third world war. The actions of our present government show clearly its determination to help to strenghten and extend the,.Western Bloc’, to speed up the transformation into political and military pacts of the economic agreements concluded beiween the. United States and the Western countries. Carrying out such a policy means, first and foremost, that measures must be taken against the standard of living of 202 === [PDF page 218] === ‘the working masses, and against democratic liberties. Only peace can ensure our democracy; on the other hand, only a real democratic regime can ensure for us the maintaining of peace. Since the exclusion of Left-wing parties from the government in January ‘1947, a condition imposed by the United States, we have seen a whole series of attempts by the ruling classes to split the working masses, to isolate the forces of the Left, and to destroy the democratic. organisations. The crisis within the Socialist Party and the consequent formation of a typical Right-wing Social Democratic Party. Saragat’s party, serving the purpose today of giving the Italian government a false sacialists label; the attempts to split our great trade union organisation; the attack against the life of the leader of the opposition, Palmiro Togliatti, the guide and defender of the Italian workers — these are only milestones on the road by which they hope to set up a new fascist system in Italy. The Italian people, who suffered so much under the fascist yoke, dragged as they were into a war of aggression and plunder, who won back their honor by their heroic struggle for. national liberation, cannot accept and never will accept such a policy. This policy will never be accepted by the Italian women who take an active part in social and political life, who were in the forefront in the struggle for liberation, as they are today in the struggle for bread, for work, for democratic liberties and for peace. They know that defending the living conditions of the peasants and the workers, they are at the same time defending our industry, our agriculture and even our economy. and national independence. This is why they play an active part in the econontic and trade union struggles, in the struggles of the naval shipyards of Piaggio, the naval factories of Naples, in the Florence and Milan factories, in the spinning mills ‘of Cremona, in the battles of the agricultural workers of Puglio, in those of the rice swamps in the valley of Padama and in the Sicilian sulphur mines. Everywhere, the Italian women fight alongside their men comrades and they expose themselves to police repression, to baton blows, to imprisonment, in the same way as do the men. The general strike on July 14th last, the response to the attempt on Palmiro Togliatti’s life, which, with the complete and spontaneous participation of the whole Italian people paralysed the life of the country for two days, -resulted in still more violently repressive police methods, 16 were killed and numbers were wounded, among whom were parliamentary representatives of the people. I am recalling here our 203 === [PDF page 219] === friend and. collaborator, the deputy -Elettra Pollastrini, who was beaten up by the police. There were more than 5,000 arrests, including hundreds and hundreds of women, In the Tuscany area \ alone, 37 working women were arrested. . Allow me to send fraternal greetings from this tribune to the | Italian mothers and working women still in prison, guilty only of having wished to defend democratic liberties. Police repression will not prevent uf from carrying on the struggle for peace by exposing the provokers and makers of war and their Italian acacomplices; | it will not prevent us from drawing around us the women of Italy. The police tried in vain to tear the pages of signatures for peace from the hands of our comrades in the markets and streets. In vain, they tried to prevent the collection of symbolic lira in support of the delegation which was to take to Paris 3 million signatures demanding disarmament and peace. | In Turin, Novarro, Naples, in all Italian towns, impressive peace demonstrations have taken place; in the city of Rome alone, in the space of a few hours, 20,000 people gave their symbolic one lira. In all countries, the fight continues and intensifies. The Union of Italian Women has begun a great popular movement in support of Pietro Nenni's parliamentary activity against Italy's adherence to the,,Western Bloc’, The Italian women's contribution tothe struagle for peace and democracy is important; nevertheless, we must not forget that there are millions of women in Italy, who, because of their backward conditions of life and under the influence of the tradition of the clergy, can give support to Italian and world reaction. uCatholic Action” (L'Azione Cattolica), a powerful organization with ramifications reaching even the tiniest villages, works actively to defend the interests of international capitalism. The bourgeosie and the feudal aristocracy, allied with the high ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Vatican, inspire and support the class policy of the Italian government, Revolting against such a confounding of the sacred and the profane, more and more numerous groups of Catholic women are joining our women's organisation and support the unity policy of the democratic parties. At the same time as retaining intact their religious faith, they energetically reject all reactionary political interference by the clergy and by semi clerical organisations.. The forces of peace, democracy and progress are increasing their pressure to prevent our government from precipitating our 204 === [PDF page 220] === country anew into poverty and war; to prevent it also from preparing Italy materially and ideologically for submission to all the consequences of the Marshall Plan, including a third world war directed against the Soviet Union and the New Democracies. Alongside our friends from all countries; those who have already won democracy and freedom, those who are fighting arms in hands to win it, and those, who, like ourselves, know the pressure of reactionary and imperialist governments, the Italian women are resolved to prevent the imperialists from carrying out their criminal plan, are resolved to defend freedom and peace, whatever the conditions of the struggle. A well-known Italian statesman, when he received the delegation on its return from Paris where it had gone to present the proof of the Italian women’s will to peace, told them that the three million signatures presented there would serve no other purpose than that of enlarging the archives of the U.N.O.; and that action in favor of peace would resolve itself into a mere piece of bureaucracy. At this, one of the women delegates present, a brave 65-year old mother, who had lost five sons deported to Germany, of whom three died in the Auschwitz crematorium, replied that it will never be possible to reduce to mere archives the determined will to peace) of three million Italian women. With the same conviction and the same determination, despite al] the manoeuvres, threats and reprisals of world imperialism, we can state that today, no one will ever be able to reduce to archives our unshakable determination to defend peace at all costs, a determination which animates 80 million women of 57 countries, whose representatives are taking part in this Congress with us. Madame FANNY EDELMAN (ARGENTINE) member of the Executive Committee. Dear friends, before speaking on,,The Participation of Women in the Fight for Peace and Democracy”, allow me to convey to you the most cordial and fraternal greetings of the thousands of women grouped in the Union of Argentine Women, which has made our presence at this magnificent assembly possible. Our organisation is united with you in the defence of peace progress and social justice. We have covered thousands of miles from the South of our faroff Latin America to come and make our voices heard, to tell you of our sufferings and hopes at this assembly of women who speak different tongues, have different customs, profess different. opinions, but who are united by a single aspiration, by a single goal which 205 === [PDF page 221] === ¢rosses all frontiers: the noble and patriotic goal of defending with all the strength that our high mission of creating life gives us, the future of our children, the independence of our countries, and peace for all the nations of the world. Our young organisation which reflects the aims of the great mass of Our women, which defends the demands of mothers, housewives, workers and intellectuals, which fights consistently to defend friendship among peoples and for peace in the world, which denounces the provocative policies of the new,,masters of war", is obliged to work in an atmosphere of persecution and hostility. The forces of reaction, the servants of fascism, the. falangist clergy continually persecute our movement. All of the headquarters of our groups in Buenos Aires have been closed; all of the public demonstrations we have planned have been prohibited. Our delegations to the Parliament, sent to demand a reduction in the cost of living, have been disbanded by the police. Our campaigns in defence of Republican Spain must be carried on in semi-clandestinity. Our delegations to the Franco embassy which went to protest against ‘the execution of Spanish patriots have been imprisoned. Almost 100 Argentine women were sentenced for the,,crime” of demanding an end to the executions and terrorism in Spain. In an attempt to prevent our trip here, not only were all obstacles put in our paths with respect to our getting passports — one of our delegates received her visa only two days before the. boat sailed — but they also arrested for, begging and vagrancy" the members of our organisation who were collecting funds in public. The Women's Cultural Association, a group of professional women and intellectuals is victim of the same police and political persecution as our organisation. But, as is always true with just causes, neither police repression nor political provocation can stop the increasing development of our struggles and the confidence in our Organisation among the masses. Dear friends, we did not live through the horrors of the war against nazi-fascism, we had no wounds to bandage nor Icved ones to mourn, But from the first moment, we made our own, the cause of the people who were fighting against terrorist oppression, against the crimes and hatred of nazi-fascism, and we fought in a distant rearguard: by organizing the solidarity of our people with the countries which won the peace. We knew well that the integrity of our homes and the future of our children, as well as the rights of our women, were also dangerously threatened. The hearts of our wives and mothers beat in unison with yours. Your tremendous 206 === [PDF page 222] === battles, your tears and sufferings aroused the real solidarity of the ‘women of all America. We were unable to act in any other way. Daughters. of a people who were able to break the chains of Spanish domination, who contributed to. the liberation of our sister American nations, we have been educated in the school of democracy, of sovereignty and national independence. We hate with all our hearts the oppression and terrorist dictatorship of fascism. That is why we fought then and that is why we are fighting today against the heirs of fascism, against the fomenters of-a new war. The groups who defend British colonial oppression, the rulers of Wall Street with atom bomb in hand, wish to sow the seeds of hatred among peoples and are proclaming on the five continents that a new war is-inevitable. We are fighting against imperialism because we ourselves are suffering. greatly from colonialism and because we know well that women's rights will never be realized, that we will never be able to exercise them freely without a demucratic and progressive system which effectively defends the economic and political. independence of the nation -—- without’ a system which will. destroy forever the ‘great seigneurs of the earth, the oligarchy of big land-lords, the absolute owners of thousands of acres of our Argentine soil, who, ‘closely linked with Anglo-American imperialism, have exploited and continue to exploit the Argentine people solely for their profit. Our immense territory covers approximately three million square kilometres, The soil is extraordinarily tertile and the earth beneath contains still unextracted riches. Its agricultural production and cattle-raising, the forests and mines, the petroleum. deposits, properly administered, could benefit abundantly not only the 16 million inhabitants of our country, but millions of inhabitants of other countries, But almost the entire wealth of the country is in the chands of the oligarchy. of land-owners and the imperialist trusts which: have deformed the economy of our country by making it into a producer and exporter of raw materials and petroleum and an importer of manufactured products. The existence of the big land-owners which means misery and slavery for the workers, illiteracy and undernourishment of children, breaking up of families, growing impoverishment of masses of peoples is leading to alarming depopulation of the countryside. Thus, in this chiefly agricultural and cattle-raising country, three-quarters of the population is to be found in the cities, 207 === [PDF page 223] === _ -15 families own almost 3 million hectares of the land. 1,840 proprietors own land of which the total area is greater than that of England, Belgium and Holland together. It is clear that this advantageous situation of the landed aristocracy has been able to be maintained only because of submission to foreign monopolies, English and American. which penetrated our country at the end of the last century and which, with railways (today nationalised), cold storage, banks, electricity companies, exportation of grain etc., placed under their influence almost all of the nation’s production, Proof of this is given by the office of,,Co-ordinator of Interamerican Affairs’, which functions in Washington and which calculated American inwestments in the Argentine for the year 1940 at 573,500,000 dollars, These investments, and the establishing of American industries in the Argentine have continued since. then, and the interest is already 2 billion Argentine pesus, and substantial dividends go to fill the pockets of the Yankee magnates. Enormous profits are realised by the industries listed above. For example, the Swift meat packing and cold storage industry in 1947) made 31 million pesos as profits. Other monopolies such as Anderson-Clayton own the cotton producing industries, Standard Oil owns great oi] deposits; Squibb and Sons, Abbot's and Parke Davis have the monopoly in the manufacture of chemical products, etc. etc. Millions of pesos which feed the great imperialist trusts are piled up at the expense of the sweat of the inhumanly exploited Argentine workers, in the great cold storage and meat packing plants, in agricultural work. Naturally as in other countries, so in ours also the deep antiimperialist feeling characteristic of the peoples of Latin America is growing, and the popular movement of resistance to oligarchic reaction and imperialism is developing on this account. As the masses of the people unite, developing confidence in their own strength and understanding for the enormous value of unity in the struggle for their economic demands, so the pressure of imperialism to maintain and increase its economic and political privileges grows, too, J The Rio de Janeiro, Havana, and Bogota Conferences were the eloquent demonstrations of what we say; despite the resistance of some countries, among which was our country, to being handed over completely to imperialism, the latter imposed its aim on us all. The Marshall Plan for economic domination, and the Truman Plan for organising a continent-wide army under American orders, 208 === [PDF page 224] === with the establishment of air, naval and land bases in Latin America, ate two aspects of the same imperialist policy. These plans for economic expansion, for colonisation for. subjugation to. the international trusts, for dissolution of the national armies and their incorporation in the great army of imperialism, aré an Outrage to national dignity, and mean the total destruction of the sovereignty of our peoples, : In the name of the so-called,,defence” of the American continent, the Truman Plan wants te have at its beck and call a,,peace army” of five million men, of whom a million and a half to two million will be sent to the United States. _ Who threatens the peoples of Latin America, if not the aggressive imperialism which has already delivered, through the Lend Lease scheme, armaments to the value of 400 million dollars, and which at the present time delivers war surplus goods to the value of many more millions to the governments which accept the Truman Plan unconditionally? Who threatens the peoples of Latin America, if not the imperialism which to defend its oil interests does not hesitate to nourish civil war in Paraguay? And while its lackeys in this country are quarelling among themselves about the leadership of the State, millions of homes have been broken up, thousands of men and women have been imprisoned and many among them murdered; women and even little 8 year old girls have ben raped; workers have been’ thrown out of their factories; schools have been closed down; hundreds of teachers have been made destitute, and exiled, and the army replaced by armed bands. The courageous women of Paraguay have embraced the cause of their people with all their hearts, and, for nearly ten years, have met with tireless resistance the fascist dictatorship which has put Paraguay under foreign domination, In the name of our courageous sisters in Paraguay, we want to ask this Congress to demand of this Government that the prisoners should receive more humane treatment, that the persecutions should cease, and that men and women who have not been tried should be set free, Who threatens Latin America, if not the imperialism which has bought the consciences of the Chilean government for a handful of dollars, imposing on it the so-called,,law in defence of democracy” in the name of which more than 30,000 citizens, workers and peasants, educators and poets like the great Pablo Neruda, deputies and senators, had their political rights taken from them, because they wanted their country to be independent; free and sovereign? 209 ‘ 14 Tach etn ial === [PDF page 225] === Concentration camps for the people of Chile; that is what American imperialism has demanded of its satellites in this country. In the Pisagna concentration camp are the best sons of this mother country, stripped of their rights as citizens. There are many women in the prisons, among them Julieta Campusano, city councillor of Santiago in Chile, siriking figure in the women’s movement; arrested when she was already in Jabour, she had her baby in prison. It is because of these things that our women neighbours in Chile and Paraguay, those courageous women who honour the liberal and progressive traditions of the American peoples, are not with us today. American imperialism, through the intermediary of its lackeys, has prevented them from telling you themselves how hard the fight is, $ Who is threatening the people of Latin America if not imperialism, which has made Panama a strategic base for America, which is master of Porto Rico, which had the leaders of the Cuban working class assassinated and which is trying to unseat the democratic government of Venezuela? Who is threatening Latin America if not imperialism, which organizes coups d’états, overthrows governments and puts into power those who defend monopoly’s interests, such as is true in Peru? Who is threatening Latin America if not imperialism, which. tries to foment between brother peoples and proves it by the words of its spokesmen,,,Let's arm, equip and train the armies of thege countries in order to be able to promote bigger and better wars in Latin America”? But we reply to the imperialists, using the words of one of the most famous figures in our history, General Jose de San Martin, that the time of oppression has gone. We, who had songs of liberty for our lullabies, remain faithful to our history of freedom which has made every Argentine woman, every woman of America, a consistent defender of democracy, progress, independence and the sovereignty of their homeland. We will never allow our peoples to become slaves, and we shall oppose with the strength of our unity to the claims of these new war-lords, to defend our children’s lives and the progressive future of our America.. The ideological infiltration of imperialism is shown on the other hand by the upholding of the so-called,,defence of. the Spanish- American tradition”, which openly favours the penctration of the fascist conceptions of the Spanish Falangists. Our hearts, the hearts of true Argentine and American women, are filled with deep sadness and with great indignation when they. 210 === [PDF page 226] === see these attempts to indentify our people with fascist Spain, covered with the blood spilled by Franco, whose cultural, military and diplomatic attachés travel back and forth between Spain and Ame- Tica, and especially between Spain and the Argentine, These people exalt the,Spanish" character of the Falange and want to lull to sleep the true sentiments of brotherly democracy which exist between our peoples and those of the mother country, The,,Christian-socialist” policies of the Spanish Falange which is agreed to by the most reactionary sections of the clergy is surreptitiously penetrating our universities and lower schools. In order to facilitate this penetration, revisionist historians, hirelings of the Falange, are daring to assert that our cultural, philosophic and political traditions are rooted in the reactionary currents of Spanish history — denying the enormous influence of the French Revolution on the liberation of the peoples of America, as well as the influence of the Encyclopedists and the Utopian Socialists of the last century, and the currents of economic liberalism which helped us to break the fetters imposed on our country by Spanish colonialism. Argentine women protest against this ultra-reactionary penetration which would return the peoples of America to the past culturally, politically and ideologically, and which would mean for women the loss of all their civil and political gains.. We will struggle to prevent our children from serving interests inimicable to those of freedom and progress for all peoples, we will defend the right of future generations to form their social ideas in: a democratic atmosphere. We will rear our children to love Spain — but the Spain of Delores Ibarruri and the guerillas of Aragon and of the Levant. We will rear them to love the people of the mother country by teaching them the patriotic lesson of its martyrs and its heroes, such as Ramon Via, Augustin Zoroa, Manuel Sanchez, Jose Gomez Gayoso and Antonino Seone, 4 Dear friends, here is what threatens Latin America: the intensified offensive of imperialism which concentrates on the points of least resistance to be found on the American continent, and then uses all means to obtain surrender to its domination. With respect to the Argentine, which, to a certain extent, resists total submission to Wall Street, the reactionaries, the big land: owners and the pro-fascist elements which form part of the present government are forming alliances with like groups which are now opposed to the present government, in order to deliver the country more quickly to Yankee imperialism. Argentine spokesmen at the 211. === [PDF page 227] === U.N.O. are Openly defending the,,Western bloc”, the,,third force”. They are supporting Franco in contradiction to the anti-Franco, anti-imperialist, democratic position of the Argentine people, who want a democratic country and political and economic freedom from imperialist pressure. In this struggle, a great responsibility weighs on our people and on us, the women. It is we who mist help to defeat the plans of the fomenters of war and the atomic bomb diplomats, In this fight against imperialism, one of our fundamental tasks is to work harder to unite the women, to strengthen the bonds which link the women throughout the world, and especially those of America. We stress the importance of America in defending peace, because imperialism, knowing that it has lost the game in Europe and Asia, wants to convert America into a base of operations. Not only are criminals of war invading our country — former soldiers of Anders‘ Polish Army, Fritz Mandel’s munitions, reactionaries of all kinds fleeing the New Democracies, nobles who have lost their priveleges — but parallel to this invasion of rotten élements, the pressure of clerical reaction and imperialism are growing.. _ That is why we deem it urgent, at least where our country is concerned, to redouble the fight of the women for their rights and for the rights of children; to increase all efforts in the patriotic task of defending the economic and political independence of each nation; to protest and fight against all regimes based on racial or religious discrimination; to earnestly support the liberation movements of the colonial and dependent peoples; to increase pressure on the U.N.O. in order that it shall remain faithful to the agreements on which its constitution is based so that it shall contribute effectively to the cause of peace and independence for the peoples; to isolate the warmongers and mercilessly denounce their national lackeys, and to Promote still greater moral and material solidarity with all peoples who are fighting for their freedom. In addition, we ask this Congress to give particular attention to our country, aiding the consolidation and development of our national organisations. We think it very important that the organisations of North, Central aud South America maintain the very closest relations by establishing, through the W.LD.F., a regular coalition which will benefit the women’s movement of all America and which will strengthen the latter's contribution to the work of the Federation; aie 212 === [PDF page 228] === Further, a powerful women’s movement, would be a decisive.force in the development of resistance against imperialism by the peoples of Latin America, whose supreme will shall be manifested, - without doubt, at a Congress which, at the call of the former President of Mexico, General Cardenas, will be convened next February and at which the women of our country will be represented. Dear friends, may the force of our unily and the justice of our struggle, proved in the course of this magnificent assembly, hasten the triumph of the democratic forces which are laying the basis for a new society in which brotherhood between peoples and salidarity between: men will flourish. As for us, you may be sure that your example guides our struggles and that the women of the Argentine as well as those of all Latin America, are united with you to stop the shedding of the blood of our sons, to stop new giaves from being duy, to slop a new war from being let loose on the world. We, the women of the Argentine, tell you solemnly that our children will never serve the forces of imperialism, We say to you that our sons will never go to war against the great Soviet Union and the New Democracies, America wants peace, and we assure you that We will serve peacel, Madame RADA TODOROVA (BULGARIA) Before speaking on the report concerning the activity of the Women's International Democratic Federation in its struggle for peace and democracy, allow me to extend to you the warm greetings of al] Bulgarian women, We, the women of Bulgaria, are proud to be a part of the powerful army of women from every corner of the world who are fighting for peace and democracy. We are particularly proud to have been among those who founded the Women’s International Democratic Federation. The road over which the W.I.D.F. has journeyed during the three years since its founding has been our road. The progress made and the successes achieved by the W.LD.F. in strengthening the forces of peace and democracy have also been ours. The organisation of Bulgarian women has taken a concrete part in all of the international activities organized and directed by the W.LD.F, The people in the most distant corners of our country know that the W.LD.F, exists; they know why it fights and that we are a part of this Federation. The portraits of the beloved President of the W.LD.F., Madam Cotton, and of the two highly-honored Vice- 213 === [PDF page 229] === Presidents, Madam Nina Popova and,.La Pasionaria”, adorn the club-houses of all of our womens’ groups. The emblem of the Federation embellishes all of our fetes and demonstrations. Why are Bulgarian women so proud to belong to this organisation? Because this Federation is not like the others; it is not an ordinary pacifist group such as existed before the second world war, but an organisation of a new kind — an organisation for struggie! It is a group which does not lul] to sleep the conscience of women, but, on the contrary, clarifies for them the causes of war, exposes the true organizers and instigators of a new world war and teaches women how to fight against them and that peace is wndisputably linked to the struggle for democracy. Our people suffered particularly from the war. Our country, lying on the path that leads to the East, was always a coveted object for imperialist ambitions and forces. We had the misfortune to fall under German domination but we had never really been free. During the 70 years of our existence as an independent country we were four times invaded by war; thus Bulgarian women have never ceased to wear mourning. Our people, our mothers have endured all the sufferings of war which they hate and against which they are resolved to fight, Our people were the first to fall under the yoke of fascism, For 25 years, our beautiful country was stained with the blood of fascist terrorism, During those years we mourned 100,000 victims; one-seventh of our population was confined to prisons and camps, There was not a single village in our land without a prison and those prisons were filled with the best sons and daughters of the Bulgarian people, Our whole country was transformed into a gigantic prison and freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of thought did not exist. Years passed: under tne shadow of the scaffold, the fighters fur peace ana democracy were subjected to a merciless inquisition. Thousands of people spent long years in prison, But the women did not bow their heads; they fought more ardently and more tenaciously at the price of heavy sacrifices. ° Under the leadership of the Communist Party, our people revolted against the fascists for the first time on September 23, 1923. The son of our glorious working class, Georges Dimitrov, was the first fighter agamst fascism which was then threatening Europe and the world. It was he who called on ali of the people of the world to Tesist the enemy, Only a people which has suffered for a long time knows the value of liberty regained. And if today the Bulgarian woman has become a free citizen in our People’s Republic, with full and equal rights; if she plays a leading role in the affairs.and_ the. recon- 214. === [PDF page 230] === struction of our country; if she can look without fear toward the future and with calm toward the life and happiness of her children, she knows- to whom she owes all this: to the great Soviet Union, Each Bulgarian woman knows that her first maternal duty is to raise her children in a spirit of gratitude and everlasting love toward the Soviet Union, our liberator from the slavery of fascism, and to support it with our hopes in the spirit of love of all our democratic people — to support it in the hatred of fascism. and {mperialism, perpetrators of a new war. The war- mongers frighten the peoples with talk of a kind of vifon curtain" which supposedly seperates East from West and behind which, they claim, no one knows. what is going on in the world and no one can gain entrance. But we say,,,Come, if you wish, look around”, And everyone who has eyes may see the truth: in a country such as ours, which for many years remained in a state ‘of semi-colonia] dependence, which was in a backward state of industrial development, which had been victim of three successive droughts, in this country there is. no crisis, no unemployment, no inflation, There are no hungry, homeless children and the entire nation is building, building, building. We are building factories, child centers and nurseries, maternity centers and hospitals, schools and. universities, roads, bridges and electrical stations. The purchasing power of our workers is increasing every day. Our women work as producers in large numbers; their children are cared for by the ‘State; all of the schools and universities are open to them; any kind of job for which they are qualified is open to them... The report which we have just heard on the activity of the international women’s movement in its struggle for peace and democracy, has made a clear distinction between the two camps: on one side are those who want a new war, those who are preparing for it and those whose interests are served thereby. On the other side are those who are struggling against war and tor peace and democracy. But it seems to me that it is necessary to present more evidence of the existing forces in the anti-imperialist front and to emphasise that these forces are growing each day. We must stress the fact that after the second world war the situation changed in favor of socialism. The Soviet Union, which was nine-tenth responsible for the resounding victory over fascist Germany, which made enermous sacrifices in both men and materials, on whose soil the war was fought is today even stronger than before the war. At her side after the second world war arose and developed the new People’s Democracies, which, taken together, constitute a second Soviet Union. 215 === [PDF page 231] === Along with this gigantic. peace front, there are developing democratic movements in other countries: in France, Italy, China, Greece and even in the United States of Ameiica. The forces of our Federation are also growing. Yesterday, we admitted new groups into our ranks, thousands of women ready to strive with all their might against the planners and instigators of a new war, ready to thwart the manoeuvres which tend to divide Europe into East and West. The declarations of that great leader, the spiritual guide of all peoples who are struggling for peace and democracy, Stalin, which were made to the correspondent of the newspaper,,Pravda", ought to. be known by all of the women and mothers in the world. The horrors of the second world war are still alive in the memory of ordinary people. But the new pretenders to world domination, who equally hate the countries where socialism is at work, certainly must remember the fate of Hitler. War is not inevitable. But we must fight against it. I call all mothers criminal who, at a time of danger, bury their heads in the sand as does the ostrich, who fear political activity, who by their very passivity create danger for the life and happiness of their children, Our Federation really represents the women who constitute onehalf of the world’s population. We are millions and if-we say that war shall not be, it is possible to prevent it! In this respect, there is a particularly great responsibility incumbent upon our sisters in the U.S.A. and in Great Britain: they must, step by step, expose all of the war preparations of their governments and must fight against their military propaganda. The position taken by the Soviet Union before the United Nations must be made clear to each women, each mother. Our duty is to prevent the United Nations Organisation being transformed into a weapon, an instrument of war. Our task is to support the proposal for disarmament, for banning of atomic arms and to struggle in this way for world security. Our cause is a just cause and we will win;. Long live the Second Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Long live the woman allover the world who are fighting for democracy and peace! Long live the Soviet Union, the living symbol of the hopes of all workers of the worldl. Madame OLGA LUZARDO (VENEZUELA) I come from Venezuela, a country of vast, virgin territory, of rich petroleum deposits which fill the greedy hands of the imperial- 216 === [PDF page 232] === ists and, instead, of contributing to cur happiness, have brought -pain and misery to our people. Almost 5 million inhabitants live on the rich earth of my country. Nearly 400,000 men are employed in the oi] industry; as to the remainder of the population, 70% are peasants, 30% are artisans, proffesional people, big plantation owners, very rich cattle merchants, and industrial capitalists. Our economy has developed in two ways: (1) by agricultural exploitation of huge plantations growing chiefly coffee and cocoa for internal consumption and for export. Tue latter, however, is decreasing each day as shown by national statistics, because of the opposition of the imperialists who, with the approval of the creole plantation owners, are transforming the agricultural production of our country, Thus, instead of being intensified, our agricultural production is being slowed up, for example, the production of sugar cane, alcoholic drinks, smal] fruits, as well as the raising of cattle. (2) by the exploitation with Yankee capital of petroleum and like products, which has impaired the independence of our country — not only by onerous contracts but also by shameful alliances formed by creole leaders who, despite the prestige lent by their dignified appearance and their former gestures of independence, are today making various concessions.,: Officially, we are not a colony. But, in fact, we are a semi-colonial people, forced to struggle for our own national. liberation. Our constitution is one of the most progressive in America, as well as our labour legislation, and our electoral laws, in the hands of a real people’s State would assure universal suffrage and the secret ballot. But you know already the wide gap which exists between written laws, the laws that all our progressive men and women won. by fighting in the streets — and by the development of our workers’ organisations — and the actual enforcement of these laws. Our constitution states that we are a sovereign people but the industrialists of our country cannot make a single move toward changing the methods of exploitation in their industries without first wondering how the masters will react. We have. iron — we have not yet calculated in what quantities. Venezuelans know that we could well make plans for its utilization; but the machines which come from North America are rationed in such a way as to prevent our producing in large quantities, goods which it is interested in placing on our markets. When elections are held, the mass of independent people are afraid to vote for candidates who are absolutely anti-imperialist. They believe it necessary to choose someone who will resist, in part, the petroleum | 217 === [PDF page 233] === dealers, but who will not be considered by them as an antagonist. lest they then invade our country in order to,defend their oil wells”, In our country, 57% of the population are women, women who for-many years, beginning with our fight for independence from monarchist and merchant Spain have carried on the tradition of going off to battle alongside of the men. La Campos, popular heroine who preferred to die attached to a donkey, flogged by the executioner, than to agree to the surrender which famine forced upon her comrades; Luisa Caseres de Arismondi, who preferred having her head shaved and forgetting the light of the sun in a sombre prison cell, rather than submit, These are not exceptions. Our unforgettable Concho, oganizer of the underground resistance against the tyrant, Gomez, and the other women who incited the rebellion of 1928 against this same tyrant are but a few names among the million of women who have formed a solid front-line of struggle. it was in 1936 that our men and women ended that heroic epoch and began to advance by means of modern organization. Since then, the progress of women has moved through two stages. The first stage was characterised by the participation of women of all classes in an organized movement demanding that the proposed Constitution then being considered by our assembly should grant to women: the right ‘to vote; access to liberal] professions, which, though then existing, was not specified by law; equal pay for equal work; the exercise of legal parental guardianship by unmarried mothers over their children, as well as support to such children by their real fathers; equal rights with other children for those which the law called, illegitimate”,,. natural” or,,adulterous”; economic equality for women including the power to dispose of their own property, make contracts and buy and sell, without the consent of their husbands; and the free exercise of her profession. To this movement is added the struggle led by the trade union movement and that against the Lopez-Contrerista regime, a completely anti- popular rule. In the region of Zulia, the tobacco workers, the shoe workers and the textile workers were quick to become a part of this movement. In the textile mills of the Capital and in the candy factories where large numbers of. women work by hand, the women are often organized and the so-called,,omestic workers", the most difficult group, who are generally servants in hotels, in private homes and in places of business also have become part of this drive, Since we are living in a period of difficult,,illegality", for all -practical purposes if not according to the law, the popular organi- 218 === [PDF page 234] === sations have created leagues fort the defense of political prisoners. We can say with pride that the women are the heart and soul of © these associations for aid to the persecuted. It is our leagues which have fed the starving children, aided the desperate mothers and encouraged the frightened wives. We carry not only material but moral aid to ihose who are imprisoned for having defended democracy,: The men of Zulia remember with enthusiasm the demonstration by 10,000 women at Maracaibo, in which women from many villages and rural sections participated. They came on horseback and in sailboats which were very uncomfortable for long trips across the lakes, and for long distances on foot, in order to obtain freedom for those imprisoned for political and trade union activities. And the petroleum workers have never forgotten that at the time when they were not yet as conscious as they are today, when misery and prostitution were devastating their camps, there were Zulia women who went into their quarters, braving the fury of the white extortioners of the natives, in order to bring them to a realization of their tights. They remember still the historic days of the great antiimperialist strike of 1937 when the Venezuelan women took the strikers’ children, jed them to the Capital and to other homes in the provinces, in order that they should not suffer because of the strike, that they should not make heavier the economic burden of their parents on strike and thus, the women helped to maintain morale in the workers’ camps. They recall with pride work of those women who took part in the campaign to popularise the strike especially among the artisans and housewives who raised money to feed that vast contingent of strikers for more than a month. And it is the women who took the intiative in what later became a national institution; the Popular Universities, In these Popular Universities, illiterates are taught to read and later come elementary courses in law, civics etc. The youth, with characteristic enthusiasm, has aided us greatly, And now, under many different names and with State aid, there are many centers of this type, in which the percentage of women factory and clerical workers is often greater than that of the men, Legally, we have the same political, social and economic rights as the men. We have also the same duties except that we are excluded from military service. Up to the time of the coup d’Etat of 1945, our people did not have the direct right to vote. Women constituted the best propagandists in the struggle for the Constitutional Congress, a struggle which had 219 === [PDF page 235] === a mass character. The first series of lectures on this subject were made by our Women's Cultural Group. After the election of the Constitutional Congress, with women in Parliament, our mobilisation of the masses became constant. From the most distant regions, We received letters with thousands of signatures demanding our equality with men before the law. Trade unions, white-collar workers and peasants leagues have helped us. The most reactionary circles opposed,,our pretentions” but in the end, they had to retreat before the avalanche of our activities. The spectators benches in Parliament and the nearby streets in the Capital were a sea of women each time, Old women, young women industrial workers, domestics, artisans, Students, artists, writers, professional women, housewives — some with children in their arms —- came down from the mountains, came from the most far-away corners. And we got what we wantedl. The moment that the law recognized our rights, a new phase began. The women’s front disappeared. The women of the upper middle class and the wealthy landowners were the first to drop out. They already had the possibility, just as did the men, of exploiting human labour and of gaining political positions, an ambition very widespread among priveleged classes in our country. The bureaucratic, well-to-do, lower middle classes were already satistied. The women then rallied to various political parties according to their class and their economic interests, to the trade unions according to their professions and the strictly women's front was abandoned. But the lower class women, the artisans, the workers and even the women who formed part of small-scale industry, as well as the peasant ‘women, committed a grave error in demobilizing and permitting the women’s front to dissolve. Why? Because the right to vote, which begins at 18 years of age, without distinction as to race, sex or level of, education, enables us to maintain in the Legislature, in the municipal councils and as President of the Repulic, persons capable of establishing the limits of the democratic guarantees won by us. But it does not ensure the actual practice of the rights obtained in the different domains, even though guaranteed by law. This being true, the exercise of legal parental guardianship by unmarried mothers which we acquired is in certain cases wrongly interpreted by judges of both sexes, influenced by feudal conceptions. The principle of equal pay for equal work is altered by various subterfuges and protection of children is so miserable, so theoretical and so parsimonious that in the towns, the numbers of sellers of lottery tickets, beggars and vagrants is increasing with frightening 220 === [PDF page 236] === tapidity. In the country, children begin to do housework at the age of 5 years and are hired out to the plantation owners and to village families at the age of 7. They are even utilized as little,laborers” at-a salary of 0.75 bolivars per day. There are so few school canteens that scarcely 1% of the pupils benefit by them. The children of families who live in farming districts far from school, who have the greatest need for these canteens, do not even know of their existence, There are very few schools and these accomodate a much greater number of students than is normal; hundreds of children cannot attend even in the Capital. _ The baby centers which our labor legislation guarantees us for enterprises employing more than 30 workers have not been established, There are no centers to care for the children of working mothers, who must leave them with neighbors who are as poor as they and who are already charged with the care of their own children, ‘ Our labor laws establish that women must be granted maternity leave beginning six weeks before the birth of a child and lasting for six weeks after, But this leave will be remunerated only when maternity aids is provided everywhere, for at the present time, only certain categories of workers benefit and the rest, in city and village, receive no such protection. The women of our country do not find work easily, for the petroleum industry does not employ them. They work only in the textile industry, the largest after petroleum. Others work as artisans and domestics, In reality, the economic dependence of. our country maintains the women in a very unfavorable situation with respect to paid jobs. 60% of the women of Venezuela are housewives. And it is this enormous group of women who were demobilized when the women's front was ended. It is to them that we recently appealed, urging them to take part anew in our struggle. We are convinced that they will respond because it is these women who suffer most from oppression and as a result of our dependence on imperialist capitalism. They will respond because our slogan,,,war against war” supports the promise of our petroleum workers to contribute to peace by refusing to allow a single drop of petroleum to leave our country in case of a an imperialist war. The struggle for the liberation of our people, which forms the base for bettering our lives, epitomises the highest common aspiration of the women, who must endure Yankee humiliation and inso- 221 === [PDF page 237] === lence, as well as that of its creole agents. Our peace struggle cannot take the same form as that carried on in the coutries of the other delegates, in the countries which have physicaily suffered war or the horrors of war, where there are inwalids and war orphans, where there has been destruction of cities and famine. Our fight for peace must consist in denouncing the aggressor in our daily strug: gles, in preventing the growth of the power of the war-makers, in weakening their possibilities for aggression, in attacking the source of their power which originates in the exploitation of our riches. It must take the form of organizing ourselves in order to make possible the backing up of the promise made to the Congress of American Oil Workers by our petroleum workers when they stated that not a single drop of Venezuelan oil would replenish the warehouses of the Yankee war-mongers if they should declare war. The Creole reactionaries and the agents of imperialism scoffed at this promise, They asked to what extent capital was invested by the workers in the petroleum industry and went so far as to draw caricatures on the subject showing that the petroleum extracted from our soil by Venezuelan workers dees not belong to us. But the,,masters” have understood so well the importance of the workers’ declaration and the seriousness of their will for peace that they have ceased to laugh and have intensified their preparation to set up a dictatorship in our country like the one recently provoked in Peru (which is only one example). At the time of my departure from Venezuela on November 20, 1948, it appeared that preparations for a military coup d’Etat had been uncovered. Venezuelan workers know that without their labor, their experience and their will to work, it is impessible to extract the petrol They know even more: they know that the workers of North America are not the Yankee extortioners and that these workers will aid in our resistance. They proved it during the first petroleum strike when they did not want to work in the place of our men when they refused to allow the transport boats to leave; they have proved it by their solidarity each time that we have had need of it, including during the preparation of our merchant marine strike a few months ago, a The workers can count on the support of the women. I know that the women are willing to. give them active help. When I artived at the oil fields to explain what the W.I.D.F. is and to propose the creation of our national Federation of anti-imperialist, democratic women, thousand of oil workers became interested in the movement. Alongside them in the camps were 300 to 500 women, who with cries and acclamations promised to support our activities. 222 === [PDF page 238] === And it is with the money of the men and women of the oi! fields and the workers in the Capital, that the organizing committee of our “women's movement was able to send me to this Congress. The imperialists have such a great fear of our mobilization and know so well the force that we represent from the very fact that our organisation has begun with popular support, that scarcely had we begun our activities than they brought together the flower: of reaction, its best agents, and constituted the,,Pan-American Round Table", a women’s group forming part of a Federation whose goal is to work for American imperialism by dividing the women's movement for peace. This group dares to claim that it accepts women of all political tendencies and religious beliefs. But it never assembles the women of the left, too well-known. as anti- imperialists. This group was not ashamed to hold its first meeting in the assembly hall of the Venezuelan-American Institute (the centre for,,yes-men") and to declare that the United States’ State Department proposes to aid this organisation allegedly toward cultural rapport and as another manifestation of its,,good-neighborlinéss”. We responded to that by redoubling our activity. Those women have not obtained popular support and will not obtain it if the antiimperialist women organize as they should. Nothing will stop us when we have grown to the powerful movement which we plan to create, Far then will come the best and most decisive stage of our struggle, Ido not know if at this very moment, the government is stil} in power, the government which, despite its hesitations and timidity, even its concessions, still observes in general certain democratic standards and puts up a resistance, even though feeble, to the interference in South America by North Americans; or if, on the contrary, We have alréacy an illegitimate government born of a military coup d'Etat, put into. power by those whom the democratic forces have denounced for 3 years and that the torturers of the people are interested in installing so as to add one more link in the chain of American enslavement, Whether it be one or the other of these governments, I assure you on my word of honor, that the women whom I represent here will never be taken in by war propaganda, that they will struggle even at the price of their lives in order to carry out task — never to give a drop of petrol to the war-makers and to support your work for peace, . Delegates to the Second Congress! In the name of the women of the cil fields, in the name of the unhappy peasants, in the name 223 === [PDF page 239] === of the Workers who receive the lowest real wages, in the name of the mothers of our country — receive the promise of our moral and material aid to the camp of the struggle for peace and on the terrain of the struggle for the realisation of womens’ rights. The voice of this Congress will reach Venezuela because I was sent here to bring about unification — because, whatever the situation in our country, I will fulfil this mandate of honor. Madame CONSTANTZA CRACIUN (RUMANIA) I speak in the name of ‘the delegation of.a country that for the first time in its history has freedom and a democratic political régime; a country where the power is in the hands of the workers, the working peasants and the progressive intellectuals. A short time ago. our country was still a hotbed of war, a strategie point held. by the imperialists circles against the Soviet Union, a semi-colony which the big landlords put at the disposal of the imperialists and of the fascists in their goals of exploitation and war. The imperialists held back and prevented our industrial development in order that-we should. remain dependent on them. We exported wheat and we imported macaroni; we exported petrol and we imported its finished products. The lot of our workers was to be beaten and humiliated, exploited horribly, unemployed, thrown. out of.the factories and plants, Our country had the highest infant moftality. figure in Europe. The mn and women. whor raised their voice to demand bread, to demand peace and freedom, a plot of land, democracy, were imprisoned or killed. Gi a: Dear friends, we believe that certainly many countries will recognize their present.ptoblems in the history. of our country's past. In many countries in the world, the imperialists ‘today, afraid of the people's striving for freedom, of the maturity of their struggle, tertified of economic crisis, hastening to increase still more their immence profits amassed during the war, are developing their expansionist activity in order to save and prolong their existence. They are feverishly preparing a new war against the free peoples of the Soviet Union and the New Democracies, They take from Hitler's armoury lessons in how to prepare.and start a new war; they have republished anti-Soviet lies about the marvellous country of the working people which was the first to struggle to free humanity from fascism and which now, as in the past, fights resolutely on a world scale for the realization of the burning desire of hundreds of millions of ordinary people for peace and happiness for -all nations. 224 === [PDF page 240] === Jocteur Ini ted State FISH (L s) Vice-president of the Women's’ International Democratic Federation === [PDF page 241] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 242] === jperialists have borrowed: from. Hitler's stock the. agitamethods, the hysterical war propaganda~concerning the im-, of a new war and are holding over peaceful humanity the of the atomic bomb and its invincible power. They carry on ‘form. of blackmail in order to terrorize us, to bring us to our They have begun a mad armaments race and are H creating tegie- bases for the war they are preparing. Our people are profoundly disgusted at the fact that the Amean imperialists have rejected the Soviet propositions to reduce irmaments and to ban the atomic bomb. In one week, telegrams and letters of. protest with two-million signatures were sent to the U.N.O. We must not forget that Hitler also prepared for war, Hitler was veiled with the myth of invincibility; he too tried to bring anity to its knees and tried to dominate it but he came — into conflict with the strength of peoples who fought in a just cause —- ‘in the first place with the great Soviet peoples — in a struggle ich led inevitably to the destruction of Hitlerism.. Dear friends, the peace forces today are much stronger than they Te at that time. Heretofore, humanity has never known such. a strong fighting spirit in the struggle for freedom and for a better life. heroic Greece, in China and in the other countries of Asia, hundreds of millions of men are fighting for a life of freedom in the namé of the principles established by the Allies during the war against fascism, and they are’ opening the door, arms in hand, to a sé life for themselves, Tn Italy, in France, the peoples are carrying on a rugged fight to prevent the enslavement oftheir countries in the war plans of the imperialists. In the United States, in England, many. voices are raised against the war-makers of these countries. In. Eastern Europe id the Far East, the Peoples Democracies have broken the chains of the imperialists. In our country, as in all the New Democracies, “it is the people who are in power and the people love peace and are working for it, Not without difficulties, but resolutely and with the consciousness of certain victory, we are building a new world, “a free and happy life such as we have never known before. The heroic Soviet peoples are working, above all, to defend face, to reach the highest possible levels to human hfe in physical well-being and-culture. The voice of the. representatives of the Soviet Union: is raised everywhere where the problem is to defend peace. Their words help thousands of simple people to see more. cleéatly who are their friends and who are their enemies, what road the eoples must take to: win peace and assure the happiness of future generations. 15 + 225 === [PDF page 243] === Dear friends, after the liberation of our country by the Soviet Army, our people, by following the democratic path have eliminated fa turn, by mass struggle, the fascist and reactionary elements from the State apparatus and from economic life. The workers have ‘ helped the peasants to seize the land which belonged to the former, Big landlords. The democratic government was put in power by the people after a bilter struggle against reaction. The monarchy —- the xichest owner Of land, forests and factories —- has been removed from power. The factories and the Jand are today in the possession of the people, who work with hitherto undreamt-of enthusiasm for the development of their own lives and in the fight for peace. The women of our countries, even the peasant women who were kept in darkness under the former regimes so that they. should mot be conscious of their own strength, have also been transformed. Now we are proud that millions of women have become active and fave effectively contributed to all the successes of the Democracy. Dear friends, what is new in the life of our people, as in. the fife of all the people’s democracies, is the fact that, thanks to our imternal régime and our foreign policy, we have become active factors in the fight for peace. This was possible from the first beeause we were liberated by the Soviet Army, with the result that the British and American imperialists could not invade our country and transform it into another Greece. Therefore, we could work freely to build our popular régime. This was possible in this part of the world because treaties ased on co-operation and mutual support have been concluded among the New Democracies. This has been possible because in this part of the world there fs a great power, the Soviet Union, which bases its international relations on equal rights and respect for nations, on the safeguarding ef peace. But in the countries under the Marshali Plan, the imperialists are destroying industry and even certain branches of agriculture, are interfering in the international affairs of these countries, are imposing their government and their policies on them. But the Sowiet Union helps us effectively in the development of industry, in eur whole economy, in cultural matters. Therefore, possibilities of economic and socialist. development unknown up to the present time are opening up for us. This aid isthe guarantee of our internal development, the guarantee of our independence, the guarantee against all imperialist attempts to take it away. 226 pe papi === [PDF page 244] === Dear friends, the development of the democratic forces after the war, the growth of the fighting spirit of the people for peace and democracy, this magnificent Congress itself and the problems placed before it, show that the peace forces are continually increasing, that the conditions exist to prevent the war which the imperialists are preparing if. we succeed in unifying and mobilising the strength of ‘the peoples, of those who want peace. The question of avoiding a new war depends on the way in which we are able to lead with us the millions of men and women in our Countries to ensure peace. This is why we cannot be in agreement with the use of general phrases and proclaim ourselves satisfied by gratuitous and diplo- ‘matic professions of faith in or attachment to the cause of peace, without mention of the names of the Trumans and Churchills, the Dulles’ and Bevins, of the leaders of Britain and America. We cannot speak, merely of terrorism and the struggle against racial discrimination. If we do not open the eyes of those who have confidence in us by telling them the plain truth, we also are doing the work of the war makers. That is why we believe that in all the countries, in all our organisations, in our sections, We must work to rally round us the millions of women who want peace, but are still inactive in the struggle. Going from house to house, from area to area, we must find the ‘women where they work, in the towns and villages. General pacifist phrases without precise meaning must be avoided. We must first approach those who have suffered most as a result of imperialist policy, We must also call to our ranks American and British mothers who have seen their sons sent to kill freedom-loving men in Indonesia or in Greece, .-We must speak to the mother who is suffering because her ‘bright, intelligent child cannot continue his studies because in his country the leaders increase armaments expenditure. and reduce wages and expenditure on education. We must speak to those who are unemployed because their countries have _ accepted’ Marshall Plan aid. We must go everywhere where imperialists have brought sorrow, poverty and death, We-must show the women the source of their guef, how they can improve their lot, avoid at least for others the sufferings that have been inflicted upon ourselves. We do not have the right to disdain any kind of support, big or little, which the women bring to us, Today women listen to us; tomorrow they will give us their signature; the next day they will understand why they must fight for peace and how they must do it. They will 227 === [PDF page 245] === come into our ranks as active fighters, into our committees or inio a broad. Peace committee. Our beloved comrade, Anna Pauker, has spoken to us often of the special way to approach and work with women.,Women must be approached simply", she said,,not in a superior way, giving them the impression that we know everything. They must be approached gently, as people who have suffered for long years and who have Leen humiliated. And our comrade, Anna, also said,,,It is difficult to persuade a women to moye, but once she has decided to move, she goes ahead courageously”, There is indeed, much to be done, friends, in order to mobilise women in the’ struggle for peace and democracy. In a simple and direct way, we must show all the women who do not already know, that it is the Soviet Union which fights for the reduction of armaments, for the banning of the atomic bomb. We must point out to them the people who are interested in starting a new war, those who increase their profits by wars, The American and British imperialists myst be directly named and exposed. We must call upon hundreds of millions of women to participate in the tight’ for. peace. ‘We ‘must give our help to the magnificent struggle of the Greek and Spariish peoples, to all-the colonial peoples of Asia, to our heroic sisters in the oppressed countries fighting for their freedom,. We must combat the lies about these countries, we must support the victims of imperialist oppression and the oppressed peoples of the colonies, ‘On leaving this Congress, we must start mass campaigns in our countries to popularize our work for peace and freedom against the fomenters of a new war. Convinced that war can be avoided.by our common struggle, we assure the Congress, in the name of the women of our country, that we will intensify our activity in support of the W.LD.F, in its work of strengthening solidarity with the peoples fighting for freedom. We assure the Congress that the experience gained here will be a guide to us in the peace struggle of the masses of our women. Long live the Women's International Deraocratic Federation! Long live the international solidarity of women in the fight for peace and freedoml, Madame ELISABETH ANDICS (HUNGARY) Dear friends, the Hungarian women in whose name 1 speak send their greetings and best wishes to this Congress and to the entire ‘world which ‘it tepresents.-All Of us here are witnéssés of the en- 228 === [PDF page 246] === thusiasm and:the ardor with which the masses of. women in. the Hungarian. People’s. Republic, and the rest of the people are follo- ‘wing the work of our Congress. The fact that the ‘International €ongress: of Women is. taking. place in our country and the experience which it brings to us constitutes.a new cource of energy for our women’s movement, which comprises 800,000 members. _Dear friends, since the liberation of Hungary by the Soviet Army from.the yoke of the German and Hungarian fascists, our people-have worked hard at reconstruction in- all phases of life — political, economic and cultural. The country of the great semi-feudal landlords, the country of rapacious capitalism has become a popular democracy. One-time vassal of Hitler Germany, our country has become an independent nation, a free Republic. All this has.not come about without obstacles and difficulties. The Western imperialist powers have tried many times to transform our country into an out-post of imperialism in Eastern Europe. To this end, external and internal pressure has been brought to bear and fascist plots have been organized within the country. According to this plan, a Hungary owing allegiance to imperialism must break the solid chain of People’s Republics, These American and British attempts have not succeeded, thanks ‘to. the vigilance of the Hungarian working class and its leading force, the Hungarian Communist Party, now the Hungarian Worker's Party. Hungarian women have played no small part in the activity that brought about the defeat of the imperialists and the reactionaries, The women have supported democratic reconstruction of our country with all their strength. Thanks to that reconstruction, the women of our country have become free and have obtained equal rights, All ‘professions are open to them, thanks to a law recently ratified by Parliament.. The division of land among the peasants; the nationalisation of large-scale industry and the banks;. the creationwsin the agricultural sphere, of tractor stations and of collective farms; the planning of - the whole national economy; all these things have already had appreciable effects. The standard of production in the key industries and in agriculture has sometimes surpassed pre-war levels. Hundreds of factories are being built, The standard of living of the workets is higher than before the war. Mortality among the population has fallen, obove all, infant mortality. The number of child centers has increased. The schools, which were in the hands of the clergy, are now under, the State. Higher education has. been made availabie for young workers and peasants. 229 === [PDF page 247] === We have much to do-still but the result already obtained have convinced our women that the Hungarian People’s Republic ‘is their own country, and that they are reconstructing it for themselves and not for the capitalists and the feudal landlords. It goes without saying that neiher the women nor the Hungarian. people in general want to give up these conquests and they are ready to defend them against the intrigues of the war-mongers, by every means, side by side with the great liberator of our country, the Soviet Union, and with the other People's. Democracies. The Hungarian women are ready to face the threats of a.new world war and that is why they believe it proper that the question of the defence of peace the fight against the war-makers should be the central. question on the agenda of this Congress. This question not only preoccupies the 80 milllion women organized in our Federation, but ail of mankind. The question of peace and war is the decisive question in world politics, On its solution depends not only our own fate and that of our generation, but that of the very future of the human race. The existence of two camps appears clear: the camp of the. defenders of peace with the Soviet Union at its head and the camp of the warmakers, the imperialits. The struggle against the instigators of war is a force which is bringing together hundreds of millions, which is driving.into action sections of the population which have been passive up to the present, which have unconsciously served the purposes of the intrigues of the ruling class. It is clear that the women who have first understood the danger of war are the 80 million who belong to our Federation They have rejected prejudices which have existed for centuries even for thousands of years, and-are taking part in the struggle against war as an immence social force. é To carry on the fight against war, determination is necessary, but it-is also necessary to have a clear conception of things. The fight against war certainly helps wide masses of people to understand what imperialism is. But that is not enough. It is necessary also to denounce not only the political and military reasons, but to denounce also the ideological. bases of activities which would bring about a New war,. The creator of the Socialist Soviet State, that great leader of mankind, Lenin, has already shown us that war preparations are always shrouded in -mystery and that we must. expose and denounce such activities. We well know: the ideological bluff, the chauvinistic incident, the appeals to the lowest instincts and to ignorance. 230 === [PDF page 248] === The ‘policy of ranging. the East and the West in opposition to eack other; the slander campaigns against thé vanguard of. the progressive forces, the Soviet Union, against the People’s Democracies; the re-appearence of fascist ideology; the persecution of the working class movement and all progressive tendencies; these have no other aim than to terrorize and deceive mankind in order to drag it inte a new war, We’must be vigilant and denounce all provacation and lies. We must ceaselessly englighten the women so that they can get their bearing in the question of war and peace because if they de not understand, the interests of the imperialists are served thereby. One cannot stop half way in this fight. Recurring bleody wars prove to us clearly that imperialism is incompatible with the vital interests of mankind.: We. must not forget that it is not only to get profits that the : imperialists are planning a new war. Imperialism is fighting for its existence, for its future, to maintain the capitalist system of exploitation.. Professor Alden, well-known British biologist, in his report presented at Wroclaw, compared all the aggression which might be lanced against the People’s Democracies to an attack on a pregnant ‘woman, That was a just comparison. To end the existence and the development of the new world is an aim, and by no means an uw important aim, of the provokers of war. Hungarian women want to take part and will take part in the struggle against the war-makers, Hungarian women will never forget the terrible suffering which the agressive-policies of the fascists inflicted upon them. The most effective method of fighting against the threat of war is undoubtedly the liquidation of the social and economic | class institutions and regimes which are at the root of these ever-recurring conflicts. We Hungarian. women are proud that our country has chosen. this effective means of fighting against imperialism, and that We carry On a policy of friendship and co-operation with the great Soviet Union and with the other New Democracies. Our country has rejected the Marshall Plan, plan of colonization. We try, not unsuccessfully, to rely on our own resources, by planning industry, b¥ arousing the enthusiasm of the workers. The men and women of Hungary are fighting against imperialism by distributing the land to the peasants, by nationalising the ~ large concerns, by liquidating the class of the big landlords and big business, In this way, the Hungarian people are building the sociat order to which war is unknown — socialism. The fact that’ in our country, as elsewhere in the world, the supporters of the big agrarian estates and the capitalists are also the 234 === [PDF page 249] === ‘supporters of a new war has greatly helped the political education. of masses of the women. The reactionary classes whose role within the country is finished, count on a new war, on the subjection of the country to foreign imperialists, in order to enable them to return to. power. The reactionary movement, with, at its head, the leader of the Hungarian Catholic Church, Cardinal Mindzenty, unites all of the fascist elements, new and old. Their main propaganda, their methods, are aimed at enlisting the support of women. The representatives of Catholic reaction await the. American Army with impatience and want to spread the belief that the Americans, by means of a new war, will wipe out our democratic regime. Cardinal Mindzenty's agents try by these rurnours, to kill the Hungarian people's will to reconstruct. They hope to discourage us by this propaganda, They serve the interests of the forces of destruction, Speaking in the name of the church, of the,,Divine will", they attack everything which we have built up in years under great difficuties, In a cowardly way they betray our people, calling on the peasants to sow No more crops, on the workers to stop working honestly, on the young people to stop studying. They stir up religious dissention, propagate anti-semitism, urge young people to take part in reactionary plots, Equal rights for women in our country are not to their taste. They attack our baby centers, our kindergartens: Their chief aim is to draw women away from the democratic movements, to lull them with pacifist slogans. Although clerical reaction hides under a cassock, although it ‘tries to exploit the sentiments of religious people, more and more women understand its true role. In the first place, protests are raised against Mindzenty.. Hungarian women are worthy members, as we can see, of this movement in favor of peace, with the heroic women of the Soviet Union at its head. We Hungarian women would like to say something through the medium of this Congress to the women of the whole world: it. is only by struggle that peace can be assured. Every woman who loves her children, her family and her country should take part in this . fight. Those who love their country must hate fascism and the warmakers,: The forces of peace, progress and culture are more powerful and more stable in Hungary, as is true throughout the world, than are the forces of the supporters of violence, of assassination, of barbarism, of the supporters of a new war, The peace front, the 232 === [PDF page 250] === Se eS -27 ‘ Z & 2 mocratic: front.will win! Women’s determination will move ‘Mountains! Let all. women take. part in. the fight with that passion of. which only, they are capable! Let them defend peace and the lives. of their children — those two causes which are in reality one} ‘ Long live the freedom-loving women who are fighting for peace!. Long live the Second Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Long live the great Soviet Union, bulwark of peace and hope of all humanity! Madame EDITH GARCIA BUCHACA (CUBA) {president of the Democratic Federation of Cuban Women). The Democratic Federation of Cuban Women brings. to. this great Congress the greeting of the women workers and peasant women, of the women intellectuals, of all working women and mothers of Cuba, who at the present time are courageously resisting the offensive of American imperialism. The Cuban delegation has presented to Congress an account of the general situation in our country and of the struggle in the ‘women’s movement for democracy, for the rights’ of women and children, for national independence. The framework of the. social relationships which we describe in the report decisively influences the attitude of the mass of women of Cuba towards the problems of War and peace, ‘Cuba, like almost all the countries. of Latin America, with the exception of Brazil, has not felt the direct effects of war, because, although she figured among the belligerent countries, her armies were not sent to the field. of battle — since the United States _ imperialists. prevented it with the intention of weakening our political position in the post-war period, and her territory was not the object of a single military attack.. The war, by devastating the principle sugar-producing zones of the world, put Cuban: in the position of being the foremost sugar supply area of the Allied Nations. Although the Cuban nation sacrificed the possibility of getting high prices for its sugar, the fact that the sugar crops increased from 2,500,000 tons to 5 or-6 million tons, and that the price rose from 2 to 5 centavos, signified an enormous net gain for the country. From 1943 to 1946, the credit balance of Cuban trade was almost 700 million dollars because of its. increased exports in sugar, tobacco, minerals etc. 233. === [PDF page 251] === fFhe-war, by cutting down. our sources of supply, brought also in its train the development of some new industries which had not been able to prosper in normal times, on account of the interference of the United States imperialism and its industrial,,dumping”, protected by the exceptional tariffs it imposed on us. Because of these things, war meant for Cuba not death, not destruction of homes or social dislocation, and economic bankruptcy, but. an increase in’ jobs, the progress of our industry, the development of capitalisation. Although the mass of the people did not benefit from this situation, because of the semi-colonial structure of our economy and because influationist tendencies led to a scandalous development of the black market and speculation, which enriched both the importers and the members of the Government, there is no doubt that the economic balance during the war conjured up a vision of prosperity in the eyes of the masses, who associated the tragic events in Europe and the Pacific with this small and circumstancial improvement in their standard of living. Since a very similar situation, had already, been created during the first world war, the prospect of war has not the ‘same terrible significance for Cuba as it has for the people who have been twice submitted to ruin looting and death, ° The struggle of the Democratic Federation of Cuban Women for peace, its activity against war, cannot on this account develop on the same scale as the powerful movement which our comrades in Europe are conducting.: Nevertheless, the fight against war has great prospects for us also, The great mass of the women do not yet see the connection between the danger of world war and the danger. of the lives of their sons, husbands and brothers. Our people have not yet known what the bombing of towns means. They do not know the horror of air-raid warnings. They have never needed to leave their homes for a. military.cause. But the Cuban people know the meaning of imperialism in a profound way, they have felt its effect in their own flesh, and every day they see more clearly — because obstinate facts teach them — that North American Imperialism, that same imperialism which today carries out a war policy of aggression and provocation, is responsible for the economic crisis which again threatens us with the same poverty and despair to which the monopolists and trusts of Wall Street and Washington condemned us in epochs not long past.. Europe is now undergoing the effects of the reactionary policy of the North American imperialists, camouflaged as,,relief'’. During this century, this same policy led to military intervention in, Vera 234 === [PDF page 252] === Cruz; the occupation’ of San Domingo and Haiti to get payment for fictitious debts by blood and fire; the assassination of Sendino in Nicaraguta; the butchery of the Colombia banana workers and of the thousands: of agricultural workers in Salvador; the war between Bolivia and Paraguay for the Chaco Septentrional where thousands and thousands of men of the two nations died to fulfil the interests of the rival oil companies; the armed interventions in Cuba; and the assassination of Julio Antonio Mulla. The régime which is now being exported to Europe under the name of,relief has pillaged Latin American above all. This régime came to Cuba, as it is now coming to France and the other European countries, as the,liberator’ of our country from the Spanish colonial system, and although. the fight of the Cubans. prevented it from taking possession of the country in the same way as it did at the same date in Porto Rico and the Philippines, at that moment it began its work of economic penctration. Today more than 30% of arable land, the best part of the sugar industry, the principal banks, the electricity, gas and telephone companies, the mines, briefly, the whole wealth of the nation, is in the power of the North American monopolies and companies, For years they have drawn enormous profits from their investments. They have distorted the economy of the country and condemned it to an one-crop agricultural system. They prevented industrialisation, exactly as they try now to prevent the real industrial recovery of Europe; they plunged millions and millions of men and women into poverty and unemployment with the sole aim simply to be able to demand a-ten and twelve-hour day, and a wage of 20 centavos, while paying the peasanis ridiculously small sums for their crops. Our people have fought against this. The forces of the people, especially of the working class, have fought the distortion imperialism has imposed on our economy and its influence on national policy, and each time they have fought with greater energy. When today, Mr. Hoffman and Mr, Harriman speak to the governments of the European countries about the Marshal Plan, the language they use reminds us of that employed by some North American ambassadors in our country. The struggle of the progressive forces. of Cuba and the presence in the United States Government of men. like Roosevelt who, basing themselves on a working class democratic coalition, proclaimed a good neighbour policy, toned down the most aggressive aspects of dollar diplomacy during the last few years, But now, when North American imperialism wants to assume the role of the aggressive spearhead of international reaction, aiming 235- === [PDF page 253] === at political and economic world domination, these brutal Dpecy appear once More, The Marshall Plan is to Europe what the Clayton Plan is to Latin America. However, Washington does not even consider that it is under any obligation to offer relief in the question of Latin /merica, The United States claim is simply that Latin America, in the name of.,,Free Trade” and,,Multilateral Trade”, shall suppress ‘all protection for its weaker industries and give free access to American, products which, at prices impossible to compete with, protected by the enormous production apparatus of North America, would flood our country and would destroy our young. national industry.. But imperialist policy in relation to Cuba is not only expressed in economic affairs, The war plans of Washington -— as is well known -—- have been accompanied by the project of converting Latin America into a vast reservoir of military man power, raw materials and land, The most abominable of these plans is the aim of unifying all American armies under the command of the United States General Staff, equipped by and under the control of ‘Washington, This plan, also called the Truman Plan, has had such -a hostile reception in all circles of our country, that even the most abject of our rulers. have not dared to defend it. Successive inter- American Conferences have postponed the question. However, this plan. is being secretly developed in practice. The armaments of Latin America are more like those of the United States every day. Jn this way the American imperialists ensure maximum sale of military equipment of which our people have absolutely no need, but which enrich the monopolists enormously. Progressive opinion in America has denounced the militarisation led by Washington. Democratic European spokesmen have emphasised the fact that the,,Truman Doctrine” in addition to the world war ‘objective which makes Latin America a vast reservoir of cannon fodder in the service of imperialism’s aggressive designs, also hides the strategic objective of submitting our countries entirely to ‘Washington's dictatorship, transforming the Latin American armies into real indigenous occupation forces serving the American interventionists. The fact has already been denounced that by this plan the United States wants to spare itself the necessity of sending their marines to enforce their policy, because this odious -job is given to the. national troops led by officers whose mentality has een warped in North American military Academies. The complement of this militarisation is the presence in our countries of a North American spy system, sometimes as an integral © 236 === [PDF page 254] === part of the indigenous police force. The pretext of »American ‘Security’ and the,,Communist menace” has served to convert the Cuban police into an instrument of the Washington Federal Bureau ‘of Investigation. These political investigations are conducted by the G.-Men of the infamous Edgar Hoover. To, carry out the whole of its policy, the United States is strengthening its territorial bases throughout the world, It has possessed such bases in Cuba for a very long time, because it took possession of the strategic base of Caimanera in 1900, and enforced its permanent transfer in 1902. Now it claims the “right to keep bases in Cuba which were ceded to them during the anti-nazi war. And the present President of the Republic has. declared himsélf in favour of this transfer, which, it goes without saying, has no support in the public opinion of the country. Such is the atmosphere of poverty, oppression, police terror and humiliation which the imperialists have imposed on our countries in order to carry out their war preparations that we are discussing at this Congress, And this is the reason, fellow delegates, why, although the Cuban women have not had first-hand experience of war, they know very well that it is imperialism which is provoking war, and each time’ they understand this more clearly. The anti-imperialist struggle of the Cuban people is becoming stronger and stronger. It is particularly the women of the people, the working women and workers’ wives and their families, the peasant women, the women clerical workers, teachers and women of modest social circumstances in the professions, who have suffered the consequences of imperialist aggression most directly. To put an end to the resistance of the workers, the imperialists and their agents have proceeded to dissolve the working class organizations, to seize their local centres by force, to: asSassinate their leaders — Jesus: Menaluz and Amadeo {glesia — and they plan to make the progressive political organisations illegal. The. workers whose industries have been most. . affected by North American policy (the shoe industry, textiles, tobacco), are rising up against unemployment and wage-cuts, The wives and families of workers and clerical. workers have fought alongside them to. organize democratically. These protests, provoked by the United States policy, are closely linked with the struggle of the women in Europe and Asia against war, and for peace and freedom for the peoples. The fight against war is inseparable from the fight against imperialism which engenders and encourages war. The Democratic Federation of Cuban 237 === [PDF page 255] === Women is trying to convert the growing resistance of Cuban women to the plans for economic slavery of our country into an ardent struggle for peace, Our task is to show to thousands of women, to the whole people, that the road of submission to the interests of imperialism is the road to war. At the same time, as we organise the struggle of the women for better wages, for the right of democratic trade union organisation, against the eviction of farmers, against the black market, our fight is directed toward ensuring that the women and the people understand that war. will not produce for us (as the most reactionary representatives of imperialism claim), a prospect of economic revival, increase in exports, and good conditions, but that on the contrary, cach step toward war will bring as an inevitable consequence, less democracy;more economic restrictions, a greater penetration of imperialism, black market, famine, the permanent enslavement of our economy. This combined struggle for peace and democracy, against imperialism finds more favourable ground every day. The most famous figures in Latin America, the progressive men and women are alarmed at the uncertain future ‘in view for our country. -They are beginning to see that just as in former times, imperialist intervention in the American countries. brought about bloody. dictatorships such as those of Gomez, Machado, Sanchez Cerro, Vargas, Ubico, so now the imperialist plans for domination are accompanied by conspiracies and military coups, by disturbances and threats of inter-American wars with the sole intention of imposing governments which will be docile to Wall Street's demands, The best forces in Latin America are beginning to understand ‘that it is necessary to have combined action in defence of the peace, sdemocracy and the economy of Latin America. In Mexico and in Cuba, the idea of a Congress of the most representative figures of Latin America to work out a programme in this sense has been put forward. The ex-Presidents cf Mexico, Cardenas and Avila Camacho, intellectuals such as Fernando Ortiz, ‘Narciso Bassols, and Juan Marinello, the continental workers’ leader, Lazaro Pena, the ex-president of the Cuban Constituent Assembly,’ Mr.’ Carlos Marques Sterling, the historian Roig, and professors of the Universities of Cuba and Mexico head this project, which has had great repercussions in many American countries The programme consists of the fight for peace, democracy and ational independence. We think that we women of the whole continent must use all our possibilities of mobilization and all our influence to organize support for this Congress. It will be the most 238 === [PDF page 256] === important contribution of Latin America to the anti-war efforts; and the affiliates of the Democratic Federation must actively participate © in the organization of the Congress and offer all possible support on. behalf of the continental women's movement. The great tasks of the Latin American anti-imperialist movement can only be accomplished with the co-operation of the international democratic forces. We understand that there is a close connection between our struggle for total sovereignty and free economic <levelopment, and the struggle for peace and freedom in all those countries directly mendced by the imperialist offensive. We have, above’ all, confidence in the fact that the democratic and anti-war camp increases each day in strength and influence. The consolidation fo the popular democracies — as for example in Hungary — and our rapid pasSage through Czechoslovakia confirm our confidence. The tremendous victories of the Chinese People’s Army have aroused a great faith among the masses of our people. This is why the imperialists spread among all the reactionary press agencies, all kinds of lies about the democratic changes in these nations of Europe. But truth inexorably persists and develops. Now, in contrast to the situation in 1939, the masses understand more clearly every day the significance of the peace forces; they understand above all that world security, the happines of the peoples, the guarantees of peace, depend on that great bulwark, the centre of the democratic camp, the Soviet Union, to which we owe our freedom through its victory over Hitler's attacking armies, and which today stays the hand of the aggressors. As a leading member of cultural organizations linking the two countries, I can bear witness to Cuban iviendship for the U.S.S.R, More than 80,000 people passed through the rooms in ‘the National Capitel Building and “welcomed the Exhibition there which showed us Soviet progress, It was not astonishing that reaction armed the criminal hands who placed a bomb in these-rooms, the most dignified in Cuba, where Parliament sits, Dear delegates, great batiles await us. The war-making imperialists are going to utilise all the methods they have learnt from the Nazis to achieve their aims. But the forces of peace are superior; it is only necessary to know how to utilise them in this decisive ‘struggle. We Cuban women promise this wonderful Congress that We will do everything possible to continue always in the great traditions of the Cuban Women's movement. Cuban women have already known imprisonment, police attacks, in their struggle against imperialism and Franco's agents. There are among us mothers of 239 === [PDF page 257] === heroes, widows of martyrs, not only for Cuban liberty, but for the. world battle against fascism and its reappearance. The widow of Jose Gomez Gayoso is in our country with her young child, made fatherless by Franco but she will find help and support from our people. There also is the wife of Santiago Alvarez, . who, with her son demands freedom for that great prisoner of Franco's régime. We. take the example of our heroic sisters in Greece and in Spain, who face incomparable reigns of terror, as an order, The victories of the Chinese women fill us with enthusiasm. And the teachings of the Soviet women are a permanent source of encouragement, From Cuban past history, we draw lessons from the behaviour of such women as the mother of the heroic Maceo who when one of her children fell in the fight for independence. sent another, saying,,asten my son, it is already time to fight for your country”. We, friends, shall be worthy of this tradition, and will march at the head of the fight for peace, for democracy. and for the independence of our countries. Madame SONOMINE UDVAL (MONGOLIA) Allow me to address you in the name of the working women of the People’s Republic of Mongolia, and from this tribune, to extend to the delegates of the W.I.D.F. and our hospitable friends in new democratic. Hungary our warmest greetings. I am happy to see that the Second Congress has met at a time when the forces of democracy and of socialism are uniting against the threat of a new war, when the struggle for lasting peace and the security of nations before the attempts of the war-mongers is the watchword of hundreds of millions of simple people all over the world, We, the delegates of the People’s Republic of Mongolia, whose freedom and independence were obtained 27 years ago as. a result of national revolution in our country, came to Budapest convinced ob the success of this Congress. In my report, I wish to review briefly the situation of the women in Mongolia, Permit me to come straight to the point, mainly, to speak of the laws and the rights pertaining to the Mongolian womanabout her working rights and the protection of children The women of Mongolia, in virtue ‘of our Constitution, are equals of the men— they have the right to vote, the right to work, to education, to free medical care, to repose. 240 === [PDF page 258] === Article 73 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Mongolia states that,.women enjoy fully, the right to elect. and to be elected on an equal basis with men"; article 80 stipulates that,In the People’s Republic of Mongolia, women have equal rights in all spheres of governmental economic, cultural. and socio-political life“. The Mongolian Constitution guarantees to women the right to work, repose, sociel security, and education; conforming to the Constitution, the State defends the interests of mothers and of children, grants leave to pregnant women during which they continue to receive the same salary paid when they are working, Our women enjoy in practice all of the rights written in the Constitution. Proof of this is evident by the great development and progress made by the women of our People’s Republic in the more than 27 years of our country’s free and independent existence. At the present time, for example, women constitute more than 20% of the members of the,,Little Khoura!l”, the supreme governing body of our country, 14% of the,,.Worker's Khoural", 65% of the cattle-raisers, 389% of the industrial workers, (73% in the city of Oulan-Bator), while 18% of the teachers are women, 23% of the trade union members are women, 27,1% of the revolutionary youth. Among the doctors and medical persennel, 76% are women, among the students in institutions of higher learning, 25% are women. Hundreds of women work fruitfully in theatres, clubs. cultural centres and other cultural and educational institutions. All of this testifies to the fact that our women take a direct part in every aspect of our economic and political life, that the rights of women inscribed in our Constitution are entirely put into practice. The government of the People’s Republic of Mongolia honors in worthy fashion the great achievements in the work and services rendered by women. Among the best cattle-raisers to whom the government has awarded the title,Champion Cattle-raiser of the Republic’, women are 30.5%. Among the shock workers who obtain very high rates of output, 32% are women. Amcng the best cattleraisers designated to go as delegates to the Conference of Champion Cattle-raisers of the Mongolian People’s Republic in December 1948, 15% are women. Numerous women who work in educational institutions and cultural bedies bear the title of Instructor Emeritus’; they are Masters of Arts, doctors, pilots, drivers, technicians, tractor drivers, plant foremen, supervisors, operators etc. We can cite here the names of Outstanding Artists of the Republic: Tsokzolma, Itchinkorle, Frintsin-Norbe, Doulgarsouroun, 16 241 === [PDF page 259] === the people’s artist Dachi-Delek, member of the Board of Directors of the State Theatre, the people's artist and laureat Choibalsan Oyoun, the,Jnstructors Emeriti’, Batsoukhe, Densima, and others. The women set the example for honest and conscientious work and fulfil their production norms by from 100 to 600 percent and sometimes more. During the Great Patriotic War against German fascism, the Mongolian people, with profound faith in the victory of the peoples of the Soviet Union resolutely took their place beside the Allied nations, The Council of Working Women addressed an appeal to all the women of Mongolia during the war, asking them to help the Soviet Army in every way. All of the women of the Republic, without exception, responded to that appeal and offered all possible aid to the Soviet Army. Our State has always been vigilant on our Eastern frontiers threatened by Japanese imperialists, who have attacked the independence of the Mongolian State and who have harboured designs for many years to transform the Mongolian people into slaves and to make our country a military base to serve as a point of attack against the Soviet Union. On the 10th of August, 1945, the government of the People’s Mongolian Republic declared war on the Japanese imperialists. The Mongolian people welcomed this decision of their government unanimously and took an active part in the just war. During the combats of Khalking-Goll, the patriotic women of Mongolia also showed their exceptional heroism. The People’s Republic of Mongolia is a democratic country of the Orient. In our Republic, the mother is assured the possibility of rearing her children, working women are given leave with pay curing pregnancy and free medical assistance. Maternity centers and other establishments are at their service. There is a large number of kindergartens where pre-school children are cared for. Each kindergarten cares for approximaicly 125 children; centers for younger babies (créches) which are provided give the mother opportunity to work and to study. All factories make provision for maternity clinics and child care centers, protecting mother and child, According to our five-year plan for development of the national economy and culture,.child care centers will have increased by more than double the present number by 1952. 242, === [PDF page 260] === AlLof the expenditures for clothing, food, up-keep and treatment Yor children and personnel is paid by the State. All children receive free primary education. AH mothers who have many children receive free primary education. Ail mothers who have many children seceive each year an extra monetary allotment, according to the ruling of the People’s Lower Court (Koural). Davosouroun, a working woman who had three children received from the State, in addition to the allotment, children’s beds, layeties, extra food supplies, material for clothing, medicines etc. The mother truly ocupies a place of honour in Mongolia. In our country, work among women is not considered as the affair only of the women. All of the State bodies, cullural and social, participate inthis work. The Constitution specificaliy prohibits any measure which would place obstacles in the path of full participation by women in all phases of life. Article 80 reads, The law punishes any altempts to block full emancipation of ‘women, i, e, preventing full participation in the economic, cultural, governmental and socio-political life of the country.” All contribute toward the exercise of women's rights in Monqgolia, thanks to the initiative and attention of the government But before the establishment of the people's democratic government, the condition of women in our country was extremely miserable, It is only after this change in government that famine and oppression disappeared for women and children, that all ‘conditions were created for the proper education of children. A happy. life for mothers and children was assured by the solicitude of the People's Revolutionary Party, the government, and the great leaders, Suhke-Rator and Choibalsan and by the help given us by the peoples of the Soviet Union. The women and children of Mongolia will never forget the impartial help given by the Soviet people. The Party and the government of the Mongolian People’s Republic continue to work to satisfy the needs of the Mongolian women and children, to assure their instruction and the protection of health. Thanks to these measures, our children and women live in joy and health. Pregnant women have the right to paid leave from work of 90 days, remunerated according to their regular salary. Further, they have the right to free medical assistance and other privileges, In 1948, the number of births increased by 23% over those of 1940. In the course of the last 4 years alone, more than 14,771,800 tougriks were given to mothers of large families in the form of government allotments. day, 243 === [PDF page 261] === The number of medical clinics for children has increased. Children's vacation camps have been opened and the number of children attending them has grown by 600% over 1940, The five-year plan for economic and cultural development includes measures for the improvement of conditions of mothers and for the health of rural inhabitants. Within 5 years, more than 200 children's centers will have been established. These are the results of the granting of full rights for women in our economic, cultural and social life, The state of well-being of working women in the Mongolian People’s Republic inspires them with deep, patriotic feeling, loyalty to our country and to the government; loyalty towards our great leader, Choibalsan, profound loyalty and friendship toward the great Soviet Union, and inspires them to struggle for the flowering of their country. Mongolian women have sent more than 7 million francs to help the heroic fighters and the patriots of Greece and Spain, and heir children. Our women regularly make their financial contribution to the W.LD.F, Dear friends and dear sisters from Asia, I have just told you that 27 years ago, Mongolia was a backward country, a colonial country just as India, Malaya, Burma and the other countries of Asia are. But we, the women of Mongolia, rose up strongly in the struggle for our independence, for a people's democracy, for a better life for our children. We struggled without sparing our forces or our lives, And we gained what we were struggling for! In addressing themselves to you, women of the colonial countries, the women of free and independent Mongolia say that. you will be able to live as we do. You too, can win what we now bave, Fight, dear sisters, for a better life for your children! Fight. with still more energy for peace and democracy, for freedom! Long live the Women’s International! Democratic Federation! Leng live world-wide democracy, led by the Soviet Union! Madame RIVKA GURPEIN {ISRAEL} The Women’s Internationa] Democratic Federation is still young but the problems which it must solve are as old as suffering, oppression and the desire for freedom. But the most important problem for us-women and mothers — who are fighting for peace and 244 === [PDF page 262] === security for the workers, is the problem of war and the defence of peace, Alongside Spain, China, Greece, Indonesia, Korea and Viet- Nam, the State of Israel is one of those countries where the fight between the fendal regime, supported by capitalism, and the progressive’ social forces, is at its height. Our people are carrying on against that imperialism which cannot countenance the fact that at one of the most important strategic points in he world, the gateway to the East, we want to achieve a régime based on new social principles. The Anglo-American imperialists know well that our dynamic influence in the Near East is shaking the feudal regime there to its foundations, ‘They also know very well that our ideas find an echo everywhere in the Near East and that it is we who form the vanguard of Socialism, Decadent imperialism defends itself with its last strength. And we, the left-wing of the workers of Israel, tum toward the progressive forces, toward the Soviet Union and its leader, the great Stalin. There, the socialist society, which shows the way and sets the example for all democratic people, was established 30 years ago. In this way, we can ensure that no one can use our country as a springboard against the forces of the future in an eventual war, From this position, we thank the States which have helped us. Gromyko, the delegate of the Soviet Union, prctected us in the U.N.O, and strengthened our faith that our people, who lost six million sons during the war, and the other small nations, have found a real defender in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union and the Ukraine, Poland and Czechoslovakia helped us to win that decision on November 29, 1947 in the U.N.O. which recognized us as a State in the great family of nations. The conception of Gromyko and his comrades proves to us that in the past and in the future, they see the cause of our peoples as a necessary historic perspective. And after the cruel war in which we lost a third of our people, this cause has developed new strength, thanks to this help in the construction of our country. But we have not been able to continue our constructive work because one day after that. decision, we were once more involved in war, not because of the Arabs, but because of the provokers of Amperialist war; — Bevin and Marshall and their application of the principle,Divide and Rule”. 245 === [PDF page 263] === We live in good relations with the Arabs in Israel and we understand each other very well. The Arabs have learned from us modern agricultural methods, the organisation of trade unions, an educational system and public hygiene. But certain elements exist in the world who do not approve of good relations and mutual understanding. The imperialists do not want to hear of, and will not tolerate secialist pioneers in a feudal regime supported by them where slavery and oppression of women hold sway. The imperialists who now see in us the pioneers of the revolution in the Near East have chosen us as the butt of their aggression. It is not long ago that the same thing happened in Germany, where the Nazi brutes saw us first as their enemy because then, also, we were among the foremost fighters for the revolution. Today we are in the midst of battle. The flower of our youth are sacrificing their lives every day. We are the few against the many. Our young State has not enough arms. Our enemies are armed by Anglo-American imperialism. Nevertheless, we have defended the frontiers of our country. Even during the war we were able to build houses for thousands of our brothers and sisters deprived of everything by Nazism. Already, tens of thousands of men live in hundreds of communities and during the war, our houses became defence bastions. Our soldiers hear many tongues, the most diverse slogans from the enemy ranks: Anders’ soldier, Yugolav Ustaschi, Germans the Englisch friends of Mosley. These are the people against whom we are fighting. But we continue to fight faith in our progress, with the help of our communities which are examples of complete equality. Here in this Congress, an appeal has been made against war. In our country, many mothers are weeping for their children, Our whole nation is in uniform, all are fighting. Our factories have not enough workers. There is no one to cultivate the land, Jewish women are fighting also; the women whom the country has brought up as workers and whose search for the truth it has. guided, Mothers send their children to battle. But we all know that we are not fighting only for ourselves. Our victory in saving our people will] also chase imperialism from our country. In this way, we will help progress throughout the whole Near East. It is true that our nation has a section, like all other nations, which forms a part of the capitalist’ class but the communities, the workers and the peasants are fighting for progress. 246 === [PDF page 264] === Help us, democratic women, to establish relations with Arab women, with the Arab workers, so that they will come with us along the road to socialism, We want to be independent, but we do not want to be alone, We want you, the democratic women, to see in our fight a fight for freedom, the real struggle of a small country, and to remember that alongside us the women of Spain, China, Greece, Indonesia, Vict-Nam and Korea, the Jewish women are fighting, arms in hand, to defend the independence of their country and to ensure the victory of the Socialist forces in the Near East. Long live the independence of small nations! Long live the fighting unity of the peoples for peace! Long live the great Soviet Union, the sincere friend of small nations! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Madame SARAH ABRAHAM (INDIA) Dear delegates, I bring you the fighting greetings of the democratic Indian women on this historic occasion. I greet and thank particularly the Hungarian women, who have not only taken the responsibility for arranging this Congress, but who have also arranged the meeting to make preparations for the Conference of the Women of Asia. They have exerted every effort to strengthen the fight of the women of the colonies and the dependent countries. Three and a half years have passed since the military defeat ‘of fascism by the forces of the heroic Soviet Army. But still, in ihe post-war period, we find fascism rearing its head. In Greece and in Spain, we see fascism in its naked form trying to crush the heroic fight of those two peoples. Post-war America, immensely enriched by war profits, is emerging as the leading 1eactionary force, is mobilizing and strengthening international reaction for the preparation of another world war. American intervention in the internal affairs of other nations, its open violation of the Charter of the United Nations, its Hitler-like, anticommunist slanders against the Soviet Union and the peoples of the world, its hysterical war preparations to avoid the threatening economic crisis in the U.S.A. -— all this shows that even though Germany and Japan were militarily defeated, they have left behind an able successor in America, The post-war period sees on one hand, America as the leading force of reaction and on the other, the Soviet Union as the guiding force of world democracy. The establishment of the People’s Democracies in Europe and the liberation struggles of the colonial and 247 === [PDF page 265] === dependent countries, headed by the mighty Chinese democratic forces, reveal that the forces of world democracy, uniled, have become much stronger than the forces of reaction. Therefore, we see today that in spite of the armed intervention of imperialism in China, Viet-Nam, Malaya, Indonesia, the people’s forces, instead of being weakened, are growing stronger. Imperialism’s dream of reestablishing the old colonial set-up for intensified exploitation -of the colonial peoples is today proving to be a nightmare. Within this framework of the post-war period, the Indian vourgeoisie is revealed in its true light. Frightened by the mass upsurge that shook post-war India from end to end-from the naval mutinies in 1946 to the armed struggles of the Telengana peasants and ‘by the strengthening of the world anti-imperialist forces, and with the aim of avoiding the economic crisis which became inevitable in India, the Indian bourgeoisie (which made miilions during the war) completely surrendered to imperialist designs and were eager to serve as junior partners in carrying them out. They did this in order to protect the profits they had made and in order to find new markets for their goods at the cost of the lives of millions of Indian workers. The better to do this in the post-war period, they found it more advantageous to become a part of the imperialist camp than the camp of democracy. This collaboration of the Indian bourgeoisie with the imperialists cuiminated in India in August, 1947, when the country was divided on a religious basis into Pakistan and the Indian Union, and when power was returned to the big bourgeoisie to the precise end of suppressing the rising democratic movement and safeguarding ° foreign investments. Not only was this collaboration established for the joint exploitation of the Indian people but it also became clear that the foreign policy of the Indian government ‘representatives in the U.N.O, was that of following unquestionably the lead of the imperialists. They have sided with the imperialists against the Soviet Union, They voted in favor of the American,,Littlke Assembly” and fought against the admission of the Ukraine to the Security Council. Under the leadership of the American Ambassador, Grudy, the Indian government created an,,Asia Economic Recovery Plan” that Grudy calls,,your Nehru of Marshall plan", in order to penetrate the economically backward countries of Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, in the role of junior partner of the Anglo-American imperialists, The shameless decision to remain in the English com- ‘ monwealth and participation in the deliberations of the Common- 248 === [PDF page 266] === ‘wealth Conference show clearly the Indian capitalists’ desire to fight for imperialism’s war and to prepare it. At home, the Idian monopolists are therefore applying the counterpart of world imperialism’s program. Not a single promise has been kept which the Indian government made to the people before Coming to power, Instead of nationalising key industries, it has shelved the plan for another 10 years. Landlordism, which was to have heen abolished is retained with the simple change that the landlords now get huge compensations by becoming agents for the government. They still own thousands of-acres of land and will own them until the present government is removed. The excess profit tax has been lifted and taxes on consumer-goods increased. When the prices of essential commodities such as rice and clothing were rising, price control was lifted and as result, prices went skyhiq ol fees were increased to such an extent; that a 10% decrease in enrolIment was noted at the beginning ofthe year. In order to suppress mass discontent which was increasing daily against these policies, very repressive laws were put into effect. In ‘Opposition to the workers’ strikes which were becoming more numerous every day, the government proposed an,.Jndustrial Truce”, which, in practice, made strikes: illegal. The Public Security Bill, which authorizes the government to arrest and detain people without warrant or trial, puts unlimited power in the hands of the government, It is another proof of the violent anti-peoples policy of the ‘government, The introduction of this bill was followed by particularly severe repression of the trade unions. 1,000 trade union leaders ‘were arrested, Several hundred students, peasants and democratic women were put under arrest. The tortures inflicted on the fighting people resemble those of the Nazis about which we heard so much during the war. But no oppression could or can stop the rising tide of the democratic movement on India. The recent strike of 40,G00 workers of the Cambiatore against the speed-up, and the daily increase of strikes by the working class, the heroic armed battles of the Bengal peasants demanding a third of their crops (known as the Tebhaga movement}, and the fight of the Talengana peasants, who by organizing armed partisan groups have been able not only to liberate 15,000 square kilometers and a population of 5 million, but also to form people's councils through which they manage their own affairs for their own benefit —- shows that the struggle for independence by the Indian people has undergone a significant change. The importance of armed resistance against iraperialist power is felt more each day. 249 === [PDF page 267] === In these fights against imperialism, women play a great role. They join not only in common struggles alongside the men, but also carry on separate battles for the defence of peace against the warmongers and for a better future for their children. The Indian people — peasants, workers, students, middle class employees, women — have awakened. Their rising consciousness cannot be crushed. In their fight against colonialism, they seck inspiration from the example of the Soviet Union, of the Chinese Liberation movement and of the democratic movement all over the world, The great Indian people are realising more cach day the grave responsibility that weighs upon them in the fight for world peace, By fighting colonialism, the Indian people thereby enter the ranks of the democratic camp headed by the Soviet Union, for they know that in order to creaté a better future, it is first necessary to fight today for national independence, democracy and peace. Long live the fight of the peoples of the world for peace and against imperialism!. Long live the fighting unity of the women of the world! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation!. Madame MARIA BERNETTI (TRIESTE) Yesterday this Congress ratified the demand for affiliation of the Union of Italian-Slav Anti-Fascist Wcmen from the territory of Trieste to the world organization of peace-loving women: the Women's International Democratic Federation. Dear friends, as we give you our fraternal greetings, we want to tell you that we interpret this ratification as the highest recognition of our indefatigable struggle against imperialism, against the fomentors of war, against the attempt to rebuild fascism, for a free and democratic life for us, for our children, for the whole of our people, for our right to live in peace and against the use of atomic energy in the service of war. We want to emphasise again that this ratification will give us new strength and audacity in preventing the American imperialists. and their lackeys from unleashing a new war in which our city would be one of the first victims. The Union of Italian-Slav Anti-Fascist Women, created in 1945 by the unification of groups of Italian women and groups of Slav women who had fought against nazi-fascist aggression, has always been loyal to the principles and spirit of the W.LD.F., to those principles which unite 80 million women for the realisation of a 250 === [PDF page 268] === common programme. Our organization, which fights under difficult conditions, has remained homogeneous and full of fighting spirit, exposing the attempts of the Anglo-American imperialists and the loca] nationalists to break our unity. The territory of Trieste arose as a necessary compromise in the fundamental interests of building a lasting peace within the framework of the peace treaty with Italy. But although more than a year has gone by since the peace treaty came into force, we in Trieste still do not have peaceful conditions, The nomination of a Governor has always been prevented by the American imperialists in the international talks, and the statute of the Territory has not been applied by the Military Government of the Anglo-Americans. This Military Government, under the pretext that the conditions of the treaty are impossible to apply, carries on a colonial policy in our city. What is being hidden under this pretext? What is the aim towards which the Military Government is working? In putting ali kinds of obstacles in the way of the application of the international agreements signed by 21 nations, the American imperialists want to change our territory into a base for provocation and aggression against the New Democracies, and ptimaiily against the great Socialist country, the Soviet Union, which we women love deeply; because without the Soviet Union we should not have been liberated from fascist and Nazi oppression; because without the Soviet Union, we should not be able to defend peace effectively today; because without the Soviet Union we should have no prospect of a happy life for our children and for ourselves. By our fight against American imperialism which is today in military occupation on our territory, we, united with all democratic forces, will be able to prevent Trieste from becoming a military base directed against the Soviet Union, and will be able to oppose imperialist oppression effectively. We will be able also to divert the attempts of the Trieste Military Government, which tries to divide the Italians and the Slavs who live together in our territority, in order to carry out this criminal plan. - The imperialists not only prevent the application of the Peace Treaty, but they also violate continually the ruling of Article 4 of the Statute which says: The Constitution of the Territory of Trieste must guarantee to all people who live under its jurisdiction, without distinction of racial origin, sex, language, or religion, the exercise of the fundamental rights of man, and other liberties, including freedom of the press, 251 === [PDF page 269] === speech, religion and culture; the freedom. of assembly, and of organization”, The Anglo-American Military Government has systematicaily violated this paragraph; arrests, sentences, the use of moiorised units, of cavalry and truncheons against the population where it protest against the colonial policy, violation of the privacy and security of the home — such is the freedom of the imperialisis. It is necessary once again to emphasise the national oppression of the Slovenian population whose mother tongue, although recognised by the Peace Trealy, is not recognised by the Anglo- American Military Covernment. The Italian women have fought alongside their Slovenian sisters for the equatity of the two languages, for the recognition of this elementary principle of democracy, so that Slovenian children may be able to receive instruction in their mother tongue, At the present time, they are fighting together, united with the democratic population, against the issue by the city authorities of a new identiiy card with Italian wording only. This is one of the forms of the general struggle for the democratisation of public life in our city. Actually, the Military Occupation Government, three years after the end of the war, has not yet held municipal elections, and thus, it can carry out ils colonia! policy more easily. Trieste is the only city in Europe in which the governing bodies have not been elected, but appointed by the Military Government itself. Our organisalion, along with all the democratic organisations, has fought for this principle, and avout two months ago, the Military Government published a decree on the preparation of electoral lists. This decree, Regulation 435, is characterised by a completely antipopular basis, and today, the women of Trieste are engaged in the struggle to democratise the electoral system. The women who have lost their neer and dear ones in the fascist jails, in the concentration camps, in the ranks of the partisans, cannot allow the fascists, who brought terror and oppression to them, to have the right to vote. W women of Trieste cannot permit fas« cists from many countries who have sought shelter in Trieste, to take the bread from our husband's and children’s mouths, with the obliging help of the Anglo-American authorities, and, on top of that, to give their votes to local reactionary circles. Our women do not want these elections, which represent a forward step in the democratisation of the life of our city, and will permit them also to fight under more favourable conditions in defence of their rights, to be prepared according to the methods dear to colonial systems. 252 === [PDF page 270] === Simultaneously with fighting for democratic elections by means. of different demonstrations and practi¢al action, the women of Trieste have also engaged in the fight against the application of the Marshall Plan. The Military Government, indeed, after having cartied on for three years a policy of ruining our industry and of stifling our genera] economic activity, announced a plan for reconstruction about three months ago, which is practically a plan for destruction of our economic life. It is the application of the Marshall Pian in Trieste. The results have not been slow to appear; the immediately showed in the rise of prices of necessary commodities; Unemployment reached, even before the application of the E.RP., the figure of 30% of the werkers of, whom 14,000 were women. To the really serious economic conditions, the increase in disease must be added, During the first six months of the last year, 1.510 new cases of tuberculosis were recorded and the percentage of infected people is 3%, while before the war it was 0.3%. The military occupation and poverty have developed corruption. Prostitutes number 4,000 — that is to say, 8% of the women, of whom 252 were sent to venereal clinics in the first six months of last year. These brief indications can give an idea of what occupation by the imperialists means, how the so-called American freedom works. in practice, what help Truman’s America and the financiai circles lavish upon us, But no oppression, no corruption can stop our struggle. The Anglo- American Military Government tries in every way to prevent the struggle of the democratic forces, openly supporting the attempts of the fascists to rebuild their strength. On November 30th of this year, the Anglo-American authorities forbade a public demonstration for peace at which International Women’s Day for Peace should have been celebrated. In addition, on the occasion of our Congress held on the Gth, 7th and 8th March of this year, the Military Government refused to ailow delegations from other countries right of entry to the territory, Numerous members of our organisation. are arrested and savagely beaten up in the course of demostrations against the colonial policy of American imperialism. They have even gone to the extent of wanting to put our W.ID.F. representative under specia! observation for. three years, a punishment to which she was condemned by a fascist tribunal. It was only as a result of the swift action of the democratic forces that this sentence was annulled. The struggle for our rights, the right to give our children a better life, to defend them against waz, poveriy, hunger and corruption, is hard, and will continue to be so in the future. We are 253. === [PDF page 271] === prepared for the severest sacrifices, to fight in all fields and in all sectors, whether it is a question of preparing and getting together gifts and help make Christmas happier for our children or of organizing holiday camps for them, or of facing police clubs to defeat the enslavement plans of imperialism. The most essential thing is to struggle unitedly, to render useless each attempt of our enemies to split us, to fight against every kind of nationalism, from whatever quarter it may arise. We will not only defend this unity, but will also strengthen it. And we will bring failure to each attempt to split us. Again, dear friends, we want to affirm here, before the representatives of the democratic women of all countries, that we shall never leave the world democratic front, led by the Soviet Union, the main bulwark of peace. We know that if we leave this front that would be the end for us of the democratic struggle, it would be a betrayal in favour of the aggressive forces of imperialism. The struggle which we are carrying on to prevent Trieste’s becoming -a base for aggression, is closely linked to the fight for the application of the Peace Treaty. To defend the Peace Treaty means to defend peace, means the weakening of the positions of imperialism, means to make a contribution to the great peace offensive led by the Soviet Union for respect of international agreements which the American imperialists, following the example of Hitler, want to trample on with their aggressive policy. That signifies in the last analysis, to fight for the realisation cf better conditions, for the beginning of the conquest of new democratic victories, so that we can defend the national rights of thcse peoples who live together in our territory. We understand our responsibility in this problem. Trieste is also one of the nerve centres of Europe. General Airey has openly declared that he is carrying on the cold war in Trieste. But to the cold war we oppose solid nerves, our unity, our confidence in our just cavse, our confidence in the strength of the _ world democratic front, and its steadfast guide, the U.S.S.R. We regard the future with confidence, even the hard struggle to come, because our updeviating fight will win new members, because in ‘Trieste, ever more women are participating all the time in the struggle for peace. Ta the consciousness of that struggle and the strength we gain from ovr unity, we address a warm appeal to you to support our “struggle against American imperialism which still is in occupation of our city, to give your support to our struggle with the aim of preventing our city from becoming a base of aggression against the Soviet Union, which is the object of the leve and confidence of all women fighting for a better future for their country. The 254 === [PDF page 272] === example of the marvellous Soviet women will be always for us a guiding flame. Long Live the Women’s International Democratic Federation, the great world front of peace-loving women! Madame HILDE MAREINER-NURENBERGER (AUSTRIA) Dear friends, I speak in the name of the Union of Democratic Women of Austria which is a new organisation and which is honored to be received into the family of 80 million democratic women by this Congress, - I bring the warm greeting of tens of thousands of Austrian ‘women who @re aware of the importance of this Congress in the cause of peace. We come from a country which is small in size, but which occupies a large place in the aggressive plans of the imperialists and the fomenters of a new war, For strategic reasons, they want to utilize Austria as a stronghold in case of war. In their military plans, Austria figures as a link between the British and American zones in Germany, and Italy, which America is attempting to dominate, Austria occupies one of the front line positions in the war Which they are preparing. Today, Austria is used as a political weapon against East and Southeast Europe, against that part of Europe in which the people have liberated themselves from the bonds of capitalism in order to build People’s Democracies. That is why the Anglo-American imperialists are sabotaging the struggle being carried on by Austria for her independence. Today, three years after the war, all attempts to conclude a peace treaty with Austria, which would mean withdrawing occupation forces, have been thwarted. Only the Soviet Union, the true friend of the Austrian peoples, is constantly making efforts to achieve an agreement on this important question. We are an occupied country. However, it is precisely because of the presence of the soldiers of the Soviet Army on our soil, that the imperialists are not able to deprive us of all liberty. We are ashamed io say it: our reactionary government has sold itself, come what may, to the Americans. It is ready to give up our national independence in exchange for canned horse meat. Jt has turned Austria into a,.Marshall paradise”, where the factories do not operate, where unemployment is growing, where the standard of living of the people continues to fall. While the People’s Democracies are advancing toward a happy and prosperous life, our 255 === [PDF page 273] === government is openly making plans whose realisation will make our country a colony for American imperialism. This same government is trying to prepare Austria for participation in the imperialist camp, in a new war. The fascists and war criminals, fugitives from justice in democratic countries, are certain of finding asylum and help from our government, which, furthermore, is not content to release Austria nazis and criminals of war, but gives them important positions in the political and economic administrative bodies of our country. In our country, the fascists are free and their victims are deprived ef their rights. New fascist organisations are springing up everywhere, without opposition by the government. The newspapers of ithe two parties now in power — the Austrian Socialist Party and the Popular Party — are reviving war propaganda in order to sow panic among the Austrian people, A vast campaign of defamation and lies is being launched. against the Soviet Union and the Popular Democracies. Tt is by such methods that attempts are being made to prepare the Austrian people for an imperialist war. In this hateful race, an unbiased observer would give the prize to the fencHonaty, leaders of the Austrian Socialist Party. Grave responsibilities must be assumed by Austrian women, the greatest majority of whom, like the women and mothers of other countries, want a rea] and lasting peace. They are understanding more and more that in order to guarantee peace, we must fight for it. For us, the women of Austria, fighting for peace means: — to struggle against the selling out of Austria to American imperialists and to fight for the independence. of our country, — to take action against signs of rebirth of fascist organisations, — to maintain daily vigilance in denouncing the vicious propaganda of the enemies of the Sovict Union and the New Democtacies, ~— to mobilize the forces which support the peace policies of the great Soviet Union, — to encourage friendly relations between the Austrian people and their neighbers, the peoples of the New Democracies, — finally, to fight for peace means a determined struggle for telisation of democratic rights and social progress in Austria. The Union of Democratic Women of Austria adopted these principles as the basis of their struggle for peace and democracy. From that time on, we put those principles into practice, and it is therefore with great enthusiasm that we welcomed the call of the 256 === [PDF page 274] === Women’s International Democratic Federation to support the proposals of the U.S.S.R. concerning disarmament and the destruction of all atomic weapons, We collected 80,000 signatures in the course of a few weeks, despite a violent campaign unleashed against us by reaction, which, utilized all of its propaganda media in an attempt to discredit our movement and our peace campaign. The reactionary leaders of the Social Democratic Party went so far as to threaten their women members with expulsion from the Party. In order to intimidate them and to prevent their signing petitions, the women were threatened with loss of their jobs. That is why each signature gained for the peace campaign represents a victory in face of the formidable, concerted attack by the reactionary forces, It means the awakening of political consciousness and a new adherent to our cause. Our W.UD.F, work is continuing and we feel that the women who are going from house to house, from factory to factory collecting signatures in support of the peace proposals of the Soviet Union are working for the future of our children. Our work forms one of the links in the chain composed of mothers who love, peace — a chain which knows no national frontiers. It carries a message of hope to 80 million women throughout the world who are striving for democracy, freedom and a better life, women who hope to see their Austrian sisters participate further in their common struggle. Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Long live the Second Congress of the W.LD.Fil Madame ANNA NEVOLAINEN (FINLAND) member of the Executive Committee In spite of the efforts exerted by the People’s Democratic League whose work forms a part of the struggle of the people's democratic forces, reaction is gaining ground in Finland. As you know, the victory of the Soviet Army led to the development of the democratic movement in our country. The first post-war elections in 1945 put the People’s Democratic Party at the head of Parliament and the cabinet. At that time, the activity of the government was based on collaboration between the principal parliamentary groups composed of the Finnish People’s Democratic League (SKDL), the Social Democratic Party and the Agrarian Party. These groups had co-operated in rooting out fascism from the life of the country and in realising certain democratic reforms such as, nationalisation, agrarian reform and democratisation of the cultural life of the country. During the first two post-war years, the Parliament and the Government was under the leadership of the " 257 === [PDF page 275] === People’s Democratic League even though of the 18 members of the Government, only 8 were members of the League. During that period, our country rapidly rid itself of the economic and moral stagnation caused by the war. Despite reparations and debts to ‘be paid, industrial production increased rapidly and has surpassed, at present, in many spheres, the pre-war levels. The social laws put into effect in that period were of greater scope than any such laws passed since our independence. The measures taken by the government were of such a nature as to raise, in a brief space of time the people’s standard of living — so low during the war that famine threatened; the food situation was improved and rationing of many. food products was ended. New democratic tendencies appeared in the cultural sphere at that time. The SKDL had proposed a reform of the educational system which wovld have substituted for the old school system based on discrimination among the classes of people, a new system, more just, offering the same opportunities to all children. This educational reform was one of the most important features of our cultural life. At the same time, a lively interest in the socialist culture of our great neighbor, the Soviet Union, arose. This desire for a better understanding of Soviet culture, especially in the first two post-war years, took the form of exchanges between Soviet and Finnish cultural groups, which enabled large sections of our nation to see the Soviet Union and its people in a new light. However, this favorable development did not last. Reaction is firmly rooted in our country. If, for a moment, the military defeat of fascism imposed silence on the reactionaries, these Finnish groups saw with joy the neo-fascists in the Western imperialist countries begin to raise their heads and they were quick to turn’ towards the West hoping to find, and indeed, finding, supporters for their democratic aims. While the SKDL was the strongest Parliamentary and cabinet group, our domestic and foreign policies, despite reactionary opposition, followed the line stemming from the armistice treaty with U.S.S.R. and later, the peace treaty with the USS.R, as well as the pact of mutual friendship and aid signed by the two countries despite opposition by our reactionaries, sustained by the Western imperialists. It is this latter pact which determines the position of Finland if the world should become divided into two antagonistic camps. The general elections which took place last July reflected developments analogous to those which have arisen in other European countries in the course of the last two years: left wing forces have lost government seats to the bourgeois and right Social 258 === [PDF page 276] === Democratic forces, During our elections, the bourgeois and Social- Democratic Parties formed a united bloc against the Democratic League of Finnish People (SKDL), Backed by the big newspapers and with the help of powerful propaganda machines, they mnscrupulously utilized lies and distorted interpretations to thwart the democratic forces, which were unable to utilize similiar weapons in fighting back effectively. The SKDL lest its position as the leading government party, but still remains one of the three largest parties. A new Cabinet was formed after the elections. Contrary to Parliamentary tradition, according to which the SKDL should have been accorded an important position, it was given responsibility only for Ministries of secondary importance after long and tedious consuliations, But the Social-Democratic Party retained all of the important posts and suddenly, in the very course of the consu!tations, a Social-Democratic government, supported by the other parties of the right, was formed. The present regime marks a definite change in our politics, both on a domestic and foreign scale. More and more, our policy follows that of the Western powers, and the People’s Democratic Party is being presented in a false light. Within the country, the change is evidenced by the attempts to exclude the People’s Democratic Party from public life and to nullify the reforms which it instigated. This is done in order to sow discord among the people and to split the democratic ranks, In the econcmic domain also, the change is evident. Industrial production has surpassed by 25% that of the year before and the national revenue has increased from 7% to 9% in the same period. Under the former government, the Soviet Union had consented to a 50% reduction in the balance of reparations to be paid. But despite these circumstances, the standard of living of the people remains very low. The government respcnded to a strike of the workers by armed police attacks against the strikers. The economic crisis which threatens the capitalist world also affects Finland, due to the fact that prices on the Western markets for products which we must export have lowered considerably. Since the capitalists are eager to maintain their profits at the expense of the workers and farmers, our government declares that its chief task is to prevent the raising of salaries, In spite of all of the efforts of the SKDL, our foreign trade is not based on commercial exchange with the U.S.S.R, and the New Democracies, even though in many cases, that would correspond to our natural needs. Nevertheless, neither the reactionary tendencies of our present policies nor the losses temporarily sustained in the last elections 259 === [PDF page 277] === have destroyed the confidence that the men and women organized in the democratic front have in the future. The peace treaty and the pact of friendship and aid between Finland and the Soviet Union are guarantees that our country ‘wilh develop in a democratic direction. In case of international conflicts, Finland’s stand will be determined by these treaties. The great majority of our people, and especially the women, want peace, despite momentary wavering of their political opinions, The People’s Democratic League is a strong organisation; it is spreading all over the country and developing through educational work, democratic concepts and the fighting spirit of the people. As for the activity of the Democratic League of Finnish Women, it must be considered in the light of the present general political situation in our country. As we have prepared a written report to be distributed to the delegates here, I will not take time to go into the details of our work, In greeting this Congress, we wish again to give assurance that we will do everything in our power to fulfil the tasks fixed by this Congress for us. and for the democratic women of the entire world, We want to express our warm thanks to the Soviet Women and the women of the other countries who are working for peace and democracy, as well as our great admiration for the women who are fighting in Greece, in Spain, in China and in Viet-Nam. 1 Madame LUISE DORNEMANN {GERMANY) It is very difficult for us to speak here after last night's’ film recalled to all of us what German fascism was. If we speak anyway, it is because we are able to report that in at least one part of Germany, in the Soviet Zone, the foundation for a new and peaceful Germany has been laid — thanks to the generous help given us by the Soviet Union, the great country to which we express all our gratitude, But we must also point out to you the situation which exists in the Western zones, where Anglo-American imperialism is nce again rebuilding German reaction and along with that, carrying on Open propaganda for war. The composition of our delegation reflects the political situation in our country. Our delegate from the American Zone was prevented from coming by the ocupation authorities. Our delegate from the English Zone, representing a large and active women’s organisation is with us, but it was at the price of great difficulty that she mana~- 260 === [PDF page 278] === ged to come. We who are from the Soviet Zone and the Soviet sector of Berlin, come from the part of Germany where democracy is established, In the Soviet Zone, the war erinitnats have been condemned, denazification has been accomplished. The land of more than 10,000 big land-owners and nazis has been divided between the peasants. Almost all of the key industries are in the hands of the people. Despite the difficulties due to the splitting up of Germany, our industry and agriculture is being developed without Marshall Plan aid by our own efforts. We have a planned economy and a two-year plan, At the present tithe, an active movement is developing in the factories, Its goal is to increase production and it is spreading among all workers, including the women and the youth. The German reactionaries in the Western section are trying to introduce their propaganda into the Soviet Zone, but the democratic organisations are mobilising their forces in order to prevent both sabotage and chauvinist propaganda., The W.LD.F, report described the situation in Western Germany. Heading industry and public life are the same ones who plunged the world into war two times. Among them are men like Dinkelbach, Stinnes and other friends and supporters of Hitler, Schacht has been acquitted, Emmy Goering released and we can expect that Gertrude Schole-Klinck, former woman leader of the nazi women will soon be freed, as well as Ilse Koch, the wife of the commander of Buchenwald concentration camp, the woman who made lamp shades from the skin of political prisoners. War industries are being revived at a rapid pace. The internationalisation of the Ruhr was prevented by the Western occupying powers, Schacht has published a book according to which there was only a single anti-nazi in Germany — and it was he! Hugo Paul, Minister of Labour in Westphalia (North Rhine), has been deprived of the right to vote --- the reason given: he had. been in prison, condemned for high treason under nazi regime. The democratic forces in Germany are struggling for democratic rights, for decent conditions of life, for price control. They are struggling against the German Economic Council which carries out the orders of the Americans. The great democrations which took place in Stuttgart, the recent general strike, the housewives’ demonstrations in Koburg and those. of the women and dockers in Hamburg are proofs of the struggle, In the Soviet Zone, women participate in all measures takenbeginning with the rooting out of the vestiges of nazism. They are the equals of the men and all opportunities are open to. them. 261 === [PDF page 279] === WHAT IS THE PRESENT POSITION OF GERMAN WOMEN ON PEACE? Like all women, German women want peace, bul the majority of them are not yet enough educated politically to understand the cause of war, how we must struggle for peace, and where the aggressor is to be found. That is why we are trying particularly to perfect the political education of the German women. The cause of war and the force of the peace front led by the Soviet Union are the chief subjects of the conferences being held by our organisation for women. We have carried on three campaigns on a vast scale with the aim ot mobilising the women of Germany for the fight for peace. Our affiliation with the W.LD.F. was the subject of 3,000 public meetings, in the course of which we gained 30,000 new members. On the occasion of International Women’s day, all of the factories in the Soviet Zone employing women workers were closed at 2 o'clock in the afternoon to permit the women to be present at meetings in favor of peace, Meetings took place that day all over Germany, We utilise the points outlined in our petitions for outlawing of the atomic hom» to exvlain to women everywhere that it is American imperialism which is leading the agaressive forces that it is preparing war against the Soviet Union and the People’s Democracies, and to explain how this war can be prevented. The German monopolists, the bourgeois parties and the Social- Democratic parties of the right in the Western zones have linked themselves with the American imperialists. They support the policies of the Western powers, openly serving as agents of war propaganda. The war-makers are trying to deceive the world in speaking of the alleged blockade of Berlin. But I live in Berlin. There is no blockade, The Soviet Union in the most generous way, offered to provide food for the whole city of Berlin, just as it did during the first months of the occupation. The,,air lift’ is absolutely unnecessary and is only a spectacular way of spreading war propaganda. The war-mongers allege that the war for Berlin is inevitable. But we women of Germany do not want another war. We have brought here a letter signed by 26,000 Berlin women. This letter reads as follows:,,The women of Berlin address themselves to the Women’s International Democratic Federation to ask help in our struggle for peace and for order in a unified Berlin, to ask that you exert your influence to achieve a peaceful solution 262 === [PDF page 280] === to the problems of the world, The women of Berlin solemnly pledge to work and struggle until Berlin becomes a symbol ot peace. On Tuesday, 660,000 inhabitants of Berlin demonstrated against the Municipal Council controlled by the Western powers and the democratic people of Berlin elected a progressive Council in its place, Together, we women of Berlin along with our sisters in the Western zones will fight to destroy for good the power of German reaction and to construct a unified, democratic and peaceful Germany. Our sisters in Western Germany, in spite of the many difficulties which they are now encovntering, are working actively in the Union of Democratic Women, Their representatives are present at all conferences and Executive Committee meetings with us. We are happy and proud to be affiliated to this great international women’s organization, the Women’s International Democratic Federation. Enormously helped and led by this organisation, our struggle is considerably strengthened. Mrs, MINNIE GOLDEN (UNITED STATES) The Congress of American Women, the United States affiliate of the W.LD.F, has played an important part in the fight for Peace and demecracy, Its program of education for child care, adequate housing, federal aid to education, fight against high cost of living, etc, has been a potent force for peace. Since the death of F.D.R., when the forces of reaction began their program of destruction of the gains made during his terms in office as President of the United States, the women of America have played an important role in building the Progressive Party of America, Long before Henry Wallace announced his candidacy, American women, the factory worker, the housewife, the professional woman, the Negro woman, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, all joined together to form an organisation in the common struggle for a peaceful and democratic world for all peoples, The call for the formation and organization of a new party brought many women to Philadelphia who worked on and planned the platform for the Progressive Party. In this platform, provisions were made to obtain legislation on equal pay for women for equal work, federal aid to education, repeal of the draft law, repeal of the Taft Harley Bill, Civil Rights for all, etc. After the Progressive Party was established in July, all the forty-eight States had to meet many legal requirements in order to obtain a place on the ballot 263 === [PDF page 281] === for the Progressive Party candidates. In California, women collected signatures on the street, many of them had their children with them in perambulators, going from one block to another. Some individual women collected as many as 1,500 to 2,000 signatures. As is well known, the reactionary forces of America using the,,Un- American Committee”, threatened people, cited them for contempt, listed certain organisations with which many of our women are associated, as,subversive”, made every effort to prevent us from obtaining the required number of signatures in every sector of the country, Even the church played a part in the attempt to frighten our people, In the South especially, attacks on the Progressive Party were violent, petition collectors were jailed and beaten and a_ state chairman of the Progressive Party was killed. Still over sixty thousand signaturés were collected in Alabama where only some fifty thousand were required. In Ohio, a total of 23,000 signatures were required and almost fifty thousand signatures were secured. This perfomance was repeated in 44 States. ’ None of the antics of our enemy deterred our peoples, and most of those responsible for the success of the petition campaign were women. While collecting signatures we were also campaigning on issues-the fight for peace, for good relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, for the lifting of the arms embargo for the new state of Israel and for de jure recognition of this new state. All this, as well as domestic policy calling for equal rights for all our people, full democratic rights for our Negro people, our Spanish Americans, our Mexican Americans and all minority groups. More than sixty women were running as candidites for the State legislatures as well as for the Congress, where there are at present only seven women out of a total of 531 Congressmen, Among these candidates were working women, Negro women, professional women, housewives and mothers. Our presidential candidite, Henry A. Wallace, and our Vice-Presidential candidate, Glen Taylor, defied shameful discriminatory practices by refusing to speak before colour-segregated audiences. In Alabama Mr. Taylor was jailed for refusing to enter a building marked,,For whites only”. One of the most important roles played by our women was that of fund raising, Small gatherings, house parties, large rallies, meetings of all kinds were arranged by the women; where not only money was raised — from perhaps several dollars to many thousands of dollars — but our literature was always distributed and our program discussed. Particularly was this true of the small house 264 === [PDF page 282] === meetings arranged by housewives and working women among all groups of people, where there were about 15 women to one hundred women present, Giant mass meetings and rallies addressed by our * candidates and our presidential candidate, Henry Wallace, and by Glen Taylor, brought in thousands of dollars. This money was needed to pay for radio time to bring the peace message to the American. people, because the entire press and radio boycotted us and distorted our program. The obstacles were many, but this did not deter our fighting women and men, who will continue our fight for peace and democracy. The program of the Progressive Party was the force in America which resulted in the election of the candidate of the Democratic Party for President. The people of America do not want war, they do not want depressions. Realising this fact, the Democratic candidate for President adopted the platform of the Progressive Party and made it his own during the last weeks of the campaign. On this program Mr. Truman was elected. It was a vote against reaction and for the Roosevelt policies which Henry Wallace has been speaking about for the past three years, since he was forced to resign from the Cabinet, The mouthpiece of reaction in America, nThe Wall Street Journal", said immediately after the elections, uWe will have the New Deal in its most extreme form”. We women of America know that the fight must be carried on both for our Party's domestic policy as well as our Party's foreign policy. We know that a progressive domestic policy cannot live with a reactionary foreign policy. We must repeal the Taft-Hartley law and the draft, establish full civil rights for all, have full pay envelopes to provide for abundance, old age benefits, federal aid to education, child care centers, health insurance, maternal care, etc,, and we must fight for a foreign policy which will establish peaceful relations between the Soviet Union and the United States. All of the German proposals must be referred to the Council of Foreign Ministers. We will fight to reduce our armament program and outlaw the atom bomb as a weapon of aggression. We must give de jure recognition to the new State of Israel. We must provide butter and ploughs to the fighting peoples of Greece and China, instead of bullets and tanks. We will take a firm stand on Spainnot be blinded by secret negotiations to replace Franco with a monarchist or pseudo-democratic regime, which would continue the present fascist government of Franco. The women of the Congress of America Women, as well as the women of the Progressive Party, will not be influenced by the confusions and tensions created by the American press and radio. 265 === [PDF page 283] === The hostility and misrepresentation have at no time destroyed the firm friendship and admiration of our women for the Soviet Union, and for the struggling peoples everywhere. We will continue our fight for peace and democracy, All the women of the Progressive Party want peace instead of war and real democatic rights for all people, not only in the United States, but all over the world. We can and we must have a peaceful world for our children to live in, that may grow healthy and strong and enjoy the fruits of our labour and their own. We will fight until this peace and democracy is wonl. Madame MARIA LAPCHOVA (U.S.S.R) delegate from the city of Stalingrad. I am happy to greet you on behalf of the women of the glorious city of Stalinqrad. For all of us, for our children, for the many generations to come, the word Stalingrad is the symbol of courage and firmness, of the triumph of a just cause. It was at the gates of my native city overlooking the steep banks of the Volga, that the fate of all mankind was decided, the fate of democracy and culture, your fate and ours. It is there that Soviet soldiers stopped the spread of the Hitler plague which was menacing the whole world, it was there that the downfall of fascism began, The whole world knows that the defenders of Stalingrad who fought to the death on the Volga, saved not only their own Soviet land from fascist enslavement, not only their own children, but those of the English and Americans as well. They put an end to suffering in Paris, Belgrade, Prague, an end to the suffering of all peoples of Europe. That is why common peoples in every corner of the globe repeat the name of my city with love and reverence. That is why, in France and other countries, there are squares and streets named after Stalingrad, That is why poets write verse in all languages, glorifying the city of Stalingrad. I would like to tell you, dear friends, about the life of today in my native city — about the rebirth of Stalingrad. Foreign commentators have called the battle of Stalingrad the,,Miracle on the Volga”. Today, a second,,miracle on the Volga” is taking place; a new Stalingrad, a wonderful city is arising out of the ruins and the ashes,. When the German invaders were driven out of Stalingrad, my native city presented a terrible picture. The tall houses, tne verdant parks, the beautiful streets and the powerful factories had been 266 === [PDF page 284] === reduced to ruins. Returning to their city, the people had to live in improvised dug-outs; they had neither electricity, water, nor fuel. Hostilities were still in progress in our country when we began the difficult work of restoring our city, so great was our faitn in victory, in a radiant tomorrow. It was not the houses which were constructed first, but the factory workshops, The war was still on — the front needed metal, machines and arms, and our main concern was to supply those needs, Each one knew that once victory was ours, once fascism was overcome, our dreams would come true and we would then have houses, palaces, parks and theatres. I am an engineer from the,,Red October" steel plant in Stalingrad,’ Never shall I forget that day in July, 1943 when the first furnace produced its first steel. It was like a call which rang out through the country,,,We have it — the steel of Stalingrad’!. No longer were the incendiary bomb fires lighting the skies of Stalingrad, but the joyous glow of the smelting furnaces. How happy we women were — for at that time, most of the men were at the front and the heavy work was done by the women. We the people of Stalingrad, were not alone in our efforts; throughout the Soviet land, our 200 million people came to the aid of the heroic city, Night and day, trains arrived in Stalingrad. The country sent us all kinds of building materials, machines and produce, At that time, the appeal of Alexandra Cherkassova resounded in Stalingrad,,,Comrades, let us use all of our free time to rebuild our native city"! Thousands of hearts gave answer to her call. After the long day's work in the plants and factories, all the people of Stalingrad went to work to rebuild houses, hospitals, schools, créches and kindergartens; to clear away tle ruins from the streets and squares, A team headed by Alexandra Cherkossova, the initiator of this remarkable movement, built a large, many-storeyed house which became famous in the history of the Great Patriotic War. It is known throughout the country as,,Pavlov’s House” because Sergeant Pavlov, Hero of the Soviet Union, together with his comrades, heroically defended it for several days against a large band of fascists. At the present time, 4,800 Cherkossova teams totalling 100,000 people are at work. These teams have given 3 million man-hours toward rebuilding the city. Nearly one million square meters of living space have been restored in Stalingrad — that is the significant result of the Cherkossova movement. 267 === [PDF page 285] === Now there are workers, engineers, employees and families of soldiers killed in the war living in the comfortable, new houses. The streets, the squares, the gardens and the parks of Stalingrad are once more turning green. The new,miracle on the Volga’ has been realised. The heroic city bearing the name of the great Stalin is rising out of the ruins and rubble. In addition to its glory as a military city, Stalingrad is glorified as a workers’ city, But it is not the people of Stalingrad only who are engaged in the work of reconstruction. From one end of our country to the other, the people are busy with the noble task of rebuilding. Here in this hall] are delegates from celebrated cities such as Leningrad, Sebastopol and Odessa. They tco could tell you how much strength and energy they are consecrating toward reconstructing their cities, All of the wounds which the fascist babarians inflicted on our country have not yet healed; the horrors of the second world war are still fresh in our memories, Yet, abroad, especially in the U.S.A. and Britain, those in power are crying out for a new war, threatening our country with a hail of atomic bombs. We well remember the time not many years ago, when cables full of admiration for the exploits of Stalingrad were coming to us from the leaders of the Western powers, among them, de Gaulle and the king of England, who made a gift to Stalingrad of a sword of great value. Today, these,,gentlemen” have forgotten all that, and are beginning again to speak of war. But the ordinary people have not- forgotten the horrors of that war, All progressive mankind, and most of all, the women, do not want another war; they will not allow it to break out!. Democratic women! Liberty, the happiness and the lives of our children depend on us. It is we who must stop the maniacs who are pushing the peoples toward the abyss, toward a bloody massacre. And we can do itl. Lét us vow on the memories of our fathers, mothers, brothers and children who perished in the last world war that we will never let another war be imposed on the world. I beg that we unite our efforts even more in the struggle against the war-makers, in the struggle for peace!. Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation}. 268 === [PDF page 286] === REPORT OF THE BRAZILIAN COMMITTEE OF WOMEN FOR DEMOCRACY, President; Mrs. NAIR BATISTA The tasks of the Brazilian women in the struggle for peace and democracy, To get an idea of what the fight of the Brazilian women for peace and democracy has been, it is necessary first of all, to know what Brazil represents in the whole of the Latin American Nations. Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fourth largest in the world; its ports are stops for the air routes between North America, Africa and Europe. It is a young country, which has existed for four centuriest its area is 8,511,189 square kilometers and its population was estimated, in January 1944, at 44,400,000, Its economic life is weak, for its industry is hardly developed, its agriculture poorly organized and, therefore, it does not produce enough to meet the needs of its people. In Brazil there is no racial prejudice and the official language is Portuguese, The Brazilian soil is classed as one of the richest and most fertile in the world. Our principal agricultural products are: coffee, tobacco, rice, corn, cotton, sugar, tapioca, potatoes, wheat, beans, and a large variety of fruits. As for minerals, we have: gold, iron, mercury, sulphur, nickel, quartz, coal, manganese, oil, marble, uranium, and an infinite number of precious, and semi-precious stones. It is therefore. easy to understand why ambitious international imperialism is trying to keep Brazil under its domination. The great land-owners, and imperialist domination, determine the semi-feudal and semi-colonial character of our economy, the consequences of which are so fatal to our political life, harmful to our development and aggravating to the economic crisis which is crushing the Brazilian people. The degree of our civilization is still low; the social regime backward. There are 7 million peasants in Brazil without land and without rights. According to the census of 1940, the proportion of illiterates among those over 18 years of age is, on the average, 55%. The local differences, confirm the influence of the great land-owners in illiteracy: While in the Southern States, more economically developed, the percentage of illiterates is 40%, in the North-East States it goes up to 72%. 269 === [PDF page 287] === Re ee Te ee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee The great land-owners are also responsible for the chronic famine that is already spreading all over the country, the consequences of which are disastrous for the national economy. Thus the great land-owners and American imperialism completely dominate our people. We know that the United States, incapable of resolving its internal post-war problems, greedily throws itself on the semicolonial countries to get rid of its war suaplus on them, using an exploitation system profitable for the trusts and monopolies, obliging these countries to make enormous concessions in the economic and political fields. And it is there, exactly, that the danger of complete colonization of Brazil lies. Tn Brazil, as well as in almost all the countries of Latin America, the submission to Yankee imperialism has grown much worse in the last year following the Conferences of Petropolis and Bogota. At the first they signed the pact for inter-American defence, that is to say the instrument by which all the countries of the Western hemisphere submit to imperialist dollar diplomacy, each signatory of the pact being obliged to aid the country which is attacked in this hemisphere, To this end, they will take measures which go from the breaking of diplomatic relations to the partial or total break in economic relations and then to the use of armed forces. In the Conference of Bogota the end of which took place in the middle of tragic events, which were heard aground the whole world as a terrible warning to all who underestimate the powerful will of the people they tried to amplify the first pact for the defence of the hemisphere by reorganizing, consolidating and strengthening the inter-American system, Collective defence, economic affairs, the defence and eventual preservation of the anti-democratic regimes in the continent and in Europe’s American colonies, as well as the treaties of reciprocation which is absolutely inadmissible if you observe that the United States is a very industrial country, while almost all the Latin American countries live under a semi-colonial regime,: The ruling class of Brazil has given in to all the American demands, contrary to the Constitutional Charter of Brazil which, in article 141, & 5, clearly states,,War propaganda shall not be tolerated". And war propaganda is being carried on to a scandalous extent in the Brazilian press. The efects of this propaganda are already being felt. First of all, the violations of the Brazilian Constitution, promulgated in 1946, Under the false’ pretext of perserving our democratic liberties, the newly forming Brazilian democracy was little by little stifled. Persecution for political.reasons, dissolution of trade union 270. === [PDF page 288] === and youth organizations, attack and pillage of the popular newspapers, arrests of the great and well-loved directors of the Brazilian proletariat, conviction of young people and journalists, imprisonment of women; all that has happened in Brazil in the last year. Before beginning the study of the Brazilian women’s movement for peace and democracy, we will try to paint the picture of the situation of the women in Brazil. After having lived under a patriarchal regime, which denied her all possibility of becoming equal to man in her rights, the Brazilian woman still suffers the consequences of this social situation. In spite of this past of restrictions, the Brazilian woman is advancing in very difficult surroundings, Even though our country did net have to suffer the terrible bombings of the war, it also, indirectly, suffered the consequences. Inflantion and economic disorganization, caused by the war, brought innumerable difficulties to the women and opened their eyes to other horizons beyond the narrow circle of their own homes. It is thus that the women's movement is developing, weak, and fearful, In the beginning its activities were confined almost entirely to obtaining the commodities that were indispensable to the most immediate needs. They respectfully wrote to the authorities asking for a reduction in the price of butter, a permit to resell products bought elsewhere in order to obtain material of other articles, At the same time, the fight of the women became stronger; they wanted ‘controls on commetce, and they arranged mectings between the authorities and the shopkeepers to discuss the problem of prices and they even succeeded in organizing strikes to protest against the cost of living which is growing day by day. We must, on this subject underline the great protest demonstration of the 2ist of July, 1947, where some hundreds of women made their voices heard in the Municipai Chamber of Rio de Janeiro and the Chamber otf Deputies. The women are aware that politics is a powerful weapon, and they take part in the movements for the liberation of our country, which is now under a regime of diclatorship and oppression. These movements organize campaigns concerning the life of women which -has been stifled up to now by 15 years of dictatorship. But the economic problem demands a more effective action on the part of women. They are beginning a fight which is stronger in this field. That happened from 1945, when democracy was victoriously working in our country, to the beginning of this year when we witnessed the greatest atlacks against our democratic victories and a mad propaganda for war by the press nd the radio of our country. 271 === [PDF page 289] === In spite of all that, the democratic movement of the women continues along its road, By means of written reports, telegrams, protests, conferences, talks on the radio and in the press which are not corrupt; they denounced, to the world, the manoeuvers of the reactionary groups in our country, and how. our natural resources were being given over to the international trusts and cartels. And in this field, the contribution of the Brazilian women in the antiimperialist fight, for the defence of our oil was very effective and should be applauded. On other fronts of the fight we find, in small degrees, certainly, but in a heroic manner, women workers fighting alongside their husbands, in the last strike at the mines of Lafayette, State of Minas Geraes; in the textile foctories in the State of Bahia; among the railway workers of Uberlandia (Minas Geraes) and the workers of «Mogiana” (S, Paulo}. Organizing defence brigades at the entrances of the mines, taking measures to make sure that money and food were not lacking to their striking comrades, hundreds of women — young girls, wives, sisters, mothers of workers and workers themselves fought courageously at the side of the men in all these places, for the raise in the meager salaries of the miners, On an international level, the organized women of Brazil have done’ practically nothing, except by written requests to the UNO for the Spanish women, victims of the Franco terror, and for the women of Paraguay, who are suffering all the horrors of imprisonment,- torture, assassination, because they are fighting for the independence of ‘their country, which is under the dictatorship of an agent of. imperialism. Well do we know that the present situation demands a stronger action, Specifically concerning peace, our last activity was the »Campaign for peace", which is still going on. On this matter, there were, in Rio de Janciro, two conferences, one talk on the radio’ and we sent a Message of the Brazilian Women asking for peace to. the. U.N.O., a message which was signed by several thousand women. This was carried out in an atmosphere of terror, always with the menace of police repression, for the fact of thinking differently from the Government is considered a crime; the fight for our daily ‘bread is stifled by force, and our protests. against our natural resources going to foreign trusts are repressed with bullets. : From the facts shown by this report the following conclusions could be drawn; 1, The Brazilian women's democratic movement was. weak, but that is tends towards more and more concrete 272 === [PDF page 290] === Mme TZOLA DRAGOITCHEY A {Bulgaria} Member of the Cetnei 1 of the W.L DF. Member of the Executive Committee === [PDF page 291] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 292] === realizations; ‘2,-Our main weakness lies more in our own ideological and social training than in the lack of will in the fight; 3. The uniting of all the Brazilian women in a great democratic. and antiwar front will depend on the efforts that we make to make clear, by patient work every day and at every moment, by means of precise examples, the cause of the main problems which afflict humanity. It.will also depend on the simple way with which we must show the women that war is, in the last analysis, an essentially economic phenomenon. At the same time we must teach thein how and by what means the war mongers penetrate into the life of the nations which they economically suppress by giving them propaganda and telling them what methods they must use. to bring them into a new war; 4. But we will not succeed in uniting the women in a ‘front against war by limiting ourselves only to enlightening them. It is mecessary to practically unite them by winning their participation in the fight in all aspects. While we show the Women's International Democratic Federation the situation in our country and what the fight of the women for peace has been, we are protesting against the violations of the international agreements entered into by Brazil, and of the Four Freedoms proclaimed by the great President, Franklin Roosevelt. We must re-establish them by fighting for the freedom of political prisoners, for the cancelling of the shameful trials, for the respect of the Constitutional Charter where the right to organise in trade unions, the right-to strike, freedom of speech. and press and the Tespect Of the rights of man and especially the rights of women are written down, These rights cannot. be exposed to organized police terror because of the single fact that the women are fighting for the peace of their homes, for a happy future for all of humanity, for peace and against war. To conclude, we suggest that the women's organizations of Latin America study the possibility of a Latin American Women’s Congress, as the women of Asia are doing, in. order to show more openly to the world the living conditions of the populations of that part of the world and to. find the common solutions to the distressing problems of the women of Latin America. It is necessary to underline the situation in Venezuela and Paraguay where the oil wealth~is the hands of foreign trusts and is thus the source of poverty for their populations. And this same danger weighs on the immediate future of Brazil, if its leaders continue to develop that unfortunate policy of systematically giving all our sources of wealth to the imperialist agents, powerful and without scruples, who, not satisfied with stealing our natural resources from us, are 273 18 === [PDF page 293] === also trying to throw us into the most terrible and unjust of alt wars; the war against the free people of Europe who, while crushing fascism, created popular vigorous Governments which are magni cent examples for all the people of the world., Madame JOANNIDES (Greece) proposes on behalf of the Greek delegation that a letter of protest be sent to the President of the Greek Government: To Monsieur Sophoulis. President of the Ministerial Council Athens December 3, 1948.. The Second Congress of the Women's. International Democratic Federation, in session at Budapest, learns with indignation that 600 militants of the Greek. national resistance movement, condemned to death and imprisoned for three years in the jail in Egina, are threatened with execution and have declared themselves on hunger strike, which has lasted 13 days. The Second Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation, on behalf of its 80 million members in all the countries of the world, protests energetically against this inhuman crime. and demands that you stop the execution of these militants of the Greek national resistance; stop the execution of women; proceed with the revision of the trials of all those condemned to death; and liberate all mothers and little children who are imprisoned and deported." Madame NEXHIMJE HOXHA — ALBANIA presents the report of the CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE ‘Three years ago, the delegates of the First International Congress of Women took a solemn oath to struggle tirelessly to banish forever all forms cf fascism; to fight increasingly to establish true democracy the worid over; to defend the economic, political, legal and social rights of -women, and to work for the happiness of our children. This oath was not just a simple declaration, but constituted. the Most sacred aspiration of 80 million women and mothers, It became the program of action and struggle of this gieat ard powerful army of mothers and women who are united in the mighty battle- for peace and democracy. 274 === [PDF page 294] === The composition’ of this Second’.Congress” is °a living and eloquent’ €xpression® of those great forces represented by the Women's International: Democratic Federation.; 42 countries participated in. our First International Congress and 33 of them’ became members. Today, we have brought together the democratic women of 54 countries, large and small.. The Congress is proud to have present here a large delegation of Soviet women, the representatives of those heroic women who, thanks to the, great socialist revolution, to Lenin and Stalin, have illuminated for the first-time t history the road to the future for the ‘women of the entire world. Soviet women accomplish their tasks as mothers and women in well-being and joy; they put their many intellectual and moral qualities to the service of their people and of peace. They give hope to millions of oppressed women. They encourage them to struggle, to. work for a new life. Yesterday, these valiant Soviet friends set an example in the anti-fascist combat; today, they give still another by the magnificent results which they are obtaining through participating in the peaceful and creative work of the Soviet people. We are proud to have among us one of the great leaders of the powerful movement of Soviet working men and women, the Secretary of Trade Unions, Madam Nina Popova, deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation of Socialist Sovict Republics and Vice-President of our Federation. We all. have great admiration for Nina Popova. We love her for her energy, her steadfastness and her great kindness, For us, she is a symbol of untiring devotion to the cause of peace and. democracy. The women of the real democracies. — the People’s Democracies — are well represented at our Congress, In their countries, after the example of the Soviet women, they too have obtained complete political,. economic and social tights. The beloved names of Anna Pauker and Tzola Dragoitcheva ‘symbolize’ the women of these democracies who are. working ardently to build socialism. We are happy fo count among us the representatives of the great democratic organisations whose active strugale ‘acainst the reactionary forces arouses the admiration. ot the Congress. We know well the struggle. of the women of italy and France te safeguard the independence of their countries, Our President, Madam Eugenie Cotton, scientist and woman of letters, indefatigable fighter in the women’s movement of France and the world, honors uur Congress by her presence. 275: === [PDF page 295] === The democratic women of England are. also here. And from. _ America have come those who energetically oppose the war preparations of the leaders of their government. Here, too, are the heroic Spanish women, among them, Delores Ibarruri, the grand Pasionaria, she who declared at the beginning of the combat,,,Better to be the widow of a hero than the wife of a coward”; she who personifies the courage and intrepidity of the merciless battle against fascism. We are particularly moved by the presence of our Greek friends, in military dress, and our hearts contract at the thought that today, three years after the victory over fascism, they are obliged still to lead a fierce struggle against the successors to the Nazis — the English and American imperialists. It is a joy to us to have present the representatives of the colonial countries, In spite of the heavy oppression to which they, are subjected by the imperialists and by their own reactionary governments, they are striving bravely toward the independence of their countries, toward freedom for their people, toward obtaining their own rights. We must point out that the large representation from these countries is due to the fine work accomplished by the Federation during the past months. Our Congress is proud of all these women.who bring to our work that unshakeable trust in the future, that certitude that we can bring together, in still: greater numbers, the democratic forces of the entire world in order to win the battle for peace and democracy.. Represented at this Congress are women of all social and political conditions: an eminent woman Minister, deputies, scientists, writers, artists, workers, housewives, peasants.: Participating here are 385 delegates — voting members and observers — from 36 countries and of 50 nationalities. There are 10 Ministers and Vice-Ministers, 65 Deputies, 18 Scientists, 47 Workers, 19 Peasants, 80 Housewives, 75 Whitecollar Workers, 13 Skilled Workers, 104 Professional Women and 5 Students, 69 delegates have had a primary eduction, 114 secondary schoo] training and 123 higher education.; 226 delegates are active in many different kinds of social work and a majority of them participate militantly in democratic womens’ organisations. 168 delegates who are devoted militants in the cause of peace and progress are, at the same time, mothers who fulfil honorably their duties, as mothers, workers and citizens. 276 === [PDF page 296] === We are able therefore to conclude from these ‘statistics that this Congress really represents the democratic women of the whole | world, that it is the true expression of millions of women who are ' putting all of their strength and intelligence, all of their souls, i in the service of people, of progress, of democracy and peace. It is with satisfaction that we are able‘to note the development of our Federation. This growth is a telling demonstration of the increase of the democratic forces and of the ever-widening prestige and authority of the Women's International Democratic Federation, This Committee, after examining the credentials, finds them in conformity with the laws of the Federation. We regret that some sections were unable to send delegates because of the great obstacles with which they were confronted, These sections have, however, sent wires expressing regret at not being able to participate in the Congress. They have sent greetings and re-affirmed their solidarity. The delegations of the democratic women of Brazil, Mexico and Canada have been en route to the Congress for some time, but we do not know whether they will be able to arrive before tle end of our sessions. We must pay honor to our friends who have surmounted innumerable difficulties in order-to come to this Congress, There are those among the delegates who have traveled for two months to get to Budapest. 15 French delegates, including Madam Cotton, were’ unable to obtain American visas to cross the occupied zone of Austria. The Greek partisans who are delegates to this Congress walked day and night in the snow and crossed enemy lines to get here. Others too, came at the risk of their lives. It is evident that those who oppress the laboring masses and the people in general are the same ones who are preventing our friends from being with us. They want to isolate them from us for they fear our unity and our international solidarity. But despite all this, nothing will prevent the powerful voice of our Congress from being heard, even in the prisons and odious camps of Franco. The echo of this voice will resound in the mountains of Cireece; it will be heard by millions of women in India and as far as immense China. This voice will re-echo from the great Soviet Union to the little People’s Republic of Albania. It will ring out powerfully in Italy, in France, in England and even in the home of the organisers of the Marshall Plan and the manufacturers of atomic bombs. 277 === [PDF page 297] === is voice will lielp-us to: win. over millions of new combatants.. ~ This Congress, comprising the best. champions of democracy ang. - .peare.cf the democratic rights of women and the happiness of children, makes. us certain that-the goals of the W.LD.F, will be successfully attained. Thus we will aid in the unification of the world democratic forces who Will finally triumph over the inciters of war and misery. Our Women's International Democratic Federation and the two greet international organisations, the World Federation of Trade Unions and the World Federation of Democratic Youth are the real expression of the power of the democratic, anti-imperialist camp ‘lead by the Soviet Union, which has always fought victoriously for ‘the rights and liberties of the people of the whole world, to save mankind from the plague of wars which plunge the peoples into “mourning and suffering and to construct a real and lasting peace. In the name of the Credentials Committee, I move the following ‘proposals: that our Congress. feels deeply the absence of Delores ‘Tbarruri, la Pasionaria, of Anna Pauker, Tzola Dragoite heva and “Gene Weltfish. For unavoidable reasons they ‘were not able to be, Present at this Congress, despite the fact that they’ ‘were the first delegates elected by their national sections. At the demand of the ‘delegates from’ their countriés, and in consideration that they are ‘Clarter Members of ‘our Federation, the Credentials Committee “proposes to consider their credentials valid, just as if they had “been present at the Congress. 278 === [PDF page 298] === CHAPTER Jil THE REPORT ON THE DEFENCE OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN === [PDF page 299] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 300] === Mrs, HELEN PHILLIPS — UNITED STATES -- Member of the Executive Committee ~- Member of the Council presents the report on, THE DEFENCE OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN Preamble: On July 26, 1945, the United Nations, meeting at Sant Francisco a few days after the victory over fascism, adopted the Charter of the United Nations and solemnly declared: »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 indispensable for the maintenance of justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law, to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion”. (From the United Nations Charter). The very. first meeting of the General Assembly of the U.N. tecommended to the member countries that they grant women political rights equal to those of men. The women of the whole world acclaimed this action with tremendous enthusiasm, The women of countries which waged the 281 === [PDF page 301] === victory; they endured untold sufferings and privations. At the same time they made, by their great efforts, an immense contribution toward victory. Women worked in industry, making arms and munitions; in agriculture they provided food for the armies; they took part in the fighting, bearing arms. The victory of the democratic forces over Hitler Germany would not have been possible without the effort of all the people, and this includes women who make up more than half of the world’s population. = The proclamation in the U,N. Charter of the principle of equal rights for men and women is the result of the victory of democratic peoples; it is the recognition of the great role of women in the life of a nation; Of the part they played so vigorously in the last war, and of the immense contribution they made_to victory. — ‘ This proclamation of equality filled women with hope. They expected this international institution to place its force and authority behind these -principles of equality. The work of women during the war years proved to the women themselves their. importance and strength. This is why the question of equality for women became so important after the war, and why the solution of the problem fs oné of the main tasks of the international democratic women's movement. Conscious of their role, women will no longer accept inequality, WOMEN'S POLITICAL RIGHTS History shows that equality for women is inseparable from the victory and ‘development of democracy.: Now we can say that in a number of Eastern Senspuay ‘countries where there now exist democratic regimes, the’ new Constitutions proclaim the equality of women in political, economic and cultural life, The achievements of the governments of those countries, as regards schooling, professional training, medical care, child protection and maternity care, give women a chance to exercise their rights. There is no doubt that the granting by the Constitutions of the new democratic. countries of full equality for women is one of.the factors which stimulate them in their work for reconstruction, However, it should be pointed out that even in the countries of new democracy, there is still work to be done if the equality granted women by the Constitution is to be backed up. by legislation in various fields.: _ The, wiping out of old reactionary laws.is not only a same: of. time, but also one of general progress towards democracy. 282 great war against fascism had made innumerable sacrifices to insure’ === [PDF page 302] === Inly the Soviet Union, the country: of socialism, has reached “the: stage of complete equality in women’s: rights, The participation of women'-in the ‘life of the State is growing steadily; in the last election,. 480,000 women were. elected to the local,Soviets. In the Supreme Soviets of the United or-Autonomous. Republics, women deputies make up one third of the total number of 2,000, In 1946, 277 women, deputies were.elected to the Supreme Soviet. This _Rumber is greater than the total number of women members of ‘Parliaments in the entire world,: However, in most countries of the world, a woman has no political rights, nor has she the right to hold the same positions in the. government. that men do. This inferiority is not confined to “economically. and culturally backward countries, but is found in certain countries. which have a. developed economy and call thenisclves democratic, ‘In England, where the legal status ‘of women now ‘is one of ‘complete equality with ‘men, women ‘cannot in fact hold the same “positions as men in political life and are not able actually to enjoy the rights granted them by the Constitution. According to the fiaure ~of ‘1947; there were only 28 women members ‘in - the English Parliament,: : In the U.S., the constitutional amendment of 1920 granted women full politicat rights; and yet the present Congress of 531 members ‘includes’ only 7 women, which is less than 2%. In the 48 State Legislatures, 140 women have been elected out of a total of 7,520 representatives, _ ‘In’ Norway, women’ have had political rights for the last 30 years, ‘but the Norwegian Constitution does not guarantee equality “of all’ rights. The “Norwegian Parliament in 1945- included only “F women, or 5% of the total. It was only in 1948 that the Belgian Parliament voted to give women political rights and Belgian women will vote for the first time only in 1949, In ‘30 countries women have ino political rights; this includes ‘colonial and depéndent countries, and 15 in Latin America. Franco's fascist regime abolished the political rights granted to women by the ‘Spanish Republic. In Franco Spain, women are deprived of all “rights. This inhuman fegime has thrown 20,000 Spanish women into prison, and some have been there for 10 or 12 years without trial. Sometimes ‘their only sity was that they were the mother. wife or aleter of a Spanish Republican, "The tieo-fascist Tsaldaris’ regimé has not only deprived Greek “women of électoral rights, but persecutes with unprecedented 283 === [PDF page 303] === savagery every movement for liberty and democracy and brutally oppresses women. Tens of thousands of women have been shot, imprisoned or deported to deserted islands where they die every day of hunger, sickness and torture. We remember with a feeling of shame the last Swiss vote on the question of women's suffrage. In Switzerland, where international conferences so frequently meet and where one hears speeches defending the great principle of equality for women, women cannot vote. In the last elections, the reactionary elements of the country launched an outrageous campaign against granting women the vote. The press and the campaign posters shouted insults at Swiss women. Once more the reactionaries won: the vote No. French women, through their active participation in the resist-. ance, won, in 1945, the tight to vote. But the reactionary elements in France did all in their power to limit the people's right to vote, and thereby the right of French women to influence their country’s political life. Italian women were given the vote after the abolition of Mussolini’s fascist regime in 1946. But the Italian elections ot 1948 demonstrated that reactionaries do not hesitate to employ fraud or blackmail — religious or economic: they threatened women with tortures, with. eternal damnation, to prevent them from exercising freely their right to vote for candidates of the Democratic Popular Front. .In a number of countries where the electoral laws give women the tight to vote, restricting clauses make that right fictitious: ‘for example,-in Guatemala only those women who can read and write are permitted to vote, and the percentage of illiteracy is extremely high. This restriction does not exist for men. Rights of Citizens. Inequality in. marital and. civil rights, which exists in most countries, is degrading to women’s dignity. Laws of many countries deprive a married woman of civic rights, In Holland, in 7 cantons of Switzerland, etc; and in France, family relations under the law are based on the Napoleonic Code, which gives the husband the right to forbid his wife to work.: In Luxemburg, a married woman cannot spend her. earnings freely, nor can she manage her own property. Inequality in the legal rights of parents over children is humiliating for the mother. In France, only the father can choose the lay 284 === [PDF page 304] === or religious instruction of the child, or decide his career. Only the father can administer the child's inheritance. In case of divorce the father keeps his legal rights over the children even if the divorce is granted against him, Women’s Economic Rights. The economic inequality of women, the inequality of their wages, is the most flagrant social injustice. The.tremendous participation of women in production during the war disproved the old theory of the inferiority of women's work, the theory. that they are incapable of participating in production, and that their place is exclusively in the home. Even after the end of the war their role as workers has remained important: in general; One third of those employed are women, and in some industries the percentage is extremely high. In France, the percentage of women working in the’ production of electrical appliances and in clothing is 80%; in the leather and textile industries, 60%. In Belgium, women represent 50% of those employed in the textile, tobacco and clothing industries. In Switzerland, women represent 31.8% of workers, and 48.7% in the watchmaking industry. In Sweden women make up 30% of the total number of workers; in Austria, 33%, in Czechoslovakia, 31%, in Poland, 35%, -in Britain, 29% and in the U.S. 35%. It should be noted: that, especially after the war, the majority of women workers have no money resources other than their pay, and many are the sole support of the family. _, Official statistics of the U. S. Department of Labour on women show that 84 women out of a hundréd work because they have to support themiselves and their dependents; 15% of women workers are the only wage earners of their families. In France work is a necessity for seven million out of the © 8 million women employed in industry. e But in most of the capitalist countries women not enjoy economic rights equal to those of men. Only 7 of the 48 United States have laws guaranteeing equal pay for women. In the aviation industry, during the war, women accounted for one third. of those employed, but their wages were 15 to 20% less than the rate of pay for men. Everywhere in Britain, the wages of women employed in industry are 50—55% lower than men’s, In Belgium women earn 80% of what men earn. In Holland equal pay for women exists neither in industry nor in government service. 285 === [PDF page 305] === In Switzerland the principle of equal pay is not recognised, and! the average Wages of women workers are 46% less than men’s. In Norway the wage scale for- women is fixed at two thirds of that of the men. Equal pay is recognised in principle in government service, but is not enforced in fact, Women's wages in Italy are everywhere lower; by 21% in textiles by 30% in metal industries. In Sardinia and Sicily the difference is as high as 45%. In France equal pay is recognised by law, but in practice trade unions have to fight to enforce it, and actually there is an average wage difference of 8% for the same work. The harsh injustice of unequal pay for equal work is aggravated by discrimination against women. In Finland there is no law providing maternity leaves, nor special considerations for nursing mothers, Maternity benefits are limited to women of the most medest means. In Switzerland ‘only two weeks of maternity leave are paid. In Norway also maternity leave is paid only in part and no help is given to nursing mothers. In Holland no free medical care is assured nor premius provided for nursing mothers, In the new democracies women’s economic equality is assured by law. The state takes steps to protect women workers and te provide maternity benefits. The law guarantees equal pay for equal work, paid maternity leaves and financial assistance to nursing mothers, childbirth premiums, interruption of work to permit the nursing of infants, pensions to widows and orphans, free medical care, a vast network of consultation centres for children, nurseries and kindergartens, In Czechoslovakia there were 1067 kindergartens in 1936; the number had risen to 4,329 in 1947, The number of nurseries has risen from 17 to 220. In Poland, there are 343. nurseries in operation, | 4070 milk distribution centres, 550 village maternity homes, 380 kindergartens for the harvest time. In Hungary, the legislation instituting the agrarian reform does not differentiate between men and women in regard to the right to acquire land. In the Soviet Union, where economic equality really exists and where the state provides particular safeguards for women worker and mothers, women are a powerful force in the socialist building of their land. The number of women participating, in the national economy of the U.S.S.R. grows each year: 286 === [PDF page 306] === "In 1929 there were 3 million women in industry; In 1937 there were-9 million women in industry; In 1941, there. were 11 million women in industry. At present the number of women engaged in all fields of the national economy. represents nearly half of all persons so engaged: 250,000 women are engineers and technicians; 42% of the specialists are women, The institution of the collective farms has wiped out inequalities for rural women. The women of the kolkhoses constitute a tremendous force. Wages of collective farmers, both men and women, are jn proportion to their work. Many women of the kolkhoses hold managerial positions, There are 15,000 women presidents of kolkhoses; 350,000 women are group chiefs, directing breeding farms. 250,000 women are foremen of tractor teams, 50% of the ‘students in advanced schools are women; millions of women carry on their studies at their place of work. The steady rise of her cuJtural and technical level allows the Soviet woman the fullest expression of.her talent, and ability, Many. women workers and peasants are true pioneers, inventing new methods in industry and agriculture, The highest honour, the Stalin prize, has been awarded to 242 women. More than 500 peasant women have been decorated for their magnificent work, receiving the title of Heroines of Socialist Labour. Two million women work in the field of education, more than a million in public health, including 126,000 women doctors, »35,000 women work in research centres and laboratories. 20,180 women are professors in advanced schools, Equality for Soviet women in all fields of economic activity is ensured by equal opportunities for education, by the particular care extended: by the state to protect women’s living conditions by state aid in:the education of children, Schooling in the U:S.S.R. is compulsory and free; the network of establishments for children’s care and for maternity care grows each year. 1948 Maternity beds ea «7% e & « he wwis “TFC Consultation centres for women and children. 7,552 Admissions to permanent nurseries..).. ###,275 Admissions to permanent nurseries... «> 777,275 Admissions to kindergartens nurseries.... 1,500,000 In 1960, every mother will be able to place her child sery or a kindergarten, 1950 Plan 209,878 9,575 1,251,000 1,251,000 2,260,000 in a nur- The achievement of complete equality for women in the U.S.S.R. and the start made in this direction by the New Democracies, prove 287 === [PDF page 307] === that: true democracy can bring to women the’ fullest possible development, The success of the women in these countries seems to point up the intolerable status of their less fortunate sisters in certain other parts of the world. THE SLAVERY OF WOMEN IN COLONIAL AND DEPENDENT COUNTRIES. Our consciences, our feelings of indignation, force us to call the attention of the women of the entire world to the condition of ‘slavery of our sisters in the colonial and dependent countries, for _ example, in South Asia and Africa. These women, who are deprived. of all rights, who are shamefully exploited, represent more than half of the world’s population. The women of these countries cannot earn enough for bare existence; in agriculture, on the land, in the cities, where they are employed as factory workers,.everywhere they receive pitiful wages: The Malayan peasant woman in order to till the land, must. harness herself. to the plough. The Hindu peasant woman, the greater part of the time, can afford only one meal a day. 3 Women. in the jute factories do the heaviest work, receiving such low wages that employers prefer this system to modern machinery, The women workers never receive old age pensions, or sick benefits. Maternity leaves are not paid. Millions of women live in constant fear of starvation,. Women workers on the tea plantations do not receive wages; instead the employer pravides..them with a minimum amount of food. For lodging they sleep on the.ground. Such exploitation cannot be called anything but slavery, ‘to which an. imperialist civilisation adds starvation for the. worker and extremely high profits for itself. In India, feudal laws regulate the family and the right of inheritance, Afganistan laws deprive women of every right, and she is a piece of merchandise to be bought and. sold. She lives in a state of perpetual misery, ‘Women have no political rights in Syria, Lebanon, Iran and in many Other countries of South Asia. ~ In Iran, for example, at the time of the national autonomy of | Iranian Azerbaijan, equality was granted to women in the northern Part of the country, Today, following the strengthening of reaction, the- women are once again deprived of their rights, and ail women’s: organisations have been banned. 288 === [PDF page 308] === . From the social’and ¢conomic point of view the situation of the Iranian -women is deplorable, The laws give no protection to them; on the contrary, they humiliate and oppress them. Protection for women workers does not exist. They must. work under inhuman conditions ‘contrary to every rule of hygiene.-Tradition and prejudice bar women from education, In Turkey, reactionary policies and traditions keep women in ignorance, Turkish are not admitted to advanced Schools or to public office, 30,000 villages in Turkey are without schools. 92% of the women are. illiterate, The Mohammedan women of Algeria, also, have no right to vole. During the discussions on the Statute of Algeria, the Commission of the Interior of the French National Assembly adopted almost unanimously, with the exception of one vote, an amendment giving Algerian women of Mohommedan origin the right to vote. This decision caused a certain amount of commotion in government circles. M. Ramadier, then Prime Minister, appeared shortly afterwards before the Commission to explain that such a step was premature, and that moreover, it infringed upon customs and on religious prejudices, In Madagascar, most women lead a miserable life; they are illiterate and subjected to arduous jobs which pay little. Their wages are less than the men’s, which are already insufficient to meet the constantly rising cost of living.. The former French Colony of Reunion has now become a French Department. For this reason French laws concerning equal pay for women should apply to women workers in Reunion, but the Prefect of Reunion has arbitrarily annulled this law, and fixed women's wages at 20% less than men’s. The women of Nigeria make up the chief labour force of that country: Despite their arduous labour, their poverty is terrible. Only 1% of the Nigerian women can read and write. Most parents are too poor to send their daughters to schocl, besides which there are hardly any schools: 4 girls’ high schools for the whole country, with 19,773,000 inhabitants. Sanitary conditions are frightful. Because of poor nutrition, lack of hygiene and care, and bad housing, most women-suffer from diseases, Malaria, tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy, all take their toll. The mortality rate is extremely high for pregnant women, women in childbirth and infants, There are too few hospitals and there is no free treatment for women ard children in public institutions. The population lives in hovels unfit for human habitation; in many cities there is not even drinking water. a0 289 === [PDF page 309] === In South Africa the life of the African workers is extremely difficult. They undergo terrible exploitation, particularly-in the gold mines; but the condition of the women is still more frightful. The mine workers are housed and fed after a fashion, but the wo- Men are abandoned with their children to the mercies of the ghetto.. They work their small piece of earth with primitive tools, exposed to scourges which take their toll each year, drought among others. In the cities their status is little better than slavery. When they go to work they must leave their children behind in the hovels, where they waste away from hunger and the unhealthy life of the ghettoes where the non European is forced to live The people of the colonial and dependent coutries, so many of whom contributed to the defeat of Fascism, who put all their hopes of liberty and independence in a democratic victory, are rising today to fight their oppressors and the colonial system. National liberation brings also the liberation of women, as we saw for example, those regions liberated in China, the Republic of Viet-Nam, North Korea and Indonesia. The democratic governments of these regions assure women political, economic, legal and social equality with men. These are not empty words, but accomplished facts.. The women of the libetated regions of China take part enthusiastically in the elections. In 6 cantons of the free territory of Shansi — Suiyan, 73% of the women voted in the last elections. Women are distinguishing themselves in government jobs. In 23 cantons, located in the furthermost parts of North China, the governments include 1,778 women functionaries. There are many women magistrates, as well as presidents and vice presidents in the Congresses and popular Assemblies. According to a recent survey, 1,300 women direct the rural communes in the Gulf of Chihli District of North China. The peasants take part in the agrarian reform with the most tremendous enthusiasm. Using the Gulf of Chihli District as an example again, recent figures show that 600,000 women are taking an active part in the movement which for the first time in Chinese history grants women the right to own land. According to the latest figures for 27 villages in the Hopei province, more than 2,700 members of the League of Poor Peasants are women; in the region _ Of Paiwenchen, in the North West of Shansi, 23 women delegates were sent to the Congress of Peasants, 290 === [PDF page 310] === The women of the People’s Republic of Mongolia are a shining example for the women, of Asia, The Constitution guarantees them complete equality with men.’They can vote and be voted for. They enjoy the right lo work; to education, to social: insurance, to relaxation and to free medical care, The Constitution guarantees the protection of mother and child. 30% of the scientists, teachers and intellectuals. are women: 75 women are deputies to the Hural, the highest legislative body. 1193 women representatives have been sent to the local councils. 23 Mongolian women have been rewarded by receiving the envied title of,leading educator", 38% of the industrial workers are women. 70% of the medical staff are women, and 25% of the students in the training colleges are women. The women of Mongolia take part in the administration of their country; many of them are in leading positions as members of the Government. The problems of the equality of women at U.N.O. The women of the whole world are following the discussion in the United Nations on the problems of women’s equality with great attention and great hopes, A. Commission on the Status of Women exisls in connection with the Economic and Social Council of the U.N.O, This: Commission prepared its recommendations and presented its report to the Seventh Session of the Economic Council of the U.N.O. The discussion of the most important points concerning equality for women from the economic, political and social points of view, and with regard to their right to education, was reported at the following session of the Council. The delegations of certain countries; the United States, Great Britain, Brazil, China, Canada, Turkey and some olhers — at the Committee on the Rights. of Man tried to prevent the discussion of these questions in the 7th Session ‘of the Economic and Social Council in July 1948, questions which have enormous importance for women, that is, for half the population of the world, The delegation of the United States was the most active. It seems incredible and monstrous that Mrs. Miller, the United States representative on the Committee on the Rights of Man, should, as a woman,: oppose the discussion of problems concerning the tights of women, The American delegation had the ‘objective of causing the failure of the discussion of the propositions and the resolution on the rights of women, presented by the Commission. That is why this delegation made an amendment to the vesolution in which all the principal questions were deprived of 291 === [PDF page 311] === their political content, and the practical proposals of the Commission nullified. On the proposal of the Canadian delegation, the majority of the Committee on the Rights of Man rejected the report of the Commission on the Status of Women, despite the recommendations’ of the Council, and took as a basis the American amendment. The proposals of the Commission on the Status of Women would have been completely buried, if the delegation of the Soviet Union had not taken up their defence, These delegations were supported by those of France and Poland. They presented the draft resolution of the Commission as their own. After a severe struggle between the two opposing political attitudes to the question of women's equality, the attitude of the delegations of the Soviet Union, Byelo-Russia Poland and France on the one hand, and the attitude of the delegations of the United States, Great Britain and Canada on the other, the Committe on the Rights of Man agreed to a draft preamble put forward.by the Soviet. and French delegations, stipulating that all limitation of the equality of women was a breach of essential human rights, and was incompatible with the statutes of the U.N.O. Rejecting the amendment put forward by the United States delegation, the Session adopted the resolution on the participation “of women in production, on their participation in the U.N.O., on the freedom of marriage and divorce; on women's right to education, on the economic rights of women, resolutions based on the decisions. of the Status of Women Commission which were defended by the delegations of the Soviet Union, Byelo-Russia and Poland. The United Nations have still a problem to solve which is no less important; the problem of equal pay fer equal work. In June 1947, the General Council of the World Federation of Trade Unions instructed its Executive Committee to raise the question of equal pay for equal work at the Economic and Social Council of the U.N.O, This fact is of enormous importance; it is the result of the unity of the workers, men and women, in the international trade union movement for the defence of their rights as. workers. For its part, the W.LD.F. strongly supported -this action of the W.ET.U. In the name of the Congress, we. thank the World Federation of Trade Unions: for its efforts in defending women's rights. As a result of the speech of the General Secretary of. the WETUL 292 === [PDF page 312] === on this subject; the question was put on the agenda of the Economic and Social Council. The ‘proposals of the W.F.T.U. caused a long and. animated discussion at the session of the Economic and Social Council in February 1948. We emphasise with great satisfaction the defence of the proposals of the W.F.T.U, by the representatives of the Soviet Union. 7 Unfortunately, it must be pointed out that the demands of the W.F.T.U, and the proposals of the Soviet delegates met with strong opposition from certain countries, among others from the representatives of Great Britain and New Zealand, The resolution adopted on the proposition of the W.F.T.U. was supported by the following countries: the Soviet Union, Byelo-Russia, Poland, Chile, China, Brazil,, Denmark, France, Lebanon, Turkey, the United States and Venezuela, Great Britain and New Zealand voted against it; Australia, Holland and Canada abstained. The resolution was considerably shortened, but the very facy that a body of the U.N.O. took a decision on the defence of women’s labour is of great importance. The resolution of the Economic and Social Council provided for the transmission of the W.F.T.U. request, and a memorandum, to the International Labour Office, to which it was proposed that a study of the question should be started as soon as possible. At the same time, the Resolution said that the W.F.T.U. proposal should be’ sent to the Commission on the Status of Women, so that it could prepare its recommendations to the Economic and Social Council. The Commission on the Status of Women discussed the question that the representatives of Great Britain, Syria, China, Denmark and some other countries spoke against the positive resolution on this question, Madame Leclercq participated in this Session as the representative of the W.LD.F. Great Britain's representative, Mary Sutherland, in justifying the unequal wages of women in her country, permitted herself to say that,,the intelligent women of Great Britain, like those of France, understand the difficult situation of their country, and will not demand equality with men from their Government.” lt is for the British women to say if that speech reflects their opinion, We very much doubt it. In the Soviet Union which has suffered much more than the other countries from the war, equal pay does not prevent economic development; the increase in productivity, the successes, are the result of the efforts of men and women. That is why it is quite 293 === [PDF page 313] === natural that the representatives of the Soviet Union should demand with such force the realisation of the principle Equal Pay for Equal Work”, It is clear that progress and democracy are impossible without the active participation of the women in political and economic life, and that partisans of progress cannot be against the principie. It must not be forgotten that the suppression of discrimination against women’s labour and the creation of social justice correspond. not only with women’s interests, but are also in the interest of the whole working class, In concluding the survey of the position in U.N.O, in relation to the problem of women’s equality, the Second Internationa! Congress of the W.I.D,F. salutes the delegates at the U.N.O. who speak for the suppression of social injustice towards women. We are particularly grateful to the representatives of the Soviet Union in the U.N.O., who always intervene energetically and persistently on this subject. The women of the whole world, and in the first place, the women of those countries whose representatives in the U.N.O. have revealed themselves as bitter opponents of Women’s interests, must denounce ‘the attitude of such representatives, must demand that their governments replace them by others charged with contributing to. a positive solution to all the problems of women’s equality. THE WOMEN'S FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS. In giving great importance to the role of the United Nations in the progressive solution of the problem of women’s equality, we must not have any illusions, because experience shows us that certain states, members of the United Nations, neglect the Progressive decisions of the U.N.O., as happens in many questions. The struggle of the women themselves is of decisive importance in changing reactionary laws on women’s rights. The Women themselves are the most conscious of the great force they represent, of what they can obtain by uniling their efforts, That is why their struggle for the right to vote,.for equal pay for equal work, for the rights of mothers, is an integral part of the activity of the democratic women’s organisations. The women of Cuba are fighting for civic rights, organising a wide movement in support of the draft law on civil rights for women, presented in the Chamber of Representatives by a ‘woman member of the Popular Socialist Party. 294 === [PDF page 314] === At the end of 1947, the Senate and the Chamber of Argentine decided to grant women the right to vote, But the government is in no hurry to draw up laws permitting the application of that decision, and declares that it will take not less than two years to make the changes concerning women's right to vote, in the Con- - stitution and electoral laws; in the meantime, women cannot exercise their right to vote, The Union of Argentine Women is carrying on a wide campaign against this policy of delay: they are demanding the practical possibility of participating in the voting for the new Constitution; which will take place in January 1949. They are also demanding equal pay, civil equality for women, the right to divorce, the protection of mother and child. The Italian women are demanding the insertion of a clause in the Constitution specifying that,,the working conditions of women should allow working women to fulfil their essential family functions, and should ensure efective protection of mother and child”,. In the name of 44 deputies of the Popular Democratic Front, Teresa Noce presented a Bill to Parliament on the protection of mother and child. The Women's Alliance of the Popular Democratic Front has organised a broad campaign and has addressed a message to the women, the mothers, calling on them to sign petitions in support of the Bill. The women of Great Britain are demanding equal pay for equal work, They improvised a mock,,trial’* of Mrs Leah Manning, Member of Parliament, who was accused of causing losses to the State by demanding equal pay for women. This shows us that the British women are not in agreement with Miss Sutherland, who, on the contrary, defended the conception of economic inequality of the British women. Faced with American reaction's attacks on civil rights and liberties, the Congress of American Women is_ energetically defending the democratic rights of the American people, and American women. On October 25th last, the Congress of American ‘Women organised a large women's meeting in defence of civil rights and liberties. The women of France have obtained the recognition of equality and of their political rights by their active participation in the Resistance Movement, and since then the Communist Minister, Ambroise Craizat, has nullified General de Gaulle’s statute fixing 295 === [PDF page 315] === _women's wages at 10% less than those of the men; but today they are obliged to defend these laws against the attacks of reaction, to fight with perseverance for the application of the law, with the support of the Trade Unions. The slegan,,To help the women to win the same rights, the same wages, the same responsibilities as © ‘men, is to strengthen the unity of all the workers in fighting for the victory of democracy” was the central slogan of the Women’s Trade Union Conference held in Paris last October. The trade unions of France intend to create Women’s Committees in each Federation, in every factory, to draw all the working women into the fight for their demands. CONCLUSION The women of the whole world understand more clearly every day that the realisation of equality for women is inseparable from the victory. of democracy. Only a democratic and socialist regime guarantees true equality to women in all domains. The women who are joining in the struggles of the people for democracy, that fight which is the indispensable content of all democratic women's organisations’ activities, are becoming more and more numerous, Democratic women will continue that struggle with still greater energy, perseverance and contiviction, drawing into. it wider and wider masses of the women. The suppression of women's inequality being inseparable from a democratic regime, democratic women demand: — Full political rights, without any limitation for reasons of race, education or income etc. — Equal pay for equal work. — Equality in unemployment and sickness benefit. — Equality in the right to education and professional training. — Equality in family rights concerning children, and property. The freedom to exercise a profession, and to choose the place of domicile, Democratic women do not only demand the legal declaration of equality of women’s rights, but also the guarantee of the application of those rights by the State through: ~— Free education. — Training centres. 296 === [PDF page 316] === — Creches, kindergartens provided by the State, as well as all meédsures making the conditions of women's lives ‘easier. — The protection of women's labour by the State, the protection of the mother, paid maternity leave, allowances for nursing mothers, guarat.teed by law. a We call upon the United Nations Organisations to take all necessary measures to solve the problems of women’s political and économic equality, in a positive way, as soon as possible, and to — carry out its solemn promise to utilise International institutions to assist the economic and social progress-of the peoples. We call upon the World Federation of Trade Unions to continue to exercise its right to present problems of the defence of working women before the U.N.O. With all our hearts, we wish the W.F.T.U. success in achieving unanimity of all national trade union organisations in the struggle for the economic equality of working women. Women of the whole world! Let us unite in the fight for our rights. Let us fight for the victory of democracy, because only democracy gives equality to women. Mme, Eugenia PRAGIEROVA (POLAND) Under-Secretary to the Minister of Labour. I shall speak here of one of the most important questions for working women. —- their wages. This is the question which is the symbol and the basis of the independence of women. In recent times, this problem has been three times the object of. deliberation on. an international level, precisely in connection with its importance for the conditions of women's lives. The world Federation of Trade Unions has placed before the : Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Organisation a memorandum concerning the recognition’ by the U.N. of the principle of,Equal Pay -for Equal Work’ as a regulation to be applied in its fullest sense. After having discussed this question with animation, the Council has declared that this question comes under the jurisdiction of the International Labour Organisation, to which it was transmitted: But at. the International Labour Conference, after long discussion, the question was withdrawn from the agenda. The discussions in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations as-well as at the International Labour Conference, 297 === [PDF page 317] === show that the just and equitable principle of,Equal Pay for Equat Work”: today encounters strong resistance from the représentatives of the capitalist classes, and it was only thanks to the support of the Soviet Union and the states of people's democracy that the reality on this question was maintained in the international realm of affairs, Consequently, the struggle for the recognition of the principle of, Equal Pay for Equal work” still continues. Why is this so? Why is this just and equitable principle not applied in its true sense? It is easy to understand why, if the basis-of the wages of women and the application of their work in capitalist economy is taken into account. ’ The dependence of women, established for centuries, justified by the law and morality of former times, constituted and still constitutes loday an excellent foundation for maintaining a source of cheap labour in capilalist economy. The development of women’s labour in capitalist economy was due principally to its low price, because low wages contributed above all to its expansion. There is no need to produce proof’ of the fact that the maintenance of the work of women at a level inferior lo that of men has not failed to exercise a depressing psychological influence on the aim and importance of that work, even in the mentality of women themselves. It is not astonishing then, that that inferior position of the working women corresponds in capitalist economy to very slight social power, which is of notable importance for the capitalist. classes, because that is accompanied by a passivity towards organisation among women. It is sufficient to recall that during the period between the two wars, the percentage of women in the trade unions was still very small in the capitalist countries. In Germany, where the trade union movement represented a great force, towards the end of the third decade of the present century, the participation of women varied around 15 per cent; in Britain it did not exceed 12% while in Poland it comprised about 10 or 12%; It follows therefore that the participation of women in the trade union movement was much inferior to the extent of their employment, In face of this lack of understanding of. the need to organise themselves, the wage-rates of women’s labour depended entirely on capitalist calculations, since there were none of the 298 === [PDF page 318] === restraints Which trade unions usually bring to bear on capitalist: ‘ exploitation. Numerous enquiries made. in the period between the two wars on the question of men’s and women’s wages show -that the: telationthip of women's wages to men’s reached on an average almost 50% and did not exceed 75%. In addition, in certain _countries women received for the same work not only a lower wage than that of the men, but even a lower wage than the adolescent workers. This tendency to keep wages at the lowest level, so characteristic of capitalist economy, is based on the low wages of women. brought about in favour of women, to maintain the low price of female labour, as a principal condition of their employment. Tt is only in the Soviet Union that, ever since its inception, there has been no hesitation in giving women equality with men, access to even the most responsible leading posts. And it is only there that the principle of,Equal Pay for Equal Work" has been carried out in the fullest meaning of the phrase, being applied to all branches of the economy. In the post-war period, the’ situation as regards decent wages for women hag also been consolidated in the countries of popular democracy. In Poland, for example; since it is a democratic people's state,. the collective work agreements which apply to about 80% of the workers put the Equal Pay for Equal Work” principle into practice. In contrast, in the capitalist countries women's wages continue to be inferior to’ those of the men. Jn 1946, according to the data of, the World Federation of Trade Unions, the women's wages are on an average not more than 60% to 80% of those of the men in these countries. ; At the present time, owing to war devastation, there are millions of women in the world whose: wages are their sole source of income, while in most cases. the women are the sole support of the family. The Women’s International Democratic Federation devotes very special attention to the question of wages. We want women to get not only pay equal to men's for-doing the same work, in conformity with the most primitive principle of justice, but also ‘the right to obtain higher grade and better paid posts, according to their qualifications, capacities and professional experience, so that their weekly or monthly income should be higher than it has been up to now, so that the amount of the average earnings of the total figure of employed women should not be less than that of the men, 299 === [PDF page 319] === In the very near future the question of equal pay for equal work will be again the object of discussion at the Conference of the International Labour Organisation. The representatives of the New Democracies will take a positive attitude on this question as they have done up to now, an attitude in favour of working women's interests. They want to bring about the general application of the principle of equal pay for equal work in order to reduce the exploitation which benefits only the capitalist, and from which Millions of women and children are suffering, The Women’s International Democratic Federation has the greatest pleasure in associating itself with, the activity commenced by the World Federation of Trade Unions to raise women's wages. The Women's International Democratic Federation must appeal to all its national sections, particularly those in the countries where this principle has not been put into practice, to undertake the necessary steps to force their Governments to support energetically action leading to the adoption of the equal pay principle, both in the United Nations Organisation and in the International. Labour Organisation, as an international standard: the W.LD.F. must also Tecommend that its national sections should collaborate with the Trade Unions to enable this principle to be fully carried out. The Women's International Democratic Federation has decided to send the resolutions on this question adopted at its Second Congress to the United Nations Commission on the Conditions of Women, The Second Congress of the W.1.D.F. will leave no stone unturned to make Equal Pay for Equal Work an internationally applied principle, The application of the principle of Equal Pay for Equal Work means not only increasing women's wages, but alsuv the practical application of justice and popular democracy: Miss JOYCE BROWN (BRITAIN) I am bringing to this Congress greetings from the women ‘engineers, and from many trade union branches oj the Amalgamated Engineering Union. Also from the South East London Local Organising Committee of the Amalgamated Engineering Union of which I am chairman. 300 === [PDF page 320] === I am a délegate from a large engineering factory in London, employing over 7,000 workers, many of whom are women. Our. delegation comes from a country rich in - experience, struggle and organisation of women. One of the first strikes which is a landmark in the history of our trade unions was the strike of the matchgirls in 1870 for the right to belong to a union, and for decent wages, The Women's Co-operative Guilds were formed at the beginning of the 20th century. - After fifty years of bitter and militant struggle for the franchise, our women were finally given equal electoral rights in 1928 and yet we have only 24 women members of parliament out of 600 members, The proportion of women in our municipal councils is not very big and thers are very few women who are members of the Executive Committees of the Unions, or are occupying leading trade union positions. Our struggle for equal pay goes back to almost fifty years ago when the Wai Cabinet Committee on Women in Industry in- 1919 called for equal pay for cqual work. In 1920 the British House of Commons approved the principle of equal pay, and still we have not got equal pay for equal work. Therefore you understand that when I listen in this Congress to the achievements of the women in the Soviet Union, in Czechoslovakia, in Rumania and in other countries of the new democracies it strikes me that in Britain, in spite of our tradition, we are very far For all of us it is an additional proof that the fight for women’s rights’ cannot be separated from the fight for democracy and Socialism, because it is precisely in the Socialist Sovict Union and the new democracies that the women have achieved and are achieving all those things for which we are still fighting. Present Position, I would like particularly to say a few words about the conditions and. wages of women in industry. We have still over five million women working in industry today. When it comes to their wages, they are ‘still 54% of those of the men, rising to 80% in the professions, During the war our women performed the most highly skilled jobs, replacing the mien in every sphere of ‘industry. For myself, I can confirm from my own experience working in tool-rooms, both of the Plessy Company and the Ford Works of Dagenham that the women did a highly skilled job, working to fine limits and employed on various precision jobs. 301 === [PDF page 321] === We were called heroines and were promised a new status and equal pay. As a matter of fact, equal pay was one of the election promises of the Labour Government, yet today we are being pushed about, turned out of our skilled work and relegated again to a position of cheap labour or so-called,,women‘s work" in industry. In engineering which still employs over 300,000, our wages are -very low. For instance, unskilled women workers average 62/6 a weck, In the textile industry emploing 485,000 women, the rate of wages is 81/10 and women are finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet, A few months ago, our government introduced a White Paper on wages, personal incomes and profits, telling the workers not to ask for more wages because the country cannot afford it. They promised lower prices and said they would press the employers to reduce profits. But profits continue to rise, This White Paper was accepted by the General Council of the “Trade Unions Congress as their official policy. In spite of that I think it is correct to say.that decision does not represent feelings of a considerable section of rank and file workers who have a feeling of frustration because they are being asked on one hand not to go forward for wage increase and on the other hand they see the employers raking in huge profits. For example, one factory in London in 1947, net profits, £ 177,871. This is only one of many that I could quote, and the cost of living is continuing to rise. Several unions voted against the White Paper and even in many of those unions where the leadership accepted this policy of wagefreezing, the pressure of the rank and file workers forced them to put in claims for wage increases. For example, the newly nationalised railway workers and the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Workers, the building and agricultural workers, covering 37 unions. And here I would like to give you a few facts about the struggle of the engineers for the 13/ -- Many demonstrations were held. I would particularly mention the large demonstration of the Tyneside workers, Token strikes were held in many factories in support of the claim. In London there were many mass meetings of the workers at the factory gates. But here I must mention that due to apathy existing amongst many of the workers, particularly those in the skilled sections of the industry who enjoy a higher wage than the unskilled male and female worker, and a misplaced loyalty to their union leaders and the Labour. Government, the workers were forced to accept considerably less than the 13/ — that is to say, to accept 5/ —-, and for the women workers 4;—. -302 === [PDF page 322] === At the same time there is no doubt that the official government ‘propaganda about the facts of the economic crisis and the danger of inflation as well as the attitude of the right wing trade union leaders, had considerable effect in damping down the wages struggle. © As to equal pay, in spite of what the official representative of the Labour Government, Miss Mary Sullivan, said at U.N.O.. When considering the report on ‘equal pay for equal work the government had decided that while it agreed with it in principle, it could not implement it at that time in view of the inflationary situation that would result. The women of the United Kingdom were too intelligent to insist on measures which would create run-away inflation or in any Way jeopardise the social advancement of their country... When the economic situation of the United Kingdom had improved, the women would be in a position to obtain better conditions... The Government did not interfere in the settling of wages for either men or women. There.had been considerable advancement in the status of women and eristed a just level of wages”. Equal pay is still one of the biggest unifying questions among the women in trade unions, professional organisations and other women’s organisations. The Trade. Union Congress this year in Britain has gone on record for equal pay. Last year’s Labour Party Conference (1947) in spite of the opposition of the platform had an overwhelming majority supporting the resolution for equal pay for equal work, Also the Women's Co-operative Guild unanimously supported this principle. These resolution have been backed up by meetings, depulations to the House of Commons, Trade Councils Conferences and last but not least by such gatherings as the Mock Trial on Equal Pay held in Beaver Hall, London and organised by the International Women’s Day Committee, which was attended by 1,000 delegates from 300 organisations, representing nearly two million workers, To explain what a mock trial is, I would say that it is staged like an ordinary trial in a British court of law. We had an eminent woman M.P., Mrs, Leah Manning, defending the principle of equal pay. The well-known M.P. D.N. Pritt K.C. was the judge, and Mr John Platts Mills M.P. was the defending counsel, The delegates to the conference were the jury. The jury returned an unanimous verdict that the case for equal pay had been well and truly established,: The trade union leaders say to the workers that they should pin all their faith on the Marshall Pian, although in some branches of industry we are already beginning to experience the effects of 303 === [PDF page 323] === the Marshall Plan, For example, cuts in steel, and the beginning of unemployment in the shipyards, Further in light engineering, due to the government's policy, it is becoming more difficult to sell our’ goods abroad and also more difficult to sell them at home because of the fall in the purchasing power of the people. The result is redundancy amongst large sections not only of the male workers, but also of women workers, In the Plessy factory and in Hoovers, E.M.L. and many others there have been many redundancies particularly affecting our women workers, This is due also to no plan in the industries and the need for factories to turn their production over to capital and consumer goods, for example mining equipment, badly needed in our British mines, agricultural machinery, etc. which only a few of our factories produce. The struggle of women in industry is beginning to develop again, They are worried about the type of goods they are being asked to produce today, three years after the war. For example many factories are turning over to war production, One of the least organised sections of the women -workers, the nurses, were demonstrating in London for higher wages, just a few months ago, and here I would say that a number of those who led this action are now being purged from the unions, and are under considerable fire from the executives of their various. unions for daring to demonstrate for higher wages. Women are also beginning to Tealise that on the outcome of their actions will depend the strength of their trade union and factory organisation. We have still not got enough women stewards in the factories. We have still got hundreds and thousands of women who are not in the union and the attitude of our men is not always helpful. That is to say that we still have to train our men in the factories and trade union organisations to constantly develop and train our women representatives, to make them feel that they are part of the organisation and not a separate section. ‘ Ido not wish to appear feminist in any way on this point, but you must understand our difficulties. You seem to have trained your men in a much shorter time — and much better, I think. In conclusion, as I have said before the factory women are becoming deeply alarmed at the war danger. They ‘are beginning to be indignant that rearmament factories are reopening and also that they are being asked to make producis for war instead of producing houses, more household goods and clothes that are so badly needed. They want. friendship with women in other 304 === [PDF page 324] === countries and I have no-doubt that they will join the fight led by the Federation for Peace, Security and Socialism. Finally I would say that I am fortunate in that I shall be able to report back the work of this Congress to a wide section of industrial workers, trade union branches, trades councils, factory committees and perhaps this will help to dispel also some of the antagonism ‘and mistrust which exists towards the new democracies among a Certain section of our workers, engendered, you understand, by the terrific weight of the lies of capitalist propaganda through the medium of press, radio and films. I shall be proud to do this simple task to convince our British people of the progress made in the great Soviet Union, the new democracies and Hungary, which I have visited and seen for myself. Madame LEA MOLLER (Sweden) During the second world war, the women fought alongside the men in the resistance movements, thousands of women were killed, they perished in the prisons and concentration camps. Many nations therefore have listened to the voice of the women when they claimed equal rights and liberties, respect for women as human beings in the fullest sense, the equality of responsibility which goes with freedom, Thus, the United Nations declared in the Preamble to the Charter,,We, peoples of the United Nations, have resolved to proclaim once more our faith in the fundamental rights of man, in the dignity and worth of the human being, in equal tights for men and women". But the Charter does more than affirm its faith in a principle. It demands action, and states in Article 55:,,The United Nations are in favor of: c) universal and effective _ recognition of the rights of man, and fundamental liberties for all without distiction of race, sex, language or religion”. If the principles and desires expressed in the Charter were recognized and carried out everywhere, women would be really emancipated in every aspect of life; including the economic aspect. But alas! we all know it is not so. Reactionary circles are preventing the application of the principles and decisions of U.N.O. in every tespect, and also when it is a question of women’s economic emancipation, In many countries a series of nation laws and regulations exist in contradiction to this emancipation, discriminating against women, We know that in the Soviet Union the principle of equality of wages for women has been applied, and women can win promotion on the same footing as men; and we also know that in the 3 305 === [PDF page 325] === New Democracies reforms in relation to equal pay have been carried out. However, in the Western countries of Europe, in the countries of America, not to speak of the countries of Asia and Africa, women have not got equal rights or equal pay. Sometimes sickness and unemployment benefit, the rate, conditions and qualifying age for pensions, are also not the same for the two sexes. The diffefence in wages varies in France, the difference between men’s and women’s being only about 10%, but in many countries women only get 55 to 70% of men’s wages. The resolution adopted by the Commission on the Rights of Man of the United Nations Economic and Social Council gave new hope to badly paid women. The resolution put forward by Poland demands that all members States of U.N.O. should give every woman, Without distinction of nationality, race, language or religion, the same rights as men in employment and remuneration, and also the right to free time, to social insurance, and training for a job. It is typical that the voting was 9 to 4 for the resolution. The United States, Holland and New Zealand voted against, the United Kingdom abstained. — Let us hope that this resolution will also be applied, Another ray of hope for women arose with the declaration on equal pay presented by the World Federation of Trade Unions at the U.N.O., which organisation passed it on to the International Labour Organisation. At first sight, the declaration appears complete and it must be recognised that many proposals and recommendations are excellent and most of the conclusions can be wholeheartedly approved. However, one cannot agree with the definition concerning equality of wages. The old definition of. the same wage for the same work has been abandoned, and it is now stated that women must have the same wage as men for the same quantity and quality of work. This is a difficult question to judge, given the fact that the quantity and quality of work differs for all workers independent of sex. The declaration states that a system of of rational evaluation of work must be found. Who will estimate the work? Can one be sure that whoever does this will be impartial, unprejudiced, scientific? Workers are always opposed to individual estimation of men’s work. Why should it be otherwise in the assessment of women’s work. It is assumed that the quantity and quality of work is inferior where women are concerned. Among the factors contributing to women's receiving the lowest. wages, maternity protection is often mentioned, the fact that women often have insufficient and inadeqate training and it is also emphasised 306 === [PDF page 326] === that women are often absent from work. In the first place, maternity protection should not influence women's wages. In relation to the other questions, we seem to be in a so-called,,vicious circle”, It is precisely because women have inferior and insufficient training that they are obliged to bear a double burden: work outside the home and house work create a situation where they have neither the time nor the means to study. And as for absence from work, they often overstrain themselves or have to or must stay at homie to look after the children. (It must also be emphasised that the authorities and trade unions have not provided enough facilities for women’s training and apprenticeship, In many countries; there is also desperate need for créches and kindergartens. It could be supposed that the alleged reasons for giving women inferior wages would disappear if improvements in all these spheres were introduced, if women obtained equal wages. That. is why the principle concerning equality of wages,,,the rate for the job", must not be abandoned.: The Swedish section therefore proposes that the Second Congtess of the W.LD.F. should take a decision to go to the International Labour Organisation, which is now a specialised institution of the U.N.O, and emphasise the necessity, at the next Conference, for adoption of an Agreement on Equality of wages — the rate. for the job — based on the principles of equality laid down in the United Nations Charter, : The Swedish section also proposes that the W.ID.F, should invite the various sections to fight, where necessary, for their national constitutions and that all legislation be in accordance with the United Nations Charter, that is to say, based on the recognition of equal rights for men and women. Madame GRIMICHOVA (CZECHOSLOVAKIA} Member of the Credentials Committee. Dear friends, at the first Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation in 1945 in Paris, the Czechoslovakian delegation gave precise facts concerning the legal position of women as wives in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakian women obtained the right to vote as a result of their struggles for women's political rights in Austro-Hungary in 1918, after the first world war when the Czechoslovakian Republic was founded. But the legal code dating from -1911 remained in force right up to our time. It upheld the principle of the man’s economic superiority over the women, determined by private property relations. These principles also === [PDF page 327] === determined the relation between husband and wife and between father and child. Today, we can tell the -Congress that this out-dated law is. going to be changed, perhaps even before the end of this year, because under a regime of popular democracy, we need a totally different law. The family must be able to play its role in society more fully and family relations must be able to ensure the greatest possibility for personal happiness, Children’s. education must also be run along different lines. It is not enough for the family to be content with providing only the material groundwork of the children’s well-being. The economic domination of men over women was a demoralising factor in the joint life of married people. Infidelity was tolerated in the man but strictly forbidden for the women. The family under the regime of a people's democracy must be a pure union, uncorrupted by infidelity. To achieve that, the woman must be economically independent. Alongside this, the State is now interested in-a different education for children, The democratic people’s state needs citizens brought up to ‘become fighters for socialism, According to the old law, the civil marriage without religious ceremony was an exception. The civil marriage is now obligatory and the religious ceremony is now only a question of personal According to the new law, marriage will be a voluntary union between a man and a woman, no longer linked with the question of domicile, profession or the choice of a profession. Up to the present time, the married woman was obliged to live where her husband did, “even if that was disadvantageous for her in her profession. Otherwise, the husband bad the right to ask for a divorce on the grounds of desertion, the women being considered the guilty party. This legal ruling will now be abolished. The woman as well as the man has the right to live separately if her profession requires it, and if she finds it convenient. And she will have the right to choose freely her profession. In the law on family property, we have introduced separate property ownership. Before, the husband had the right to dispose of his wife's property until she stated expressly that she withdrew this right from him. Now, equal rights for husband and wife have been introduced. Both of them have the right to dispose of the property which they themselves contribute to the marriage, unless one of them has given the other disposal rights. The legal relation between married people are exactly the same as between people unrelated 208 === [PDF page 328] === by marriage: any person must first receive the clearly-stated power to administer and direct the material interest of another person, In case of separation, the property acquired during the marriage ‘is equally divided between husband and wife even when the wife has not been gainfully employed during the time of the marriage, but was’ simply a housewife. The running of the house, according to the new law, is not only the duty of the wife, but also of the husband, who has the duty of helping her, and both of them must contribute to the upkeep of the household according to their means, on a joint basis. Formerly, this was the duty only of the husband. He had the obligation to provide food for his wife even if she had more money than he and, on the other hand, the wife did not have this obligation even if the husband “were without work and living in poverty. Now, the wife is also responsible for providing her husband's food if he has no other means of subsistance, As to the protection of the wife and the children in case of separation, the new family law demands that the family should not be economically ruined under any circumstances. The duty of providing food falls to the partner whose existence is economically assured, if the other is not able to work because of old age, because of being an invalid, or because there are children of the marriage whose care prevents the husband or wife from devoting full time to a paid occupation, Because if the duty of caring for the child is imposed on the woman, she must indeed be given the possibility of doing so, Formerly, the wife took the husband’s name; now husband and wife may come to an agreement on the name they are going to use. They may also use the two names. Everywhere, where ih the text of the old law paternal power was mentioned, the idea of joint parental power is now introduced, which is more suited to the function of the new family. The parents are both responsible for their children. They have the duty to bring them up to become useful members of society, and these duties are given to them according to their economic situation. If the husband and wife do not live together, the father also has the duty of attending to the children’s needs, If one of the parents does not fulfil this duty, the other is obliged to pay the costs of the education and nourishment of the child. Dear friends, such are the essential principles of our new law for the family. We are convinced that these developments in the Czechoslovakian New Democracy will help the women of the 309 === [PDF page 329] === capitalist countries also, in the future, to go forward so that women can really become men's equal. The Soviet Union which has served as a model for the Peoples’ Democracies in all these innovations, will serve the same purpose for those nations up to now still backward. Long live the valiant Soviet women, who have been shining examples to us all, not only in the war years but also in peaceful times. Long live the Peoples’ Democracies, who know so much better than former régimes how to apply progressive principles in the lives of their citizens. Madame MICAFLA MANESSE (RUMANIA) The delegates who have spoken from this platform have proved once again that social and civil liberties and rights are won at the expense of bitter struggle and enormous sacrifices. .The delegates from the liberated areas in Viet-Nam, North Korea, Greece, and from Liberated China, show us the historical truth, by actual facts, that the problem of equality for women cannot be separated from the victory of democracy, and can only be resolved as a part of the development of democracy. These ideas have been confirmed, more fully each day for 31 years, before the whole world by the immense achievements of the free and noble women of the Soviet Union. These truths have been once again confirmed during the last three years by the Peoples’ Democracies. In our country, the fact that the working class and its party have been in the vanguard of the pecple’s struggle to achieve democracy, the fact of having been liberated by the Soviet Union, of having constantly experienced its support and fine example, have enabled us to put an end to the inequality of rights between men and women, as well as to the situation of humiliating inferiority and feudal slavery created by capitalist and reactionary régimes in the past, Today, as Gheorgue Gheorghiu-Dej, General Secretary of the Rumanian Workers’ Party told us in his explanation of the projected Constitution given at the Supreme National Assembly:,,All paths are Open to the women in our country. Women can fill any position, They can be mechanics or ministers. Constantly we see women rise from the ranks of the people, from the working class, from the working peasants, women with a wide political horizon, with boundless energy and clear understanding, who bear State 310 === [PDF page 330] === Tesponsibilities, a feature to be found nowhere else, except in. the People’s Democracies and especially in the country whose shining example is a guide for all progressive humanity — the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.” 2 The democratic régime of our country has given women political rights for the first time in our history in the electoral law of July 1946, Under capitalist or reactionary régimes, the women never had the right to elect or be elected for Parliament. Our Constitution guarantees the right to vote to all citizens without distinction of sex, nationality, race, teligion or degree of culture. In the elections in March 1948, out ot 7,700,000 electors, half were women, conscious that the future of the country, their family and their children depended on their vote. At present, we have in the Supreme National Assembly, 32 deputies, working women who have distinguished themselves in production, working peasant women, and proggressive women intellectuals, Three of them are members of the Presidium of the Supreme National Assembly; Constancia Cracium, President of the Union of Democratic Women, a teacher, Liuba Chisinevski, woman compositor, vice-president of the T.U.C. in our country and Ilona Nyias, Hungarian peasant voman. Our Republic is proud to include in the State administration the first woman Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Pauker. We have three women as General Secretaries to the Méinistries of Foreign Affaires, Health and the Ministry of Mines and Oil. In the majority of the provinces, there are virtually no towns or villages which have not women members on the interim committees of the provinces and communes as well as on the Committees of Magistrates. In many towns and villages, the mayors and deputy-majors are women. We have 86 women judges, 1,539 women assessors of the People’s Courts in the towns and villages. Out of 8,000 women civil servants in the headquarters of the Ministries, 30% are in leading positions in the various services. Our Constitution guarantees to women equal pay for equal work, The percentage of women in production is growing continually. The labour law, the law on social insurance, the statute conceming civi] servants, the collective labour agreement and the different decisions of the Ministries include regulations of the protection of the working mother and the child. The collective labour agreement stipulates that a paid leave shall be granted to women wage earners 6 weeks before and 311 === [PDF page 331] === 6 weeks after confinement, A special paragraph prohibits night work or heavy work for pregnant women. Enterprises having more than 50 women wage earners in the same area are obliged to set up créches and child care centers if necessary to accomodate at least 10 children under. 4 years of age. (Enterprises having less than 10 children to cater for, join with others in setting up créches and child care centres). The enterprise is obliged to allow the mother the necessary time fot breast feeding. To guarantee the application of these regulations of bread, fats, sugar, and semolina. Today, in the Rumanian People's Republic, women constantly occupy leading positions in production. In the trade union elections in 1947, many womén were elected to the leadership of the central trade union organisation, which proves the confidence. they enjoy among the workers, 5,453 women are members of the factory trade union committees, 495 women are members of the Central Committee, the Executive Committee and Presidents and Secretarjes of factory trade union committees. The Vice-President of the Rumanian T.U.C, is a woman. Marriage and the family enjoy special State protection. Parents have the same obligation to children born outside wedlock as those born after marriage. These regulations laid down in the Constitution put an end to the inhuman and humiliating situation to ‘which illegitimate’ children and unmarried mothers were submitted in our country, a situation still obtaining in. capitalist régimes. A special commission is working at the present time in connection with the Ministry of Justice to bring various laws,. which have not yet been modified, into line with the Constitution. Dear friends, one thing stands out-in the reports presented to this Congress — the fact that the hopes of the women of the world that the United Nations Organisation would put an end to inequality relating to women. The ‘Women’s International Democratic Federation gives the democratic women the task of continuing the fight for their political, economic and social rights with even greater perseverance, by bringing in more and more women. It is certain that this Congress will bring greater development of action that the democratic women will take back to their countries to gain the guarantee of their rights. In our country, the democratic regime guarantees the women full equality of rights, by law. We still have to give them more confidence in their own strength. We must work to aid the women to ‘conquer their own 312 === [PDF page 332] === timidity and get tid of thé retrogressive conception of women which still exists and which shackles the complete achievement of equality of rights. To hasten the solution to the problem of the rights of women at the UNO, we propose that the Congress should organise, in all the countries, a vast campaign to send telegrams and letters to the UNO and the International Labour Organisation, bearing the signatures of the women of all countries, asking for the solution of the problem of their rights. We assure the Congress that we uphold, with all our strength, the campaigns organised by the Women's International Democratic Federation for the defence of the rights of women, and for democracy. Long live the Second Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation! Long live the Solidarity of the women of the whole world for the defence of their rights and of democracy! Madame HILDE BENJAMIN (GERMANY) The inclusion of the women in the economic life of the nation is, as we know, the decisive condition for equality of rights for men and women. That is why we give our special attention to the position of women in economy. In this question, as in all others, we have to differentiate between the situation in the Soviet Zone of Germany, and that of the Western Zones, The most important question is that of women’s wages. This is why we were especially interested to learn of the motions concerning this question put by the Soviet Delegation to the Economic and Social council of U.N.O. In the Eastern Zone the Soviet Military authorities had ordered already in 1946 that women were to get equal pay for equal work. In Berlin, which as everyone knows, is under inter-allied occupation, an order of October 1946 made equal pay for equal work possible, but not compulsory, until in July 1948 an order made by General Kotikov, Commander of the Soviet Sector of Berlin, introduced the compulsory application of that democratic principle in this sector. It is not so in the West of Germany. It is true that the Constitutions of the Southern and Western Laender of Germany recognise, in varied wording, the demand of equal pay for equal work, But these constitutional principles do not give the right to equal pay to the working women, and are put into effect in only a few cases owing to good trade union work and strikes. In the collective agreements of all important industries the women's wages are, on an average, 20 to 25% lower than the men’s wages. 313 === [PDF page 333] === How little the principles of the constitutions of the Western Laender of Germany in reality guarantee the women's wages is proved by the fact that, for example, the employers in the shoe industry of Wiirttemburg-baden refused to apply the industrial agreement, using the argument that the women’s wages were unbearably high, These facts render the position of the women in the economy of Western Germany insecure. If the economic situation deteriorates, the first to be dismissed are the women, especially married women as so-called,double wage-earners"; on the other hand advantage is taken of their distressed position, and they are forced to accept cut wages. That is one of the reasons why the West does not know the close relationship and new attitude of women to their work which finds its expression in the achievements of women activists in the Eastern Zone, In Western Germany, married women teachers are as in former times, likely to be dismissed. Married women doctors are liable to be removed from the panel. Only a few women are in responsible positions in the Civil Service. On the other hand, in the East, we find women in all sections of the Civil Service, in the Ministries, in the central administrations. We have no less than 180 women Mayors of cities and smaller communities. The participation of women in the legal profession is now about 13% of all judges, magistrates and prosecutors in the Eastern Zone and we try to raise this figure steadily. The position of women is reflected in their participation in politics, especially in the Parliamentary representation. In the Parliaments of the Eastern Zone Laender, 20,6% of the deputies are women; in the Berlin City Council, 23% of the Councillors are women, Against that, the representation of women in the Western German Parliaments is 8% in the British Zone, 6% in the American, and 3% in the French. ‘ The importance of women in the economy and in public life does not yet correspond to their personal position, Here, the Civil Code of 1900 is still valid, which laid down the personal status of women in matrimony and the family according to a patriarchal, conservative pattern. If, so far, we have not yet adopted new laws, the ommission has been in the interest of German unity, for we did not want.a different law for Germans in the East from that in the West.: _ These provisions of the Civil Code give to the husband the exclusive right of decision in all matters concerning matrimonial 314 _ === [PDF page 334] === life and allow the husband to give notice to an. employer on behalf of the wife; they oblige the wife to do unpaid work in the husband's business, and entitle the husband to administer the wife’s property and to draw the revenue from it, but deny the wife any share in the husband’s income and property. The parental authority is exercised by the father, and in case of dissent the opinion of the father prevails. Tt is one of our main tasks to abolish this inequality. Already we have passed our drafts to the law committee of the German People’s Council on which we are represented. They deal with a new regulation of the effects of matrimony, of the matrimonial regime, and the law concerning the illegitimate child and his mother, At present we are re-examining the law concerning the legitimate child. At the same time, we have endeavoured to organise a discussion with broad publicity, at meetings, on the wireless and in the press, in order to win the interest of the women and men who in future will have to live under those laws, The German People’s Council has worked out a draft of a constitution for the German Republic. One of its first and principal article says: ‘Men and women enjoy equal rights. All laws and provisions not conforming to the equality of rights tor women are abolished.” We fight for the unity of our country. This will soon give us the opportunity of realising on the basis of such a Constitution our legislative plans. But one more thing has to ba said. Many women in Germany eco not yet realise that the equality of rights in all provinces of life is their affair; they neither fight for their equal rights in the economic field nor are they interested as to how the law interferes \ with their personal life, We know that the awakening of the minds of the women to the necessity of achieving equal rights is an important part of the struggle for the democratisation of Germany Mrs, TERESA NOCE (ITALY) Sub member of the Executive Committee It is in the name of the powerful Italian Federation of Unitea Trade Unions (LF.1UT.U.} that I represent and that has nearly 7 million members, that I bring this Congress the greetings of the Italian unions and that of the National Federation of Textile Workers and Employees that I also represent at this Congress as the national secretary general. I would like to tell you, dear friends, that the Italian womer gained their political rights only after the liberation. Italian women 315 === [PDF page 335] === clearly proved that they were worthy of exercising their politica) and democratic rights that the Italian people themselves had won in the fight for liberation. With their active participation in the partisans’ fight for the liberation of Italy from fascism and the German invader, they proved it. With the blood spilt after the example of our magnificent partisans by these heroines, tortured, slaughtered, and shot, martyrs at the hands of nazi-fascists, they’ proved it. By their participation in the organization of the resistance in the occupied territories, and the creation and organization of the organs of democratic direction in the free territories, they proved it, The Italian Women, for the first time, exercised their political tights in the administrative elections of 1946 and the election of the Constituent Assembly, which was to work out the new democratic constitution of Republican Italy. In these elections the Italian women asserted themselves then and there: many women were elected as Municipal Councillors, and many of them became Mayors of their districts. 21 women were elected to the Constituent Assembly and took an active part in the working out of the Constitution, above all, in that which concerned the affirmation of the economic, political, and social tights of women, Today, for the first time, the Italian Constitution affirms the right of the women to work, to receive equal salary for equal work, and to have proper protection for the working mother. For the first time, it solemnly affirms her right to elect and to be elected in al! the administrative organisms and political direction of the country. And finally, in the social field, it also gives her several rights as a wife and as a mother in the direction of the family. But the Constitution is one thing and the application of that Constitution is another, The,,black’* Government which, today, is abusing its power in Italy, is trying, by working out reactionary laws, to abolish, in practice, or at least diminish the democratic and social scope of the conquests realized by the Italian women. When we read the text of our Constitution and when we compare it with the Constitution of other countries, we think that our Constitution offers great possibilities for social and civic progress, But when we compare the realization of the constitutional rights in Italy with those of the popular democratic countries -- or even better, with the realization of the constitutional rights of the Soviet Union — we see what an immense abyss exists between our situation and that of those countries. Right to.work? In Italy today, there are two and a half million unemployed, and this number is continually increasing, because of 316 === [PDF page 336] === the application of the Marshall plan which is the ruin of our industries for the ‘profits of the capitalists of the,dollar republic’. Today, in our country,.they are again speaking, as they spoke in the time of fascism, of eliminating women from work and of diminishing the number of women working in industry to replace them with men, That is why the fight against the dismissals is, today, in Italy, the most important thing for all the workers and for the women in particular, In fact, as workers themselves, the women are threatened, every moment, with losing their jobs and their bread; or as mothers or wives of workers they are, in any case, threatened with the loss of work and wages of their sons and husbands, and that means the loss of the bread of the family. That is the main reason for the fight, strikes, occupation of factories, and demonstrations that continually take place in our country and that the police of Scelba tries to Prevent and to repress with its thugs, arresting, imprisoning, beating the men and women workers, young girls, children and even pregnant women, That is the main reason for the poverty of our people, for the hunger of our sons. The unemployment allowances, absolutely insufficient, are given only to a very small number of unemployed - and only for a period of six months. The crushing weight. of this enormous number of unemployed therefore weighs heavily on the budget of those who work. A woman silk spinner who, with a delegation of women workers, went to Rome to protest to the Minister ef Work, cried out to the Minister that for her, work meant the bread of five sons, since her husband, an ex-service-man, has been unemployed for three years. In the fight against dismissals, the women are in the first ranks as One can see in the magnificent fight of the men and women workers of the Motta factory at Milan, which occupied the establishment for 90 days, while braving hunger and police repression, it was thanks to the solidarity of the people of Milan, organised by the trade unions and by the Union of Italian Women who collected money in all the factories and tons of food from the peasants of the countryside, that the workers were able to give this splendid example of fight and workers’ resistance. The right of equal pay for equal work? Today the Christian- Democratic Syndicalists, yellow traitors and splitters who tried to divide the Italian workers’ ranks, not only will not except the suppression of the difference between the men’s and women’s wages, but they are asking that a different wage be given according to 317 === [PDF page 337] === age, the number of members in a family and the number of those who work in a family. That means that they want to intensify the exploitation of the unskilled labour of the women and of the youth. With unemployment and poverty in general, the women and children are forced to accept work at a wage that is not only inferior to that of men, but also to those established by our collective bargaining. With the unions’ action we succeeded, after the liberation, in remarkably reducing the difference between men’s wages and those of women and youth. Thanks to our trade union organization, to the trade federations and to our great LF.U.T.U., we have realized, by our national collective bargaining, the only real defence of the economic and social rights of the women worker. Thus the difference between the men’s and women’s wages, which, during the perioad of fascism was from 40% to 70% and 90% less for young girls, had been reduced to a maximum of 30% and even less for the six hundred thousand textile workers. In this industry the proportion of unskilled women workers is 85% and the average difference in wages had been reduced to 21%, In certain categories of work with wool the difference in wages was almost nothing, end thus the right of equal pay for equal work was realised. But today the traitorous activity of the Christian-Democrat Trade Unionists helps the industrialists to break the work contracts. Thus we see that the women, forced by their poverty, are accepting work at an hourly salary equivalent to two pre-war sous (pennies). We have a Minister of Labour who justifies this shameful exploitation and breaking of the collective bargaining. And there is more: in spite of the law that forbids minors of less than 14 years of age to work in the factories, this same Minister of Labour authorises, since he does not prevent it, the work of children of eleven and twelve years of age in the spinning factories. And what can we say about the wages of the tens of thousands of women workers in the south of Italy where there are almost feudal exploitation customs, where women who pick jasmine, in Sicily, are hired with all their family, children of six and seven years included, working for a few dozen liras for a day of nine or ten hours! These are a few examples, since there is not enough time to speak of the exploitation of the women workers in the rice-. fields, in the tobacco and olive industries etc. But all these examples are not only witnesses of the exploitation of the women workers but also of the fight that the Italian women are leading for their just claims. 318 === [PDF page 338] === Even the right to paid vacation and rest is today threatened by reaction among the employers, supported by the,,black" Government, The women workers and employees had obtained the right to paid vacation and the guarantee of a fair rest period. But the realisation of all these economic, political, or social conquests is only made possible by the daily fight. A characteristic example of this fact is furnished by the fight of the women workers in the silk spinning factories, who, for more than a year have been fighting for the application of the right of paid vacation guaranteed by collective bargaining and by the Constitution. In the province of Cremona the women workers of all the silk spinning factories had to occupy the factories for eleven days, sleeping on the stone floors, in the middle of the exhalation of the putrifying cocoons. Among them there are young girls of 15 years and old women of over sixty; there were young brides and pregnant women. All, including the women Christian-Democrats were threatened, a few were even arrested,.but united they resisted and won, obtaining their paid vacation. Permit me to stop here for a moment on the important question of union unity. The examination of the Italian situation and the fight of the working masses shows us, in an imperative way, the absolute necessity of preventing the break in the union, desired and provoked by a handful of traitors at the top, from extending to the base, among the women workers of the factories and fields. The few chiefs of the Christian-Democrat union who, urged on by the Italian Government in the pay of the American imperialists, left our great LF.U.T.U..and created from above, a. so-called,,free” trade union confederation. They had counted on, above all, the adhesion of the working masses of women and the women workers of the textile industries in particular. They did everything in their power to get it. As before, during the elections of April 18th, they tried religious terrorism, and the employers’ black-mailing, The priests threatened the women workers with not allowing them to confess if they continued to pay their dues to our unions. The foremen distributed subscription forms for the splitting unions ‘in the factories and threatened the workers with dismissal if they did not sign them. The nuns who manage the restaurants and the dormitories of our textile factories distributed free, the new cards of the splitting unions to the young women workers. But all these manoeuvres could not produce the expected results. The great majority of the men and women workers remained faithful to the United trade union organisation, to our great I.F.U.T.U. which 319 === [PDF page 339] === defended them yesterday and continues to defend them today. In spite.of that, we are well aware of the danger that the union break ' represents in Italy as well as on the international level. In fact, it was after the union break in Italy that the reformists and opportunists of England and America brought up the question -~ evidently following a plan worked out in advance — of a. break in the World Federation of Trade Unions. It is at the very moment when the danger of war is becoming more pressing, that the employers’ and capitalist offensive breaks loose in France, as in Italy, against the standard of living of the workers and their claims, that the traitors and splitters of all kinds, are trying to weaken the fight and the strength of the women workers by dividing them on both the national and international level, Against the danger that the union split presents in the world camp, it is necessary to react by untmasking the traitors, by denouncing them, by closing our ranks, by calling all the workers and above all the women workers to join their brothers and sisters in the united unions, in the ranks of the World Federation of Trade Unions, It is by strengthening the trade union unity in all the countries that he will strengthen the fight for the defence of the rights of men and women workers, And it is by intensifying the fight for the traitor leaders, have left us — that we will strengthen the trade union unity on both the national and international level. 1 would like to pass now, my dear friends, from the examination of rights to maternity protection. Today, in Italy, there is not one law that truly protects the working mother. Even the fascist laws that still exist, which really do not protect anything, are not applied. Only the collective labour agreements, extablished by our union organisations, protect the working mothers but the Christian- Democratic Government even wants to take away these conquests that were realised for the working mothers through our collective labour agreements, In fact, there are now under discussion, in the Italian parliament, two projects for law: one, by the Government which, answering the requests of the industrialists and large land-owners, limits maternity protection to 900,000 workers, excluding State employees, housewives, workers in homes, and agricultural workers, and which reduces the rest period of the women industrial workers from three months before birth, already granted by collective bargaining, to six weeks; against this project for law there is another, worked out by the === [PDF page 340] === Mme EUGENLA PRAGIEROW A-(Poland) Vice-President of the: Women's International Democratic - Federation === [PDF page 341] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 342] === LF.U.T.U. and presented by the women — communist and socialist deputies, This project demands; 1) the extension of maternity protection to about 5 million women workers; 2) the extension of the obligatory rest period to three months before and 8 weeks after birth for the women workers in industry and heavy work; 3). six weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth for all other workers;. 4) fortbidding the discharging of pregnant women and the maintaining of their jobs; 5) the obligatory period of paid vacation at 100 per cent of the salary instead of 75 per cent as is now paid. Against this law all the hate of the,,black” Government, including the Right Socialists and the Minister of Labor, is focussed. All kinds of manoeuvres have been tried to turn down our project without discussion, for the Government and the deputies do not want to vote against our law which, in the factories and in the offices, was approved by the Christian-Democrat workers, alse. For three months now we have been fighting from the Labour Commission to the Chamber. of Deputies to prevent this manoeuvre and defend our project. For three months, on the initiative of the democratic and trade union organisations of the Union of Italian Women, the Association of Peasant Women, the Association of Women Heads of Families, etc., in all the factories, in all the working class districts, in all the villages, signatures are being collected to support our law. Resolutions are being passed to prevent the approbation of the governmental project. Delegations are being sent to Rome to ask the deputies and the Government to vote for our law. This is a brilliant example of the way in which the women show their capacity of defending their most sacred right and of organizing the fight in the Parliament and outside, in the unions and in the country, and of linking the fight on the parliamentary level to that of the working masses. Thus the women are proving their political maturity. Political rights?, social rights? But the proposal to recognize the tight of Women to become magistrates was turned down. Right of the women as mothers? But the Minister of Labour demands that the nurseries at the factories be reserved for the sons of legally married workers! This brief summary on the ways that the Italian police Government applies the Constitution, this brief review of the situation of a 321 === [PDF page 343] === the Italian women, in a magnificent way, sets off the realisations and the great country of socialism, in the eyes of the Italian women, We heard, in the report, that there, the right to work is not an empty formula, since, there is no uneployment and~ every man, every woman, can live by his or her work; that the right of equal pay for equal work is really carried out there and applied to all our sister Soviet workers, and maternity protection, as well, is enlarged and further perfected every day. The examples of the achievements of the socialist country are a guide for the Italian women, an encouragement, a support in continuing the fight that we have begun in our country for the defence of our rights: a fight that we are dedicated to continue until victory, after the example of our Soviet sisters! Mrs. LENKA LEHKA (CZECHOSLOVAKIA) Sub. member of the Executive Committee. . In order to complete the report on the economic rights of women. I believe it necessary to add a few words on the situation of the Czechoslovakian women in the labor field. Our country feels the benefits of the victory of the forces of popular democracy, which is the victory of the working class. The Constitution of Gottwald assures the workers these rights for which they fought for so many years: the right to work, a just salary corresponding to the efforts made, the defence of the mothers and children, the retirement pay assured to the old people. The Czechoslovakian women obtained equality of rights in the culiural, economic and political fields in 1945 — the year of the liberation of the country by the heroic Soviet Army. These rights were confirmed and assured by the new Constitution of 1948. Firstly, the women have obtained equal pay for equal work, a thing for which they fought for many years. I will quote you a few examples of the application of this law. In 1937 a woman day labourer received 80 hellers to one crown an hour; Since the application of equal pay her earnings (in agriculture) increased 7 and a half times. The wages of women in industry have been tripled. The economic equality of the Czechoslovakian women is represented in the industrial budget, by 134 million supplementary crowns. The wages of the women increase according to the increase in their qualifications and their production. Unemployment does not exist in Czechoslovakia, on the contrary the number of workers constantly increases, above all thanks to 322 === [PDF page 344] === female labour. This is the result of our new order based on planned economy: At present our industry employs 380,000 women. In certain branches (ready-made clothes, for example) the percentage of women workers has reached 72%. In the textile industry there are 58%, in the metal industry the participation of women continually increases. The importance of female labour has become still greater thanks to the high qualification of certain women workers. The most capable, become instructors in the enterprises. Already Czech women can be seen in the jobs of foremen, technicians, engineers managers of enterprises. Great attention is paid to youth. We are organizing training schools in connection with the factories for the young workers, as well as residential schools. Thus the reactionary prejudices on the emancipation of women have disappeared, thanks to the application of the principle of equal work, Our women, our young girls, have the possibility of choosing a speciality, according to their tastes and capacities. This is proved by the fact that now women are working in professions that were, before, forbidden to them. Great is the role of women in the execution, before the set daté, of the two year plan. In several factories competitions were organized in production with the date of the birthday of President Gottwald, that is 37 days before the set date of the plan, chosen for their closing date. In this month of December, Czechoslovakia is preparing for the inauguration of a new five year plan, which will be the basis for the setting up of socialism in our country. Our first five year plan includes the spending of 65 million crowns for cultural and economic needs of our people, This plan, at the same time, includes better conditions for workers’ families and new possibilities for the work of women. We will open new créches, kindergartens and children’s homes, factory canteens, wash houses, dispensaries, clinics, and consultation rooms. The needs of the workers will be better served. We will speak of the rights of mothers and children in our country in another report. As I have already said, we are building a better life in our country, supported by the powerful Soviet Union and by the friendship of our neighbouring democracies. We have experienced in fact, the international solidarity of the peoples, fighting for their rights. 323 === [PDF page 345] === We know that international reaction is making every effort to break this solidarity and this friendship of peoples. International teaction is not interested in bettering the life of the workers. The Czechoslovakian women, united in their trade unions, are working even harder for socialism. They know that our successes in the political and economic field mean a check on reaction and a just and lasting peace as well as a happy future for the workers, Mrs, BETTY MILLARD (UNITED STATES) The year 1848 was a year of great upheaval in Europe. The revolutionary upsurges which swept Paris and Vienna came to Hungary on March 15th 1848, and this year the Hungarian people, celebrate the hundredth anniversary of their great struggle against the feudal aristocracy and against the Austrian army. Unarmed, they held back the most powerful army in Europe for two years and it was only the intervention of the Russian Tsar that saved the feudal lords. As we thank our Hungarian hosts for their magnificent hospitality and congratulate them on their great achievements of the last three years, we salute them also on this great anniversary. We American women can point with pride also to the events of 1848. A hundred years ago, in July 1848, the world's first convention for equal rights for women was held at Seneca Falls, New York, and for the next quarter of a century and more, through the militant activities of the great pioneers, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B, Anthony and their colleagues, America led the world in the struggle for equal rights for women. Braving ridicule and violence, attacked as subversive and atheistic by the reactionaries of their day, these women fought courageously for the abolition of Negro slavery as well as the semislavery of all women. We women of today know that their pioneer struggle is a part of a great heritage of which we are proud as Americans — a heritage of struggle against oppression. We say to the women of the world: it was your cousins, the cousins of your ancestors, who came to America to build this great tradition. It was your cousins — we Americans — who fought the disgraceful Alien and Sedition Laws of a century and a half ago and won. It was we, the people of America, who elected Jefferson and Lincoln and Franklin D, Roosevelt, The real America is the America of Tom Paine, of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, of Eugene Debs — and of Henry A. Wallace, And it is this America that we ask you to remember, for it still lives and fights. 324 === [PDF page 346] === Today the leadership in the struggle for democracy, and with it the leadership in the fight for women's rights, has passed to other countries, We are not proud of the fact that less than 2% of the members of the Congress of the United States are women that we are probably the last among the so-called democratic. countries in our provision of nurseries for working mothers. We are especially not proud of the barbaric discriminations practised against Negro women, who are the most oppressed and exploited people in our country. They are triply oppressed as Negroes, as women, and as the lowest paid workers. We women of America pledge to you that we will not rest until the shame of racism is wiped out, in our country, until our Negro sisters are free to take their rightful place in our country. We will not rest until all our women are free from economic, legal and social discriminations. And we promise you that we will fight the world into another horrible war. No, we have not felt fascism and war on our own bodies, as you have. Most of those who are dear to us still live. But if this Congress has taught us nothing else, it has taught us to feel as you feel, and to say to our war-makers in the words of the brave Spanish women: NO PASARAN! Miss GITA BANERJEA (INDIA) Dear President and Friends. ‘ Under 200 years of British rule, the Indian women have been treated like slaves. They have not enjoyed the minimum amount of ‘social, economic and political rights which gives them the right to be called citizens. All that the British could give us in these 200 years of their rule was the decrease in the percentage of literacy of women to 2 per cent. But today, although there has been a transference of power to Indian hands, the condition of the women remains the same, In India where men lack freedom, women are doubly enslaved. Equality of men and women does not exist in any form. Child marriage is an awful system which allows a child of even eight years to be married; and, if this child is widowed, she has no right to re-marry as society looks down upon widow marriage as a crime. Hindu law neither allows women the right to divorce nor to property when men are even allowed to practise polygamy.,,Pordah” or the veil system, is another evil which is practised widely especially among the Moslem women, subjugating women by making them cover themselves. Economically, women are dependent on men. Middle class women are not supposed to do any work for their living, as in the 325 === [PDF page 347] === eyes of society it lowers the prestige of the family to have a woman labouring member. In other words, they are totally bound to their husbands, fathers or brothers and cannot do anything on their own. But, during the war hundreds of middle class women had to come out to work due to economic pressure. The working class and peasant women, of course, have to work for their living. Even the children of the poorer classes in India go to work at the age of 6 to 7, These working women are obliged to work but without the proper right to work. Maternity benefits are not granted to the women in the factories. Equal pay for equal work is not recognised. Women generally receive three quarters of a man’s pay. Discrimination between married women and unmarried women exists i. e, married women are generally dismissed from work when pregnant. No social security is granted to women; they have to bear a double burden on their shoulders. In other words they are fully responsible for their. household work as well as their whole work in the factories or in the fields. All occupations are not open to the women; i. e. women are not allowed to work in the engineering factories etc. The vast majority of the Indian women do not possess their minimum economic rights without which no human being can live. On the plantations and in the mines, the women give birth to their children in the fields and even the pits because they are afraid to be absent from work lest they are turned out. If they are absent after childbirth, they are, in most cases, driven out without notice. Women in India enjoy very limited voting rights which actually exist on paper only. Only educated and propertied women are allowed to vote, and, also, the wives of those wealthy men who have landed property. 2% of the women of India being literates, and their being economically dependent on the men members of the family, this voting right means nothing.. In comparison to Hindu women, Moslem women are more free in India, They can inherit property; they can select their husbands; and can divorce, Widow marriages are also legal. But, in reality, because of the lack of education, it is of no avail and the customary law prevails. For the poorer classes, the problem is just the same as for the Hindu women. Now, we shall see what the present so-called _,,independent” Indian Government is doing to break the bondage of womanhood in India, to treat them as rightful citizens of the state. The present government with its vested interest at home, and its alliance with Anglo-American imperialism cannot possibly improve the ‘present 326 === [PDF page 348] === conditions of women. in India. Let us examine the activities of our Nehru government for the last year. Firstly, the government has stopped the nationalization of key industries plan for the country for ten years. As a result, the workers suffered most and working class women cannot even think of equal pay for equal work. Secondly, landlordism still exists in India which keeps the peasant folk in their age-old slavery and affects the peasant women as well, Thirdly, government attempts towards the development of compulsory education are null. Moreover, as a result of 50 per cent increase in school fees on the average, there has been a decrease in the number of students by about ten per cent. Of the total expenditure of. the government, three per cent goes for educational purposes and nineteen per cent for the maintenance of the police force. We can well imagine how this affects conditions of the women, because the social and economic planning of education plays a great part in raising the standard of living of the people.; But, in spite of the repression by the present government, the Indian women are becoming conscious of their backward conditions and are coming forward with their charter of demands. For instance, in Bombay on July 1, 1948, over 48 active women employees met under the auspices of the,.mployed Women’s Sub-Committee” of the Bombay Mahila Sangha. They put forward the following demands: a. Women as citizens must enjoy equal rights in all political, social and economic sphere of life. b. Equal status with men and the principle of equal pay for equal work must be recognized and also demanded in the social insurance scheme, c. Marriage must not be looked upon as a crime to be punished with summary dismissal. Against these unimaginable conditions, women of post-war India wage a life-and-death battle. In Bengal after the end of the last war, in the Telehaga movement when share-croppers demanded three quarters of the crops and teok to arms against the landlords, women were seen fighting the might of the British army even with broomsticks where better weapons were not avaliable. In Tulengana (South India) in 1946, peasant women (who have already tasted the fruit of a democratic people's rule in 2,500 villages liberated by the peoples partisan forces, in an area of 15,000 square kilometers) fought alongside their 327 === [PDF page 349] === ee ee ae ee, ae eee Cee re eee menfolk with guns in hand. In Bombay when women textile workers called for a strike and picketed the factory gates in 1947, they were beaten so hard by the police that a pregnant woman lost consciousness and had to be carried off to the hospital. In January, 1948, 56 women workers were dismissed from one mill in Malabar for trade union activities. Police terror was so great in these parts that when a demonstration was carried on by the workers as a protest against the dismissals, they were beaten up severely and women were raped. A young wife was raped by eight men in front of her husband who was tied to a tree. In April of this year, when the women of Andha demonstrated against repressions, they wege tear-gassed and 74 women were arrested, Among the arested was the President of the provisional women’s organization. The organ of this women's organization was banned. In July 1948, the sweepers’ strike saw women in the forefront, As a result of the criminal arrest of 70 leading sweepers, the women decided to hold a protest demonstration. The demonstration was met with indiscriminate firing from the police as a result of which a 70-year-old woman who was definitely not participating in the demonstration was shot dead on the spot and a 13-year-old girl was seriously wounded. In Calcutta this year, under the leadership of the Mabila Atma Ratan Sannuiti (MARS) a huge demonstration was held to protest against the government policy of repression, etc. They were beaten up and roughly handled by the police, Besides these political struggles led together with their men, the women are also carrying on their undaunted fight against social injustice, In the charter of demands of the A.L.W.C, and MARS and other women's organizations, the principle that society must learn how to treat women equally with men is stressed throughout. The fight of the progressive women‘s movement against famine, poverty, etc., by organizing relief for the needy has contributed much to the cause of helping these really needy people, Thus the women of India fight today against the life-long misery they are plunged into. Down with Imperialism! Long live the W.LD.F, and the fight for peace! Madame KOSLOVA (USSR) Before I begin my speech I would like to say a few words on the speech’ of Betty Millard, United States delegate. Mrs. Millard, speaking of the Hungarian Revolution in 1848, said that the Tsarist government helped to suppress the Hungarian people's revolution by its intervention. 328 === [PDF page 350] === Yes, this certainly did take place, -but Tsarism not only contributed to crushing the Hungarian revolution, but also oppressed the Russian people and the other peoples of Russia for centuries. And now, I want to say to you that the free Soviet people has helped, helps now, and undoubtedly will help in the future, | the Hungarian nation in its great battle for a eee and progress. (applause). The defence of the economic and political rights of women. Dear friends, the situation of women in modern society is one of the most important problems, not only for the women's movement, bu also for all the democratic forces of the whole world. The part played by women during the last war in the common struggle for freedom and independence of the nations, was a large one, Although in a series of countries women have received certain political and economic rights, the application of these rights meets with numerous obstacles and difficulties. Since I believe that in the absence of economic rights other tights are illusory, I shall confine myself to the question of economic equality. The most important problem concerning economic liberation of women is equal pay for equal work, on which the lives of millions of women and their children depend, as well as the economic independence and social equality of women as a whole. Everyone knows that millions of men died in the second world war, Many women who lost their husbands have become the sole support of their families, and have now learnt, and successfully work in professions formerly reserved for men, But, as has been said here, working women only receive half men’s wages, simply because they are women. One of the worst forms of exploitation is that of giving a woman less than a man for the same work. ‘ The report has already exposed the attempts to justify discrimination against women in the matter of wages on the grounds of her,physical weakness” as a woman, her housework, her poor production in industry. The women in all countries must demand wages corresponding to the quantity and quality of work performed. Basing our assurance on the experience of the U.S.S.R. and the New Democracies, we can assure you that you will not lose by it. We have been told that women are attracted by. industry because it is less tiring than housework. But it is known that in France out of 8 million women working in 1946, 7 million were forced to 329 === [PDF page 351] === do it by economic necessity. In the State of New York (U.S.A.) 93% of women who work contribute to family needs. It follows that work outside the home has become a vital necessity for women. Women are reproached with not trying to improve their professional qualifications, But why is it, then, that in the U.S.S.R. and the New Democracies, women try to become more highly qualified? Why are their efforts crowned with such numerous successes? We could name here innumerable women well known throughout the Soviet Union for their exemplary work, as well as working women Stalin Prize winners, decorated in the same way as scientists, writers and artists, It is clear that it is not a question of women's wanting or not wanting to improve their qualifications, but of social conditions which hinder the development of their capacities and talents. To say that he birh-rae diminshes when women work outside the home is an allegation without foundation. In the U.S.S.R. for example, where security in work and the protection of the mother and the child are assured, the participation of women in the economy of the country increases each year just as the birth-rate increases. You see, therefore, that it is not difficult to refute, by taking living examples from the Soviet Union and the New Democracies, the false arguments of those who praise lower wages for women. Lenin, in an article on the Second Anniversary of Soviet Power, wrote that it had done more for the emancipation of women and the equality of their rights that all the advanced cavilised and democratic republics had done in 130 years,, Equal pay for equal work not only does not hinder the economic development of our country, but on the contrary the complete equality of women accelerates this development and continually increases the productive forces and the well-being of the Soviet people, It is with pride that we announce the rapid rebuilding of our industry despite the terrible destruction of the last war. Soviet industry has not only reached pre-war level, but has gone beyond it. Crops have also reached pre-war level. While in the bourgeois countries — the so-called,,Western Democracies" — unemployment and poverty are growing, the number of industrial and clerical workers in the U.S.S.R. during the first two post-war years has been increased by 4,200,000. One of the best proofs of the improvement in the workers’ standards is the increase in wages and the reduction in prices. In the U.S.S.R. the total wages bill increased during the third quarter of 1948 in relation to 1947 by 9%; prices in one quarter only were reduced by 13 to 24%. 330 === [PDF page 352] === The attention paid to women by the State, the conditions ensu- Ting their creative work — these are among the reasons accounting for the power of Soviet society. In the Soviet Socialist society the equality of women is assured because the State creates the necessary conditions for putting women’s rights into practice, thus giving women the possibility of being the equals of men in cultural and economic sphere as well as in professional opportunities. The Soviet State Budget grants special credits to the technical training of women, scholarships to universities and technical colleges, as well as to the upkeep of children’s institutions and other social services, Commenting on our Constitution, the great leader of the Soviet people, Stalin, (applause) said that it not only gave equality of rights to the citizens, but ensured these rights by the abolition of the regime of exploitation; gave not only the right to work, but guaranteed it by the absence of crises and unemployment; not only proclaimed democratic liberties, but guaranteed their effectiveness by concrete measures. It is these things which differentiate socialist democracy from other types of democracy. The successful solution of the problems of women in the U.S.S.R. is an obvious and striking proof of the superiority of true democracy to bourgeois democracy. In the bourgeois democratic countries the situation is altogether different, In the post- war years reaction has strengthened its attacks on the democratic conquests of the workers. Measures against the workers and trade unions are being put into force. Rapacious imperialism, not wanting to see its profits diminish, tries to put the burdens of reconversion and the preparations for a new war on the workers’ backs, It is women who suffer most from this. They suffer because of low wages. They are the first victims of unemployment. In 1946 alone the number of women working\in the U.S.A. dropped by 4 million. In France the number of women deprived of their livelihood is increasing daily as a result of the reduction in production, and unemployment. That is why in a number of countries women’s organisations are taking part in the economic struggle, in strikes, in public speaking and demonstrations, demanding price control, rent control, fighting against the black market and the speculators. The leading bodies of the Federation and its National Sections are fighting indefatigably to help the women in their struggle against reactionary forces, in their efforts to get rid of old laws and customs 331 === [PDF page 353] === which keep them in an inferior and humiliating position — economically and socially, as well as in the family. We are not alone in our struggle for the emancipation of women, The World Federation of Trade Unions, the democratic organisation of Trade Unions, the democratic organisations of the whole world are helping us. _ The positive decision made by the U.N.O. Economic and Social Council on the political and economic rights of women and on equal pay is the result of our joint efforts. Unfortunately none of the countries concerned are applying that important decision. The women of all countries must reinforce their struggle for economic and political rights. Dear friends, today we are obliged to emphasise the fact that certain women — directly or indirectly — are intervening against the liberation of women, thus uniting their efforts with those of the imperialists in their bitter struggle against the workers. At the time of the discussion of women's political and economic tights at the U.N.O., the representatives of Great Britain and New Zealand voted against these rights. Australia, Canada and Holland abstained. In the debate on the banning of selling women and children, the British woman delegate voted against the Soviet motion demanding the extension of the existing international agreement to the colonial countries and mandated territories, In the discussion on equal rights of women in the colonial countries, the American woman delegate spoke against the granting of equality. We all know from the report the attitude taken during the discussion on the equal pay principle debated at the U.N.O. Commission for the defence of women by the representatives of Syria, China, and above all by the representative of Great Britain, Miss Mary Sutherland, Obviously we understand that Miss Sutherland does not speak in the name of the British women. She speaks in the name of the imperialists who refuse equal pay for equal work in their country on the pretext of its economic situation. Nobody is deceived. We know that it is not the wages bill which causes the difficult situation in Britain, but their imperialist policy, the betrayal of the people's interests. Madame Lefaucheux, representing France, not only did not support the demand for the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work, but proposed the setting up of the,Women’s Civic 332 === [PDF page 354] === Service’, This proposal aims at benevolently exploiting women’s work, By speaking in the U.N.O. organisations against the equality of women in the colonies, against the prohibition of selling women and children, Miss Sutherland and Madame Lefoucheux found themselves in the camp of imperialist reaction, hostile to women. The Executive Committee of the Women’s International Democratic Federation held in Rome, correctly estimated the true significance of the betrayal of the working womens’ vital interests. The . Tesolution adopted then. makes it a duty for the National Sections of the W.L.D.F. to bring these facts to the knowledge of the masses, to demand of their respective Governments the recall of these ladies, their replacement on the Commission for the defence of women by delegates who know how to defend the real interests of women. (Applause) We hope that our Congress will also condemn the attitude of Mrs, Patton, Madame Lefauchex and Miss Sutherland. Dear friends, we are stronger in our battle for the complete equality of women throughout the world than we were when we met for the first time to unite our forces. In the name of the democratic women of the whole world, our Congress, applying the decisions of the U.N.O. Economic and Social Council, must demand — the inclusion of complete political and economic equality for women in the Constitutions of all countries. The Congress must ask all the national organisations of the Federation to carry on an intense campaign directed at their respective governments for the effective application of equality for women. Each delegate present at this Congress, every woman, must remember that the struggle concerning discrimination against women is part of the fight to better the lot of all the workers, and for the victory of true democracy. Dear friends, we support all the democratic proposals put forward in the report. The battle for women's complete equality is and will always remain one of the principal aims of our organisation. Madame BERTA BRASLAVSKY (THE ARGENTINE) What we Argentine delegates are learning during this Congress will be extraordinarily helpful to us to aid the women of our country, who are fighting for their rights and for peace in the world. But what we are learning, during our stay here, concerning the generous People’s Republic of Hungary, is particularly useful for the delegates of a country like ours which claims to have solved all the problems of the workers, while the workers, peasants and people in general still have to win their greatest demands. 333 === [PDF page 355] === The facts, the figures, the principles that we defend, the fights of the women workers, peasant, women intellectuals, and of all’ the women of our country, to better their living conditions, so that legislation on the rights of women can be perfected, and so that these rights be put into practice, show how long is the road which must be covered by the women of our country to arrive at their emancipation.. Everywhere, in our country there is inequality of wages for women workers. Even though the national capitalists greatly profit from this injustice, the American and English imperialist enterprises increase their dividends much more. For example, in the refrigerator factories,La Blanca”,,La Negra”, and,Amour”, the women workers are paid, according to their category, 55,66 and 68% of the wages of men for the same work. The inequality of wages was accepted in the agreements signed by the union representatives of all industries, with the participation of the Secretary of Labor and Safety. The Argentine delegation to the United Nations’ Assembly avoided this question by saying that the obligation of paying equal wages for equal work should be expressly formulated there. Imperialist oppression in our country is the cause, not only of the poverty of the Argentine women workers, but also of the loss of their health, In unhealthy work, they poison their lings, become theumatic, get eye diseases, become deaf, they ruin their hands in the spinning mills, in the metailurgic factories and with the salt in the refrigerator foctories, Not one of the factories respects the law that fixes a 6 hour work — day in the unhealthy industries, on the contrary, the women workers work there for 8 and oven 9 succcessive hours. The law on maternity is old, unfair, and incomplete. It obliges the women workers to pay excessive contribution and, in return gives them ridiculous benefits. These same laws are not respected very much, This is the case with nurseries, that the employers only rarely install, even though the law obliges them to do so if they employ more than 50 women workers. In certain cases, like that of the refrigerator factories —. these immense prisons that the imperialists built on our land — they make a mockery of the law by installing a nursery in a miserable garret where the women do not dare to leave their children, Moreover, except for rare exception, everything remains to be dona in our country, in relation to social assistance, mechanical wash houses, collective canteens, provision of prepared foods, and things to aid the women workers intheir domestic slavery. 334 === [PDF page 356] === The women workers of the Argentine who represent 40% of the industrial proletariat of the country, understand that they must fight to solve their problems and they ardently participate in the tremendous upsurge launched by the Argentine working class against the oligarchy, against the national and foreign monopolies and for social justice, We could show you, by mariy examples, with what entusiams and with what decision they participate in the lobour disputes. To take but one: the victories won recently by the textile workers were due to the fighting spirit of the women workers of that industry. However, in the Argentine there is not one single union which has a woman taking a part in its leadership. And that is not a result of forgetfulness; it comes from the reactionary concept that wants tz eliminate women from economic, political and social life. It is not an accident that this idea is obstinately defended by the central organ of the Confederation of Labor, which, more and more, is becoming a union with a,,vertical” character. {allusion to the Franco unions, called vertical unions). The working masses are fighting against this exclusion and very ‘often they choose their women comrades to be a part of the factory committees. We have, here, among us, the delegate of the Union of Argentine Women, Olga Dalbano, a worker in a shoe factory who was elected unanimously in her factory by all the workers. The Argentine countryside, so vast, so fertile, so beautiful, is a source of wealth for the English monopolists and for their henchmen, the Argentine oligarchs. But in this countryside our peasants, poverty stricken, illiterate, physically exhausted, lead a miserable life. In this vast territory of our country where the great land-owners dominate, our peasant women, the wives and daughters of the small farmers, and even more, the agricultural laborers who must wander across fields and provinces trying to sell their labour power, are suffering, All the peasant family must, almost every day, sacrifice themselves to save the lease money. And, as very often, they do not get cnough, they are dismissed and thrown out onto the road. Last year thousands of families were thus treated. 150 thousand others were threatened with the same sort, and that was temporarily prevented thanks to the powerful mobilization of the agricultural workers. The Argentine men and women peasants are beginning to understand clearly that only real agrarian reform can solve their problems. That is why they were full of hope when the president of the nation declared that the land would be given to ‘those who worked it, 335 === [PDF page 357] === Unfortunately, no satisfactory solution has yet been found to this very serious problem. A few expropriations were carried out, but before their number became too great, the Government, squeezed in the economic circle that the United States maxes around the country, could not find anything better to resist it than to suspend the expropriation trials of he large land-owners and the credits granted to those who were to cultivate their lands. These anti-people measures count among those which are taken to stop inflation. Last year, when the Government took care of the buying and selling of the crops, the peasants gladly accepted this measure which rescued them from the greedy intermediaries whom they hate, But the benefits that were obtained in that way, were not given to them and, therefore, their situation was not changed. On the contrary, it was made worse because the Marshall plan, by which the United States took away the customary Argentine markets, made the threat of famine weigh heavy on the peasants and that of an economic catastrophe on the whole country. That explains the great number of peasants going towards the large cities, thus creating a real national problem. The youth is the first to flee this life without hope, which adds to the unhappiness of the peasant mothers who see their homes destroyed by this regime of great land-owners. But te peasant women, with great decision, are participating in the fight led by their brothers. The words spoken by one of these peasant women at a mecting of the farmers of Cambo Bermejo is proof of it:,,No one shonid be astonished”, she said,,,that I, a woman, can speak on this question, for all the world sees women working in the fields like the men, as well with a plough as at the weeding and seeding, and alternately executing the rough work on the land and the household tasks, common to women, in our ranches. ‘We, the women of the countryside and particularly those of Campo Bermejo, want the land that we work to belong to us. We want our sacrifices and privations to serve general progress of society and not to enrich a handful of selfish capitalists who exploit and oppress us”. All the wishes of our people are expressed in those words. It is the voice which rises from the soil of our country, for bread, for land and for liberty. In our rich country, the mothers of all the humble homes are harassed by the high cost of living and the housing problem. In these last.5 years the price of meat has increased 66%, milk 133%, bread 57%, potatoes 166%, sugar 25%, cotton goods and shoes 100%, and now they are announcing new increases to come. During that same period, wages increased only from 20% to 30%: and very 336 === [PDF page 358] === xarely 40%, These figures alone’ show the seriousness of the problem ‘of the high-cost of living which’ is in direct connection with the other tendencies from which our countty is suffering: oligarchy and ‘imperialism, masters of the sources of production and of the food industries, If one wishes to find a symbol expressing the pain of the mothers of our country, we can choose the,,conventillo” (slums), the unhappy and unhealthy homes where dozens of families live piled one on top of the other, which are the homes of the workers’ ‘families of the country and the ranches, lost in the middle of the immense properties, where the peasants live. The eviction of tenants, a means used by the proprietors to twist the law on rents, is taking on tragic proportions. The law ‘which protects the tenant against eviction in the year 1949 was obtained thanks tg the mobilization and efforts of the: women of Buenos Aires, Thé Union of Argentine Women largely contributed ‘to this mobilization. It seems that they cannot find a solution to the housing problem, which is becoming more and more serious by the influx of the peasants to the cities, the suspension of public works and of loans given to the co-operatives and to the municipalities for the construction of collective houses which was announced among the measures to be taken to combat inflation. The Argentine mothers ‘have the right to think that the solution cannot be so difficult to find while sumptuous houses exist, occupied by two or three people -and that, if the plans announced by the Government clash with the coercion of imperialism, ‘the means to conquer this coercion should ‘be found. The women are ready to offer their energy to gain these ends. The civic and political rights of which they dispose to meet ‘their problems, are not sufficient; they are not duly applied. The daw on civic rights ‘still contairs many elements which prove its subordination to the theories on the inferiority of women. The political rights, waited for with so much impatience by the women, are now accorded to them, But instead of their having been seen as instruments in the fight for womens’ demands it has been announced that with the grant of this right to vote, the cycle of conquests for women was already closed. Madame. Peron speaks of them as of a necessity to uphold,,the inviolate rampart of the home and of the intuitive and substantially conservative impulses of women (sic)": This concept is the same ene defended by the Argentine episcopate. But it is not the same one shared by the Argentine Catholic progressive women. On the a 337 === [PDF page 359] === other hand it is only one of the reflections of the Spanish Phalangist: ideology which has had great influence on many ofthe decisions that are taken in our country. On this account, we can understand. under what conditions the activities of the women of liberal profes+ sions, artists and others of the Argentine are developing. Theit economic problems are the same as those of other women workers. But I prefer to speak of the suffocating cultural atmosphere in which. they must work, It is the atmosphere of imperialism which, from the time a tock possession of our wealth, also fixed the path which our culture must take, In our country there. was no encouragement for science: nor iterest in laboratories. We lack the creative enthusiasm that. a. nation that is forging its own destiny inspires in its sons. Our culture more and more decadent and ‘irrational, is, in almost, all its manifestations, influenced by imperialism:.We can see that ‘this situation is equally unfavorable for all the- intellectuals, and even more, for the women, victims of both the cultural. backwardness and social prejudices, ,.. That is why, in our country, the intevlectual women feel the need to unite, to. present their claims, also, with the whole of the national movement for the rights of women, The Women's Cultural Group..(Agrupacion Cultural Femenina),-which -was born from this need,..gathers together the women intellectuals from the liberal professions and artists who have. the most divetse ideas and beliefs, and.work together in a friendly. way with all. the- progressive: organisations of the Argentine and especially with the Union of Ar-- gentine Women, the popular organization which is fighting for the: tights of the women workers by encouraging them in the daily fights, and which, during these two Congresses has exposed the: national, solutions to the.women's problems to the country. ~ The -intense imperialist propaganda maintains, notably. among the women intellectuals, a confusion which prevents them from understanding. who are the. instigators and people responsible for wars, and who are the people. who consequently defend peace, That is: why we have proposed, many a time, the discussion. of: these: problems, while showing that.to give'a proper solution to the cultu- Tal gestion, we must attack evil from its social and national roots. We always come to the same conclusion, the necessity of getting rid ‘of imperialism, of throwing it out.of.our country. And onthat, all the. women of the world who are fighting against war, engerdered = imperialism, are in agreement,: st ‘ : For..this fight; which*so firmly: unites: us:' in» this Congress; Teassure you: that in Argentine ‘there ‘are- great forces, 338° === [PDF page 360] === M-me VERA NATCHEVA, (BULGARIA) In the name of the Bulgarian women, I declare that we entirely approve the report of Madame Helen Phillips, on the defence of the economic: and political rights of women.. We belong’ to a new democratic country and that is why we share the justice ofthe idea, expressed in the first part of Madame Phillips’ report, to know that,,the equal right of women is an inseparable part of the development of democracy”. The experience of the USSR — country of socialism — has shown us the justice of that idea. The Bulgarian women have fought, for more than half a century for the realization of these tights, But it was only after the victory over fascism and the establishment of the People’s Republic, the 9th of September, 1944, under the protection of the chief of the Bulgarian Worker's Party (communist), comrade Dimitrov, that they could be given. The new Bulgarian Constitution was approved by the Parliament “in December of 1947. Concerning the equal rights of women, Article 72 of the new Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria says:,,Women are equal to men in all fields: economic, social cultural, civic, and political, This equality of rights is realised thanks to the guarantee of the right to work, the right to leisure, to culture and instruction". For the women working in industry, mothers have nurseries at their disposal, dispensaries, and free medical aid. Article 76 of the new Democratic Constitution says:,,It is only civil marriage that counts. Legal children have the same rights as those born out of marriage”. One of the first laws which was created by the Democracy on September 9th, 1944, was the law on the equality of women, All the old laws were abolished and laws on equal rights were ratified by the Constitution. Laws on inheritance were changed and the injustices, the reduction of the rights of déscendants of the female sex were. abolished thanks to the People’s Democracy, Our fight has not stopped since the 9th of September, 1944 and, at this time, we are working hand in hand with our men and our youth and we are fighting for peace, for the suppression of capitalism and for the development of our social economy, to create new and better conditions for the rights which were acquired by the blood of our brothers,. The equal rights that were obtained by the Bulgarian women were immediately applied in all branches of economic, political and 339 === [PDF page 361] === social life of the country, The Buigarian women have put all their energy in the construction of this new and young republic. The Union of Bulgarian Women, which has more than a half a million members, guides the great masses of Bulgarian women on the road of the active fight for the solution of the economic and political problems which the people and all the progressive classes of humanity face, and it is the W.I.D.F. which leads them towards that road. 85% of the Bulgarian women take part in the elections. We are provd to have among us women ministers. Comrade Draqoitcheva is the minister of the PTT (post-telegraph-telephone). We have women secretaries of ministers, and directors in factories. Little Bulgaria has 38 women deputies; 11 members of the National Council of the Patriotic Front. Many women occupy important posts, such as mayors of towns or villages, for example. Before the 9th of September, 1944, women did not have the right to professions such as teaching for example. Today women, become professors in schools, in training colleges, technical schools, and universities. They receive equal pay for equal work, like men. The same situation exists for teachers and sanitary services. In the youth brigades, there are women. The initiator of shock troops is a woman worker in the textile, industry, Marie Todorova. Her example was followed by many other women who followed and surpassed the work norms. An example: a woman worker, Violetta Berbenkova, member of the National Council of the Patriotic Front, works on 14 textile machines. In the last drive, she increased her production by 12%, Women and young girls are decorated for their work production. Mothers have the right to many privileges of which. they never would have thought before, one of which is maternity leave. The people's power, outcome of the patriotic front, takes every step for the creation of indispensable conditions for the practice of the rights acquired, It organizes and directs all the social movements and takes every measure to better living conditions in the cities: construction of bath houses, wash houses, and bakeries. In the towns we are bettering working conditions by creating cooperatives which facilitate the work. Similar co-operatives have been created in great numbers. The peasant women have the right to social insurance; at the age of 50 they have the right to old age pensions, (Men have this right after 60). The women have a great deal:to'do with the education and organization of the pioneer movements. In this organization there are more than 600,000 children, 346 === [PDF page 362] === Our women participate in the movement for national and industrial construction. This industry will be able to assure us political and economic independence. * Work, in our country. is considered an honorable task. Before, “it was considered that women should not work in the fields or factories, Today, this situation has changed. In the factories, there ate women who had never worked and now they have voluntarily come to the factories. Others work regularly and have become qualified workers, Almost all the women who are capable of working participate in the work brigades, in the towns and villages. They work “with consciousness, without pay to reconstruct our beautifil People’s Republic, In this re-education of women, the principal role, comes to the women's organizations. We have no unemployment. On the contrary, we lack workers. In 1938, 25% of the workers were unemployed. Today all people capable of learning and of doing some kind of work can find a job in Bulgaria, Why? Because we are building, and for this building we need qualified workers. The number of secondary schools has increased in 4 years. Before September 9th, 1944, there was not one for adults. Now we have 32, The number of students in the training colleges has increased nearly 4 times, Before, the majority of the people were in ignorance, Now, in our people's State. this situtation has completely changed, We have schools for all the national minorities. In the women’s organisations, at the side of the Bulgarian women there is room for Mahomedan, Armenian, Jew, or Turkish workers,,,The women constitute.an enormous force when they are organised, and when they are politically active’. Those are the words of our chief and teacher, of the defender of democracy, our beloved Georgi Dimitrov. (applause). Our situation is not an easy one. Many difficulties still await us. Our country is backward from an agricultural and industrial point of view, For three successive years we have had drought, and We are trying, with all our might, to fight against reaction. We have decided to go forward on a new path, this path that assures " us freedom and equality of rights, and we will go on to a better future for our children and our people, Even though it is difficult it is the only way, our only salvation, it is the path of justice, the Path which was blazed by the Soviet Union, the defender of the tights of all races and of all peoples. Long live the great Soviet Union! (applause), Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation, defender of the women of the whole world! 341 === [PDF page 363] === Madame ILONA BIEBER (HUNGARY) The American delegate said in her speech that the Tsarist army made possible the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution in 1848. © The world has completely changed since then. The 1917 Revolution swept the Tsarist regime from the face of the earth, and now in Russia it is the people who rule, the people whose sons, fighters in the Red Army, struck a great blow against fascism, and among other countries liberated Hungary. We Hungarian women are eternally grateful to the USSR, to the Red Army, because we know that it. is our liberation which has allowed us to bring about the results of which I am going to speak to you. The People’s Democracy has brought about enormous changes in the lives of Hungarian workers which are not only expressed by the ‘finé achievements in the reconstruction of the country's economy. The radical change which the construction of socialism has brought about is expressed in the whole economic life of our country, and also in the changed conditions of the lives of working ‘women, and in the possibilities of ever greater development which we women possess. The Marxist formula that women were the most exploited among exploited people could not have been better demonstrated than in the Hungary-of the aristocracy, the country of large landowners and capitalists. In the factory and in the administration ‘women were much worse exploited and oppressed than men. The textile industry employs the greatest number of women; in it they form the majority of the workers — 68%. Now this majority is qualified. Formerly it was not even possible to imagine a woman being a workshop manager, or a foreman. It was even rare for a woman to become a skilled worker. Women were not employed in the steel] industry or in certain branches of the printing trade. In all the other industries, their wages were from 30 to 35% lower than men's, Housewives were officially humiliated because they were registered by the police as servants. The law devoted 30 paragraphs to prostitutes; but paragraphs protecting pregnant women and illegitimate children were not numerous in the legal code of Horthy’s Hungary. The Hungarian working women were doubly exploited; through their wages, in the interests of the capitalists; in the State apparatus, as auxiliary unskilled workers, occupying the lowest posts. In politica] and social life, nobody paid any attention to them. Women were humiliated in every aspect of © life, and played a negligible part. The glorious Red Army brought 542 sa at 0 cee === [PDF page 364] === liberation to our people, and that liberation gave Hungarian women zeal équality and ‘human ‘dignity. as; Our people's democracy advances systematically towards clearly defined’ aims. Equality in women's rights is inseparable from progress and democracy. The most varied types of ‘activity '— formerly forbidden to Hungarian women — become accessible « one aftér the other to women. Equality for women was put into practice in 1945 by the law proclaiming,Equal pay for equal work" proposed by the Trade Union Council. In 1947 the laws of the Hungarian People’s Democracy abolished the humiliating method of tabulating housewives as servants. At present housewives have a worker's passbook, and are considered as workers..Today we have young girls working in different branches of trade. They also work as turners; they work in precision mechanics, are machine operators and electricians. They ‘have all the certificates showing their proficiency. Women working on the railways have the possibility of studying to qualify themselves. Women now manage the workshops in the largest textile factories. Hundreds of women shock workers are among the workers who compete for high production records. Women in industry rationalise their work and produce new inventions this ‘enables our country to save millions annually. Four working women and three women intellectuals have received the highest reward, the,Koeuth Prize’. 16 working women have received the Labour “Medal. 85 women factory-managers, many women presidents of factory Committees and women trade union militants occupy leading positions in industry, The number of women mayors, presidents of regional administration, members of Parliament, ministerial and even ambassadors’ assistants, shows that complete equality for ‘women has been realised. By one of the latest decrees of the Supreme Economic Council, all types of activity are open to women. This decree means ‘the final disappearance of thousand-year-old. oppression, the disappearance of all differences between the sexes in labour. This.gives an immense perspective for our development. Numerous laws protect Hungarian women. Nursing mothers are ~allowed two -half-hour periods daily, paid for. by the factory, to suckle their children, The new Hungarian.laws make no difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. 343 === [PDF page 365] === _The Hungarian People’s. Democracy gives. workers the possibility of being employed in whatever. job they wish according to their ability, without discrimination of sex. ‘ Now we Hungarian women have the duty of utilising our possibilities with all our strength. All paths are open to us. Now we must take the wide road of freedom. As workers with equal tights we serve the cause of building Socialism, the cause of human. Progress, the cause of peace and freedom for the peoples. M-me IVACHENKO (U.S.S:R.)} Allow me on behalf of the women of the Soviet Ukraine to greet you as active fighters for protection of. peace and democracy. The noble duty of fighting for peace among the nations of the world has summoned us to this Congress. The women of the Soviet Ukraine, having experienced ‘all the horrors of Fascist, aggression,. are in the front rank of fighters for peace and democracy. It is. with full consciousness and understanding that we support the progressive ideas of the W.LD.F. The Soviet Government and the founder of the most democratic Constitution in the world, the great Stalin, have granted to the: Ukrainian women absolute equality in rights in all spheres of life; political, economic, social and cultura], and in State positions. Women of the Soviet Ukraine as well as those of all the fraternal Republics of our powerful Union, are granted the right to vote and to be elected and govern the state, And these rights we utilise to the fullest ‘extent. 30 women of the Ukraine are deputies to the Supreme Soviet: of the Union — the highest governmental organ in our, country. These 30 women are’ collective farmers, workers from plants and factories, teachers, professors and others. 112 women are deputies to the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian Republic. Nearly 100,000 women are elected to local Soviets. Maria Kikh — a forewoman in the city of Lvov is now a vice chairman of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian Republic. Maria Bubova and Evdoksia Legur are ministerial assistants. Great political activity is shown by the women of Western Ukraine who lived for years under cruel exploitation. Today over 21,000 of these women are working in important. Civil Service posts. We have no,,second class” citizens in our country. Our country is a union of free-and equal citizens. Here the women, whatever their work, feel that they are creators in one common cause. 344 === [PDF page 366] === 23 years ago I worked on a farm in Morinzi, a village in the. Kiev district, my grandfather being a serf of the same landlord, Engelhart, to whom the famous Ukrainian poet, T. G. Shevtchenko, was* serf. My mother was an agricultural worker. Thanks to the right of free and compulsory education, granted to Ukrainian. women, I was rescued from that agricultural slavery. 15 years ago I graduated from the Technical High School, and today 1 am working as the manager of a large factory making electrical precision instruments. Before the Socialist Revolution there were no women of the Poor peasantry with higher education. Today almost every village has a secondary school, and thousands of girls are receiving higher education. My friends, Christina Widomenko and Chotina Andrienko, from poor peasant families, graduated from Institutes and are now doing scientific work. Today, in the higher educational institutions of our. Republic, over 73,000 women are studying, comprising 56% of the total number of students attending these institutions. 25 thousand women are working as engineers or technicians. Compulsory education led to the complete abolition of illiteracy among the population. In Western Ukraine, during the few years following its re-unification with the Ukrainian nation, 250,000 women were taught to read and write. In 1948, 154,000 women are studying. About a hundred years ago my fellow countryman, the famous Ukrainian poet, Shevtchenko, wrote of the unhappy fate of Ukrainian women, without rights, doomed to compulsory labour: There, this compulsory labour was the death of my mother still young. And sisters, my sisters! Oh woe, my dear doves, what are you living in the world for? In hired labour you grew up, In hired labour your hair turned grey, In hired labour, sisters, you will die. Compulsory labour is now unknown to our people. The right to equal pay, to occupy any position, are realities in our country. Take for instance the factory where I am working as manager, The majority of the workers are men, but during the period from 1944 on, since the liberation from the German occupation, 500 women have qualified in precise mechanics. Their wages are on.a level with the wages of men, sometimes even higher. In 345 === [PDF page 367] === SOS NIT ed ee a ee eee ht se Eee TTS ETT EL this factory 104 women engineers and technicians are working. } Many of them have leading positions. Asya Chovsofskaya and Nina Sobcp are heads of departments, Pasha Vishnyiak and Nina Gladkova are heads of workshops. Of the total number of workers in the national economy of the Ukraine 56% are women. Women do not remember the times of unjust wages — everyone is paid according to his or her work. It is a common thing for a woman to be manager of a factory or scientific institute in our country.. In our country the people who work are held in honour and affection, Work is glorious, courageous, and heroic. ‘255 women agricultural workers who produced an exceptionally large harvest were awarded the,Golden Star“, and designated Heroines of Socialist Labour for their successful work. The names of the star tractor driver, Pasha Angelina, Agrippina Parmezina, who produced a fine maize crop, Helena Saypeghi, koksaghiz grower, are known throughout the Ukraine, Extraordinary results in science and art are rewarded annually with Stalin Prizes, and in these spheres also women are winning successes, Natalia Uzhveiey, Maria Litvinenko- ‘Wohlgemut and many others won Stalin Prizes and large sums of money. Mothers in our country are treated with special care and appreciation. A network of nurseries and kindergartens establisches Yhe necessary conditions for the mothers to cope with their social activities and their tasks as citizens. So live and work the women of the Soviet Ukraine. By their indefatigable work in factories, on collective farms, in scientific institutions and organisations, in the Civil Service, they help the Soviet nation to heal the wounds caused by the war and to turn our life into a more abundant and beautiful one. As you can see, we are in favour of peaceful and creative work. All aggresive policies, all policies of domination of other peoples, are alien to us. Nevertheless we are keeping watch over our rights. We, together with the progressive women of the world, will not allow the new plunderers to destroy our children, husbands, fathers and brothers, We remember clearly the days of the Fascist aggression. In the Ukraine, there is not a single family which does not mourn a lost one. The fascists killed my husband. My son and daughter will never know the love and care of a father. But the love of freedom and the consciousness of their rights in the hearts of the Soviet Ukrainian women can never be destroy- 346 === [PDF page 368] === ed, We not only long to maintain. peace, but also we are fighting for a just and democratic peace. In the General Assembly of UNO the Soviet Ukrainian delegation actively supports the delegation of the USSR in its fight against the fomentors of a new war and for the acceptance of the Disarmament Programme, which is the most effective means of strengthening peace and security throughout the world, This policy is unanimously supported by progressive mankind. Dear friends, to maintain the rights we have won, we demand the prohibition of the atomic bomb, a weapon leading to the mass annihilation of civil populations —- women, children and old men. In the name of our children 1 call upon you ‘to pass a resolution condemning war propaganda. We Soviet women call-upon the women of the world to fight against the aggressors.. Long live the democratic forces of the Women’s Federation! M-me HATTIE CAMERON (AUSTRALIA) Australia. was used by the Enalish first as a penal settlement. Many of the prisoners were deported for political activity. Because of their harsh treatment an element of rebels was bred. Among them were many Irish Catholic and the Labor Movement from the beginning was led by them -~ they were traditionally opposed to English domination. Our Trade Unions have been notoriously militant from the early days. Indeed cultural standards for us have. been, largely, good living conditions, fought for by organised labor in, the Trade Unions, It is not many years ago since Australia had the highest Trade Union membership, in relation to population, than any country in the world, outside the U.S.S.R. Social Services were comparatively good. Compulsory education from 5 to 14, Hospitals Government controlled, Transport nationalised. Women won the franchise in 1902 but few entered into political life, many did not even bother to vote until this was made compulsory. The first big impetus towards activising women was given by their displacement after 1918. The Trade Unions were at first opposed to their entering Unions or doing jobs formerly only done by men; breaking down these prejudices was slow but, finally, effective. You probably are aware of some of the historical fights for social justice put up by our Trade Unions. To mention only one, the banning by the waterside workers of the sending of pig iron to Japan. In this they were solidly supported by the Miners. and the Transport Workers, Women’s Organisations, Peace Movements, etc. They led a victorious battle. While the international co- 347 === [PDF page 369] === operation is known, perhaps, not so evident has been the internat and continuous struggle. Today, the very element that largely built the Labor Movement — i, e, the Catholic — has become politically reactionary inside the Trade Unions. This makes more defficult the work of progressive Trade Unionists who realise today more than ever, how closely bound are her interests with those of the Colonial Peoples. in the Pacific, the Near North to us. Japan is also close geographically. Our agressor in the last war, she is potentially dangerous. because of the building-up policy of MacArthur. The Unions protested about sending arms and food to the Dutch Government in Burma and are waging strong opposition to sending food or arms: to Australian soldiers fighting with the British in Malaya. Many thousands of Australians welcome the victories of the democratic people of China and hope for them an early peace and opportunity to rebuild their devastated land and to have friendly and cooperative relations with our country. With the development of the Trade Union Movement goes the development of women. Practically every woman engaged in production in Australia now is a member of a Trade Union, And although we still have on our Statute books. the iniquitous legislation that allows the payment of 54% of the basic wage, standards and wages for women in most trades are: really a little higher. In many professions women get equal pay, but still meet with some prejudice. After the war some reactionary-: led Unions ejected women from membership, notably the Engineers. Transport women workers were sacked. Here the women supported. by the men put up a good fight but were forced out of their jobs. A month later the Government, unable to fill their places, reengaged them, at the same time robbing them of seniority rights because of their suspension, The progressive women’s organisations in Australia mow co-operate with the Trade Unions. For many years Mrs. Jessie Street, the President of the United Associations has. given them inspiring leadership. This Organisation started the first Trade Union for Nurses in our country. From the United Association executive came the decision to form a committee to hold an International Conference — which is pretty wel] known throughout the world as the Australian Women’s Charter Committee whose Conferences were held in 1943 and in 1946, The monthly Magazine, the Australian. Women's Digest, was produced mainly through the initiative and energy of the United Associations also. It has an executive of 23 members recruited from. every branch of political thought.. 348 === [PDF page 370] === The 1943 Charter Conference was supported by 100 women's ‘Organisations throughout Australia. It was the first National Conference ever held in the Commonwealth. Its theme was Peace, Unity, Equality. Noticeable effects of this - Conference were the number of new members brought into our movement, the stimulating effect on other women’s organisations, and on legislation fot women, especially around the Nationality. and divorce laws. At the second conference in 1946 we had 2 delegates from India, one from Ceylon, 4 from New Zealand, one of these was Ginette Delmas of the W.LD.F. Seven delegates from the Soviet Union were held up in London and never reached Australia. The excuse given them was,,No transport’. In China, U.S.A. and South Africa, delegates were unable to get transport across. The’ number of local Organisations supporting this Conference was 65. The lowered attendance needs a little explanation. It was due to attacks on the Committee by reaction. Three weeks before the Conference a letter appeared in a Sydney daily paper, signed by seven big Women's Organisations, saying they would not support the Conference. Many of our oldest executive members resigned. The attacks were largely inspired by an organisation known as,,Catholic Action”. Our Conference was a success and the Australian Woman's Charter of 1943, which contained the Resolution of that occasion, were revised, amended and added to. The appointment of Jessie Street to the Commission on the Status of Women at U.N.O. we believe came largely as a result of her work on this Committee. It is important to keep the broad character of this Organisation and, at the same time, in the face of all reaction, to maintain its progressive policy, The question has been asked why have not the Charter Committoe affiliated with the W.LD.F.? The fact is that there is a Clause in the Charter Constitution against’ international affiliation. This was inserted so that we would not be swallowed by any particular group of an unprogressive character. There was nothing existent at the time attractive to us. The Constitution has to be amended to alter this. And this must be immediately: attended to. There does now exist in Australia The Status of Women Commission, set up at the request of the Governmient, with branches in every State. It is a member of the Charter Committee and has a broad representation on its executive. This Organisation could affiliate with the W.LD.F. Another fine women’s organisation is the recently set up Equal Pay Committee with a composition mainly of Trade Union members; it is a good militant organisation ‘with ‘very 349 === [PDF page 371] === progressive. leadership. The newest, the most interesting of postwar developments among our Women is the formation of the New Housewives Association, the Organisation I represent here today. It is organising around the big lag in living standards, that is, 40% increase in wages and 80% rise in the cost of living. It supports the demands of Trade Unionists for higher wages and is in turn supported by them, On International Women's Day this year it organised a demonstration to present a petition to the Prices Commissioner asking for stricter price control. This procession was attended not only by women but by the representatives also of 250 Trade Unions. Housing shortage, high fares, creches, kindergartens are some of the main platforms of this healthy young infant organisation. It has only a thousand members but its strength lies in the leadership which Mrs, Barton, president, gives, working for the basic needs of all women. It too is a member cf the Charter Committee. It is particularly deplorable to see how far behind we are now with our Social Services, compared with you people of Eastern Europe. For instance, pre — and anti-natal clinics have done such marvellous work that infantile mortality in our country is propably lower than anywhere in the world. But there it stops. We posses few kindergartens, creches or baby-minding centres, We produce the healthy infant and afterwards give few facilities to mothers for carning a living or making a substantial social contribution while they have young children. The patten for the development of women’s interests then, is clear, Led by ‘the New Housewives Association, allied with the Status of Women Commission and the Equal Pay Committee, joined with the Australian Women’s Charter Committee, working side by side with the Trade Unions and other progressive working class organisations, we will go ahead and fight for all those aims for which the women of all the countries represented here fight, under the banner of the W.LD.F,: Madame OLGA TOURNADE,. (FRANCE) After the liberation of our country and our First Congress, we won some of our demands, The Constitution adopted in May 1946 by the people of our country, recognises equality of women's rights in all domains. The women have fought courageously in the enterprises, offices, workshops and stores. against the reduction of 10% in women's wages which the De Gaulle Government has allowed to remain. 350 === [PDF page 372] === Various demonstrations have taken place, thousands. of — petitions have been signed by working women and sent to the Coimmunist Minister of Labour, Ambroise Croizat; who, basing his action on'this activity,, put into force a decree dating from July 1946; suppressing this reduction, It must be noted that this decree could only be applied to women working in industry and trade, the Minister of agriculture being explicitly opposed to taking the same decision in relation to the women agricultural workers under his jurisdiction,. Our comrade Ambroise Croizat also put into operation the demo-~ cratic Social Security Scheme, which assists in protecting the family, and défending mothers’ rights.: In this same period when we had a more democratic government, the Statute of Government Employment (which established the equality of men and women, in recruitment, wages, promotion and right to every type of work) was passed by the National Assembly. These results were obtained, as well as other great democratic reforms, under the pressure of women united in large organisations. But this forward march of our people towards progress and more: democracy, which brought improvements in the lives of the working masses, constituted danger to the plans of international reaction, which wants to make the working populations pay the costs of the last war and the one they are preparing, by reducing their standard. of living.: Since the beginning of American interference in our country, parallel with the lowering of the standard of living of the workers, the rights of women were attacked. The Constitution is made a mockery, This is true to such an extent that the representative of the French Government at U.N.O. votes contrary to the spirit of the Constitution passed in this country under pressure of the people. For example, while a law recognises the principle of equal pay for equal work, he voted against a Soviet amendment which ran as follows; ,Every person, without distinction of race, nationality or sex has the right to equal pay for equal work”. The equality of wages was again put in question, by manoeuvres re-establishing a difference between women's and men’s wages, a difference greater in the case of qualified women workers, as is shown by. the following figures:, — specialised women workers =o % 2 @ « 8 % -—— highly qualified women workers... ~ 11 % — in agriculture the difference even reaches.. 20 % === [PDF page 373] === Women ‘fight to defend their demands, for their wages, for their tight to work, because that constitutes their right to - life. They personally resent the consequence of the Marshall Plan, which is bringing unemployment to our country, and they are too often the first victims, because they have priority in dismissa\. The women cannot remain indifferent when — — 338 American films came out.in the first three months of 1947 as against 55 French films, on account of which 4 studios were closed down, throwing thousands of film workers out of work; —— our aircraft industry is sabotaged to the benefit of American aircraft, and 30,000 workers, men and women, are reduced to unemployment; The women cannot remain indifferent when — — to give preference to the American hold on our automobile industry, we have only a very little steel allocated to us, which foreshadows for the workers —- unemployment; ~~ the Marshall Plan providing for the construction of large dams in Italy, Switzerland and Germany, demands the abandoning of the construction of dams in France, putting our country at the mercy of large foreign water power centers, again reducing’ ten thousand workers to eneployment; — the canning factories, which employ a majority of women decrease their production and put the workers on short time as a result of the application of the Marshall Plan because it compels us to buy 10 million dollars’ worth of American canned food.:: The women cannot remain indifferent when our fashion models are being looted, when they are being copied and reproduced on a mass scale in New York, and it is intended that these reproductions shall be sent back to France to flood the market and cause the closing of our work rooms, accentuating the unemployment among our dressmaking apprentices, And we could quote innumerable other examples. 2 It is therefore understandable that the women would be unanimous in denouncing the Marshall Plan increasing their struggle dn the job. Already International Women's Day on March 8th, they demanded among other things the maintaining of the percentage of female labour in the factories. Besides this, the women's desire to struggle is expressed by their ever greater participation in the struggles for workers demands taking place in our country. 352 === [PDF page 374] === The working class is successfully resisting the plunging of France into catastrophe, and is fighting to develop a new direction in our country's policy. One of the most important objectives of the capitalists is to reduce the working class to silence, and they have been powerless to carry it through. Under pressure from the working class, the Government of Ramadier, right-wing socialist, which threw out the Communists, was broken up, it was subjected to the difficulties arising from several big strikes for wage increases and handed in its resignation. Then there were the strikes of November 1947, involving 3 million strikers, in which the women of our country participate’ with great energy, fighting with the police to defend their tactories, strikes which cost the lives of three militant workers, and in which many were wounded. Faced with the Government's claim to reduce the working class to its mercy by destroing the power of its organisation, the French Trade Union Congress, the women organised against those who were making splits in the trade union movement, and routed the right-wing socialists, sent by the employers to try to demoralise the strikers, From April to August, the workers, putting their unity into practice, carried on hundreds and hundreds of strikes in the factories, as well as strikes in chemical works and engineering plants at Clermont Ferrand, where the police and the special strike-breaking corps of that sinister right-wing socialist Jubles Moch, recourse once more to violence worthy of the fascist countries. On September 24th, 1948, a two-hour strike rallied men and women workers of all opinions and of various French trade union organisations to protest against the decrease in purchasing power and to demand the application of a basic minimum wage. This unanimity is the proof that the trade union split in France is on the way to being overcome. Then came the great miners’ strike. The international solidarity and the interest which it has aroused show that the workers of all countries understand its importance. At the same time, the strikes of the metal workers of Moselle came about, which have won results because of the miners’ strike. During these strikes, the wives of the iron and steel workers, like those of the miners, have shown themselves particularly active‘ I would like to tell you the adventure that happened to a big industrialist of Longwy. He had refused to receive the strikers from his factory. It was the women who went to seek him out in his castle 23 353 === [PDF page 375] === and who led him to the furnaces where their husbands usually. worked, to make him discuss their demands. This industrialist gave in completely, and he declared that he was never so much afraid during the war as he was before these women. Certainly, France is not a people’s democracy. Because of mais; the struggle is very acute. In the struggle for political and legal rights, it is thanks to the activity of the mass of the women, and to the persevering efforts of the Communist deputies that the right to vote and to be eligible for election has been given to the women. As far back as 1944, the Communist deputies brought the Algiers Consultative Assembly to accept women's right to vote and to be elected, It was from the speech of Gilberte Rocca, Communist deputy, and member of the National Council of the Union of French Women, that the wording was drawn which figures in the preamble of the French Constitution passed in May 1945. The text in question says: uThe law guarantees to women in all domains rights equal to men's", It was again thanks to the tenacity of the Communist deputies that the following passage appeared in the same preamble: nThe Nation ensures the conditions necessary for their development to the individual and the family. It guarantees to all, particularly to children, mothers and old workers, health protection, material security, rest and leisure”. Today out of 35 women deputies in the National Assembly, 26 are Communists. Following the reactionary Moch-Giaccobi law, 5 Communist women deputies, instead of the previous 11, are on the Council] of the Republic. In the Municipal Councils, a thousand councillors, in addition to the achievements mentioned above, do extremely popular work in connection with women from the most varied sections of the population with whom they are in touch daily through their public work., But if French women have won their political rights and have proved that they can use them in a sound democratic way, legally, when they are married, they are reduced to the standing of minors, which entails very painful situations for very many mothers. In the questions of legal rights, as in other questions, the women must fight to ensure that the constitutional declarations on ~ equality for all do not remain a dead letter. The unity of the democratic forces in our country, as in all countries, constitutes an effective opposition to the plan for the enslavement of Europe, That is why reaction makes great efforts and 554 === [PDF page 376] === spends large sums of money to divide the working masses in France and in all countries. The French Trade Union: Congress unites millions of workers, of which more than a million are women, and guides them in their struggles for demands. It remains the great united organisation of the working class; it assembles in its ranks _and under its leadership men and women of all parties, of all religions faiths. “In the French delegation there are 6 full delegates and 6 substitute delegates elected by working women of different industries. These delegates come from different political spheres, but find themselves assembled together because of their desire for working class unity, because they are not only convinced that this unity is necessary, but also they understand that it corresponds to the profound wish of all the workers, Because we have carried on this necessary fight in our country, we feel a deep satisfaction in taking part in the work of this Congress which consolidates the unity of all the women in our great Women's Democratic Federation, and we are sure that the women of the whole world will guard this unity jealously, this unity which is the surest guarantee of victory. Because we have struggled in our country, because we all know the importance of working class unity, we are certain that the workers of the whole world will consolidate their unity in the ranks of the World Federation of Trade Unions and will put a stop to the plans to split the workers of the world. The men who envisage a split in the trade union movement on the international level either do not understand the consequences of the stand they are taking, or else they are criminals not worthy to speak in the name of the working class. All the delegates of the Congress on their return to their countries, will help to consolidate the unity of the World Federation of Trade Unions, when they popularise the unity which is indispensable for winning peace. The development of consciousness in the French women workers has led the trade union movement to recognise their capacity to occupy all leading positions. Thus there are at the present time 225 women secretaries in the textile workers’ unions, 300 in the clothing workers’ unions, 17 women are secretaries of National Federation, and 32 Provincial Trade Union Committees have a woman in their leadership. Thousands of women are staff delegates on factory committees, 355 === [PDF page 377] === Madame ESPERANZA SANCHEZ MASTRAPA (CUBA} Before tackling the main argument of this report, we must emphasise that the Cuban Constitution contains numerous principles which are just and progressive in relation to women, and gives them possibilities of exercising their most vital civil and political tights, But we also hasten to emphasise that most of this democtatic and progressive formulation of our Constitution is ineffective, on account of the old laws still in force, in contradiction to the new social reality taken into consideration in the recent Constitution. Our whole legal code bears the obvious stamp of the conservative monarchic power which established it in Cuba. According to this legislation — a clear reflection of the epoch in which it was evolved —- a woman is a man's property and must behave as such. The majority of the women are today rising up against these colonial vestiges which in practice invalidate all our conquests which are embodied in our country’s Constitution. They demand, with the same fighting spirit that they showed when they put their criginal demands before the Constituent Assembly, that the necessary laws to apply the principles of the new’Constitution shall be passed. 1. Political rights The present Constitution of the Republic, in force since 1940, devotes two paragraphs in Article 20 on the Rights of Individuals, to laying down absolute equality between men and women in political, economic, social and-civil questions establishing it that,all Cubans are equal in the eyes of the law. The Republic recognises no exemptions or privileges’; and to make this fine democratic declaration more explicit, it adds,All discrimination for reasons of sex, race, colour, class or any other factor operating against human dignity, is declared illegal and punishable.” Therefore our Constitution recognises women's right tc vote without any qualification whatsoever. It says on this subject: nUniversal, free, secret, and equal suffrage is established for all citizens as their right, duty and function", and Article 99 makes the definition of electors:,,Cubans, of the two sexes, from 20 years of age..." Since 1934, when, as a result of the active participation of women in the political and social struggles which culminated in the collapse of Genera] Machado's dictatorship, they were given the right to take part in national life been eligible for all State positions, 356 a sa ny Sa tae cap gs === [PDF page 378] === even the Presidency, under the same conditions as men; and not a single precept in the Constitution or in the laws prevents them from taking part in the State governing bodics. However, as usual in capitalist countries, this equality is limited in practice by prejudice and theories of women's inferiority, theories supported by the social and political regime in our country. This fact, which does not correspond to the words of the Constitution, is reflected in the limited participation of women in State power, in work and in the various activities of public life. Here are a few examples: Executive power is exercised in Cuba by the President of the Republic, with the Cabinet, which is composed of 12 Ministers, the Prime Minister and the Presidential Secretary, who is also the Cabinet Secretary, plus the Ministers without Portfolios, of whom at the present time there are three. Today only one woman is a member of the Government. She is a Minister without Portfolio. The legislative power is exercised by two bodies: the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate. Together they are called Congress. In the Chamber of Representatives there are only 6 women out of ‘a total of 136, I would like to mention with satisfaction that the People’s Socialist Party, to which I belong, has one woman among its 9 representatives. In the Senate, composed of 54 members, there is not a single woman. The composition of the organs of Juridical Power is as follows: out of a total of 110 magistrates there is not a single woman, Out of a total of 47 Attorney Generals, there is only one woman, In the whole territory of the Republic, there are 412 judges, of whom only 7 are women. The proportion of women is therefore very low. In the 6 provincial goverments there is not a single woman. In Cuba there are 126 municipalities comprising altogether 2,082 municipal councillors of whom only 93 are women. Only one woman holds the rank of Mayor. The executive committees of the 6 political parties which exist in Cuba have each 25 members. There are only 5 women members on thes committees: one in the Cuban Revolutionary Party, and 4 in the People’s Socialist Party, In order to understand better the significance of what we have just said about the exclusion of women from public life, in spite of 357 === [PDF page 379] === the victories won in the country’s legislation, it must be noted that the population of Cuba is 4,778,583; 2,498,810 men and 2,279,773 women, that is 52.3% and 47.07% respectively. To estimate the importance of the female population in Cuba in the electorate, it suffices to point out that women represent 46% ~ of the 2,506,758 electors of the electoral lists. 2. Civil Rights The Cuban Constitution is fairly progressive in its principles -concerning the family, It can be said that it establishes, in essentials, equal rights between the man and the woman in marriage. Thus, Article 43 in the chapter,on the family and culture” lays down that,,marriage is the leqal foundation of the family and rests in the absolute equality of the two partners". Women are here granted full civic tights, that is to say, the Constitution allows them to be active or passive beneficiaries of the rights laid down in the civil laws, without any limitation, in equality with men. On this question the text of the Constitution reads:,,The married woman enjoys full civic righs without having the need for the permission or authorisation of the husband in the management of her property, in the free. exercise of commerce, industry, profession, employment or art, in the disposal of the product of her work". This Article also established unions between people having the legal capacity to marry as eguivalent to civil marriage, in cases where such unions have been recognised by the tribunals because of their stability and fidelity, and for reasons of equity. This constitutional principle tends also to ensure in a large measure that divorced women and their children receive the living allowances to which they are entitled. The enormous practical value of this precept cannot be denied, but the real benefits which it will bring to women will not be known until the complementary law by which the exercise of this right will be regulated, hass been passed.: But most of these rights only exist in the text of the Constitution; it is impossible to use them in practice, because there is no legislation on the subject. The Civil code in force in Cuba is the Spanish one dating from July 31st, 1889. An author, whose name I cannot remember, called it,,The Code of the Rights of the Bourgeoisie.” The institution of the jury does not exist in Cuba. Women can exercise any function in the juridical bodies, But although there are 358 === [PDF page 380] === many women who work in the Magistrates’ Department and a woman is in-control of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, the opportunities for women in this domain are very limited, since the absolute control of juridical power is in the hands of men, very many of whom consider women unfitted for juridical functions, and, on that account,. prevent women from entering such posts. We do not think many arguments are needed to prove that women ought to participate in juridical questions, particularly in divorce trials. It is not right that divorce judgments — controversies between men and women -— should be dealt with exclusively by men, That is why women demand the right to participate in the final solutions of such cases and in many other similar ones. 3. Work When we consider women from the point of view of work, the discrimination on this question which is characteristic of bourgeois society, appears immediately in a sharper form, because the inferior position of women's work in the national economy, entirely out of proportion to their numbers, capacity and efficiency, can be seen clearly, According to the 1943 Census, out of a total of 600,406 workers there are only 101,622 women, that is, 16%. But the proportion of women is much higher in the lowest paid work, above all in types of work which do not benefit from the social legislation in operation. Domestic service, in which wages are very much helow the minimum fixed by law, in which no maternity benefit for the workers exists, no accident insurance, no paid leave, etc, employs a total of 49,051 persons, of whom 35,945 are women, i. e. 73.3%. In the other branches of production where the work is badly paid, the proportion of women is high, In the tobacco industry, for instance, women are employed in sorting the leaves and extracting the fibres from ‘them, The number of women employed in the latter operation is 15,000 and their average wage does not exceed 2 pesos per day. It is interesting to note that cigarette making, carried out iargely by. women in almost all countries, in Cuba employs not more than a thousand women, thus depriving women of a wage of 5 to 6 pesos a day. The textile and clothing industry, of recent development (today threatened by foreign competition and dumping) opens prospects of work for women. The present number in this industry is 16,272 — a little more than 50% — and their wages are from two to three pesos for 8 hours of work. 359 === [PDF page 381] === Retail trading establishments also employ a large number of women — about 9,000, i, e. 6% of the total number of white-collar workers, In general their wages are below the legal minimum, and almost never above it. The participation of women: in other sections of the. national economy is relatively high. But the real figure of women working in these branches is lower than that of those employed in the previously mentioned branches. Domestic workers, workers in textiles and trade: total 74,367 women, In the 20 other branches of industry: total 15,201 women. These fiqures confirm the opinion we expressed at the beginning of this report on the question of discrimination; a situation still more serious in relation to Negro and peasant women. We must say, even though it is shameful for us, that despite the wide participation of the coloured population — men and women — in the war for our national independence, racial discrimination exists in Cuba. Women descended from our glorious heroes, simply because the pigmentation of their skin is darker, are excluded from activity in social and political life, and have not the same opportunities of employment as others. 500,000 coloured women in our country hope that this great Congress will pass resolutions tending to fight against discrimination wherever it exists as part of the struggle to establish true democracy. The development of the participation of women in the liberal professions does not differ very much from the situation in the previously mentioned activities. This can be seen from the following figures. Total number of persons possessing degrees. 57,227 [Unreadable] Men Se ee SEIS 2 55% More than 80 per cent of the classes in primary education are taught by women. In secondary education and in the universities, the percentage of women professors is normal, There is no administrative function to which women are not admitted under the same conditions as men. According to the 1943 Census, out of a total of 50,000 workers in the Civil Service, there are 23,195 women, i. e, 46.4%, Women can be, and are, permitted diplomatic careers. In this aspect of professional employment women have sometimes obtained posts in the foreign diplomatic service. The legal position of women in production can be summed up as follows: the right to equal pay for equal work is recognised by the Constitution and the law, and regulated by the decree number 360 === [PDF page 382] === 1024 which lays down equality of work for men and women, even as regards wages. This decree prohibits the employment of women in dangerous or unhealthy work, and establishes the obligation of factories and other enterprises to provide certain facilities which help them in the accomplishment of their work. Marriage does not constitute a barrier to employment or to the exercising of functions arising from it from the legal point of view. But these stipulations of the law do not operate in daily life . wherever there are no trade union organisations, or when these organisations are weak in the face of the employers‘ resistance. The working mother benefits from the law on Materniiy Assistance for Working Women, passed in April 1943. The Decree authorising its application dates from 1947. The Maternity Assistance for Working Mothers constitutes a concrete success, It is one of the rare regulations of this kind which are scrupulously observed. However, we consider that it is incomplete, which is why we have presented an amendment to the Chainber of Representatives to extend its scope and efficiency. Article 68 paragraph 4 of the Constitution of the Republic lays down that mothers during the period of breast-feeding shall be granted two extra half-hour rest periods per day to suckle their children, Already in 1934, Decree 781, Article 6, ordered the creation of breast-feeding rooms in factories employing a fixed number of women. In spite of all this, none of these measures are observed in practice, because of the lack of complementary legislation. A Bill has been introduced in the Chamber of Representatives, where it is being studied, on the creation of,,breast-feeding and play rooms” so that this just and humane measure in favour of mothers and children shall be applied in our country. In the Cuban Republic forced labour does not exist for either men or women. 4, Married Women's Rights. As we have said on many occasions, our Constitution recognises the rights of married women with ample justice, but they are largely not applied because the old Civil Code is still in force. This Code, which we condemn, is unilateral, as the regulation governing relations between the partners (among other regulations) proves:,,The husband must protect the wife, and she must obey her husband". As we can see, the husband's protection of the wife is here laid down without specifying what this means. According to this, it seems that the price of this protection is the wife's unconditional obedience. One could not find a better way of belittling human personality! It 361 === [PDF page 383] === adds,,The wife is obliged to follow her husband wherever he decides to live”, This implies the total subordination of the wife to the husband's will, without considering in any way the constitutional rights already indicated, Still according to the Code, the husband is the administrator of the property of the marriage, unless the contrary has been stipulated, This legal ruling has enormous importance, and must be modified according to the text of the Constitution. This ruling is at the bottom of most of the injustices committed against women in divorce. According to the law in force, divorce entails the separation of property bought during the period of conjugal association; but as the husband is the administrator of this property, he finds numerous skilful ways of seizing it at the time when the marriage breaks up. The Code also lays down that the husband is the representative of his wife, and that the latter can neither give legal evidence or leave the national territory without the authorization of her husband. She cannot acquire property, either by buying it or earning it, without the above authorisation, or part with her property or undertake obligations except in cases provided for by law. In the exercise of parental power, the wife is in an inferior position, because, in all cases, the husband's priority is laid down by law. In case of death or incapacity of the parents, this priority passes to male descendants on the paternal side, or if these do not exist, to male descendants, The Civil Code also limits the capacity of married women in trade and trading transactions which they cannot carry on without their husband’s authorisation. The obligation of caring for, feeding, correcting and representing the child falls on the father, according to the Code. In the absence of a father, it falls on the mother. The father exercises parental power over legitimate children who are under age, and they owe him obedience and respect. In the absence of a father, parental power is exercised by the mother. As regards children born out of wedlock, the text of the Constitution says:,,Children born out of wedlock to persons who, at the time of conception, have the capacity to marry, have the same rights and duties as are indicated in the preceding paragraph, except in questions concerning the stipulations of the law on inheritance’. This,preceding paragraph” alluded to, lays down the obligation of the parents to feed, care for, help and instruct their children and the obligation of the children is to respect and obey their parents. . The marriage system in force, recognised by law, is civil martriage, celebrated before the approved judge or public registrar. The 362 === [PDF page 384] === right to divorce has been in existence since 1917. It can be practised very easily. The wife, according to the law, can marry without consideration of race, nationality, political or religious ideas. But in social practice, prejudice makes marriage of people belonging to different races difficult. Unions between white men and coloured women —. without being married — are frequent, but the opposite — unions between white women and coloured men — are not. The Constitution states that neither marriage or divorce modifies the nationality of the contracting parties, nor does it affect that of the children. 5. Education. Article 48 of the Constitution lays down that education is compulsory for children of school age, and establishes state obligation for its provision. Education is given under the same conditions-to men and women, The plan of studies is the same, and the duration of the studies. The degrees are also the same. In primary education, instruction is given in separate establishments, In the secondary schools, training colleges, schools of art and technical schools, etc., the sexes are taught together, In private education, very wide-spread in Cuba, because of the neglect of the schools by the State, above all in recent times, there are numerous mixed schools for primary and secondary education. In general the secular private schools are mixed while the religious private schools separate the sexes and practise racial discrimination. It is interesting to note that according to statistics, more women than men possess primary education. In closing this brief report of the civil and political rights of Cuban women, on their importance in political and economic life, and their opportunities in education and culture, I wish to express my enthusiasm in participating in this Congress, which today in Hungary gathers together women from all parts of the world, animated by the same desire to serve the cause of peace and progress, the principle aims of the Women's International Democratic Federation, BRAZIL {Report of the Women’s Institute of Constructive Services). _ The principle of equality between men and women is written down in our Constitution of Brazil of 1946 and controlled by laws, but in practice it is not applied. The Women still suffer restrictions 363 === [PDF page 385] === in their legal capacity which are true limitations of their liberty and | prevent the Brazilian community from being the expression of the | work of al] the beings that compose it. Several things are responsible for this situation. First, the political and economic structure of Brazil with its weak industrial development, the predominance of agricultural life in its most primitive forms, the existence of prejudices, conceptions, and obsolete feudal principles, illiteracy of which the dreadful total is 70% and is almost | 100% among the peasants, and the economic subordination of women to men. Many Brazilian women, even in the large cities, still feel the influence of centuries of obscurantism. The woman is in an inferior situation in relation to man on whom she depends, whether he is the father, the husband, a friend or relative. The mentality of many Brazilian men and above all interest they have in keeping the rights that up to now have been assured them as intangible privileges, coniributes, also, to the keeping up of this state of things. For one thing, it is they who make the laws. For another, ‘they try, in every way, to prevent the true emancipation of women, either by creating difficulties for her in getting into one job or another, or by imposing restrictions on the rights of the married women, etc. Thus they make a true discrimination between men and women by using a basis of false and demorelizing prejudices that the woman is not as capable as a man and that, therefore, the woman can only occupy the subordinate posts, her fate being to take care solely of the home and children, even if she has none. All that is confirmed in practice, in every-day life and by the laws themselves, even though they establish the general principle of equality of all citizens. Political Rights. Men and women have equal political rights, But if for the man the right to vote is also duty, for the woman who has no lucrative profession, it is only an option that she can use or not and that, in general, she does not, for most of the women are illiterate and illiterates do not have the right to vote. The woman can, in principle, be elected to all the posts of direction of administration of the country, but, in reality, until recently the results were negative, for women continue to believe that,,politics were made for men”. We find the proof in the low number of women representatives in the Chambers and Ministry. In Rio de Janeiro, not one woman is a member of the Federal Chamber and there are only two councillors in the Municipal Chamber of the Federal District. Only in the States where the prefects are freely 564 === [PDF page 386] === elected, without intervention — at least apparent — of the Government, can women fill this function. It never happens in the Federal District where the prefect is named by the governor. All that proves — though it seems a paradox — that the Brazilian woman must still fight for her political freedom, against all the shackles which prevent her from exercising it. Civil Rights. It is in the field of civil rights that the restrictions on the capacity of women are most strongly imposed. In principle, unmarried women are granted the same capacity as men to exercise their rights and to participate in all branches of activity. But if she marries, she loses, for inexplicable reasons, this capacity, and in the eyes of the law is in the same condition as a savage who has always lived far from civilization. The Brazilian Constitution guarantees woman sexual liberty. But her marriage can be annulled by the request of the husband if she marries him without being a virgin. Her husband has ihe right to demand an examination,,in loco” without any moral or sentimental consideration. The consent of the mother for the marriage of a minor son is demanded. But this consent is only valid if it coincides with the will of the father. It is always the will of the father that counts, One of the first conditions for the emancipation of the Brazilian women is their economic independence. Now, if an unmarried woman has the uncontestable right to work, the married woman can not occupy any position without the permission of her husband, even if she has no children. If the woman has chosen for a husband, a man with a difficult or a mean character, unable to oppose his refusal on the strength of any judiciary action, she must obey him. The paternal power is only exercised by the father. The mother can only exercise it when she is a widow. But if she remarries, this tight is scandalously taken away from her. She must ask the judge to name her tutor of her own children, who can also be given to the care of a guardian, to a third party, stranger to the family and be separated from their mother, The Brazilian woman can not accept a heritage or legacy without previous advice from her husband. For him, his will alone is sufficient, It is on the subject of the sanctions provided by the law concerning sons or daughters of bad morai conduct, that one ‘can clearly note the practice of principles that can be qualified as ignoble. 365 === [PDF page 387] === The father or some ascendant can disinherit, that is, deprive of all economic resources, the daughter, minor or major, living in the paternal home, who is not honest according to the opinion or prejudice of the father or of another ascendant. These sanctions are never applied to the son, In the case of a woman abandoning her conjugal home, the husband can deprive her of a part of her income that the law authorizes him to use for his own benefit or the benefit of the children if there are any. Divorce does not exist. Separation or dissolution of conjugal association exist without the marital bonds being broken, You can see by what we have just said, that the married Brazilian woman has not many rights, in questions concerning the family as well as in the social and political field, for all her activities depend on the approval of her husband. Work, The need to live feed, oneself, has forced the Brazilian women in spite of their old prejudices, to go out of their homes and to look for work in the factories, commerce, liberal professions, administration, arts, etc. But the present situation of Brazil is the same as it was fifty years ago. They permit women in jobs of the smallest importance, in the subordinate jobs. But as soon as they want to have access to higher functions, to directors’ jobs, they find themselves before almost insurmountable barriers. Since 1947, women can enter into diplomatic careers, but it is very difficult. In certain branches of the administration and in a few governmental or private institutions, such as the collection of assessments, social or work inspection, the Bank of Brazil and others, women are only admitted as typists, secretaries, etc. The just principle in the motto,,for equal work equal pay”, is not always respected, even though it is written down in the Brazilian Constitution. The work of a minor is lower-paid than the work of an adult, and most of the women who work in factories and in commerce are minors, Thus women receive a wage that is inferior to that of men for the same work. The law for the protection of the pregnant working women is also easily ignored, for, very often, the employers use cunning and inhuman means to create intolerable working conditions which force the women to quit their jobs. In this way they exempt themselves from conditions imposed by law in favor of the pregnant women. The aid given by the state institutions is not of a nature to satisfy the real necessities of the working mothers. The slowness with 366 === [PDF page 388] === which these institutions function when it is a question of giving help, prevent them from reaching the goal for which they were created. The lack of nurseries attached to the places of work prevents the application of the law coricerning the rest-time that they must give to mothers to nurse their children. These nurseries, when they exist, are far away and the mothers do not always have the time io feed their children. Childhood. A radical change has taken place in Brazil on the question of the legal situation of childhood and the principles of pedagogy. The scandalous discrimination between the,,legitimate” and,,illegitimate” children has been abolished. They all have the same rights, whether they were born in marriage or free union. Recently our ligislation took a step forward, forced by the reality of the facts that are always imposing themselves, even against the principle of morals created by men, As divorce does not exist in Brazil, but only separation of goods and persons, all children born of separated parents were considered illegitimate. Today, they are no longer considered as such, even sons, conceived or born during marriage of an adulterous union, can be recognised as legitimate by the adulterous spouse after the separation, Howewer the other children of adulterous or incestuous unions still remain deprived of all rights, as if they were responsible for the adultery or incest. Theoretically children are the object of great interest on the part of the governmental institutions, but in practice, things are very different, There are not enough public or free schools, above all in ihe countryside, It is thus that most of the children are condemned to illiteracy and ignorance,. The necessity of living, forces children to carry out hard work, or leads them towards crime and degradation. Let us add to that the lack of governmental establishments for the teeducation of maladjusted or delinquent children; famine, tuberculosis and malaria which, more and more, ravage the children. They _ live in an atmosphere of despair, victims of misunderstanding and the greed of men. Conclusions, It is against these facts and these laws that the Brazilian women are fighting, those who work, who sacrifice themselves, who have no tights and who do not want their children to suffer the same lot. They understand that this fight will only have success in atmosphere of peace and co-operation, and that the conquest of equ- 367 === [PDF page 389] === ality of rights and the participation of women in the social life will also benefit the whole. That is why the Brazilian women want to participate in this Congress of Budapest where they will be able to make their voices heard for the defence of their rights and those of their children; where they are able to show, united to all the women's forces of the world, their opposition to the war propaganda and enslavement of peoples.,,Win the peace to assure our rights; fight for our rights and assure peace”: that is our motto. “We are with all the women without distinction of race, political ideas or religious beliefs, who are fighting for these same objectives. We send all our comrades, and above all those who are more oppressed than we, our cry of hope: We shall win peace”. BRAZIL. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY, IMPERIALIST PENETRATION AND THE SITUATION CF THE BRAZILIAN. WO- MAN By Anna de Andrate Sant’ Anna, degelate of the Women’s Federation of the State of Sao Paulo. The situation of the woman is in direct connection with the general situation of the country to which she belongs. Sao Paulo, second city of the country, has 1,600,000 inhabitants. It is the largest industrial center of South America. In spite of this flattering classification, if you consider that South America is made up of semi-colonial countries whose industrial production is very weak, it can be noted that the city of Sao Paulo is still, in this respect, in its first stage of childhood. Moreover, in an essentially agricultural country, where there are feudal remains, where one crop farming is practised because of the will of foreign capitalists, all attempts at progress are stifled, not only those concerning industrial development, but also those that have connection with the development of agricultural production: the growing of cotton, rubber, and wheat, silk-culture, and breeding. Each of these industries has its painful history, on account of the efforts that they cost in money, time and work, lost through the cold dominating determination of foreign colonizing capitalism. The gum tree and the extraction of rubber interested the Yankees during the war. Afterwards they. no longer paid any attention to it. For the Brazilians that meant the suppression of an 368 === [PDF page 390] === economic possibility and poverty for 20,000 workers which formed the ‘»army of rubber’. The production of cotton, also controlled by the Yankees, which: increased during the war, has considerably decreased and that in a country where people are half nude, Silk-culture, which constituted an ‘important step forward, was reduced to nothing after the war by the,dumping” of Japanese silk, controlled by the United States, the eccupying power in Japan, As for wheat, in the State of Sao Paulo, for example, all the conditions for its cultivation exist. But Brazil must buy flour for its bread from the international trust,,.Bung Born”, spending, for the purchase of 826,000 tons its annual consumption, 125 million dollars. ‘The first. attempt at sowing on a reasonable scale failed in a large part, discouraging the farmers, The seeds had not sprouted; they had been carefully,,expurgated" by the machinery of the,,Bung Born" trust, Cattle-breeding has always been prevented by the manoeuvers of the Yankee refrigerator manufacturers. That is why coffee contimues to be the base of Brazilian economic life; Sao Paulo is the largest producer of coffee in Brazil. But the price of coffee is imposed and its export controlled by the United States which is almost the only buyer, \ if agricultural development is thus shackled, one can imagine what is happening in ‘the industrial field. Our machines are old and ‘worn out and We cannot manufacture others, Fuel, which is difficult ‘to obtain and very expensive, is imported, even though unexploited beds of coal and oil exist in Brazil. On the subject of coal, they objected, saying that its heat producing value was very low. As for oil, for many long years they asserted that there was none in Brazil. It was the watch-work of the trusts. During the war, when the imports of the United States from the east were threatened, oil gushed forth from Brazil by a stroke of the magic wand. At present, the production is weak, but the possibilities of exploitation must be excellent, otherwise it would not be, possible to explain the greediness of the international trusts for Brazilian oil. They are encocuraged by the men in the Government, but they are faced with the resistance of the popular masses and of the whole nation. It is necessary to add to all that, the invasion of all sorts of products of American origin into the country, which is making treache- Tous competition for the Brazilian producers, and which is pushing ‘hack our weak industrial development, reducing Brazil to a simple supplier of raw uaterials and cheap labor power. === [PDF page 391] === Women and Childhood. The Brazilian Constitution gives the women many rights. But in reality, the only one which is assured them is the right to poverty and sufferings. The babies which escape’ the terrible infant mortality, cannot be nourished in a reasonable manner. The low wages of their husbands. do not permit the women to give their children milk, meat and fruit which they need. They grow up thin, easy victims of infectious diseases and above all, tuberculosis. During the last war, when they were recruiting for the Expeditionary Corps sent to Europe, nearly 60% of the young people called up were unfit for military service. The Brazilian women have neither maternity homes, nor medical * assistance, nor nurseries for their children, nor hospitals, or anything. Empiric cures and treatments replace, because of the smallness of their price, the too expensive medical care and pharmaceutical products, Illiteracy reaches 70% in our country. It is possible that the Brazilian Government is trying, on the end of a tow-line of the United States, to drag this poverty stricken people into a new war of aggression and suicide but we have confidence in the Brazilian women preventing this crime from being consumated. Thin, sick, backward, ignorant, their hearts are nevertheless full of the formidable energy that love gives them. For the defence of their sons, their husbands, and their country, the Brazilian women are organizing an indestructable force, capable of contributing to defeating the plans of the imperialists and those who uphold them. 370 === [PDF page 392] === RESOLUTION ON THE DEFENCE OF THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF WOMEN {adopted unanimously) Three years ago the First Women’s International Congress expressed the unanimous will of democratic women from all countries to struggle for full political, legal and economic rights for women. A concrete program elaborated on the basis of the claims represented by the national women’s organizations affiliated to the W.LD.F, concerning the economic, political and civic rights of women, was approved, Since the first Congress, radical changes in women's status have taken place in many countries. Folloving the example of the U.S.S.R., where women have been enjoying equal rights for the past 31 years, where they participate in all spheres of political, economic and cultural life, equal rights for women have been proclaimed in the new democracies: Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Roumania and Yugoslavia as well as in the Popular Republic of Mongolia, in those areas of China which have been liberated by the People’s Army and in North Korea. The democratic governments of these countries established the indispensable conditions for putting these aims into practice. : On the other hand, the Second International Women’s Congress states that women in many countries are still deprived of political tights, For instance the women of Switzerland, of Spain and of many other countries do not enjoy the right to vote. The fascist Franco government which condemns the woman to spending her life in the kitchen and in the church, rules with savage terror against freedom loving women, 20,000 of whom are in jail. The government of Tsaldaris in Greece is brutally persecuting and oppressing women who seek freedom and democracy. 371 === [PDF page 393] === In a number of countries women's political rights are limited. In Mexico, Peru and Chile women vote but can only be elected to municipal councils; in Portugal women’s right to vote is limited by property and educational qualifications. In Guatemala only literate ‘women have the right to vote, whereas 70% of them are illiterate. In some countries their political situation is far from being the same as men’s. Women have political rights on paper but not in practice, For example, in the U.S.A. among 53! members of the Congress only 7 are women. In Great Britain there are only 24 women out of 600 M.P.’s. In the Turkish Hedjlis there are only 7 women deputies out‘of a total number of 456. In Cuba, there are only two women out of 136 deputies. The Second International Congress declares that the lack of economic equality for women is a crying injustice. In the U.S.A, 38 States out of 48 do not recognize the principle of equal pay for equal work, while in Great Britain where women receive 50—55% of men's wages this principle is not respected either. The same applies to Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Urugay and. other countries. In addition to the fact that women are condemned to lower wages for equal work, their conditions of life are still worse because they do not receive the same insurance benefits as men, In case of disease or unemployment there is no or little assistance to working mothers. The experience gained by the participation of women in the various branches of industry in the years of the second world war has shown once more the falsehood of the theories that under-estimate women's work. After the end of the war the proportion of women workers was high and in many countries women constitute, at present, more than one third of all workers. In some branches of industry women workers represent even 70 or 80% of the total manpower. A great number of working women live upon their wages and many of them are sole supporters of their families. The Congress points out that women’s rights do not exist ‘in countries where democracy does not exist. Wherever democracy is being attacked, women's rights are attacked. In many countries reductions of the living standard of the working class — especially women — have recently been increased. The rise of unemployment in the U.S.A., France and Italy, the rise of prices of food and clothing, a considerable decrease of the real value of wages, are constantly deteriorating the living conditions of women. Their situation is particularly hard in the,,Marshall Plan” countries where the development of the national economy is hindered, resulting in increased suffering by the nation. 372 === [PDF page 394] === In Most countries the inequality of political and economic rights for women prevails also in civil and family relations which makes the woman an inferior human being. According to the civil laws in many countries Women may enter a job only with the consent of their husbands, a married woman has no right to spend her salary at her own will, nor to dispose of her own property, and the mother has no right over the children; the father alone is entitled to make decisions concerning them. The delegates to the Second Congress condemn the disrimination and oppression of Negro women especially in the United States and Cuba. The majority of Negro working women are occupied in domestic service and in agriculture. These occupations are not only the lowest paid but are not even covered by unemployment insurance. | In housing, hospitalisation, education, in the professions, in all fields of American life, Negro women are considered second class citizens. Many Negro women are unjustly locked up and some of them have been lynched, Therefore, until all Negro women gain political, economic and social justice in North and South America no woman anywhere can consider herself really free. The Cengress calls the attention of all the national organizations of women and of aul the women of the world to the incredibly hard situation of the wo1en in colonial and dependent countries. In vil- . lages they are deprive; of the right to own land. In cities they work under unnealthy conditious, They are miserably paid and what is more their job is not guaranteed. Tens of millions of women in India, Malaya, Afganistan live ur ser the permanent threat of dying from starvation. In Egypt, Burma, Iran, Irak, Afganistan, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia and other countries women are deprived of their political and civil rights, In these countries prostitution flourishes and in some of them the traffic of women and children is current. The Congress states that the solemn proclamation of equal rights for men and women in the U.N.O. Charter is the result of the victory won by the democratic peoples and it reflects the acknowledgement of the important part played by women in the life of their countries as well as their tremendous contribution to the victory. The Second Congress calls upon the national sections of the Women’s International Democratic. Federation to stregthen, by all possible means, the fight for the granting of economic, political and civil rights in those countries where women do not yet enjoy them or enjoy them only partially, to struggle for the realisation of the concrete program of equality for women as formulated by the First International Congress of Women, 37 === [PDF page 395] === The Congress appeals to the United Nations to take immediate steps for the realisation of the principle of women’s equality as provided for by the UNO Charter, including the principle of equal pay tor equal work. The Congress highly appreciates the activities of the World Fedeiation of Trade Unions which defends women's equal rights. The Vongress calls upon the women’s organisations of all countries to actively cooperate with the trade unions in their respective countries which fight for women's equality and for the betterment of the economic position of working women. The Congress salutes the heroic men and women workers of France, Italy and Finland who are courageously fighting for their economic rights and urges the national women's organisations to strengthen their struggle for wage increases, for reduction of prices, especially of food and clothing, for the decrease of military taxes and the increase of public credits with a view to improving the material situation of the working class. The Congress appeals to the Commission on Human Rights of UNO and requests discussion on the difficult and unjust conditions of the women in colonial and dependent countries. The Congress calls upon all the organizations to bend every effort to help the women of colonial and dependent countries in their struggle for the improvement of their position, for their political and economic rights along with the demand to stop traffic in women and children. The Congress appeals to all the progressive people in the world, writers, artists, scientists, etc. to expose the reactionary,,theories” which under-estimate women’s role in the community and tend to confine the women’s lives to their homes. Emphasizing the fact that only in the countries of real democracy actual equality for women in all fields of life can be provided, the Congress appeals to all progressive women of the world to fight more persistently than ever against reaction for freedom and democracy, This RESOLUTION was prepared by a Commission elected by the Congress composed of Mesdames: EMILIENNE BRUNFAUT BELGIUM BARBARA TEISEN DENMARK OLIMPYADA KOSLOVA USSR HELEN PHILLIPS UNITED STATES TAMARA RUST GREAT BRITAIN 374 === [PDF page 396] === MAGDA JOBORU HUNGARY HELENE LEGRAD AUSTRIA MICAELE MANASSE RUMANIA GITA BANERTEA INDIA ERNA HORNGACHER SWITZERLAND MARIE COUETTE FRANCE INA MOLLER SWEDEN TERESA NOCE ITALY AAZAM SORUCH IRAN ESPERANZA SANCHEZ MASTRAPA CUBA Madame MILADA NETUCHILOVA CZECHOSLOVAKIA Sub, member of the Council on the W.E.T.U. Czechoslovakia has already spoken twice, We would like to say a few words which we believe to be very important. We Czechoslovaks understand the meaning of the word,,unity"; That is why we are anxious to keep contact with the World Federation of Trade Unions. That is why we cannot be in agreement with the plan to split it. We ask the women in the W.F.T.U. to fight to defeat the plan of the members from the British trade unions, because it constitutes a threat to the unity of the peoples. We will do everything to consolidate the World Federation of Trade Unions and to preserve the peace front. === [PDF page 397] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 398] === CHAPTER IV THE CONDITION OF CHILDREN AND THE DEFENCE OF THEIR RIGHTS === [PDF page 399] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 400] === Madame KORMANOVA (POLAND) presents the report on THE CONDITION OF CHILDREN AND THE DEFENCE OF THEIR RIGHTS The general report on the prcblems of childhood and education read before the Constituent Congress of the Federation of Demociatic Women gave a striking picture of the immeasurable suffering endured by children during the war which has just ended. The children came out of the war damage, physically impaired and depressed by five years of torture, by: awful privations, -illness and famine, They came out of the war morally affected and, to a large extent, illiterate, the Hitlerites having satisfied their hatred of culture by upsetting everything, shutting down schools, giving a fascist content to those which they left open, and reducing teaching staffs. These children had to be saved. They had to be restored physically and morally, nourished, helped, and given a democratic education, The programe of immediate aims, which the Constituent Congress outlined, answered to the deep desires of the women and the mothers to see the normal development of their children insured in all its aspects after so much suffering. It was aimed at solving the different problems which the situation of the children raised in various countries., What has been realised for the children in the different countries of the world during the three postwar years? In few fields can the progress or retrogression of governments be measured so exactly as in that concerning children. 379 === [PDF page 401] === The reports of the National Commissions of the International Commission cn Childhood show in what countries a real effort has been made concerning all the problems of children, and in what others there has been noted a lack of interest on the part of governments in the fate of children; they show the countries where mothers see the future of their children guaranteed by a regime which watches over the child's birth, its health and its education, and offers — once the. school age is past — every possibility of choosing a trade, of having access, to the highest degree, to technical training and facilities; they show the countries where these possibilities remain the privilege of a minority and every kind of economic barrier is put in the way of the cultural development of youth and where the life of the child is still blighted by misery and exploitation, It has appeared logical in this report to begin with the countries which have achieved most for children. US.S.R. The war interrupted the huge scope of Soviet culture, bul in a country with a really democratic regime, where the people are the masters of their fate, everything is being done rapidly to heal the wounds and tragic consequences of war, however deep they have been, fhe children are the future of the nation, It is on their health, culture and morale that the character of uational lite will tomorrow depend,. In this country, the children are surrounded with every care and attention by the State and by organisations. Let us recall that 82,000 elementary and secondary schools had been destroyed, as well as 1,520 technical schools, 334 higher education establishments, 605 research institutes, 427 muscums, and 43,000 public libraries. Thanks to the satisfactory fulfilment of the postwar five-year plan in the devastated regions, hundreds of thousands of houses jaave been rebuilt, almost all the schools and the establishments for children, as well as the medical centres. Hundreds of orphanages have been established in which 700,000 orphans live; 200,000 others have been adopted in the Federated Republics of Russia alone. The abolition of rationing and the monetary reform have -considerably increased real wages and the standard of living of the Soviet citizen; the children are much better nourished as is shown by the increase in consumption. 380 === [PDF page 402] === The number of establishments for the protection of mothers and ‘children wil! be increased during the period of the five-year plan. In 1948, there are 800,000 piaces available in permanent créches and more than 3 million in seasonal ones. In 1950, there will be 1.251,000 places available in permanent creches and more than 3 million in seasonal ones. The number of beds in maternity hospitals has increased from 117,850 to 209,878. Teaching has again taken an ascending curve. The budget for public education is increasing every year. In 1946, the budget fer this amounted to more than 40 billion roubles. In 1948, it amounts to 591 billions. 25% of the national budget is given over to cultural and social expenditure.. In the 197,000 schools of the Soviet Union, 33 million children are studying. This is already higher than the figure planned for 1950. The wide network of schools, education in their mother tongue for all of the peoples of the Union, the unified system of teaching. the organisations for orphans, and the taking over by the State of all expenses, makes education accessible to all at every stage. The Soviet school is the democratic school,pat excellence". »Free education", written into the Constitution, really gives to everyone the opportunity of education and of pursuing studies still further. Trade training is the entire responsibility of the State! The pupils, fed, clothed, and housed, receive for their practical work a sum proportionate to the value of the work done. In higher education, 90% of the students receive scholarships, the value of which covers all the student's expenses. Each higher teaching establishment has its restaurant, a group of buildings and its own library. And, for each Soviet citizen, medical care and pharmaceutical products are entirely free, as well as accommodation in rest centres. As soon as he has finished his studies, a position is available for the student. There are 1 million students in higher education, which is more than in all the countries of Europe taken together. Scientific education and the education of children in a democratic and humanist spirit makes the Soviet school really progres- ‘sive, A great diversity of extra-scholastic institutions link the school to life and allow organization of the children’s leisure, thus completing and enriching their education. 381 === [PDF page 403] === In the U.S.S.R., the problem of children does not arise as such. The achievement of the postwar five-year plan offers still more happy and joyous perspectives to Soviet children. The People’s Democracies To judge the formidable efforts which these countries have made since their liberation, and to understand fully the scope of the work already accomplished during these three years, it-is necessary to consider what the situation was there at the beginning. These were countries where, with the exception of Czechoslovakia, industrial and agricultural development had been held back by a dependent economy and by social systems with feudal characteristcs. The population as a whole had been maintained in a very backward state from the point of view of health and cultural life. Furthermore, these countries had been particularly devastated by the war, and the children had suffered the most terrible trials as a result. In the report of the Polish delegation to the First Congress, it was declared; The mass deportations for compulsory work in Germany, the conditions of life which were difficult to support, and the death camps of Auschwitz, Maidanek and Tremblinka decreased the number of school children to a terrifying extent. Before the war, there were 5 million; now there are only three and a half millions. The weight of new-born children has decreased by 30%. Lack of milk results in rickets and other infant diseases. In certain regions, infant mortality reaches 40 or 50 percent. The physical development of children is retarded by three of four years, Tuberculosis, which in 1939 reached 2% was 25% and even 35% in 1945. More than a million children must be fed, clothed and shod. The war has left 400,000 orphans and almost a million children who have lost one parent.” The liberation of these countries by the Soviet Army and the experience gained by the democratic forces in the struggle against Hitlerism has permitted the coming to power of people’s governments, From the very first moment, they undertook the task of saving the unhappy children and providing them with the conditions necessary for their physical, cultural and moral development, — Measures for fhe protection of pregnant women and for the mother and child, 382 === [PDF page 404] === — Pre-natal and post-natal paid holidays, — Economic and health assistance to mothers. At the same time, an intense medical preventive campaign is being developed, especially in country districts. Maternity homes, dispensaries and consultations are being increased. The general shortage of sufficiently trained personnel is being faced up to by encouraging everywhere the intensive training of midwives, nurses end social service assistants, The number of beds for expectant mothers in hospitals and maternity centres is constantly growing. Following are some figures: Beds in 1939 Beds in 1948 Beds in 1945 Beds in 1948 In Hungary, maternity centres have increased from 447 in 1945 to 808 in 1948, In Rumania, 500 rural maternity centres have been established. In Bulgaria, there were 19 maternity homes in 1944, while in 1947, there were 1,016. This action is being completed and continued by the establishment of créches, kindergartens and nursery schools. In Czechoslovakia, the number of créches has increased from 172 in 1946 to 306 in 1948, and the establishment of 600 others for 18,000 children is planned for the next five years. The number of nursery schools which in 1945 was 1,305 has reached in 1948, 4,157, In Bulgaria, the number of kindergartens has increased by more than three times since 1944, There are 32,246 children in the permanent kindergartens and 100,000 in the seasonal ones. In Albania, 137 kindergartens for 9,695 children have been opened, as well as 7 orphanages. In Yugoslavia, 190 homes for orphans and 222 day nurseries have been founded. In Poland, 4,300 pre-school establishments, of which 400 are attached to factories, care for 250,000 children through 7,149 women ‘teachers, In Rumania, there are 242 créches and 1,940 kindergartens. Everywhere in the people’s Democracies, the same wide movement for the protection of the mother and the child is to be noted and same magnificent list of pre-school institutions. 383 === [PDF page 405] === Everywhere, this action hds contributed strongly to an immediate result; a decrease in mortality, which, for instance, in Czechoslovakia, fell from 126 per thousand in 1946 to 88 per thousand in 1947. In these truly democratic countries which have already carried out the nationalisation of the’ big industries and agrarian reform, the teform of ‘education has already been put into operation. It establiches a unified system of teaching on:a democratic basis. The effective character of the free and compulsory school is assured. Access to all stages of teaching is also guaranteed, and from then on, widely facilitated by constantly increasing scholarships. Already in secondary schools, it can be noted that 50% to 60% of the pupils are children of workers and peasants. Following are figures showing advances made in all of these countries;. In Bulgaria, the number of colleges has increased from 134 to 245, The number of students in secondary schools has increased from 113,000 to 156,000. University students have increased from 13,450 to 45,000. In Rumania, the number of pupils in primary schools in 1943 was 1,176,404, In 1947—48, they had increased to 2,079,357. There are 12,000 schools in which it is compulsory to spend 4 years, and 3,200 in which there are 5, 6 and 7 year classes. In three years, there will be enough schools to permit all the children in the country to take classes until the age of 14. In Hungary, by i944, there were 1,082 schools having an 8-year course already established. In 1947—48, there were 4,847 such schools, Thus, thanks to the action of really democrati governments, anxious, as such, to give the children all necessary conditions for development, the progress realised in the course of three or four years already exceeds in certain respects — pre-school protection and education, trade training, accessibility to all stages of education -~ what has been done during a hundred years in any capitalist country,. And in these achievements, what an enthusiastic participation of women there has been in the great work of protecting and reforming the children!. ’ In Albania, as in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, they are always at work, giving hours of voluntary labour for the reconstruction of schools for the organization and maintenance of créches and day nurseries, facilitating the training of technical personnel by orgtnization of preparatory courses, health inspection, the creation ‘of maternity homes in ‘the 384 === [PDF page 406] === Mme MADDALENA. ROSSI-(italy) President of the Unione Donne Italiane === [PDF page 407] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 408] === ‘country, making sure that the teaching system is,,purged”, and surrounding with all their love the: orphans and sick children’s ‘homes. It is because of the ardent work of the women that these results have been obtained. The problem of childhood obviously does not arise in the same ‘way in all countries, such as in France and in England, for example, ‘where for dozens of years, compulsory schooling has been law, -although in reality a certain number of semi-illiterate persons still exist. The problem of schooling in country districts exists in France, districts where many children leave school at 10 or 11 years of age to help their parents with their work. However, the problem of primary schooling as such does not exist. There is, however, no unttied system of education accessible to all, Full secondary school education and higher education remain nearly closed to the chilaren of town and country workers and to ‘others because of economic barriers, Parents find it impossible to face up to the expenses of supporting their children during the years ‘when they are studying and the amounts of aid granted are insufficient, as is the number of grants. It is therefore quite comprehensible that the democratic organi- -salions of France began demanding, following the victory,,Secondary ‘Education for All”. In the Charter of the United Forces of French Patriotic Youth, dt was declared in 1944: ‘ uThe United Nations, and among them, France, are fighting to ‘insure the individual the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of ‘happiness, That pre-supposes that the rich must not be the only ‘ones to enjoy the advantages of extended education. A sense of justice is a categorical demand in this matter. The national conscience will henceforth find it intolerable that,.in theory, at 14 years of age but often much earlier, the child of a peasant, simply because ‘there is no secondary establishment in the village, or because his parents need his hands on the farm, leaves, with heavy heart, the school where he was beginning to display prvof of his finest gifts. ‘France can no longer bear the sight of its apprentices in the towns, with great ardent eyes of curiosity fixed on the insurmountable -doors of the secondary schools. It is a question of democratic decency _ and human dignity”. Youth has not received satisfaction. Secondary education continues to be almost inaccessible io yong workers and peasants. In France, the point has even been reached, as a consequence of the ‘Marshall Plan, of restricting the number of teachers in a certain mumber of trade schools, who have made such a contribution to "25 385 === [PDF page 409] === the training of qualified supervisory workers necessary for French industry, In England, the provisions of the 1945 Education Act on this subject have not been fully applied. In England, 5,700,000 women work. It is quite legitimate that women have asked, since the end of the war, that the créches and day nurseries which had been established — even though in insufficient number — should be retained and still further increased, in order to satisfy the needs of working mothers. But the Labour Government has, on the contrary, shut down 609 day nurseries leaving for the entire country only 916. The closing down of day nurseries is going on more quickly than nursery schools are being opened. uThe present attitude of the government is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the Education Act’, declare the women. There are scarcely more than 5 million children in schools in England. About 160,000 children under 5 years of age go to school, of which only about 19,000 are in separate nursery schools and 54,000 in nursery classes organized in elementary schools, In addition, day nurseries and nursery schools which exist are faced with a serious problem of lack of pérsonnel. The reason for — this is low wages paid for such work, ’ Thus, we can conclude that in England, assistance to the working mother thorugh créches and nursery schools is quite inadequate, as is secondary education for young workers and peasants, The organization of pre-school education has not yet begun,,,The desire of the people”, say the English women,,,to see these reforms realised has been expressed, but it will need a strong effort to modify the official policy, which is now trying to slow down the progress promised to the people at a time when it was sacrificing itself in the war effort.” As to. the French women, they are having to face similar problems — lack of créches and day nurseries. Nursery schools which for a long: time were models of their kind are today overcrowded, since. credits for the reconstruction of schools have ben stopped. In the democratic upsurge which followed the liberation, Parliament approved the Social Security Law proposed by Minister E.. Croizat, which gave very important advantages to mothers and families. But after the,,Marshallization" of France, attacks on this law began and the women had to struggle to defend it. The report of the meeting of the National Council of the Union of French Women says that the struggle of the Union of French 386 === [PDF page 410] === Women for a government of unity must be concerned with the interests of the family: ~ Our Tulers have only one idea: to find money to prepare for war by crushing down with taxes those who work, and preserving the fortunes of the capitalists.. There is no money to raise wages or retirement allowances and old-age pensions, to pay allowances to mothers and sick persons, to raise the pensions of our little war orphans and the children of those who were shot. There is no money to build schools, to give a trade to our children in apprentice schools, to re-house families and to reconstruct our country. But there is money, and still more is necessary, for the upkeep of a costly army which is at the disposition of the U.S.A..and for the upkeep of groups of the C.RS. (Republic Security Corps} to strike down workers and housewives, More than 100 million francs per day can be found to have our sons and the sons of the mothers of Viet Nam killed in the scandalous Indo-Chinese war. Shame on our rulers! Money is found to massacre the peoples of Madagascar and Morocco who are demanding their rights.” In Norway and Sweden, the excellent sanitary conditions for children are manifested by the low rate of death, which is the lowest in the world. But the general problem is the same as in England and France: insufficient number of créches, day nurseries and pre-school establishments and very few possibilities for access to secondary schools for all, The attention to education problems diminished’ at the same time that expenditures for war preparations began to increase. The same situation exists in Holland, Finland and Belgium. THE UNITED STATES Let us recall that in the time of President Roosevelt, a proqressive orientation on the part of the State began to show itself with respect to children, That was the period which saw the birth of the movement for children’s services led by very capable and devoted social service workers and the time at which was bor the movement for nursery schools for children of working mothers and programmes of aid for needy children etc. At that time, the political leaders looked at the future of the world, after the victory was won, from a progressive angle. In November, 1942, Mr. Wallace, who was Vice-President of the United States, made a broadcast giving his opinion on the democratic future which would have to be extended in all fields and among these, the field of education. 387 === [PDF page 411] === Things have changed a great deal since then in the United States, where, according to the declarations of Attommey-General Mr, Tom Cark,,,there are at the present time, several million children who do not go to school; more than 2 million go to schools which are- quite inadequate; 3 million adults have never gone to school.” The report sent to us by the Children's Commission of the Congress of American Women declares: The American public is beginning to realise the general lowering of education. In a report on militarisation published in January, 1948 by Professor Einstein, among other things it is said that the educational budget is 0,8% of the total budget, while the war budget together with atomic weapons, is 66,3% of he total. Teaching staff badly paid --- thousands of teaching personnel have been forced to leave their profession — overcrowded classes, programmes so greatly restricted that children do not even receive indispensable elementary education. The warmongers dare to introduce their war propaganda even into the schools without any official opposition.” The American women declare: Everywhere, teachers are compelled to put into the hands of children material showing that fascism and communism are the same, and what is more, that war with the Soviet Union is inevitable. At the same time, Organisations such as the Publicity Federation are authorised to go to the schools and offer prizes for the best compositions on subjects such as,.How Can Publicity Help to Raise the Standard of Living”. Powerful influences outside the schools are being used to deform the youth's mentality.” The American women declare: wAnyone who did not live in this country could have no idea of the scope of the degrading and vulgar influences glorifying crime, to which our children are exposed almost all day long. Unbelievable for almost all the countries in the world, no selections of films suitable for children are actually made here, which means that all the worse Hollywood films where murder and crime are glorified or where making a fortune is presented as a highly civic virtue, are shown in the little cinemas which now exist in the smallest communities.”: A test made by a group of parents of high reputation has shown that not one film which has come out of Hollywood was ever made entirely for children because the film production of this country is entirely subordinated to commercial interests, and each cent 888 === [PDF page 412] === that a child pays at the box office goes to swell the profits of the Wail Street film producers. nit is the same with respect to the radio programmes. With almost very few exceptions, the programmes drawn up for children are financed by industrialists who use them to advertise their products. Educators have nothing to say as far as the composition of these programmes are concerned. In order to retain the attention of the childien and to increase the sale of the products which they publicise, so-called children’s stories are embellished’ with murder, violence, trickery, fear of ghosts, etc... These are programmes to which children are invited to listen day after day. Thus, the radio has become the plague of many American homes. There does exist an important and appreciable book industry for children, but the great majority of them scarcely benefit from it as these books are very expensive. On the other hand, our children deyour these comic papers which can be found in all newstands and which are published in 60 million copies per year. There again the sole determining factor is the question of knowing how much this,,comic" literature brings in: A New York psychiatrist lately declared:,,The objective and the effect of these,,comic” books is the demoralisation of youth. Exciting the sexual instinct in an abnormal way, they glorify violent behaviour and cruelty.” Numerous acts of violence committed by young people in different communities can be attributed to the deplorable influence of these three factors which — it is a well-established fact +- are all three, and in particular, the cinema and the radio, dependent on_,,big business." All the protests of parents have changed nothing.” But that is not all. There are still other innocent victims. These are the Negro children, through the brutal discrimination from which they suffer from their birth. The majority of Negro babies are born without medical aid. Only 1% of hospital beds are available for Negroes although they constitute 10% of the population. Uncertain health, bad housing, enormous inferiority in education, and the misfortune of being kept apart from others which makes them feel that they are different, results, for Negro children, in a mortality rate 10 times higher than their white brothers.” ITALY, The majority of children under 6 years of age only attain %4 of the formal weight; 70% of the babies are pre-disposed to rickets, Out of 2,000,000 children who need assistance, more than half do not receive it, Only 4% of the total number of the 200,000 389 === [PDF page 413] === orphans receive assistance. 94% of crippled children, 12,000 mutilated in the war receive no help. In ITALY, there are 3,000,000 unemployed, which means that millions of children are under-nourished and lack clothes and shoes. The,,Friendship Train” parcels from abroad are distributed by the Vatican or by the Catholic organisations. Thus, even this inadequate aid depends on religious organisations. In ITALY children work even on underground tasks. In the mines of SICILY, children of 12 years are hired. Only 1% of the budget is for public education. In 'the south of ITALY, where 489% are illiterate, the immense influence of the church on the school and the family is one of the obstacles to the organization of children’s education in the democratic and humanist spirit. The whole world knows the extremely painful situation of the children of FRANCO SPAIN and MONARCHO-FASCIST GREECE. After the defeat of the Axis armies the Spanish people could have expected to be delivered from the fascist regime imposed on them by the armies of Hitler and Mussolini and could have expected the rebirth of democratic SPAIN. But, through the will of the American and English imperialists, the protectors of the fascist regime, this hope of the Spanish people was not realised. Terror still reigns in Spain and Spanish children still suffer. We know from the letters of women in prison that there is mass imprisonment of children. Like the adults, these children are tortured by the fascist executioners. Children, reduced to vagabonds by the terrible misery which the Franco regime has spread everywhere, are detained in the same prisons as the adults and, in addition, there exist dozens of special prisons for children. There is one at San Leandro for very young boys and girls and another at Macarens for boys. The 50 tribunals for minors which Franco has set up, send children, forced to beg by hunger, to concentration camps and Houses of Correction”. The painful situation of children in Spain is often the cause of their suicide. Even the Franco press is forced to note that the situation of children is extremely bad. The Fascist regime is destroying the cultural life of the country. More than 2,000,000 children cannot attend school because of their extreme misery; out of 50,000 children of school age in MADRID, only 21,560 go to school, The budget is given over, not to improving the material and cultural level of the worker's life, but to the army 390 === [PDF page 414] === and to an enormous police apparatus. 70% of the budget is spent on military needs for the aggressive plans of Franco. GREECE, which fought so valiantly for 6 years against German fascism, is ruined, pillaged and burned in the fire of civil war let loose by the Greek monarchists and the Anglo-American imperialists. Prisons are not enough; the monarcho-fascists deport children with their parents to deserted islands, Vicons RADOSTRATE, 3rd year pupil in one of the schools of Larisse, deported as a,,political criminal’ to the island of AI STRATIS, writes: We live in tents’and sleep on the earth which is always damp; there are neither blankets nor linen, The water comes in through the roof of the tent. The children. cannot play together. All my books have been taken from me, We have no bread; we eat herbs and nuts, Mother has been in bed for a week; she has tuberculosis, but there is no doctor here...” Assassinations, executions, and the bombardment of towns and villages have left almost 500,000 orphans. Most of them are condemned to die of hunger. The mortality of children between 5 and 7 years reaches 60%, 72% of the children are affected by tuberculosis. Throughout the whole of monarcho-fascist Greek territory, only 30% of the schools are functioning; all the others are closed; school premises are occupied by Anglo-American military establishments. But there still exists another GREECE — DEMOCRATIC ‘GREECE -~- where the people itself, without foreign intervention, freely resolves its problems. Since the first day of its existence the Provisional Free Democ- Tatic Govemmment of Greece, even under the most difficult war conditions, made it its task ‘to ameliorate the situation of the children. There they are housed, more than 10,000 get clothes, shoes, necessary things for learning; free medical care is assured to every child. Thanks to the humanitarian action of the democratic army, 12,000 children have been saved from misery and death. With permission of their parents they have been sent to the new democratic countries,,where they have every normal living condition"..said a memorandum of the Provisional Government of Free Greece which was sent to a meeting of the U.N. in September 1948, The women's organisations of the democratic countries have the greatest solicitude for the children of Greece’s working parents. 391 === [PDF page 415] === The situation of semi-colonisation from which the countries of Latin America suffer does not allow the application of a programme: of defence for children: education, which is demanded by the democratic organisations of these countries, and especially by the women. American imperialism puts its hand on the riches of those countries and prevents their development. In the report about these countries, there are constant complaints about the miserable situation of the children, and particularly about the peasant children who are undernourished, without any health protection and without education. In general, the rate of mortality in the country is higher thar in towns. For instance, in VENEZUELA it is higher by 40%. The parents are forced to give away their sons at the age of 9 years to rich property owners to eatn a living. It is the same situation in Cuba where the situation of the peasant child is bad from every point of view; tropical diseases, epidemics, no health protection, no schools, Interesting trials were made to re-educate the peasant child. A normal school was created for training teachers destined to teach in village schools, and in 1946-47 300,000 peasant children were taught. In CUBA, BRAZIL and CHILE, the brutal offensive of the imperialists against the democratic forces have destroyed everything. The governments, which are exclusively at the service and in the interests of the U.S., — the government of Gran Prio for Cuba, Gonzales and Videala for Chile, Durtra for Brazil — concentrate their efforts, not on the most urgent problems of their countries, but on the persecution of democratic organisations. The Clayton: Plan in Latin America, as the Marshall Plan for Europe, produces. the same unemployment everywhere, the black market and high living costs. It is the child who suffers most. In Chile the situation is terrible. The children of the unemployed are victimized because Videala for instance has put 2000 mine workers in jail. The children are vagabonds, starving and shoeless. The situation of the child is especially miserable in Brazil. In this country of great wealth, children in rags can be seen in the big capitals, starving, without a roof over their heads, sleeping under bridges. In 15 days, 221 children died of tuberculosis in Riode Janeiro. The mortality rate is 42% for children up to 14 years. There: are few schools, 30% of the children find places to learn in school. Neatly 350,000 children do not go to school at all in the capitak or the suburbs. There is a 30% iliteracy in Brazil. 392 === [PDF page 416] === In the Argentine the number of illiterates is 33%. In this rich co-- untry, hundreds of thousands of children never eat meat, fruit or milk, The mortality is high in the interior of the country. In the colonial and dependent countries of Asia and Africa, thesituation of the children has been still more aggravated by the war. Colonial oppression and economic domination by. the English, American and French imperialists of these countries still exist, despite the proclamation of the so-called independence of certain: countries (Idia, Burma, etc.) by the United Nations. Cruel exploitation of the workers, extremely low wages and themost terrible living conditions — hunger, disease and misery make the situation of the children particularly tragic. In these countries the women and children are still terribly exploited, Hunger, misery, disease, and extremely high infant mortality and illiteracy are the fate of these peoples. INDIA, which, with its resources, is one of the richest countries in the world, sees more than a million children die each year of hunger. More» than 3,000,000 die of various diseases. In the workers’ quarters of Bombay, infant mortality is 500 per thousand. The wage of the Indian family cannot by itself assure even: this miserable existence and most of the children are still undernourished, The children are forced to wander throughout the co-- untry in search of work by which they can earn a handful of rice, or else they beg. A small number of maternity homes exist, but cnly for rich women. Often women give birth to their children in the factories or fields, They cannot place their children in créches or in kindergartens since there are no establishments of this kind for children. In spite of the 1938 law’ which forbids the employment of children under 12 years of age in certain branches of industry, children of 6 work in the tobacco, match and cement industries. According to the report of the Government Committee charged with studying conditions. of work in INDIA, and which was published” in 1946, in 72 tea plantations of Lakare alone, more than 23,000° children work (25,7% of the total number of workers). In the Bengal and Assem plantations, 121,000 children are empolyed. Thousand of* children work in different Calcutta enterprises.,We have seen”, says the report,,little girls working in the textile factories of Kocline; in Kashmir, children of 5 years work”. 85% of the population is illiterate. Only in a few provinces is education free and compulsory, but it is not subject to control, and misery forces parents to send their children to work instead of toschool, 393. === [PDF page 417] === Thus, in the Bengal provinces of Rajamur and Kalfar, 50 children sout of a total of 1000 of school age actually go-to school. That is 5% of the total. Children even work in the government mica works of Sahin -and Behore, In IRAN, infant mortality reaches 80%. In the south, the misery -of the population is extremely great; naked, starving children wander around the country in search of bread. In the towns, they search “the rubbish along with the dogs, and at night they sleep in caves ‘where often whole families live. Children work 10 hours per day from the age of 4. In the LEBANON, the Labour Code authorises children to work from the age of 8. Limitations weigh upon the whole country. Infant mortality is very high, In this country of ancient culture, 30%—90% of the children -do not attend school. In NIGERIA, the majority of the population is illiterate. In the ‘country there are only four girls’ schools which are inaccessible to the children of workers, Only 7 children per thousand go to school. The situation is roughly the same in NORTH AFRICA, “EQUATORIAL AFRICA and WEST AFRICA, where the French -colonisers have brought their,,civilisation” to the native peoples. In MOROCCO, there are only a few schools for 8,000,000 inhabitants where 60,000 Mohammedan children study. In the whole country there are only a few dozen little girls “who have finished primary school, and there are only 12 taking ‘secondary courses, In Algeria, out of a child population of 2,400,000 of school age, only 1,200,000 attend school. In TUNISIA, only 1-child out of 5 goes to school. Access to school is forbidden to native girls; education is accessible only to the daughters of rich landed proprietors. In SOUTH AFRICA where infant mortality among African ‘children in certain regions attains a level of 500, 600 and even 700 per thousand, where tuberculosis is endemic, and blindness is more ‘common than in any other country, only 3 out of 11 children can ‘go to school; the majority; however, never get beyond the first or ‘second class. Even the children in colonial and dependent countries who do attend school receive an education which is incomplete and poisoned by racial propaganda. The exploiters are called,,benefac- ‘tors’, and colonial policy and the annihilation of the peoples is called,,the kindness of the superior race which brings enlighten- Ment and culture to the backward natives”,: 394. === [PDF page 418] === The contents of the school manuals for the children in English colonies is humiliating to the dignity of the colonial peoples. In the colonial and dependent countries, the school is an imperialist weapon for the education of the child in an antipopular ‘spirit, and one of racist ideology. Despite the desire and the effort of the imperialists, the peoples of the colonial and dependent countries are arising to struggle for ‘democracy and their national independence, The people of CHINA have been struggling for many years for the liberation of their country from Anglo-American dependence and for democracy. While in the Chiang Kai-Shek region the overwhelming majority of the population is illiterate, since 90% of.the children cannot even go to primary school, ihe Popular Government of the liberated regions of China has done a great deal to improve the lot of the children. Despite material difficulties and the war. there are schools in all the towns and villages and their number increases each year. On the initiative of the Popular Government of the liberated regions and of the Association of Chinese Women, créches and kindergartens have been organised in many districts. The REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA as well as the REPUBLIC OF VIET-NAM have from the first days of their exisence, tried tc improve the conditions of the children. For the first time in the history of INDONESIA, children have the possibility of studying and having organised holidays. The 10-year Plan for school building and the training of teachers is valready on the way to being achieved, while under Dutch domination there were only 460 primary schools for 70 million inhabitants, and out of the total credits for education, 11,4% went to native schools and all the remainder to Dutch schools. The Government of VIET-NAM has suppressed hunger and the -exploitation of child labour. It has begun the organisation of establishments for the protection of children’s health and the building of schools, Article 15 of the Constitution says: «Primary education is free and compulsory. National minorities ‘have the right to study in their native tongue. The State helps needy children." While the French colonisers had constructed primary schools for 26,000 children, in a single year 60,000 schools have been opened 395 === [PDF page 419] === by the Viet Namese Government, in which 80,000 voluntary teachers: give free education to 4,000,000 children and adults. The heroic efforts of the Governments of INDONESIA and VIET- NAM to improve the conditions of the children would have been still more effective if the Dutch and French soldiers were not. destroying towns, burning villages, and leaving thousands of children: without shelter. With great self-sacrifice they are organising the evacuation. housing and feeding of children outside of the fighting areas. This short outline of the situation of the children shows us: that the problem of childhood arises in a very sharp way for al? progressive humanity. It shows us the great responsibility of the U.N.O,, whose role is to safeguard peace and the rights of man. The United Nations Organisation has created the International Children’s Fund,,for helping the children who were the victims of war’, But according to the information of the Economic and Social Council of the U.N.O., ‘only 3,800,000 children, or 5% of the total of 80,000,000 needy children, have received aid. However slight the aid which the Fund might be capable of giving to child victims of the war, it could not but be encouraged if the aid had been distributed according to the needs of the peoples who had suffered most from the war and according to the standards. which the Fund itself had established when il was constituted. That has not been the case. Aid should be given,,without any discrimination of race, religion, nationality or political opinion”. But, however, GREECE and DEMOCRATIC CHINA have always been excluded from it. Assistance in these countries has been entirely given to the monarcho-fascist government and to the Kuomintang militarists. In other countries, such as France and Italy, help has been put: at the disposal of reactionary organisations, without the Fund's control of its distribution doing anything to prevent it. As an organisation grouping more than 80 million women for the defence of the rights of women and children, we cannot accept the fact that the help of the Children’s Fund, instead of being used to save the children, should serve the political ends of the imperialists. We cannot accept that the Fund should not be allotted in a just way. Showing us that it has forgotten its own principles and that it is more and more becoming an instrument of American policy, the Fund has just contributed to WESTERN GERMANY a first sum of 3,500,000 dollars. 396 === [PDF page 420] === While the children of certain countries have, during the war, undergone such. long and-terrible suffering, and while, in the great majority, they have not yet recovered their normal physical state, the Fund has spent during 1947 the only following: POLAND 5,533,720 dollars YUGOSLAVIA 4,755,620. RUMANIA | 3,233,810,, FRANCE 1,064,820, CZECHOSLOVAKIA 980,075, BULGARIA 1,164,000 As for the U.N.A.C. (whose propaganda remains a model of confusion), the Executive Committee of the W.LD.F. at its Rome ‘session pointed out the contradiction existing between the aim of its collections — in theory, to reinforce the International Children’s Aid Fund — and the attitude of certain governments. The Executive - Committee also pointed out how all kinds of uncontrollable transactions could arise. Facts have shown the correctness of our observations, for more than 50% of the collections has been given, not to the International ‘Children’s Fund, but to private organisations, which means that they will escape from any control by U.N.O.. We: cannot admit that the humanitarian instincts of the people and the sad situation of the children should be speculated with tp ‘furnish still more funds for reactionary propaganda. The Women's International Democratic Federation asked the U.N.O. fer the right to participate in the leading bodies of the Fund an order to influence the distribution of the collections made by the workers of all countries. ’ But this was no more respected than was the request to par- ‘ticipate in the management of the appeal of the United Nations in favour of the children. The Rome Executive Committee meeting (May 1948) protested “against the refusal of U.N.O. and proposed to the national organi- ‘sations affiliated to the W.LD.F. that they -should denounce any -anti-democratic use of the funds, leaving to each national centre the possibility of taking a position according to the particular conditions in each country. The Executive Committee also recommended to the National organisations to launch their own campaignes of solidarity for ‘help to children who had greatly suffered from the war and from imperialist oppression. The national sections of the W.LD.F. are carrying on consistent action in all countries to.obtain measures for the protection of 397 === [PDF page 421] === children, as has been pointed out in the activity report. Theseefforts must be intensified. For the Federation and for all democratic women of the world, extremely important tasks arise for the defence of the rights of children, The first of these rights is the right to live. That is why we women and mothers must: —~ Denounce war propaganda under all its forms — Call for wiping out of the sources of war and the cessation of imperialist expansion in Greece, China, Indonesia and Viet-Nam, as well as in all other countries, because the consequences of war are the exterminations of millions of children, misery and famine, The democratic women of the countries which are pursuing a war policy must denounce to the mothers the astronomical sums. being swallowed up by military budgets, while nothing, or almost. nothing is being done to provide better conditions for the development of children. We must struggle to increase the public health budgets; to organize health centres for mothers and children and free medical aid to children and mothers; for state organizing of sufficient dispensaries; for créches and kindergartens, and where they do. not already exist, for paid holidays for pregnant. working women and for family allowances. We must demand from the governments an increase in national education budgets, unified primary education, free and compulsory, given in the native tongue. We must also demand a vast network of apprenticeship centres and schools for working adolescents, and assurance for the protection of mothers and children. We must struggle for the democratisation of schools, for the eradication of the vestiges of fascist ideology in schools and cultural institutions and for the suppression of racial discrimination. Together with all the progressive women of the world, we want the children of the colonial countries of Asia and Africa to be delivered from the colonial yoke of exploitation so that. well-fed, well-clothed, they may have the right to health and education and may know the joys of life. The governments which, instead of providing wages which guatantee a vital minimum, take repressive measures against workess. striking for improved living conditions, by that action make themselves the accomplices of the colonial exploiters of child labour, and. we must denounce them as such. We must give by every means in our power, our moral support to the peoples of the colonial and dependent countries struggling 398 === [PDF page 422] === for national independence, struggling to break the imperialist yoke, the cause of the hard lives of the women and. rising generation. We: must demand that the principles of democracy and independence proclaimed in the Atlantic Charter and in the Charter of the United: Nations, which are denied to colonial and dependent countries, be: enforced, We must struggle against the exploitation of children and for laws prohibiting work by children. We must reinforce our collaboration with the World Federation - of Trade Unions and the World Federation of Democratic Youth in: the fight for improvement of the conditions of children. We must support the message of the World Federation of De-- mocratic Youth to the U.N.O, Commission on Human Rights entitled, Declaration on Duties Concerning the Protection of the Life and Health of Children", Finally, we must enthusiastically prepare each year, conforming to the decisions of the 5th executive Committee Meeting, an INTER- NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY, a day for mobilising all democratic forces for help to children and for interesting all progressive men and women and world public opinion in the struggle for the improvement of living conditions of children. Mrs. FREDA GRIMBLE (GREAT BRITAIN) In the opening report on the care of children and the defence - of their rights, the Executive of our Federation dealt first with the effect of war on our children. I, too, in the name of the British Committee of the W.I.D.F. will follow that pattern. It is true that in Britain, we mothers did not have that endless daily torture of watching our children grow thinner and paler every day as did so many mothers represented here at this Congress. On: the contrary, the general health and physical well-being of our children has improved as a result of early rationing of which wewere, and still are, always assured.: But many of our children were killed and mutilated; we have our orphans and we have a generation of children who for years: were pushed about from town to village, with constant change in home and school, whose family and school life were so broken as to leave marks for years to come.. It was during this period that our mothers drew courage from the bright hopes of the life they would build in the future for their children. 393 === [PDF page 423] === The election results with the return of a Labour Government -gave fresh confidence to their dreams for a future Britain worthy -of the children they had given so much to defend. But what has happened? The Education Act of 1944 is a typical example of what is happening to our social services. This wonderful Act, greeted with such tremendous enthusiasm, was to provide preschool education for children from 2 to 5, free secondary school education for all, and continued after school education. Today it is true that the school-leaving age has been raised from 14 to 15 years, that free milk has been introduced for all children, that 52% of the school children get a meal although only ~one-fifth get free meals as promised in the Act. That is all. Devastation by bombing destroyed hundreds of our’ schools, but in three years, only 16 new ones have been built in the whole of ‘Britain, No County Colleges are functioning although a million children were promised further education. Children are crowded into outdated classrooms. Classes of from 50 to 60 children are usual and are not the exception. So also with nursery provision. During the war when woman dJabour was needed, we saw a considerable development of day ‘nurseries from 104, to 1,555, due largely to the demands of the women with their demonstrations, their parades with slogan-covered prams in front of town halls, and by their demands through the “labour movement. Since the war, in spite of more and more of our mothers’ being forced out of work by economic necessity, 650 nurseries have been closed, 370 being reopened as nursery schools. Before the war in 1938, thousands more children under five received nursery provision than are’ receiving it today. Lists of -children waiting for places in the nurseries run into hundreds at ‘each nursery. Expansion is only taking place where woman labour -is wanted for the export drive, mainly in the textile factories. To us, the women of the W.LD.F., nursery provision means more “than the. care of our small children, the importance of which none will deny, It means also a decisive step for the freedom of women to take their full place in a society in which they and their families have much to gain by their contribution. This refusal to give nursery. provision must he waiched. -‘Reactionaries in Britain are gaining a measure of mistaken support -in their drive of,Back to the homes and the. kitchen with the women”, In the recent conference of Labour Party women, such arguments from the platform led to the defeat of a resolution for smore and better nurseries. ~ 400 === [PDF page 424] === All -of you. know only too well where that leads. Children's allowances fought for years, have become a resality in Britain, 5 per child was greeted with enthusiasm as a first sstep.. However, the first child of every family gets no allowance and ‘with the rise in the cost of living and the absence of free meals at school, women are feeling that what is given them with one hand is taken away with the other. On the maternity services — under the new Social Service ‘Scheme of which the new Health Act is a part, free medical attention is given to all; a maternity grant is made; welfare foods are pro- ~vided; expectant mothers receive priority for dental treatment. Although these are very positive features, the contribution from the worker in a very heavy burden on his family. Since July 1, 1948, our women are feeling the benefits of these ew provisions. The full value will depend, however, on the speed -with which the Health Centres and hospital clinics are built and ‘largely on recruitment of nurses to what is at present a grossly ~under-paid profession. From this it will be clear that although many Bills have been ~passed,. sufficient, in fact, to completely change the lives of our ‘children, they remain mostly on paper only. Many strong fights have taken place against the Ministeries and ‘Councils to stop the closing of the nurseries, The fact that 900 still sremain.is due almost entirely to the determination of the women. On education, a matter dear to the heart of every working “woman who sees for her children a better life than che herself had, ‘activity is going ahead. Parent-Teacher Associations are growing up ‘around the schools, To give an example: in Comberwell, a heavily ‘bombed area where children of 5 years were unable to get places _ in a school, after meetings of parents, deputations went to the London ‘Country Council and the Ministry of Education, and won for their children a prefabricated building. The chortage of text books in schools brought forth a deputation to the Ministry of Education, where samples of the trash. that is always printed in our country -were shown, in this way exposing the false excuse of shortage of “paper.: These examples are being multiplied throughout the country and ‘show that women are not accepting the situation of promises not kept. We have to keep before our eyes the fact that concentration in Britain today is on war and not on peace. Steal, the shortage of ‘which has been the excuse for lack of development of social service building, is now to bé used for bombers and guns. Our manpower, 5 401 === [PDF page 425] === which should be used to build our schools, hospitals, health centers, nurseries, is being used to destroy those of our sisters in other lands, Our wealth, as shown by the vast armament programmes, is: being used in preparation for destruction — not for building the new world promised to our children. Qur job on returning to Britain, is to continue with renewed inspiration from this Congress the fight to draw Britain out of the war front into the peace front, to show how, in the truly democratic: countries, in spite of indescribable devastation, the whole resources of the State are brought to bear in the interest of the children. We shall use our experience here in the city of Budapest where, at the end of the war not a window was left in the town, and where today, homes, schools, creches and hospitals are among the first consideration. We shall tell again and again of Stalingrad, where, when the houses were still level to the ground, 16 palaces for children stood out among the first new buildings, making clear to all that the children are the most treasured possessions of the country. We shall show that a country which puts its children first, which develops social services apace, which gives equality to its women, is not a country which makes war. We shall not hesitate to show Britain as a capitalist country where shop-fronts, hotels, luxury premises are fast being rebuilt, while schools, health centres, Youth Colleges, creches, remain as. cold, lifeless legislation and, at the most, as plans in the architects’ offices,, We shall use to the full the fact that Vishinsky’s. recommendation to reduce armaments would not only lessen the danger of war, but. would give Britain 31 million pounds for the expansion of sociah services, When we see the budget for | economic and social development soaring far above expenditure for armaments, instead of (as now), far below, we shall know not only that the childrens’ future is assured, but that we, the men and women of Britain, have turned the course of our country from one of war to one of peace, from, one of capitalism to one of socialism. '. That is the task of our Section on our return to Britain. Madame ROULA KOUKOULOU (GREECE) member of the Executive Committee.. During the three years of. its existence, the Women's International Democratic Federation has shown itself to be the guardian: and the defender of children. It has always raised its voice.to defend’ the rights of children, for creation of a happy life for children the: 402 === [PDF page 426] === world over; it has mobilised women in the fight to safeguard peace. We have all known the terrible tragedy which war brought to our children during the last world war. Now, four years after the defeat of fascism, while in the U.S.S.R. and the New Democracies, free peoples are united in creating the conditions for a happy life for their children, in those countries which have had the misfortune to remain under the rule of,,Western Democracy”, where Anglo-Saxon imperialism has left its imprint and assisted the rebirth of fascism, the extermination of children has continued.at the same rate. Indeed,.it might be said to have accelerated. But the culminating point of these misfortunes has been reached in those countries where the American imperialists have provoked civil war, and subsidise it lavishly. This is the tragic situation in which Greek children find themselves today. The anti-democratic State up to the present time, has not shown the slightest sign of feeling as regards the condition of the children. During the German occupation also, they experienced unexampled hardships, At the end of the war, Greek children were in a dreadful condition, They were starving, diseased, exhausted with the privations they had undergone. And then, before we had even had the time to lavish care on them, to give them back the health which the German occupation and war had undermined, came the armed intervention of the Anglo- American imperialists who have imposed a new war on us, still more terrible than the last, of which the most tragic victims are the children of Greece. In their efforts to breais the resistance of the Greek people, the foreign imperialists and their. monarcho-fascist lackeys are particularly bitter against the children, They are murdered, sent before firing squads, thrown into prison, into concentration camps, and sent to the islands of deportees; their parents are killed, they are left to die of hunger. One expedition alone of the fascist army in the region of Roumelia cut. the throats of 40 children of fighters in the Greek Democratic Army, tortured - 1,900 women and children; in the mountains mothers were found half frozen in the snow, clutching their dead children in their arms, and children mad with hunger, ealing grass along with the sheep. The list of bloody deeds is long, and shows that the child is the target of the new occupation. In one month alone, six minors were executed on the orders of the military courts in the areas controlled by the Athen’s government, The prisons and the deportation islands are. full of children, 403 === [PDF page 427] === and each day our little ones are mown down by American artillery or by the bombs of their aircraft. The brave monarcho-fascists also employ children in their military operations, sometimes as a human shield, sometimes to remove mines. The scourge of famine is now added to the horrors of war. 700.000 people, of whom 400.000 are women and children, have been forcibly evacuated from their villages by the Athen’s Government under the pretext of preventing help being given by the population to the guerillas. All these people have been transported into the towns without food, clothing or shelter. The children beg in the streets and die of hunger. Even the monarcho-fascists have been obliged to recognise the the horrible state of the children refugees. The fascist newspaper of Salonika,,Hellenikos Vorras” wrote on 9/6/48;,, The pavements, shops and doorways of houses are crowded with,refugee” children, even though there have been attempts to get these poor liitle Greek children taken into the houses of wealthy people...”, But the position of the other children, too, is tragic. As the Marshall Plan tightens its hold on Greéce, so economic ruin, chaos and famine intensify. The public canteens in the schools no longer exist, the distributions of food by the Red Cross to children of two years of age and more have ceased since 1946, The children of Greece are hungry, their health is broken, According to the official statistics of UNRRA, 75% of the children are either tubercular, or in a pre-tubercular condition. Infant mortality grows from day to day. In this hell, the education,of the children shares the same fate. The government organ,,Vima” writes that in 1948. 2,500 schools havebeen closed down, In one day only, 640 teachers were dismissed for their democratic opinions. And in the few schools which still function, with their completely fascist syllabus they try to poison the minds of the young people, Hunger, ignorance, death, and bombs in plenty; these are the gifts of the Marshall Plan to our children, whom our enemies attempt implacably to render motherless and fatherless. In the face of the danger of seeing their children perish, thousands of mothers demand of the Provisional Democratic Government that they should take all measures in their power to save Greek children from extermination. The Red Cross Organisation, the Women's Organisation, the Social Security Boards of the New Democracies all hastened to respond to the appeal of our Demottatic Government with a solicitude and solidarity truly touching. The mothers 404 === [PDF page 428] === of: all these countries have received the little Greek children persecuted by fascism with open arms. In this way 15.000 have been saved from the hell of our New Fascism, from the horrors of war, and now live happy and carefree in the People’s Republics.. The. little country. of Albania which suffered so much during the war, which has still so many wounds to heal, took, in spite of its very limited resources, about 4.000 Greek children and has assured them an even better life than that of their own children, It is clear from the speech of our friend the Rumanian representative that the protection of Greek children is a task of the Rumanian women, who have very much at heart this work of giving our children a happy and joyous life, More than 3,000 children have been given hospitality in this country and it is proposed to increase this to 5.000, The Bulgarian People’s Republic has received 2.500 children. The Republic of Hungary has offered hospitality to 2,163 children. The care and tenderness lavished on our children are deeply moving, Poland, so terribly devastated by the war, has taken 1,000 children, Czechoslovakia almost 2,500, and Yugoslavia 2,000. The letters from our children which come to us in free Greece are full of joy and gratitude for these friendly countries. The saving of these 15,000 Greek children has caused real anxiety to the American leaders and the Quislings of Athens. They know very well that the people are better able to judge the policy of our democratic goverment, ‘that they become stronger in their resistance and more conscious of the difference. which exists between the Fascist State, Marshall variety, and the free countries of the New Democracies, where it is the people who rule. The murderers of thousands of Greek children have now begun to shed crocodile tears, and have started a campaign of lies to sow confusion, At the same time, to hinder parents who implore that _ their children shall be sent-to the People’s Republics and to paralyse their efforts, they have started a frightful mass abduction of children. Under the direction of the Nazified Queen Frederica, 20,000 children have been torn forcibly from their mother’s arms in Northern Greece. All these little ones have been sent to the towns, where they live by begging or are sent as servants to the houses of wealthy people; or else they die of hunger in the children's concentration camps. Entire brigades of the fascist army have been mobilised to carry out this unspeakable crime. The mothers fight hand-to-hand with their children's executioners and try with their nails and with stones to stop them from tearing their children from them, They hide them in caves and resist in a thousand ways. 405 === [PDF page 429] === Many are the mothers who have been beaten up and thrown: in prison because they have not wanted to be separated from their children. Some mothers have gone insane as a result of the tortures inflicted on them because they have wished to protect their little ones, Each day, despairing messages come to us from children. cartied off by force, - In order to cover up their new crime, and to slander the People’ Republics and the Greek Provisional Democratic Government, the monarcho-fascists, acting on the orders of their American imperialist bosses, have tried to transfer the blame for their own crimes tothe account of the democratic forces. They have spoken of the so-called forcible removal of children, of concentration camps ete. They have even had the’ impudence to propose. that a resolution should be accepted by the Assembly of UNO for the,,repatriation" of Greek children, that is to say that these children should be prevented from living the happy life guaranteed to them by the New Democracies, and that they should return to the monarchofascist hell, although these hypocrites know only too well that 90% of these children are those of fighters in the Greek Democratic Army, or of democrats murdered by the semi-governmental terrorist bands, or else children of people exiled by the monarchofascist State.: # Thanks to the intervention of the Soviet delegates and those of the New Democracies, this criminal proposal has not been passed. But the Political Commission of U.N.O. has passed a_ resolution specifying that those children whose parents demand their return must be sent back to Greece. A special commission will be set up on this question. -, Our Provisional Democratic Government has approved this resolution on condition that the freedom of will of the parents in occupied Greece is assured. If this special Commission of U.N.O. wishes to show elementary justice and to avoid becoming, even involuntarily, the accomplice of the fascists in their vile schemes and in this horrible crime that they are preparing against Greek children, it must state clearly and expose what is happening in occupied Greece, By means of arrests and the constant menace of execution, the police headquarters force parents to make false declarations, saying that it is against their wishes that the Democratic Government has removed their children forcibly. Even the,famous” Balkan Commission, in concert with the monarcho-fascists, has employed all kinds of compulsion and threats to force false declarations of this 406 === [PDF page 430] === ~dkind, as was the case in the village of Leskini in Northern Greece. Terror and compulsion intensify every day against parents who have the misfortune to fall into the hands of these executioners of the Greek people. Ail these fascist schemes must be brought to “light, and the truth must be proclaimed.: The new Commission dealing with the question of the children _ tan visit free Greece. There it. will remark the gratitude of the parents towards the People’s Republics who have saved our children as well as their desire to fight to save all the children of Greece from certain extermination. The Women’s International Democratic Federation can help greatly in bringing the truth to light, in confounding the plans of the monarcho-fascists. The W.I.D.F, could appoint a Commission which would undertake to examine on the spot the liberally hopeless position of the children in occupied Greece, to visit the prisons, the deportation areas, the concentration camps for children, and to discover itself the condition of hunger and misery in which our children live, Thé women of Greece, Greek mothers, know well that there is only one path to follow to save their children from total extermination, the path of resolute struggle against American occupation and Greek monarcho-fascists.. Because it is only in a free, peaceful and democratic. Greece that we also can assure life to our nation, and build a happy future for our children, The women of Greece are proud that in this front line of demo- €racy, arms in hand,they defend not only the lives of their own children, but also the security and lives of the children of the whole ‘world, The mothers of Greece have been sustained in their hard ‘struggle by the love and warm support of all democratic women. They will never forget that in this critical hour, these women saved thousands of their children from certain death. In this Congress we express the profound gratitude and heartfelt thanks of the Greek women to all democratic women who are helping our children. At the same time we make an appeal that this aid to Greek children in danger shall continue and increase. Each child saved from the fascist talons constitutes a victory for democracy, The tragedy of the Greek children ‘can show the ordinary women of the whole world the danger which confronts their own children. It must stir the hearts of mothers who are still inactive in the struggle against the fomentors of war. 407 === [PDF page 431] === The sufferings and extermination of Greek children brings out: sharply the great truth that the worst curse of humanity. is: imperialism. The decisions of the Congress will give new life to our fight, will strengthen and widen our struggle to mobilise and unite all womem against those who are preparing a new war, against those who call’ for another massacre of our children. We must fight with greater strength and resolution to confound’ the imperialist plans of extermination for our children. The mothers of the whole world, united, constitute a force to be reckoned with. By our struggle, we can ensure life to our children, and a happy and peaceful future for them. 3 Madame CHEHU FIGRET (ALBANIA) Sub. member of the Council. The report,On the condition of children and their protectiom by law” has made known to us the position of children in the various countries. This report showed that, on the one hand, in the countries where the people hold sway, as in the great Soviet Uniow and the New Democracies, a new life is being constructed for the: ~ children. On the other hand it showed that, in the countries with anti-democratic governments, in the colonial countries and in the countries where British and American imperialism have kindled the fires of war, as in Greece, Spain and elsewhere, the situation of* children is deplorable. We Albanian women, who live in a People’s Democracy, witness: the new life which is being created for our children, and see at the same time the terrible condition of the children in the country so Close to our frontier, Greece, where the terror of the: Greek monarcho-fascist government still continues, aided and abetted by British and American imperialism, against the courageous: freedomloving people of Greece. In Albania, our People’s Government, in spite of! all the difficulties it meets as a result of the heritage of the past, and the numerous problems it has to: cope with, is particularly active im dealing with children's problems, in protecting the rights of mother and child by law. In New Albania, it is not only the women who are interested in the children. Their education and health are problems to which. our People’s Government devotes great attention, as in all the countries where there is a People’s Demacracy.. 408 === [PDF page 432] === Thanks to our People’s Government, children's institutions. such.as créches, kindergartens, and children’s homes welfare centres. for mothers and children, have been created for the first time. The: women of Albania help the Peoples’s Government with particular love and care in its work of creating these institutions, in the organisation of maternity hospitals, children’s camps by the sea and in other healthy areas, where the children spend happy holidays with the very best facilities. The women of New Albania do all in their power to help their Gavernment in creating such institutions, becausethey know that they are basis for education of the new generation in the spirit of the principles of our people’s revolution, and that their development contributes to the effective emancipation of women, giving them the possibility of accomplishing their duties as reagiieg citizens of the People’s Republic of Albania, While in our country the children are given particular attention by our People’s Government, in Greece the children are suffering terribly, living continually under the threat of death. We have seen the proofs with our own eyes; the victims of the monarcho-fascists, These are the Greek children who have fled to our country to save their lives, We have heard from their own lips how the monarchofascist government, helped by the American imperialists, massacresthe Greek. patriots, among whom are large numbers of women and children, and throws them into prisons and concentration camps where they undergo frightful tortures, as a result of which ntasges of them die, The Greek children are obliged to leave their families and seek shelter in our country, and in the other New Democracies, in order ,to save their lives, On March 8th of last year the women of Tirana heard the delegate of the Greek women speak at a great meeting of the atrocious suffering of the Greek mothers and children. The crimes, the mass slaughter of children by the government of Athens were: made known to them. These atrocities are exactly the same that: our own children suffered during the fascist occupation, which we ourselves experienced, This meeting at Tirana took the form of an imposing demonstration, an expression of the solidarity of our people with the struggle of the women and the whole people of democratic Greece, because our. women and.our people understand very clearly that the existence of fascism, the presence of American troops in Greece, are thecause of the situation created in that country and of the continual provocations on our southern frontier, menacing the stable peace: 409- === [PDF page 433] === “and. the victories they have obtained, thanks to their fight for national liberation. The meeting appealed to all ihe women of Albania to help the Greek orphans. | The great mass of our women, and all our people responded immediately to this call, giving mote than 6 million loks for the ‘Greek children, and asking to be allowed to take children under their protection in their own families. In our country, as in all the People’s Democracies, where a new life and ever more favourable conditions. are being created for the _children, mothers are free from anxiety and confident in the future of their children, while the Greek, Spanish and Chinese mothers, mothers in the.colonial. countries ‘and elsewhere, continually fear for the lives of their children threatened by their antidemocratic governments and their masters, the British and American imperialists. Albania women, like women in all the other countries which have known fascist terror at first hand, feel the sufferings of Greek, Spanish, Chinese and other women profoundly. They understand their fears for their children in the thick of battle, because these mothers of such countries have themselves undergone the same terror, they also have seen their children massacred before their eyes by Italian and German fascists, This is the explanation of their lasting solidarity with the struggles of the Greek, Spanish, Chinese and other peoples for freedom. This is why the democratic women of the whole world raise their voice from this platform against those responsible for the situation in a section of the world, against the fomentors of a new war. Therefore for the well-being of their children, to safeguard the lives of their sons, democratic women and mothers must unite their. forces in the Women’s Intemational Democratic Federation and mobilise to fight against war, so that this great army comprising half of humanity shall be a powerful barrier to. prevent the warma- ‘kers, led by the American imperialists, from carrying out theircriminal aims, We, the women of the People’s Republic of Albania, who guard “the victories won in our struggle for national liberation as the apple -of our eye, who are doing all in our power to assure the happy fature of our children, we shall be front-line fighters in safeguarding of peace and in assuring true democracy. We know that the cause of peace is supported by hundreds of millions of ordinary people, by progressiwe people, the world over. We express our great love and gratitude to the powerful country of happy mothers and children, resolute defender of peace, which -410 === [PDF page 434] === “leads ‘the progressive forces of the whole world in the struggle to ensure a lasting peace, which respects the democratic rights of all ‘people "— in brief, to the great Soviet Union and its inspired leader Marshal Stalin. é Dear friends, the delegation of the Union of Albanian Women is completely in agreement with the proposal of the Report on Children to fix an Internationa} Children's Day. ‘It suggests that, ‘since it is now only a short time before the New Year, it would be good if the Congress decided that all National Sections should orgamise a Children's Day before the New Year, so that they can mobilise for the immediate application of the tasks which the Report on ‘Children places before them, so that the campaign for the accomlishment of the principal tasks in ensuring peace and democracy in the world which the Second Congress of the W.I.D.F. places before ‘us shall be widened. Our delegation thinks that the International Children's Day should be fixed for New Year's Eve. “Madame VALBORG SVENSSON (SWEDEN) Sub. member of the Executive Committee. Member of the Council. The twentieth century was called,,the century of children” by ‘Ellen Key, a Swedish woman author known internationally for her yprogressive work in favour of equal rigts for women and in favour ‘of a more free and rational child and youth education, She believéd and hoped that this, our century, would give to val)’ children rich possibilities for development, that it would give women their rightful place at the side of men. She herself never lived to see her hopes fulfilled. She never saw the Soviet Union, the first country in the world to give women their ‘ Matural place beside the men and children and youth the possibilities far ahead of her dreams, She never met the splendid free youth of the Soviet Union, or its independent, courageous women. Ellen Keith had faith in humanity but she was not clear-sighted enough to perceive that suppression of women and errors in child education have their main roots in the fact that capitalist society is founded on the right of one human being to exploit another. She had, therefore, no premonition that this century which she <dredmed of as the children’s would be responsible for crimes against ‘children, against mankind, more terrifying than anything hitherto experienced by the world, Gas chambers, hunger and destruction of homes — these are the gifts of the 20th century to its children so far. 411 === [PDF page 435] === The children of Sweden escaped this, Sweden is among the few European countries that escaped fascist occupation. The Soviet Union saved our country and our people from fascist occupation and from the war. The Swedish people escaped the concentration camps, Swedish mothers did not have to sacrifice their children, All the horrors which befell other peoples were spared us. We know that the Soviet Union gave its blood to save us and the world from fascism, which we had not sometimes recognised and guarded against, The Soviet Union prevented, through diplomatic intervention, the occupation of Sweden. The government of that time expressed its: gratitude to the Soviet government for its intervention. This, however, was concealed from the people, who learned about it only several’ years later, Our people is deeply indebted to the people of the Soviet Union and owes them all gratitude on account of the enormous: sacrifices they made to save us and all the world. The official Swedish position during the second world war was a moral burden for our people. The Swedish people did not give their consent to the transfer of German fascist troops and war material. Our people and our elected representatives were never asked. The Association of Women that later became our section of the W.LD.F, protested vigorously and repeatedly. Many thousands of simple women also gave their opinion by knitting and sewing clothes for children in countries struck by the war. They could not do much, but did what they could. And there was hidden in each garment love, admiration and gratitude, Our section of the W.LD.F. is a small one but I do not need to tell you that in our work, we have to struggle against big difficulties. But the obstacles and difficulties can and must be overcome. Espe-- cially where children are concerned, we have, I think, great possibilities to unite women and to give them a clear idea of the situation. It has always been easier to get women to join a movement. when the welfare of children was involved. With the help of our section, we have succeeded in establishing: a Commission for Aid to Greece. This Commission has jus started but we hope it will be able to work well. Here we have a possibility to get women interested in the work collecting clothes and giving support of a materia] nature to the Greek children. We are convinced that a great many Swedish women are going to participate with joy. in this work. In that commission, we will also be able to speak to the wemen and to explain to them that the future of our childrem is entirely dependent on our possibilities to live in peace, and that the 412 === [PDF page 436] === ssocial improvements which women have achieved have no value at -all if We Cannot maintain peace. I_must give an example: beginning this year, allowances for children — a sum of 260 crowns per year — will be given to each ‘child in Sweden under the age of 16. This allowance is payable to the mother. We look upon this reform as a victory, a principle we ‘have fought for, namely; that society must recognize its responsibility for children. Their good concerns not only individual parents but society as a whole, But what value of all reforms if freedom cannot prevail. None whatever. Because of the privileged position Sweden has held owing to ‘the fact we have been spared participation in the world wars, “certain dangerous illusions haye arisen among our people: a fatalistic belief Sweden is always going to be,,on the safe side”. We must take these illusions away; we must get women in Sweden to understand what the reactionary forces in our country are preparing, when, in an open and shameless way, they try to induce Sweden into military adhesion with the imperialist block. We must “make the Swedish women understand that our country is situated in the middle of the danger zone and that unavoidably, we will be one of the first victims if the warmongers are successful in their “schemes; that quite simply, our country is chosen as a theatre of “war,. ‘We must make it clear to them that all the talk about,,East” and,,West'’ only aims at confused thinking. There is no,,East” and no,,West” in politics. We have to deal with other frontiers. All over the world, there are a great many progressive human beings who love liberty, and on the other side, there is a smaller “number of men and women who are prepared to plunge the world into ‘a new war, These are the frontiers of today. The Soviet Union is leading the way for progressive huminity. We must make it clear to the women and mothers of Sweden that if they want to safeguard their children and homes, they have only one way: together with the progressive forces in the world, to make every effort to prevent the organizers of war from carrying out their plans. This means active struggle against the reactionary forces in our country, -against the circles which in their greed for profits, do not hesitate ‘to throw, Sweden into a war which would mean that Stockholm would be one of the first devastated cities in a world war number ‘three, Recently, in a statement to the General Assembly of the United -Nations, our section declared that the Assembly should work 413. === [PDF page 437] === vigorously for reduction of armaments and to prohibit the use of* atomic bombs, Other peace federations did not want to make common cause With us. They said that our declaration was just what Vishinsky demanded. Our President, Dr. Andreen replied.,,But if” Vishinsky should say that the sun is round, would you deny, that statement too?” The sun is round; the atomic bomb must be forbidden. Hatred and false propaganda against the Soviet Union and the Democracies are overflowing in the Swedish press today. It is a. curtain of mist behind which the warmongers are trying to hide their plans. It is our task to disperse it and to open the eyes of women, enabling them to see what is at stake; namely, the life and future of our children and of all humanity, We promise to do everything in our power in our part of today’s. struggle to lead women to real activity for peace, and we believe that concerning the question of children and their future, it is easier for us to get on speaking terms with other women, We shall go out to them, speak with them and and make them understand that it depends upon themselves if the second half of! the 20th century will be what all of us desire: a children's century a true century of humanity, Dear friends, on the day of the opening of this Congress the: clear voice of a child rang out from this platform. It was the Hungarian children greeting the Congress! They appealed to us. warmly to defend peace, freedom and the independence of all countries, We were all touched by this speech, we smiled, but therewere tears in many eyes, At that moment we remembered our own children, we remembered the millions of children who perished at the hands of the fascists during the terrible and bloody war, in prisons and extermination camps; our thoughts turned towards heroic Greece, towards Spain bleeding from her wounds, where so many children are perishing under imperialist oppression. Children are the beings closest to our hearts, who have the greatest claims on our affections. That is why we, democratic wo-- men of all countries united in the W.I.D.F., ‘seek to create better conditions for the lives and development of the children of all countries, That is.why we fight for a happy future for these children, for a lasting and democratic peace throughout the world. The report presented by madame Kormanova shows clearlythat we are far from having obtained in all countries the right ta» 414 === [PDF page 438] === - life, to nourishment, to development and education for children: On. the contrary, in many countries where the Governments call themselves the,most democratic and civilised in the world” the reality is quite different from what ruling circles of these countries would like to represent, From the documents published by the Committee for the Defence of the rights of mother and child in the United States, Rumanian women learnt that American mothers find themselves in a very difficult position. Very often they do not know how they are to manage to feed their children.,How can I stop feeding Peter who is three years old, in order to prevent Paul, just a year old, from dying of hunger?,,This is the question the American mother addresses to the mothers of other countries. The _ situation of mother and child is no better in England, Italy, France, or in the countries where the imperialists and their lackeys dominate, We were all moved by the.simple, warm words of the French delegate Who spoke of the bitter struggle of the French miners, of the sufferings of their famished children. How much more could be said of the situation of the children in the colonial and dependant countries, of the inhuman exploitation of child labour, of the enormous ‘child mortality in India, China, Burma, Malaya and ‘the other countries under the yoke of the British, American or French imperialism! It can only be said that the situation of mother and child is inseperable from the social, economic and political régime in each country, that in the imperialist and dependent countries, where exploitation, unemployment and poverty are the lot of the masses _ of the people, suffering and humiliation surround mother and child. In the countries of popular democracy, which were not long ago under fascist oppression, in the hands of the exploiting class, laws for the protection of children and motherhood used not to exist. In our country, Rumania, not a single law existed in the past for their defence. The position of mother and child was truly dreadful, above all in the villages. According to statistics for the year 1940, the mortality figure was 120,000 each year for children up to the age: of one year. The complete absence of children’s institutions the very low cultural level, the poverty of the masses, were all factors which helped the growth of infant mortality. That is why we were the worst country in Europe as regards infant mortality. After the ‘liberation of our country by the invincible Soviet Army, we began to work assiduously for the defence of children and motherhood, for the protection of children’s rights. I would like to tell you of the work of our democratic women in this direction, of our successes and difficulties. The Report spoke of the development 415, === [PDF page 439] === -of children’s institutions in our towns and villages. It was not easy “to create them. Sometimes we encountered even the resistance of “the mothers, who, under the influence of reactionary propoganda, ~unconsciously barred the way to happiness for their children. It was necessary to conduct a campaign to enlighten these women, to craise the level of their understanding, and their political activity, to awake in them the spirit of initiative. But we can say with pride that, at the present time, the women of the towns and villages of the “People’s Republic of Rumania give active help to the Government in the construction of institutions for children, in its work in building -a system of protection for childhood and motherhood. The experience of the Soviet Union has been of great assistance to us. The Workers’ Party of Rumania and the Government of the Rumanian People’s Republic give great attention to the problems. of mother and child. For the first time in the history of our country, the new Democratic Constitution includes an ‘article which has filled the hearts of our women and’ mothers with joy and gratitude. “This article lays down that mothers and children up to the age of 18 years enjoy a special protection established by law. Thus these things have now become a reality. Even at the very beginning. of the development of our democratic regime, when the difficully of a great drought was added to the terrible destruction caused by the war, when children in many parts of Rumania were threatened by famine, the Democratic Government put the task of saving the chil- -dren among its first duties. With the help of the women’s organisations and other democra- “tic organisations, under the direction of the Rumanian Workers’ Party, canteens were organised for more than 300,000 children. 67,000 vchildren of the areas affected by famine were sent to other areas, and were given hospitality by families who surrounded them with as much love and care as if they had been their own children. During these difficult years, the Rumanian people proved its great love for its children, and its feeling of responsibility towards their future. “Side by side with the solidarity of the Rumanian people itself, we experienced the solidarity of other friendly brother nations. We: shal] never forget how our children were received in Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland, the help which was given to us by the women of Czechoslovakia and France. But the most precious aid of all was given to us ky -our great “neighbour, the U.S.S.R. Trucks of wheat-and cotton were sent by the Soviet Government to help Rumania during those difficult years. The hearts of the Rumanian people, of Rumanian mothers, will always retain their gratitude towards the great Soviet Union. -416 === [PDF page 440] === Preoccupied as we are with caring for our own children, still ‘we cannot remain indifferent in the face of the sufferings of the children of other countries. The heroic Gréek people fights with determination for its freedom. In solidarity with their courageous struggle, our women work with affection on behalf of the Greek children, They collect warm clothes, underwear, medical supplies, they sew and knit for them. We have received thousands of Greek children in our country, surrounding them with tenderness and loving care. We beg the Greek delegates to tell the women and mothers of ‘Greece that Rumanian mothers care for their children with the utmost affection. They can be certain that their children will return to libetated Greece safe and well. * Dear friends, in our country, work for the protection of the children and their education is going ahead vigorously. Thanks to the creation of dietetic canteens and milk distribution centres where children are fed free of charge; thanks to the children’s colonies, maternity homes, welfare centres for mothers and children, we have been able for the first time in the history of our country to reduce infant mortality. The number of institutions for the protection of mother and child grows from day to day in our country. Children receive supplementary rations of sugar and semolina. New-born children of workers in offices and factories receive a special layette. The Union of Democratic Rumanian Women gives active support to the Government, and its members are the main helpers in the work of pretection of mothers and children. The organisation of Patronage Committees based on friendship between the women of the towns and those of the villages is one of the most valuable factors in carrying through this work. Dear friends, Mrs. Wooster, an English delegate, spoke in her contribution to the discussion of the fact that in England each day the doors of the schools are chosed to an enormous mass of children. She told how this makes their parents anxious and nuhappy. This is a situation we knew well in the past in our country. In the past our schools were only open, for the most part, to the children of factory owners and big landowners. Now, the reform of public education has been carried out in our country. The schools have opened their doors wide to thousands of children of workers and working peasants. The shining roads of culture and progress have been laid open to them. The Report lays important tasks on the shoulders of our Federation and its national sections, We have all much to do, ” A417 === [PDF page 441] === In our country, women must support all the efforts of our Government to increase the number of créches, day-nurseries, welfare centres, and schools, The legislation for the protection of mothers. and children must become still wider. Dear friends, we know that the happiness of our homes and of our children is only possible under peaceful democratic conditions. Rumanian mothers learn with horror that the American and English imperialists, with their servitors’ help, are preparing a new war, Only those who do not know the horrors of war can remain indifferent, But our women, who have not yet ceased weeping for their children, their brothers and their husbands, hate war. We are ready to tight with all our strength against ihe makers of a new war! Let us close our ranks in the struggle for peace, democracy and the happiness of our children! Madame NADIEJDA PARFENOVA (U.S.S.R.) Sub, member of the Executive Committee. Member of the Council. Dear friends, The problem of children is one of the most burning post-war questions, Out of 2 billion inhabitants of the globe, 800 million are children or adolescents, It is they who will carry on our work in the future, That is why the struggle for the rights of children and their democratic education is particularly important in the present epoch, when the fight between the forces of democracy and reaction is growing sharper, It is the duty of women, before all others, to fight tor this cause. How can this problem be solved? We can state with satisfaction that in the countries where democracy has triumphed, where power is. in the hands of Governments representing the interesis of the people, the Children receive great care and attention, and a great deal is done to improve their position, to educate them in the spirit of humanity and democracy, In Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and the other New Democracies, legislation protects the rights of mothers and children. A vast network of children's institutions has been created. In these, the principle of free universal education is applied, Old syllabuses and textbooks have been replaced by new, and thé schools have been purged of reactionary and fascist teachers, ‘ As. appears from the speeches we have heard, the position of children has very definitely improved in the People's Republic of 418 === [PDF page 442] === Mongolia and in North Korea. In the Liberated Areas of China, despite the great difficulties and state of war, schools have been opened in all the localities, Traffic in children is sevetely punished by law and child labour prohibited, In Viet-Nam and Indonesia, measures concerning the protection of the lives and health of the children and the modification of. the educational system in a democratic direction were the first which the Governments put into effect. In my. country, the country of the Socialist Soviet Republics, children are called the,flowers of life’. They are surrounded by love and affection. The Government, all the Soviet people, the great Stalin himself, show a great solicitude for the protection of the children's health and the development of their education. That is why, in our country, despite very great difficulties, schools, kindergartens, créches, destroyed by the fascist agressors are being successfully rebuilt. That is why we have no young vagabonds. Every orphan finds a home and mother-love. Large sums have been allocated to children's requirements by the Government. In 1948, 25% of the State budget was devoted to their cultural and social institutions. The continual rise in general standards and the absence of unemployment assure happy motherhood to the women of our country. The huge network of institutions is no substitute for the family, but helps the mothers to bring up their children, and gives them the possibility of taking an active part in the political, economic and social life of our country. In the U.S.S.R., the general education of children of school age is in full operation, At the present time 32 million children attend 197,000 schools, ‘The plan of studies and the syllabuses of the Soviet school have the aim of giving the scholars wide knowledge, a conception of the world based on science, and teaching them to put theory into practice. Bringing up children in the spirit of democracy, of humanity, inculcating in them a great love of their. country, a respect for all peoples, large and small, white or coloured, these features are - characteristic of the instruction in our schools. These are the whole aims to which the innumerable children’s institutions, children's literature, the press, the cinema, the radio, aspire. We Soviet women, can assure the delegates to this Congress that the destiny of Soviet children is in safe hands, Our children are future fighters for peace and democracy, the defenders of world civilisation and culture, as were those who died for our country. Suffice it to recall the struggle of our youth of Krasnodon against 419 === [PDF page 443] === fascism for the freedom and independence of our beloved country, the subject of the film,The Young Guard”. Such is our Soviet youth. Dear friends, the Report of Madame Kormanova and the speeches of other delegates have shown us another world, a world of suffering and terrible poverty, in which tens of millions of children are condemned to live, not only in the dependent and colonial countries, Dut also in the countries of bourgeois democracy. What mother’s heart is not wrung with pain and sorrow at the thought of little children of six years old bending their backs over weaving machines, of those who in the rain or under a tropical sun toil in the cotton, tea and jute plantations, earming in a ten or twelve hour day less than would buy two boxes of matches? They do not even manage to carn enough to buy a loaf of bread or a_ handful of rice to satisfy their hunger. In India, the plantations alone employ 100,000 children. In South Africa, 90% of the children suffer from malnutrition, 20% eat only vegetables. In Kuomintang China, there is a continual state of famine. In Shanghai alone in one month, 350 children were picked up who had died of starvation, In Iran, infant mortality reaches almost 807% of the births. Up to the present time, the traffic in and prostitution of children prospers. The Anglo-American and other imperialists are the principal cause of the suffering of millions of children in the colonies, Perhaps the conditions of children are better in the countries of Bourgeois democracy? No. The children of France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and other countries suffer less, but they are not able to eat as much as they need, either; they are not able to get necessary medical aid. The exploitation of child labour has reached unparal- ¥eled heights, The famous Marshall Plan, a European Recovery Programme according to its initiators, is in reality nothing but a hangman's noose for the nations of France, Italy, etc.. It brings with it unemployment, the lowering of the standards of living of the workers and consequetly of the children. The children do not receive fresh eggs and milk through the Marshall Plan, but dried egg, dried milk and other ersatz stuff. Can we keep silent on this issue? We must organise to defend the children, We must demand: a) a minimum wage allowing workers to feed their children adequately. 420 === [PDF page 444] === b). the prohibiting of child labour below the age of 14 years. The exploitation of minors must be made a crime punishable by law,. The efforts of the ruling classes to limit by all means in their power the education of the children of the people, must disquiet us deeply. Out of 500 million children in the colonies, 480 millions are deprived of the possibilities of education. They do not attend school. In the countries of Latin America from 50% to 70% have not attended primary schools, In Italy, particularly in the South, children de not get any education because of poverty, the frightful state of the schools, and the absence of teachers. Even in America 5 million children of school age do not attend school. They are obliged te work in order to live, The state is such that President Truman was obliged to speak personally of the crisis in the realm of educatjon. He wrote to the American Congress:,,.The menace of financial cuts hangs over our educational system, It is deplorable that in a nation as rich as ours, millions of children have no local schools, nor is there a sufficient number of teachers for them to receive a good primary and secondary education”, But these are only words. In fact, the imperialists are spending millions of dollars to prepare a new world massacre while they reduce the sums to be spent on education. 40% of the United States budget is devoted to military expenditure and less than one per cent to education, In Italy 30% and 1% respectively, in France 31% and 5%. If it was Goering in former times who broadcast the call in Germany for,,Guns instead of butter", nowadays it is in the United States that the slogan,,Guns instead of education” resounds., The ideological. education of children and the youth must disquiet progressive people still more. In the countries where the Government represents the interests of the imperialists, a terrific campaign is being waged to capture the minds of the children. It can be seen particularly clearly in the United States and Britain, in the countries whose ruling circles are at the head of the forces of international reaction. _ It is a well known fact that the conception of the world is formed at school, School and teachers have a great influence on the child's future, and the imperialist ideologists know it well. That is the reason why democratic teachers are driven out of the schools in the United States and in Britain, so that war propaganda can be openly carried on, Instead of teaching respect for other nations, hatred for other human beings and racial superiority are inculcated. 421 === [PDF page 445] === The children’s heads are stuffed with such sayings as,,the Americans are a special people, who are destined to rule the world”. Recently the same things happened in Nazi Germany. Instead of love of work, honesty and modesty, the children are imbued with the thirst for easy profit, they are taught the art of wmaking money”. Discrimination against Negroes in American schools is widespread. Mixed schools for Negroes and whites are prohibited in 16 States. In Great Britain, the schools differ only slightly from those of the United States, The law reforming public education has been adopted in England since 1944 but a British statesman has said that 4 years later, this reform is still always,on the threshold” of it application, The Government's position is therefore, as the women in England tell them, in opposition to the Education Act. In England, 5 million children attend primary schools, of whom only 14% go on to secondary school, As in the United States, teachers inculcate contempt for the history of other nations. ‘The history of nations other than the British has been eliminated from the teaching of history, particularly that of the Slav nations, Nevertheless, the harmful effect of the bourgeois school is as nothing to the truly vicious and pernicious influence exercised over the minds of children by cheap magazines, the cinema, and the radio. The heroes of the films and novels are mostly thieves, murderers cowards and sadists. They are not censured, but on the contrary, praised and admired. It is the United States that beats the record in this respect. Nearly 250 children’s comics are published in many millions of copies. In them, there is nothing but killing, shooting and cutting throats. People are thrown in the water, hurled out of trains hurtling at a dizzy speed, they are thrown out of aeroplanes, dragged to the electric chair. The sole moral in these innumerable publications is,homo homini lupus” —,,Man is a wolf to man”, Thus, before the eyes of the whole of society, an unthinkable crime is perpetrated; the corruption of millions of children and adolescents in,,free’’ America. Can we be silent, while they coldly prepare to make our children into cannon-fodder? No. It is our task to denounce before the whole world the criminal plans of international reaction as regards our children. It must be forbidden to use literature, the cinema and the radio to spread war propaganda and racial prejudice. The ideas of peace, of progress and democracy must be the basis of teaching in schools. 422 === [PDF page 446] === To conclude, in the name of the Soviet women, I want to make the following statement to the delegates: to this Congress: Nearly 200.000 Soviet children still remain in the western occupation zones of Germany and Austria. They were torn from their families and their homes, The American and British authorities tefuse to repatriate them. They force them to forget their mother tongue, their homes. Soviet mothers have on many occasions implored, American and British mothers to help them to get their children back, In the meantime, out of thousands upon thousands only a few have returned, and that only after a bitter struggle. We appeal to all the delegates of this Congress to help us to Tepatriate the Soviet children, so that they can once more experience a mother’s love and a happy childhood. Dear friends, a great task falls on us: the task of bringing up a young generation of fighters for peace, progress and democracy, @ youth which can create on the earth a life of real happiness, worthy of man. Let us work with all our strength to carry out this great and noble task. Long live the children, our pride and joy! Long live the women of the whole world, fighters for a radiant future for our children and our youth! Madame MARGARITA PONCE (ARGENTINE) Sub, member of the Executive Committee. Member of the Council. The Argentine Republic is a young country which has had ‘only 138 years of independent political life, Up to the present time, the Argentine Republic has passed through the stages of colonisation, revolution, and independence, arriving, through the epochs of anarchy and tyranny, at the stage of national organisation in 1853. Right from that moment, the factors and characteristics, which even today compose our particular form of economy, made their appearance. Its agricultural nature, its low consumption capacity, and the exploitation of foreign imperialist countries have made our country one which has developed its agriculture in one particular direction only, our industrial development being also limited to ‘that same ‘direction. Foreign. capital, which stands today at a figure of over 9,000 million pesos, contributes jargely to the distortion of our economy, always having the effect of accentuating its agricultural character. The railway system, navigation and cold storage plants belong to foreign capital. And it is 423 === [PDF page 447] === these capital investment-holders, together with the big landowners and large-scale cattle merchants, the people who uphold the colonial regime and the distortion of natural resources reflected in our economy, who still directly or indirectly, govern our country. It is the flow of immigration which has peopled and cultivated our fields, But Spanish colonisation, backward, feudal, of a type dominated by a system of huge estates, has created land monopolies: concentrated in the hands of only a few people. The oligarchy of big landowners has given over our national economy to the service of foreign capital, particularly to the interests of British capitalism, which has reaped tremendous gains. It is this structure of our economy which, while earlier. giving. ‘an impression of rapid progress, bears in reality the main responsibility for the backward state of our country. It is the working class which suffers the gravest consequences of these evils, in this staie of economic dependence and backwardness. The working class faces terrible problems in health, food questions, housing, unemployment and education. And in the working class, who is it who suffers. the most cruelly from these evils, if not the mothers and children? The immense Argentine territory, with a population of 16 million only, stretches from the subtropical zone, right to the cold Antarctic zone. In this enormous expanse of country, there is immense natural wealth, the major part of which is untapped, not rendering sufficient, tetum for a good life for the people. Throughout the country, this great contrast between this natural wealth and the dire poverty of the people is continually encountered. What a contradiction! In the Argentine producer of meat, cereals and fruit, there are hundreds of famished children, who do not know and never taste milk, meat or fruit. When they reach the age of 20 years, 50% of these debilitated children are declared unifit im the medical examinations for military service. In the interior of the country, children, as a result of malnutrition, are underdeveloped, underweight and smalj, and mentally backward. In this way, generation after generation is undermined by endemic diseases, epidemics and hereditary defects, aggravated by the miserable hygienic conditions in which they grow up.. The children’s systems suffer from bad housing, conditions, promiscuity, lack of light, space, and hygiene. The housing problem has reached tragic proportions, being piofound, widespread in every part of the country. In the towns there are,,Cconventillos", single rooms to let; where parents and children of different ages and sex live all herded together, and sometimes different families live together in one room. 424 === [PDF page 448] === In the interior of the country, parents, gradparents, little chil-- dren and domestic animals live together in-,ranches", poverty— stricken hovels, built of wood, clay, straw, etc., which have neither ~ doors or windows and lack the most elementary sanitations. Thousands of children are born and grow up under these miserable conditions. We have no protection of childhood in its medicalsocial aspect in our country, and infantile mortality has: reached" a very high percentage, particularly in the interior of the country. Almost a quarter of the population of the Republic is concentrated in the city of Buenos-Aires and its surrounding areas, thedevelopment here showing a marked contrast with the rest of the ccuutry, The infantile mortality figure is 45,000 up to the age of” one year. In the provinces, this figure reaches 150,170 and even: goes up to 200,000 sometimes. We have no overall-figure for intantile mortality. According to statistics of recent years, the principal cause of* infantile mortality are as follows: Contagious diseases, tuberculosis, syphilis 10% of child deaths Congenital diseases, 1890 ane " Acute diseases of the respiratory organs 15%,,,, a Clinics for babies and medical centres for children exist only ~ in the federal capital and a few important towns and centres, but” are very few in number. In the capital with a population of 3 million, there are between 20 and 25 functioning. In the most out-of-the-way and isolated places, regular medical* assistance for young children does not exist. Children with congenital weaknesses, children of tubercular mothers or alcoholic fathersare doomed before birth; if they live, they grow up undér miserable conditions and swell the legion of rickety, anaemic and sicklychildren, culminating in a pitiful adolescence. For the solution of the serious health problems of the babies, the Union of Argentine Women demands: 1) The creation everywhere throughout the country, in the towns, in the villages and in the countryside, of pre-natal clinics. 2) Maternity hospitals with ambulance services to ensure timely: transport for the mothers, above all in the countryside, when the maternity hospitals are a long way off. 3) The application of the system of leave before and after confinement, provided for in the Law number 11933. The extension of” the law providing for special subsidies for large families to all the mothers of the country. 4) The creation of a network of Infant Welfare Centres to» ensure medical aid for children and mothers. if town and country; 425. === [PDF page 449] === :a system of Health Visitors to give help in the home for the hygiene “of mother and child. 5) Creation of day nurseries throughout the country for mothers who work, and the application of law Number 11,317 with reference ‘to the provision of day nurseries by factories where women work. 6) Mass construction of houses at low rentals, convenient and ‘sunny, in all areas of town and country; the development of playing parks for children, and the creation of playing fields throughout the country. In order that all these needs of the children shall be considered as a right, we demand: that a ‘code covering all these problems of the child and the family be inserted in the Argentine Constitution. The position of the child below school age: The social welfare and education of the child below school age has not received serious attention by the State. In this question our country is astonishingly and shamefully backward. This period from 3 to 6 years of age, is very important in the child's life from the point of view of physical and mental health. It is then that the ‘harmonious development of his personality begins, It is this period which can decide his future. The physical and moral care which he receives at this age must prepare him for a beneficial assimilation af the knowledge given to him at the primary school. The attention which must be given to children of this age is a grave problem for mothers who work, and must leave their children behind them, Obviously this ‘must have a bad effect on their nutrition and expose them to the unhealthy influence of the ‘streets. In our country day nurseries, which play such a large part in the solution of this problem, are very limited in number. In the federal capital, with its enormous child population, there are only 14 day nurseries, and in the province of Buenos Aires, the richest of the Argentine provinces, caly 9 day nurseries function. A few teachers’ training colleges and private educational establishments, secular and religious, have day nurseries attached to them, but. the children of the poorer section of the population do not benefit by them. As regards school canteens, only 24 exist in the city of Buenos Aires, attended by 6,484 children. Apart from that, a Committee for Aid to school children exists, initiated in 1938, which according to official publications allocates 300,000 pesos every month to the feeding of poor children in the anterior of the country. According to the statistics 185,000 have meceived this.aid, which represents an average of 1.8 pesos per 426 === [PDF page 450] === smonth per child. But what can a child eat on 1.8 pesos per month, ‘when one meal alone costs 2-3 pesos? The number of holiday camps is also very low. During the last few years, 5 have been in operation; one by the seaside, another by ‘the river, and three in the hills. The Union of Argentine Women demands for children of school -age: ' a) Day nurseries and school canteens in all parts of the city of Buenos-Aires as well as in all towns and villages, with qualified staffs, providing three meals a day. b) Preventive and medical attention in all these establishments, “including the necessary medical supplies. c) A first-aid service. Teaching and education: The law on primary education, otherwise, Law number 1420, “was the democratic and liberal law which founded free compulsory, secular education. It has been the driving force of primary education in the Argentine Republic for 60 years. Primary education, which was the privilege of the few, became, by virtue of this law, the most effective weapon against illiteracy, This great work of civili- “sation begun by the fine statesman Sarmiento, has recently slackened its efforts, as can be seen from the 1938 statistics, which set the figure of children not receiving instruction at one million. The ‘fairly low percentage of illiteracy in the federal capital and the Yarge industrial centres, proves nothing. The index for the interior of the country is very high, and in some provinces reaches 60 and -even 80 per cent. At the present time, 2 million children attend state and private primary schools. It can therefore be seen that there is an average of 33% of illiteracy, a very high figure compared with more advanced countries where illiteracy is very low, or even does not exist. One of the causes of illiteracy, apart from the living conditions “of the poorest sections of the population, is the lack of schools and of means of transport in the countryside. In our country lack of clothing, the impossibility of buying scholar's equipment, the need to work at the lowest possible age, coupled with ill health, prevent a million children from enjoying the benefits of instruction. — The restricted figure of children attending school aggravates the problem of illiteracy. It is also increased by the hard and tragic conditions of life which are the lot of the population, of isolated eareas, In the federal capital 27% do not remain at the primary sschool for the full period of school years, in the countryside 87% 427 === [PDF page 451] === do not do so. Out of 100 children, 13 finish only their elementary studies, and thus hundreds of thousands of semi-illiterates are added to the millions of illiterates. At the present time, education in the Argentine in going through a crisis, Law Number 1420 on primary education, the pride of our legislation, is being attacked by the reactionaries. Parliament has recently voted in favour of an Act which suppresses secular education and replaces it by Catholic religious. education in all the schools, More, the Under Secretary for Education is at present in Spain, where he is studying the organisation of the Phalangist schools in order to reproduce their methods in our country, Democratic liberalism, introduced into the primary school by the great leader Sarmiento and continued by his successors, has been replaced by dogmatism and clerical fascist influence. The deterioration of the primary school is therefore taking place. These facts support the affirmation that this is a first step in leading the country away from the democratic path. The leaders of State education, while inspired by Franco and the Phalangists, under the cloak of,,Pan-Hispanism", claim to belong to the shameful pro-imperialist Third Force. It is they who have contributed to the first gains of reactionary and warlike imperialism towards the application of its general plan of domi-. nation. The Union of Argentine Women demands: — that the law on religious education shall be suppressed and that the law 1420 shall be once more put into operation. — that education in the schools shall be based on the example of the great patriots, and-that historical facts shall be respected in teaching. ‘ — that the number of schools in town and country shall be increased, that the buildings shall be suitable, with well-paid qualified staffs, — schools for backward, abnormal and mentally deficient children shall be created, serving also to re-educate child delinquents by scietific methods of teaching which will not use prison: methods. -— the creation of teams of health workers, to visit the countryside and working-class areas. — the construction of children's hospitals, above all in theinterior of the country. 428 === [PDF page 452] === — equality of all children in the eyes of the law, whatever they may be, legitimate or illegitimate, to protect children's morals and to put an end to the odious discrimination between them. — the prohibition of child labour. We have here presented the whole picture of the position of children in our country, the causes of the evils which affect them, and the efforts of the Union of Argentine Women to ensure their happiness.: We proclaim our ardent desire to unite with all the women “of the world to prevent a new war from destroying our homes. We reject the war plans of imperialist circles led by the United States of North America, who seek to lead us into a new war, and we ‘are determined to prevent our children being made into cannon fodder to defend interests which are not those of free and progressive humanity Madame IRENE FALCON (SPAIN) The women of Paraguay have sent to Congress, through the interinediary of the Argentine delegation, information in which they telate how ihey live under the: terrorist regime imposed on their ‘country and supported by the American imperialists. They tell how women are imprisoned. They speak of-the inhuman exploitation of ‘the wcmen and children of Paraguay. And they ask Congress to send a leleqram to the Government of Paraguay, demanding that terror against democialic men and women of that Republic shali cease The President;roposes to the Congress that, considering the “difficulties under which the women of Paraguay are fighting (they Were not abie to send a delegate to this Congress but are represented by the Argentine delegates) that their information shall be ‘included in the verbatim report of Congress, and that a telegram of protest shall be sent to the Government of Paraguay, demanding that the terror exercised against the patriots of his Republic of Latin America shall cease. Telegram of protest: To the President of Paraguay. In the name of 81 million women of 51 countries, the delegates of the Second Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation, meeting in Budapest, addressing themselves to the 429 === [PDF page 453] === Government of Paraguay, demand that the ill-treatment inflicted on. political prisoners shall cease, and that the numerous women. imprisoned without trial shall be set free. Eugénie Cotton President of the Women's International Democratic Federation. Madame CHANA GURFINKEL (ISRAEL) One of the principal aims of this Congress is to develop democratic women's organisations in all countries, so that women can then learn from each other's results, and exchange their ‘experiences. of struggle. In this connection, I want briefly to enumerate the struggles. and results of the democratic women's movement in Israel. Our fight for the achievement of socialism differs from the struggles of the other countries of the world, because we have noneed to overturn an old regime, but work on a new basis. The State of Israel did not begin its struggle for independence on December 29th, 1947, but 50 years before that, when the first * Pioneers arrived in our country. ik Women laid the bases of our country, together with the men, and they took part in the draining of marshes, the construction of roads, and the improvement of spoilt and neglected land. The greatest achievement of the women of Israel are the 200 communes with 60,000 members which form a vast network in the: State of Israel, from the Syrian frontier to that of Egypt. In these communes, women are freed from the slavery of household routine and take part in the life and the leadership of the Commune on the same footing as the men and together with them, In these communes ‘the education of our children begins on the day of their birth, as the responsibilty of the community. But we ate no less proud of the fact that during the last 10 years our country has been able to receive nearly 100,000 motherless. and fatherless children, ensuring them education and work. The women of Israel, and above all the democratic and revolutionary women, take an active part in the struggle of our country for its independence. They are to be found on all fronts, even in aviation. And we can also state that, as in the Soviet Union during the great patriotic war, it is only the sacrifice of the women of Israel that has assured steady production, We are conscious of the responsibility which we bear towards. the Arab women, languishing in veritable slavery, and oppressed 430 === [PDF page 454] === by the feudal regime of the Near East. That responsibility obliges. us to show the way to and help the Arab women, We democraticwomen of Israel stretch out our hand to the oppressed women of the Arab countries and appeal to them to organise as we do and fight against the imperialists who endanger our lives, and against” the instigators of war. The delegate who spoke before me expressed sorrow that she had, not heard the people of Israel mentioned among those who fight. against the imperialists. We know well that this Congress does not underestimate the struggle of our nation and we know well why our nation, which makes great efforts and sacrifices in the struggle against the imperialists, cannot be yet counted among those countries in the leadership of the struggle. The policy of the majority of the Government of Israel is a great obstacle in the path of our people's struggle. This government tries to come toterms with our enemy, American imperialism, behind the backs of our people. We fight with all our strength against this two-faced’ policy, and we emphasise the true desires of our people, who have not only learnt to hate the British imperialists but to hate imperialist oppression in all its forms. We try to earn the confidence and esteem which the other countries fighting for their independence enjoy as their rightful due, by a continuous struggle. It is not long since, during the rule of British imperialism (30° years) the Jewish working women and youth along with their Arab counterparts had no legal protection at all; om the contrary it was those same British authorities who set the example in the exploitation of forced labour for women and children. In the national budget, only an insignificant amount was allocated to social, cultural and” health institutions — about 38% — of which the major part was utilised for the upkeep of prisons and police. At the same time, the American imperialists of the oil trusts exploited the wealth of our country without paying a cent, without tax or having to give anything in exchange. The British imperialists left us with a difficult heritage as: regards the social problems of women and children. A hard task confronts us, because Jewich capitalists are making efforts to continue this tradition. In this fight, the democratic British and American women have the duty to help us with all their strength, but up to the present, ~-we have not felt that such help is being given. Really sincere and powerful support has come to us from the Soviet Union and the New Democracies. We are eternally qrateruls to them. 43h. === [PDF page 455] === Those who do not fight against the fact that thousands of Jews ~who have survived the gas chambers are deported to the camps in the island of Cyprus by the Bevin government, should be ashamed ©of themseles. We call upon the democratic women of Britain to raise their voices and to fight against this contempt of international ‘law shown by their Government. The truly international solidarity of this Congress will give us new strength and increase our ardour in the struggle. We know that in the fight we pursue for the independence of our nation against imperialism and its lackeys, we have behind us the solidarity of the great Soviet Union.and the democratic women of the world. Long live the. women of the nations of the world who fight for ‘freedom!. Long live: the Hungarian People’s Democracy and the Union of ‘Dcmocratic Hungarian Women! Madame GIOVANNA BARCELLONA {ITALY) The living conditions of children in our country are determined by the present political situation, by the social and economic conditions under which the Italian people live, and by the fact that the class Government, composed of Christian Democrats, right wing Socialists and Republicans, considers child aid only as an instrument of political enslavement. Each hard-won victory in this situation is “the result of the struggle-of the Italian women, whether it be carried on against the indifference and the opposition of the Government ‘or agaist the domination of such child aid by Christian Democrat or clerical organisations. Since 1947, tne,,b'ack" Government has carried on a systematic campaign of sabotage egainst the democratic organisations which are concerned with child aid, and, by means of the Vatican's Commission of Assistance, its money, its priests and nuns, through the network of a power.ul organisation, it tries to fetter the free development of a new form of people’s aid, because it sees in it a menace to ifs monopolising policy. The Vatican Assistance Commission has the extraordinary privilege of operating in Italy without -any Italian control,“even although the Government allocated 62:4% of State funds for child aid to this institution, as well as the monopoly in distributing help provided by other countries (food supplies, medical aid, clothing,.money, etc.). And what is even worse, all these means have not been employed in giving assistance alone. Part of them — a fact which has been denounced in Parliament by the opposition — have -been used for the electoral propaganda of 432 === [PDF page 456] === Mme JEANNETTE VERMEERSCH (France) Member ‘of the Council of the W.S.D.F. Member of the Executive Committee === [PDF page 457] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 458] === the Party which won the majority, while the workers, a prey to ever-increasing poverty, must stili deduct something from their Meagre wages to provide a holiday by the sea or in the mountains for the children who need it! The anti-popular and anti-democratic policy of our Governtent, a policy obviously confirmed by the budget figures of some ‘of the ministries, continually worsens the conditions of our children The Government has assigned about 9 million lira to the High Commission for Public Health and Hygiene, which must provide health facilities for 46 million Italian citizens. That means 202.78 lira per year for each Italian, while the budget of the War Ministry allocates 262 billion for its expenditure. 37 billion lira are allocated to the police, that police force of the reactionary Home Office employed against the workers fighting to defend their work and ‘wages, While for the protection of maternity and children, the Government has allocated 2% billion for the year 1948, raised to 4 billion only as a result of the battle fought by the opposition ‘deputies. If it is remembered that in Italy there are about 4 million children under three years of age, and about 5 million mothers in ‘need of assistance, it is possible to get some idea of the conception of the Christian Democratic Government on the question of maternity and child aid. i i. As a result, from lack of equipment and the necessary means ‘to obtain it, it is particularly the rural population and that of Southern Italy and the islands, where the need is especially acute, which are deprived of assistance. The figures speak with obvious eloquence; child mortality up to the age of one year: 95.1 per thousand live births in Northern Italy; 120.9 per thousand in the islands of Italy; 130.3 per thousand in ‘Southern Italy with the highest peaks in Taranto, Catania, Reggio Calabria, Brenza, Bergamo. The causes of such high mortality must be sought in diseases ‘due to premature births, nutrition troubles, and congenital weakness; diseases which have their origin in the bad feeding of mothers and children, in lack of hygiene, and housing, in the enormously hight unemployment among Italian workers. 2,500,000 unemployed; this means 2 million families: without bread, millions of children deprived of necessities of life and health The highest mortality is among illegitimate children, the number of whom increases by about 25,000 each year. and who, despite the 78 433 === [PDF page 459] === fight of the democratic women, are not legally on a par with legitimate children in the Italian republican Constitution, precisely om ‘account of the opposition of the Christian Democratic majority, who support an inhuman and retrograde conception which penalises these innocents and brands them with social inferiority, In this situation, the democratic organisations of our country must not only fight against objective difficulties, but also against the mentality typical of our women who, because of our backward social relations, and as a result of anti-democratic ideologies fostered by the clergy, are led to think that their only task is housework. Where successes have been wen in convincing them little by collective national duty of the country has begun to penetrate the consciousnes of Italians, particularly among the women. Our children little on the basis of concrete problems, that to interest themselves in social questions depending on politics means to defend their own homes and families, we have had admirable results. Thanks to the work of the advanced women, in the place of the old idea of charity and philantropy, the conception is being substituted that assistance is the right of all children but that, to win these rights, the struggle of the mothers is indispensable. By the united action of the Union of Italian Women and other democratic organisations, the conception that the protection of children is a represent the nation's future; the progress of our people will depend on their physical, intellectual and moral ‘development. Italian women, through their experience of participation in the struggle to win democratic rights, and their economic and _ social demands, are acquiring an ever-growing certainty that it is only under the reign of democracy and peace that the bread, the safety and the future of their children can be guaranteed. Under the aegis of the Union of Italian Women, the forms of struggle for the defence of the rights of children have been intensified throughout the country, Mothers have demonstrated everywhere: in Naples, Rome, Padua and Treviso; by mass action they have forced the prefecture to give summer aid. In Milan, the procession of 4,000 children carrying a poster, with a picture of an enormous head of an ass with the inscription,,We do not want to become. like him” obliged the authorities to hasten to restere school buildings to their rightful owners — the scholars. Or, yet another example, the fight against the anti-democratic and anti-popular Governments is carried on by helping the children of strikers, prisoners workers arrested for striking. Families in Mantua, Bologna and Florence on the initiative of the National Trade Union Aid Committee, have received the children 434 === [PDF page 460] === of the murdered. Sicilian Trade unionists; the children’s home run by the National Association for child Aid has received hundreds of children of workers arrested in Andria, Abradia, San Salvatore, Civita Castellana, etc, But it is in the direction of international solidarity that actions has had its greatest effect. ‘The sending of Italian children to Bulgaria has discountenanced the Minister for Home Affairs so much that it has got to the point where. dowright lies have been told with the aim of belittling the political importance of this activity. This type of activity must be developed on an ever-increasing scale; it has the aim of giving the workers confidence in the active sympathy of their brothers all over the world, and the certainty that they are not alone in the fight. Dear friends, the Italian children have many enemies: disease, poverty, hunger, the reformist and Social Democratic ministers, but today we think that their most dangerous enemies are all those who want war, and those who do not fight for peace and democracy. However, confronting these reactionary forces, enemies of humanity, there are millions of women, represented by the delegates at this Congress whom we view with confidence; united in our will to peace, we constitute the surest guarantee of our children’s future in work, in happiness and in peace, Long live the Second Women's International Congressl. Madame PIERRETTE FORNELLI (FRANCE} The problem of the children is very serious and fills us with anxiety. It occupies the first place in the attention of the women of our organisation, It is very serious because it is bound up with the economic situation of our country. It fills us with anxiety because the measutes which are taken to protect the child and to assure his normal development are neither sufficient nor stable. And also, because our system of health services and Social Welfare is too old. Directives emanate from too many Ministries (Health, National Education, Labour Justice) the services are badly coordinated, divergent in their methods and conceptions, The measures no longer fulfil the needs of the working mother, nor do they respect the equality of children’s rights. In the first place the economic situation of our country makes it impossible to give the child adequate naurishement, suitable housing conditions, a general, cultural, moral. and trade training 435 === [PDF page 461] === suitable to his conditions and aptitudes, or a complete system of Health Services, The necessary credits to carry out this protection are very small. They have become smaller to the benefit of war credits. In 1947, war credits were Taised to 400 billion francs, and health credits to 17 billion. The credits for reconstruction have been also reduced. Our health and social facilities are governed by important laws. and regulations which cannot be carried out on account of lack of means or authority. For example: scholastic obligations are not respected, The protection of children from moral danger is often ineffective. The protection of children in danger of tubercular infection is imperfect. The milk supply in France is a terrible problem, and causes great anxiety because the lives and health of our young children depend upon its swift and happy solution more than upon anything else, At a time when births have reached 900,000 in 1947 instead of the 500,000 before the war, one cannot be content to see infantile mortality increase in the same proportion, because it has almost doubled and it is known what a part gastro-enteritis, due to the bad quality of the milk, has played in this mortality. Energetic control, based on cerefully studies standards is more than ever essential. There is not nearly sufficient condensed milk, since the French condensed milk factories do not produce sufficient quartities (Marshall Plan) and the import of it from the United States has stopped. We suffer once again the consequences of German occupation and the Vichy administration which allowed a black market to develop in products indispensable to children’s health. Women's organisations, the Union of French Women and the C.G.T. fight uncearingly, and have already won results in a better allocation of rations, Other problems exist as regards the older children. The reform of education, the work of our great scientist Paul Langevin, is not yet in operation, Langevin had such a love and respect for science that he wanted to make wide culture available to all gifted young people whatever their origin: a sentiment of equality and brotherly humanity. Too many children need re-education in classes for backward children and medico-education institutions. The proportion of backward and unstable children is increasing considerably. The means at our disposal are insufficient to prevent the difficulties in 436 === [PDF page 462] === their early stages, and therefore we are preparing for the future men who will never be qualified for any profession. There are large numbers of adolescents who have not been able to get admission to the Trade Training Centers of which large numbers were closed in 1947, following the reduction of the existing budget by a Socialist Minister. This is a great anxiety to the mothers, who have so many aspirations for their children. At the same period, the reactionary Minister of Health made decrees which will allow large subsidies to go to the Family Allowances Funds of private and reactionary institutions. There are also too many adolescents going before the courts; the wise and humane laws are useless, because good re-education establishments and financial means are not available. Finally, the apparatus of our health and social welfare services is too complicated. Too many private services are involved to which welfare workers are attached who work without coordination with methods which are not controlled, They have a spirit of paternalism which families find unpleasant, Following the liberation of our country, a great wave of democratic feeling allowed our Minister of Labour, Ambroise Croizat, to put the Bill of Social Security before the Chamber in 1945. In its essential principles, this new Act, which was passed, guaranteed the health and the future of the worker, the mother and the child, It gave also the right of control to every insured person, the right to take part in the direction of the Social Security Boards, by which means we should be able to bring about the reform of health and social welfare facilities, The women in our organisations, the Union of French Women, and in our Trade Union Congress have made great efforts to make known the advantages of this new Act, and to defend it. It was in this connection that they protested against the decision which has just been taken by our Government to take away the family allowances of the miners on strike. The women do not fail to denounce the weaknesses of our services. They are vigiland and active in forcing through just demands. They were active when Jeannette Vermeersch in the National Assembly won the right to maternity benefit for ummaried mothers. The women of the Trade Union Congress, the Union of French ‘Women, women of all shades of opinion, were active and united on the question of obtaining an allowance for our small scholars at the 437 === [PDF page 463] === beginning of the school year to enable them to get schor’s equipment and to be properly dressed. The Union of French Women, in its programme, adopted at its second National Congress in May 1947, lays clearly the basis of a practical plan, which will give well-being and security to working mothers and children. It is clear from this planthof it is not eough to strengthen our health and social welfare legislation, but that a Government of Democratic Unity alone will create in sufficient numbers, with the most modem methods, all the establishments, laboratories, children's homes, trade training centres and health centres needed, ans will make them function under its real authority. The women are absolutely determined to fight courageously, to unite more and more for the development of happy families in a free and prosperous France and in a world at peace. Madame MARIA ARGUELLES (CUBA) The Condition of Children in Cuba The Cuban Constitution, as far as it was possible to obtain it in the Constitutional Assembly of 1940, is fundamentally a progressive Law dictated by sacial responsibility. In the first part of it there are considered many precepts concerning the protection of infancy from the beginning of pregnancy. However, many articles of the Constitution are not put into practice, sometimes because the legislation through Which the application and functioning of constitutional precept must be regulated simply does not exist, and sometimes because existing laws are evaded or ignored. Allowances for children are. for instance, not very often obtained. infancy and youth are not, in fact, protected, as Article 45 establishes,, against exploitation and moral and maternal abandonment". If obligatory repose for the mother before and after confinement is carried out in Cuba, the nursing intervals for the mother during the working day, as prescribed by law, are not often carried out, The scholarships which the State allows to young of,,outstanding vocation and aptitude’ are extremely scarce and generally given through political pressure and not because of true merit and. need. Article 51, which establishes that all instruction must be. inspired »by a spirit of Cuban patriotism and human solidarity” is daily violated by private schools under foreign direction — generally 438 === [PDF page 464] === religious orders — which are using books of an operily fascist, anti- Cuban, and moreover, anti-pedogogical character. Beggary among children, their over-crowded living conditions in the native slums, illiteracy, the lack of sanitary facilities for babies are, in Cuba, despite constitutional precepts, hateful and deplorable realities, In spite of the fact that Cuban laws concerning minors are incomplete and inefective, and that existing institutions for children do not suffice to satisfy national needs, a strict application of the laws and honest administration of the institutions could considerably improve the condition of children. ° Against such improvement conspire the chronically disorganized administration of the State of Cuba — considerably aggravated in the course of the past four years under the present government, the technica] inaptitude of most of the government officials, the official indifference to problems of childhood, the high degree of corruption which reigns in the state bodies where mishandling of state funds is a common practice. The Cuban Ministry of Education has been, during the last two years, the special haven of political gangsters and organized bands of public fund thieves. Credits for school lunches, for scholarships, for maintenance of institutions as important as the College City of Ceiba del Agua, for the purchase of school equipment have vanished — embezzled down to the last cent. The ministry of Education is today in an economic and pedagogical chaos unprecedented in the entire history of Cuba, _ Enormous credits' have been granted to organisations whose work laqs far behind their economic possibilities. This is the case, among others, of the National Corporation of. Public Assistance which spends each month — not counting the part of the budget used to pay their workers —- 250,000 dollars for social assistance. ‘With special lotteries and other methods, that body has spent more than § million dollars in the past year. Thus, Cuban children suffer the consequences of the situation to which the entire Cuban people is subjected: undernourishment caused by the absolute control by black marketeers of the essential food items, especially meat and milk; the shortage of housing and ‘the tremendous rise in rents — which in turn leads to the unsanitary ‘conditions in which the children live; the unsanitary state of the facilities in the refineries; the precarious situation of the Cuban peasants and the high incidence of diseases caused by intestinal paresites and tuberculosis which exists in Cuba. 439 === [PDF page 465] === Besides these conditions, principally due to the general lack of hygiene and sanitation, there are other essential problems whicl affect Cuban children: 1. Racial discrimination. In spite of the fact that raciat discri-~ mination is forbidden by Article 20, of the constitution which states, vAll Cubans are equal before the law, the Republic does not recognise exemptions or privileges; all discrimination based on sex, colour, race, class is declared illegal and punishable; the law wil! establish penalties against persons who are transgressors of this precept" — racial discrimination exists against children as well as other sections of the Cuban population, This discrimination is not practised officially in the schools,.and sports centres of the State, even thorgh certain teachers are guilty of it, but it is practised frankly and openly — in full knowledge and With the toleration of the State — in all of the private schools of the country. Negro children are, in fact, refused admission to the private schools under one pretext or another. Faced with this problem, which arouses the protest of the Negro people and other native groups, as well as all the representatives of democratic thought in Cuba, the State closes its eyes and does. nothing. 2. Insufficient Number of Schools and Centres of Public Assistance. (Health and Economic Bodies) In the magazine,,Bohemia” of November 14, 1949, Professor Herminie Portell Vila writes, in an article entitled,,Cuban Schools”, that there are 154 secondary schools in Cuba attended by 15,000 pupils between 13 and years of age, instead of the 200,000 children of that age who should attend. (At present, says the article, 40% of all Cubans are illiterate). In, the same magazine, in September, 1948, Dr. Martha Garcia Ochoa writes’ that for the 960,000 children who should attend public schools, there are only 20,00 teachers: 4,205 in rural areas for 672,00 children; 15,831 in the cities for the 288,000 children in those areas. These figures show clearly the neglected state of instruction, especially in the countryside. In another article by the same author in October 3, 1948 issue of the same magazine, statistics from the office of the Department of School Hygiene of the Ministry of Education were as follows: Dental Caries, 96% among school children Intestinal Parasite diseases 80% in urban areas {except Havana, where the figure was. 67%) and 96% in rural areas; Tuberculosis, 68% in wealthy quarters such as Verdado in Havana, 98% in poor districts such as in Luvano, 440 === [PDF page 466] === situated in the Province of Havana; Gland Diseases, 38%; Diseased: ' Tonsils and Adenoids, 25%. Weak Eyes, 17%, Heart Diseases, 3%. These figures were the results of 10 years of research work on thestate of health of school children. Illiteracy and improved health standards require energetic measures and an increase in the number of Public Health and Assistance Centers. 3. The Absence of Special Legislation for Children. The draft of a Law (Code) for Children has been outlined by a Commission named’ by the government for this purpose, but the proposed Code has not only been legislated, but has not been submitted for public knowledge and discussion. There is at present, a drive on in the Congress of the Republic to pass a law which will put into force Article 193 of the Constitution which imposes the establishing of special courts for minors. The draft laws are all poor for a basic reason: the character of thecondemnations implicit in all tribunals proposed fails to take into account the fact that minors who come before the courts are not criminals and fails to provide features for their protection and education by the State. Such courts, as we have pointed out, must not be actual criminal’ courts, but centers of education, rehabilitation etc. for minors. The best solution would be to modify the Constitutional Articles calling for establishment of courts and impose, instead, councils for the | protection of children, conduct clinics or centres of orientation; that | means, bodies which would be under the supervision of psychiatrists, educators, psychologists, health workers and social workers who would work to do away with the ideas of transgression of the law, sanction etc., which imply antiquated, anti-scientific conceptions: of children as socially guilty. 4. Proposals and Conclusions, This delegation concludes and proposes to this Congress the special points which the Congress of Women must consider because of their importance for children not only in Cuba, but on an international scale: 1. The fight against the reign of black markets which condemn the children of the poor and middle class sections of society to hunger and undernourishment, 2. The fight for the construction of dwellings for workers, for the improvement of agricultural working conditions, for the: establishing of sanitary lodgings for the unemployed, for cheaper housing and for those measures which will prevent. 441 === [PDF page 467] === further depravation of children and moral disintegration in slums, 3. The fight for improvement of edi cation in rural sections, especially in agricultural countries such as Cuba, and for improvement in educational centres of every kind, - 4, Special campaigns in tropical and sub-tropical countries against parasitism and infantile tuberculosis and study of the preventative application of remedies such as the Calmette vaccine,: - 5, An energetic crusade against racial discrimination, 6. A campaign for unified, secular, democratic and rightly nationalistic schools, 7. Promulgation of special laws for minors in every countrie where these do not exist, a Code for Children, substitution of children’s courts by centers for reeducation and wiping out of the nations of crimes, sentences and punishment, 8. Extension of the benefits of maternity laws for working women in cities and in country areas, 9, Obligatory establishment. of nurseries for children of working mothers in-all important industrial’ and commercial enterprises,; 10. Increase in the number of boarding schools and official institutions of Social Assistance for children without means; incre- - ase in the number of parks and playgrounds in cities,. Urbanization and establishment of nurseries in refineries and other places of agricultural and industrial exploitation, . 12. Strict observance of laws protecting pregnant women, 13. Observance of international laws forbinding child labour. Forward, women of the world! Let us take our place in the great battle for peace and democracy. Let us strengthen the rank and file within the W.LD.F, Let us work for the happiness of women all over the world, that happiness which the people -of the glorious Soviet Union already enjoy. Let us fight for the installation of new democracies in all dependent and colonial nations, for their liberation from feudal slavery which oppresses men’ and women all over the world. Let us be united in our efforts to break the capitalist yoke which robs the peasants of their land, the youth of its right to education and brings war to the peoples, Madame NYIRI SANDORNE (HUNGARY} Dear delegates to the Congress, I would like to give an outline of the condition of children in Hungary. 442 === [PDF page 468] === Tt is a great joy and happiness to be a child in the People’s Republic of Hungary, which is already advancing on its way to. Socialism, We have every reason to say that for our children, for the coming’ generation of worker's and peasants’ children, who have hitherto been barred from opportunities for learning, there are now unlimited possibilities. It is good to remember the great changes that have taken place in this country since the end of the war of Jibetation by the Soviet Union. In 1945, we began the reconstruction of our country amid starvation, vermin and the threat of epidemics. The rate of infant mortality was 28.9 per cent that year and reached as much as 50 per cent in some districts of Budapest. Within the brief period of three and a half ‘years, we have succeeded in bringing down the rate of infant mortality to 10 per cent, which is lower than the minimum figure ever recorded during the reactionary Horthy regime. In Budapest, the picture is even better, for the average rate there is only 6.9 per cent. ‘We are firmly determined to decrease further the infant mortality rate, both in the countryside and in Budapest. Our People’s Democracy has guaranteed the full equality of women, but this cannot be put into effect without relieving women -of the burden under which they are now living. Within the frame- ‘work of our three-year plan, an extensive network of maternity clinics, district health centres. post-natal clinics, créches, kinder- -gartens and day nurseries is gradually being built. There are -already 1,600 kindergartens for 150,000 children operating through- -out the country. In the framework of the three-year plan, 1500 new, up-to-date kindergartens will be built. For us, the peasant women, it is a great joy and comfort that the government takes care of our children. Social Security services have already been extended to small-holders who own less than -5 Hungarian acres. In 1945, in line with the suggestions of our Union, temporary summer day nurseries for children of agricultural workers were set up. This year, 1500 such day nurseries were operating and caring for 120,000 children. All these are run by the : ‘State, but gur Union. organises and sponsors them. Our members -cultivate. the estates belonging to these day nurseries and we have obtained Social Assistance measures for the day nurseries, maternity -clinics, health centres and kindergartens which will be built under the three-year plan. f 3 At present, a general health examination of school children is ‘being carried on and will be repeated each year as called for under «a recent decree, In this work, our Union is also rendering assistance “to the Ministry of Welfare. In the factories and offices, there are 443 === [PDF page 469] === also nurseries which care efficiently for the children of working women employed there. There are more than 260 of these modern: factory day nurseries catering to nearly 15,000 children. But it is not the healthy children alone that the State and society take care of. There are also dispensaries and sanatoria for the fight aqainst tuberculosis, one of the diseases which affects most the Hungarian people. Formerly, tuberculosis was called the » Hungarian People’ Disease", because its devastation in our country was so severe and its greatest inroads were among the infant population. Homeless children cared for by the’State in children’s homes constitute a serious problem, because the need exists to improve their situation. After the liberation, there were 50,000 such homeless children in the country. Their number is now 24,000. At present, legislation is being prepared to provide for adoption of homeless children. At the same time, the children’s towns of Debrecen and Hajduhadhaza, as well as the girl's hostel on the Harshegy near Budapest, are gradually being expanded to accomodate greater numbers of children, Finally, the secuistisation of denominational schools during the: past summer, which put our educational system under a unified, democratic control, will be the best guarantee that a happy, contented, disciplined and conscious generation, loving our country, our People’s Democracy, will be reared in these schools. After the secularisation of the schools, more than 7,000 neglected and deva-. stated denominational schools were, re-conditioned, thanks to the generosity of the Hungarian people. The women of Hungary did a great share of this work. In the framework of the three-year plan, several hundred new schools will be erected. Besides this, more than 100 boarding schools for children have been opened at focal points in sparsely inhabitated rural regions. These institutions will enable children who live in remote farmsteads to attend school. Our children, our youth learn and develop, find physical and mental recreation, get vigour and strength from membership in the Popular Union of Hungarian Youth, We mothers, both in the city and country, united in the Parent-Teacher Associations that function along with the schools, give moral and material assistance to the schools and take an active part in developing the spirit of democracy in them, Both our government and society, with the help ot the mothers, shape the lives of our children and provide the means for their education and development. We wholeheartedly support. this activity. We stand guard over the mental and physical welfare of our children, We despire and fight those who still are attempting, 444. === [PDF page 470] === to poison the souls of our children, who still provoke discord and ‘disseminate rumours among them. We thus fight reactionary ‘clericalism. But with selfsacrificing love and unshattered faith in our People’s Democracy, we are working out a happy future for our -children. ‘Madame UMA RAI CHAUDHURI (INDIA) Sub, Member of the Council. Dear President and delegates, during the last world war, we heard about the atrocities inflicted on children by the Hitlerite gangs -of Germany and their lackeys. We have not forgotten that little children were kept in the living he!ls that were the concentration camps of Oswiecim and Belsen and the tortures that they were forced to undergo there through mutilation and in the frightful gas chambers, The blood of those innocent children has hardly dried up When we find the repetition of the same atrocities by the monarcho-fascists in Greece, in Franco Spain and elsewhere. The blood-brothers of the Hitlerites have compelled little Greek children ‘to be snatched away from their mothers’ breats or to pass their childhood in democracies such as Hungary, Czechoslovakia, etc. The blood of the mothers throughout the world boils at the thought of these harrowing memories and events. But I have to tell you another story — about the slow torture of children which.has been going on as a,natural” event every day for more than a century; about the sucking of blood out of the frail frames of children for the profits of the vested interests, re- ‘ducing thereby, the very life span of the nation. Such is the condition of children in India and I would like to say a few words about it to this Congress. From the report of the Labour Investigation Committee of the Government of India, we find that the total number of workers under 15 years of age in the 72 tea gardens in the Docars alone is ‘28,059, which is 25.7 per cent of the total workers. In 1943-44, the total number of child workers in the Assam and Bengal tea gardens alone, leaving out South India, was 120,959, In Gwalior, about 71 per cent of the total employed were children. In the big cities like Bombay and Calcutta, little children under 7 and 8 years are employed in factories and for cleaning the sewers. The total number of children in mica mines and factories all over India is, according to official statistics, 13,455. These,,official’ statistics are based on figures supplied by the employers and fail to reveal the true extent of child labour in India. 445. === [PDF page 471] === It would be more shocking to hear the kind of work children. have to.do and the conditions in which they work. For instance, in the mica and coal mines, the children often have to go down into the dark and risky pits to tackle jobs underground. The W.F.D.Y Commission reported that,,at tanneries. the young workers have to work in huge reservoirs containing chemical’ solutions which eat away the skin on legs and arms". In tobacco factories, they work in shops that have no ventilation and where the windows are barred as in prisons.“ In carpet factories in Sunagar, where the buildings are made of wood, latticed walls, doors and windows are pasted over with paper to shut out the biting cold. This poor arrangement causes the. eyes of the young workers to be affected. These are some examples. which show the shameful conditions in which little children are forced to work. In such conditions the childen work 10 hours a day, and on the plantations, even more — as many as 11 to 12 hours a day. In addition to these very long hours of work, there are instances of corporal punishment of children in order to exact. more work from them. Moreover, although there is a provision of about an hour for mid-day meals, the workers on the plantations, for example, are not allowed to avail themselves of this opportunity. The real extent of the exploitation of children for the profit sharks can be understood more clearly from the low wages paid to the children, For instance, on the plantations, children get 2 to 3 annas -- that is about one pence — per day. The average-monthly wage of a child working in the Docare gardens in Bengal in 1944 was less than three shillings (about 40 cents). Thus, it can be seen that child labour is so widespread in India because it is profitable for the profit sharks, The factory owners keep the adult workers’ wages below the minimum so that they send their children to work to help increase the meagre family income. Such was the shameful nature of child exploitation in India under British imperialism and even today, when we have a nationalgovernment, the situation is the same. The present Nehru government, which is dominated by Indian big bourgeoisie and monopoly interests, and which has entered into an alliance with Anglo- American imperialism has shelved the question of nationalisation of industry for another ten years. Hence, it is incapable of raising the living wages of the workers, and forces the continuation ‘of child labour, Certainly there are legal provisions prohibiting child labour below a certain age, but only on paper, The present government refuses to enforce such legislation for if it did, it would have, 446 === [PDF page 472] === to encroach on the interests of big capitalists, whom it represents. Because of its unwillingness to introduce free and compulsory education, there can be no provision for schools for these child workers, In Bombay, where only a system of night schools exists in which about 5,000 working class boys were studying, the number has diminished because of the rising cost of living and the increase in fees. On July 23, 1948, almost all of the night school students went on strike in protest against the government's sanctioning the rise in school fees. Conditions are so bad that it has become difficult even for middle-class children to continue their studies. As for peasant children, the number studying in primary classes III and IV has decreased by approximately 60%, for in the majority of cases, after class III, the children must go to work in the fields, to work together with their parents under the scorching heat of the sun in “order to try to earn enough for the family. These facts are sufficient to confirm the statement that for the Indian nation, there is no childhood. This is the sordid picture of ignorance and misery in which the future generations of a nation must pass its childhood. A clear contrast to this picture is to be found in the Soviet Union and the People’s Democracies, where the governments do their utmost to ensure a happy childhood for the children: in schools, nurseries, playgrounds. We, the Indian mothers, realise that such conditions are possible only under a government which is truly democratic, and we are fighting together with other democratic sections of the Indian Beople for the realisation of the same goals, We know that this problem is not unique for India. Such conditions of child labour exist in Latin America and throughout the colonial world. It is the duty-of mothers throughout the world to protest against the enslavement of children.and to make an effort to wipe out this blot of inhuman exploitation, We, the mothers of the nations, must see to. it that childhood is not wasted in the dingy corners of factories and workshops, instead of being spent in schools, nurseries and play-grounds. From this Congress of International Democratic Women, we, the Indian women, appeal to all democratic women throughout the world to launch a mighty movement for the abolition of child labour. Death to the imperialist enslavers of children! Long live the unity of the women of the world! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! 447 === [PDF page 473] === Madame MATYLDA SYNKOVA (CZECHOSLOVAKIA) The incorporation of women in production in every sphere will not be possible if- measures are not taken which, accompanying political and social changes, relieve women on the one hand of their cares in relation to social security and the upkeep of the family, and on the other hand permit them to combine their duties as mothers and educators with their tasks as workers and citizens. The political and social conditions which form the basis of the democratic and: popular régime in Czechoslovakia have also set forth a certain number of legal provisions which improve the standards of our invalids and old people, provide for the greatest attention to children, and as regards the position of women, put into practice-the constitutional principles of equality for women and -protection of the family. Since 1945, supplementary allowances have been granted by law to families with children; allowances which have been further raised from January | {st 1947: For the first child — 150 crowns per month.. For ten ‘children’ — 3,600 crowns per month. Apart from. this, 30 million crowns have been granted to families “supporting at least three children. An allocation of a lump sum of 1000. crowns ‘was, granted to expectant mothers in 1948. The total -amount. represented-by these allocations is 2%4 billion Czechoslovak crowns. Another measure tending to raise the standard of living of the family is the new system of income tax on wages and salaries wheYeby the non-taxable income is in proportion to the number of children: ‘Since housework is recognised as work, a tax allowance ef 500 crowns for the wife is included, without consideration of any paid work in which she may be otherwise. engaged. The Goyernment of the Republic works to ensure that all children from their earliest years shall have pleasant surroundings in a happy. community, by providing créches, nursery schools, day nurseries children’s homes and youth: centres. At the same time it relieves working mothers of the care of their children during their working hours, Before ‘the second world war, there -were nearly 200 créches At the end of 1948, that is to say, after the achievement of the two-’ year plan, there will be 300; and 600 others are provided for in the five-year plan. The nursery schools come under the jurisdiction of the new school law and must be organised everywhere where there are at least 20 children.. - 448 === [PDF page 474] === Memb. Mme MAG of the ¢ oun. Memb. of ‘the Exec. Comm. === [PDF page 475] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 476] === In 1936 we had — 1,607 nursery schools. In January 1946 we had — 4,329 with 5,590 classes. The five-year plan provides for almost 2,000 more. The youth centres constitute a particularly important institution for students and young workers. 16,450,600 crowns were spent in 1947 by the Ministry of Social Security on créches, children’s homes and daynurseries, In this action of the people, supported by the Government, our factories played their part with enthusiasm taking over the patronage of créches and nursery schools, and giving thousands of hours of work for the reconstruction of these institutions. Here the widest popular initiative was shown by the workers. Our technical experts worked out plans for the best playgrounds for children. The most luxurious villas of financial magnates were requisitioned and transformed into children’s homes. {In the interest of our children’s health, great schemes for centres for rest and recreation have been undertaken which have already been in operation since 1945, About 80,000 school children and adolescents were, to improve their health, sent to rest homes, colonies’and camps during the holidays of 1946. The State subsidy for this service is almost 36 million Czechoslovak crowns, In 1947 there were more than 100,000 children in Rest Homes. We Czechoslovak women can say to this international Assembly with full responsibility that our Democratic. People’s Republic proves by its actions that the words of the great writer Gorki,,Children are the flowers of the nation” have fallen on fruitful ground in our country, Our nation lost a great number of children and young people during the Nazi occupation. Thousands of our children are dead in gas chambers, thousands came back but very ill, and in vain we seek the children of Lidice who were carried off by the German fascists, We are fully conscious that all the measures taken in the interest of women and children, however good they may be, will be useless unless the peace of the world is assured at the same time. We cannot forget that as a result of the second world war not only millions of soldiers lost their lives, but alas: also, millions of children. It is for this reason that our gratitude goes out to the Soviet Union which has denounced the war-makers, and has thus become the defender of the children of the whole world. It is because we ourselves know suffering that we understand with all our hearts the struggle which the nations are carrying. on for freedom today. Our people have received with open arms the children of the Greek heroes who fight for their freedom, and we care for these 29 449 === [PDF page 477] === children with the greatest affection. We can assure you, the Greek women represented here, that our women bring up the children of your nation in the love of your heroic country. With the same understanding we follow the struggle of the people of China, Spain, Viet-Nam, Indonesia and Israel, because our people knows that peace is indivisible.. For a happy future for the children of the whole world, long | live the fight for a lasting peace! Long live the Women’s Interna- | tional Democratic Federation! Madame BAYA ALLAOUCHICHE (ALGERIA) Algeria is a country rich in wheat land, and there is not enough bread for Algerian workers. Algeria possesses vineyards farther than the eye can see, and wine costs 60 francs 10 centimes a litre. Because of this high price workers cannot drink it. Algeria possesses alfo iron, coal and phosphate mines, but the ‘country is practically without factories and the,,fellahs” have no fertiliser, The agricultural workers live in great poverty in,,gourbis". A hundred or so big landowners possess almost the entire amount of arable land. To give an example, I quote the case of the Geneva company which, alone, possesses 10,000 hectares and reaps high profits by exploiting the agricultural workers. In this way, the whole economy of our country is concentrated in these hands, and this is also why Algeria bears the yoke of these colonialists who live at the expense of the Algerian workers. In the towns, the conditions under which Moslem families live are terrible, and even the most elementary hygiene is not respected. The majority of Algerian women are employed in domestic service and live in slums; as for example in the Kasbah of Algiers, the very poor native quarter, where families.of 7 to 10 people live in a single low-ceilinged narrow room. Education is refused to Algerian children. More than one million five hundred thousand children do not go to school. Moslem children, 20% of the boys attend school, and only 3% of the girls. There is no National Insurance scheme for the youth. Very few hospitals or clinics are available for the use of the poorer classes. Medical organisation is also insufficient; one doctor for a village of 8000 inhabitants. Tuberculosis takes a heavy toll, and mortality is 50% among very young children. In the face of this situation, the Algerian women and mothers are becoming more and more conscious of the: part they must play in our country. The Union of Algerian Women, the only women’s 450 === [PDF page 478] === organisation, fights. for justice. and progress, and will help all. the working women of the entire country to become conscious of their téle and their responsibilities. All. Algerian women, Moslem or European, who: during the war had the same anxieties and made the same sacrifices, share the same destiny. We are confident of our success in denouncing the French Administration in its attempts to divide the population, in order to rule as it likes. In the Algerian democratic front which is solidly developing, the women will take the first place so that Algeria may advance more speedily in the ways of progress, democracy and happiness. Madame ADA ALESSANDRINI fITALY) Sub. member of the Council. (representative of the Christian Peace Movement). Dear friends, I represent, in the Italian delegation, the Christian Peace Movement, the Italian Catholic progressive Movement. Jt is precisely because of this that my friends wanted me to make this speech on the problems of child and youth education. This i8 one of the most delicate and complicated questions, and that is true not only for our country, The problems of schools and education for young people are legion and demand profound examination. However, in consideration of the short time at my disposal, I will confine myself to dealing with two questions which seem to me fundamental: 1, The real possibilities for all citizens to have access to the highest type of education and culture, and, 2. Freedom and independence of culture in relation to the oppression of capitalist reaction and the intervention of the Church. Although the Italian Republican Constitution is absolutely clear on this matter, in reality there is still much to do to ensure that the rights fundamental to a true democracy shall be guaranteed in practice in Italy. We are mortified to remark the backward situation of our workers, in contrast with the data showing what has already been done for the schools in the New Democracies and above all, in the Soviet Union. Indeed, poverty often forces parents to discontinue their children's education, because their wages are not even sufficient to clothe and feed them. In Italy, the school buildings, — large numbers of which were destroyed during the war — either have not been rebuilt, or are 451 === [PDF page 479] === still occupied by homeless families, while in the capitalist countries where so-called,,private enterprise’ dominates — cinemas, luxury shops, large cafés, are being built, but schools and houses, which tealise less profit for speculators, are not being built. And that in spite of the fact that the Italian people has demanded spiritual and cultural progress since the liberation. There are proletarian mothers who force themselves to do very hard work to ensure their children's education. There is a thirst for culture even among the poorest.and most oppressed workers. The thirst for culture is a thirst of the spirit. However, the Christian-Democrat Minister for Public Education, who as a Christian ought to feel the needs of the spirit, has no thought of satisfying this thirst for culture. But he is a lover of the temporal power of the Church rather than of the teachings of Christ, and, like all such people, he works to destroy Italian State Education, which, according to his plan, must be absorbed by the Church Schools, | This struggle between education under the domination of the Church and State non-religious education open to the sons of all citizens, whatever their religions and philosophical beliefs, is an old story in our country; at certain junctures it has even shown tragic aspects of reciprocal intolerance.. And we, progressive Catholics, must recognise that the provocation to intolerance is always started by these upholders of religious education, In fact, for them, to conquer and retain the monopoly of education has always meant to conquer and retain their temporal power which was justly destroyed by the victory of the,,Risorgimento Italiano”. We progressive Catholics are energetically opposed to the Church School which is the open door to the temporal power of the Church, We are opposed to it precisely because we are sincerely Catholic and religious. Today in Italy. the struggle against the Church School takes on above all a social and economic aspect. Indeed, the Church, in order to maintain its schools and to offer free education in them to poor pupils, is obliged, through the intermediary of the clerical parties, to demand State subsidies. The left wing deputies have fought against the granting of these subsidies and have-refused to recognise them in principle. But in practice, the Christian Democrat Government tries to win back by underhand methods the positions lost by the Clerical leadership on the democratic field of struggle.. And it is very 452 === [PDF page 480] === interesting fo see that, in these manoeuvers, we find Right Wing Socialists, the sham Republicans of Pacciardi and even the liberals, allied with the clerical supporters. But the democratic forces are vigilant. They conduct their battles by means of their active organisations, in particular through the united trade unions. Also in the domain of education, where the Clericalists were very strong, the Christian Democrat attempts to split the trade unions rebounded on the heads of the Clericalists themselves. A wide section of christian trade unionists, supporters of unity, re-- mains faithful to the Italian Trade Union Congress, and is against the splitters, and the Clerical leaders are in process of losing their monopoly in educational trade unionism. In this fight the firm continuous and clear-sighted action of progressive Christians can be decisive if it is well conducted. We, progressive Italian Christians, propose to pursue the struggle with the greatest determination and with firm confidence. And efter this Congress, "which has given us so many precious experiences, we feel stronger, because we know that in all countries, contingents of progressive Christians are fighting alongside us for the same aims and with the same confidence. CHILDHOOD IN BRAZIL Report submitted by Djanira de Castro Frenz — Sao Paulo. Even though primary instruction is theoretically granted to all children at the expense of the State, there is not a sufficient number of schools in Brazil for its child population. The disparity between the number of schools and the number of children is enormous and it explains the fact that 70% of the Brazilian people are illiterate. In the great urban centers, the number of children of either sex that attend public primary schools is approximately the same. But in proportion, as the studies advance, the number of children who attend diminish, above all, when it is children of the female sex. When they have come to the age of 10, their parents are forced, by lack of resources, to withdraw them from school and send them to look for work to aid the family. The little girls are the first to leave school; they stay at home helping with the housework, or work, still very young, in the factories or in offices or as servants. It is for these reasons that secondary teaching, excessively expensive in Brazil, is almost innaccessible to most of the poor children; the 453 === [PDF page 481] === number of boys is much greater than the number of girls. In the universities, the number of women, even though it has increased in the last few years, is extremely small. In the training colleges the number of women is, on the other hand, very large. What we have just said concerns, naturally, the cities, In the country, most of the children do not attend primary schools because there are none, 454 === [PDF page 482] === RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ON THE CONDITIONS OF CHILDREN Resolution on the Report on the Conditions of Children. After having heard the report and discussion of the delegates on the condition of children, the Second International Congress of Women notes particularly: After the second world war, a great deal was accomplished to overcome, the disastrous consequences of Nazi aggression and to improve the life of children in the USRR and in the popular democracies, that is Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Rumunia, Albania and Hungary.. In the USRR, nearly all the schools and all the hospitals, centers for infant consultation; day nurseries and kindergartens were rebuilt. Free and compulsory universal education of children was again introduced into the regions which had suffered from the occupation of Hitler's troops. All orphans have been placed in children's homes or taken in by families who are rearing them. Thanks to the rapid recovery of the housing situation, the ending of rationing, and the raised standard of living of the popu- ‘lation, general living conditions improved for children. In the Soviet Union, medical care. and hospital treatment are guaranteed to children. Every summer, millions of children go to the country or th.the young pioneer camps. In the people's democracies, thanks to the attainment of power by governments representing the inerest of the popular masses, the wounds to childhood made by the war are healing rapidly. All have taken measures which guarantee state protection of health and a democratic education for the new generation. However, in the other countries of Europe, and im the colonial and dependent countries, the conditions of children remain very bad. 455 === [PDF page 483] === The UNO data show that more than 80 million of the children of the world are badly fed and clothed, and in need of medical care. In Europe alone, 30 million children are suffering severely from lack of food and medicines, although there are large stock piles for war. Helped by the Anglo-American imperialists, the reactionary governments of Greece and Spain subject children to terror and violence, They are shot, imprisoned, and deported to desert islands. Their mothers may be shot in front of them. As a result of bombardments and shelling, thousands of Greek children are without shelter and-a good number of them are mutilated for the rest of their lives. In the colonial and dependent countries, through the fault of the imperialists and their lackeys, chronic famine and poverty, the absence of institutions to protect maternity and infancy, as well as cruel exploitation of children from 4 and 5 years on, educe children to a state of slavery and lead in many cases to sickness and death. It is a disgrace to mankind that prostitution and trade in children still exist, The Congress reports with special anxiety the offensive of reaction in the domain of child education and training. In. many countries, millions of children are deprived of the possibility of attending school, Schools are even less accessible to children belonging to the native population of colonial and dependent countries, as well as to the colored people in America. They are changing mote and more into a source of reactionary ideas and racial ideology. In the United States and England, true’science is driven out of the schools. Each day, militarism stamps to a greater extent the. system of child education and training. Schools are changed into a weapon in the hands of the imperialists for the preparation of obedient soldiers to be called in the future to conquer the world. The majority of films and literature in these countries deprave children and develop in them immoral ideas. Yearly, governments of imperialist states increase appropriations for military expenses, though they reduce’ appropriations for children's needs, neglecting the creation of the most elementary conditions for assuring the life and education of future generations. The Congress reports that the national women’s organisations have accomplished a: considerable amount to mobilize the public to help children, They were the initiators of Children's Weck. They ‘have collected money and medicine for the children who suffered from the war and fascist terror. They have succeded in leading their governments to take measures for the improvement of living conditions for children.. 456 ' === [PDF page 484] === However, in the majority of countries, the condition of children remains extremely bad. This puts all the women of the world —- indeed all progressive mankind — under obligation to raise theirvoice in the defence of children. The Second International Congres of Women all the national’ sections. of the Federation to obtain from their governments, 1°) In the sphere of child health protection and the creation of normal living conditions: a) the guarantee of a minimum livelihood to workers, a minimum sufficient to assure the feeding of their children and normal living conditions; the prohibition of employment of children under 14 years and” the recognition of such exploitation as a crime punishable by law; c) the limitation of the working day for adolescents to 6 hours, and the insuring of conditions for health protection, the organization and increase to the maximum of technical training; the organization of state children's consulation for mothers and children, children’s homes, kindergartens, the increase in appropriations for public. health protection; the creation of medical establishments for children and the instruction of free medical consultation for all children; the rooting out of the causes of juvenile deliquency; the prohibition of children's prisons; the organization of institutions for reeducation. 2°) In the sphere of education and ideological training of children: a) the introduction in all countries of free primary education in the native tongue, irrespective of the nationality, race, or economic position of a child; the creation of conditions indispensable to democratic eduadolescence by the expulsion of reactionary and _pro-fascistcation and a harmonious development through: childhood and professors and. teachers from schools and other academic institutions; the writing and circulation of really scientific text books; the prohibition of publications and movies which deprave children and voung people and cultivate gangsterism and hatred for other peoples; the development of teaching programs; c) the dissolution and prohibition of children’s and young people’s reactionary’ and pro-fascist organisations, which train: children in the spirit of militarism and racism; 457 === [PDF page 485] === d) the increase of state subsidies for the education and training of children and adolescents, The Second Women’s Congress protests against the refusal of the 'U.N.O, to grant the Federation the right of parcipation in the work of the directing organs of the International Emergency Fund for Children and the United Nations Appeal. for Children, and it invites all democratic women’s organisations to expose any use of. these funds for anti-democratic purposes, The Congress submits the proposal that the national sections celebrate annually International Children’s Day. This day will become the day for the mobilization of all social forces for aid to children. The Congress asks of the U.N.O. that it discuss the problem of the life of children and take urgent measures in order to insure the necessary conditions for the development and training of children. The Congress supports the appeal of the World Federation of Democratic Youth to the Commission on Human Rights of U.N.O. ‘concerning the drawing up of a.,,Declaration of the obligation of the State for the protection of the lives and health of children". The Congress draws the attention of all progressive people to the intorerable behaviour of.the English and American authorities who refuse to repatriate Soviet and Polish children deported by the Nazis, It protests against this strongly, and demands that the British and American governments return these children immediately to their homes, The Second Internationa] Congress of Women appeals to all who desire a peaceful future, and who do not want to see children perverted, mutilated or massacred, to support the defence of their rights and to fight to ensure a better future for them, to create for them normal conditions of life and a human and democratic upbringing. ‘This resolution was prepared by a Committee elected by the Congress, Composed of Mesdames: ‘NADIEJDA PARFENOVA USSR JROULA KOUKOULOU GREECE ‘GERMAINE DELPRAT FRANCE GIOVANNA BARCELLONA ITALY RADA TODOROVA BULGARIA JEANNE KORMANOWA POLAND DR AKHTAR KIA NOURI IRAN 458 === [PDF page 486] === ROSE THALER FREDA GRIMBLE UMA RAY CHAUDHURI ‘GELETAI SYNKOVA MARGARITA PONCE ELISA URITZ ‘THAI THI LIEN iBRITAIN INDIA HUNGARY «CZECHOSLOVAKIA ARGENTINE SPAIN === [PDF page 487] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 488] === CHAPTER V ‘THE CONFERENCE OF WOMEN OF ASIA === [PDF page 489] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 490] === Madame TARUNA BOSE (INDIA) -~ Sub. member of the Council presents THE REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE OF THE WOMEN OF ASIA The decision of the W.I.D.F, was to convene the Conference. In keeping with its aim: the establishment of peace, freedom and democracy, and in full consciousness that this is impossible of full realisation so long as colonialism and oppression exist in any part of the world, the W.LD.F, sent a Commission of Inquiry early this year to Southeast Asia to stud the conditions of women and children there, Following this inguiry, we enthusiastically accepted the proposal of the women of Southeast Asia to convene at the earliest opportune moment, a Conference of the Women of Asia. This Conference, it was decided, would be held in Calcutta, India, towards the end of October 1948. The purpose of the conference was to consider such vital questions as (1) the struggle of Asian women for national independence, peace and democracy, (2) the defence of the rights of women — political, social and economic, and (3) the defence of children ~—- protection of children's health, free and compulsory education, prohibition of child labour, etc. Warmly saluting the Asian women fighting against oppression and slavery, the W.LD.F, sent invitations to all of its national sections and to’ other democratic women's organisations in the Asiatic countries. The African countries, Great Britain, the U.SS.R., the US.A., France and Holland were also invited to send delegates as guests, Our national sections in other countries were invited to contribute to an international fund for the Conference. The national sections in Asia were asked to found an international preparatory 463 === [PDF page 491] === committee which would start functioning in Calcutta from the 15th of September. Madame Lu Tsui, Secretary of the W.LD.F., was sent to India to help prepare for the Conference on the spot. “The enthusiastic response of the women in Asia The appeal of the W.1D.F. for the holding of this Conference of the Women of Asia met with enthusiastic response in all countries. Special mention must be made in this respect of India, where war-time emergency measures, the Defence of India Rules, were being continued by the self-styled national government with greater severity, through various public security measures, acts of the different provinces whereby anyone could be arrested detained without trial for 6 months in the first instance, and which term could be renewed for like periods; whereby workers had to submit to com- “pulsory arbitration and whereby the press could be made to publish only the news that the government wanted printed. Under these notorious measures, terror and oppression reigned supreme. Thousands of women, workers, peasants, students, intellectuals were in jail. Hundreds were driven underground. Bengal, the province in which Calcutta is located, and which was to have been the place of ‘the Conference, saw the most severe oppression. There, the opposition party to the government, the Communist Party, was outlawed. “Trade Union leaders, peasants and workers, students and women leaders and a whole host of others were detained without trial. The Women's Self-Defence League, the India affiliate of the W.LD.F. was liself functioning with its leaders underground, restricted or in prison. The financial difficulties of the Women's Self-Defence League were no less great. Like all progressive organisations in the colonial countries, the League leads a,,hand-to-mouth” existence and for the Conference, collections had to be made of very small sums from the “members, recruited mainly from among peasanis and lower middle ‘class Women. But with great daring and tenacity, the Indian women carried on their preparations, realising fully what a landmark the Conference would be in the history of the struggle of Indian women, as well as the women throughout the rest of Asia, Thus it was, that in defiance of government opposition, preparatory. committees were set ‘up both in Calcutta and in Bombay comprising leading trade union women, students, peasants and other women, The Bombay committee, for example, was composed of women from the All India Trade Union Congress, the All India Stu- -dent Federation, the Eambay Textile Workers Union and four local 464 === [PDF page 492] === branches of the All India Women's Conference, including its Employed Women’s Subcommittee of Government Employes, teachers and nurses, This Committee was quick to protest against government refusal and to refute the groundless charges made against the W.LD.F. by the leadership of the All India Women’s Conference. Preparations were even more lively in Bengal. Volunteers from the ranks of teachers, students and housevives flocked to the office of the Women's Self-Defence League, offering their services for all kinds of work, Pomphlets and leaflets on the W.LD.F, and on the Conference were widely distributed. Huge posters were put up announcing the names of the organisations participating in the Conference; the Bengal Province Committee of the Trade Union Congress and its affiliated sections, especially the Municipal Worker's Union with its high proportion of women workers, the All India Peasant's Union, the All India Student Federation, the Andhra Women’s Union, ‘the New Delhi Women's Democratic Association and seven local branches of the All India Women's Conference. These preparations were a manifestation of the wide support of democratic Indian women to the Conference of the Women of Asia, and proved beyond doubt that the leadership of the All India Wo- ‘men's Conference, consisting as it does mainly of top-ranking Congress women and wives of government officials did not represent the rank and file of their own organisation, and certainly not the mass of Indian women. It was in the midst of such preparation that the Secretariat of the ‘W.LD.F, had to decide on a change of venue for the Preparatory. ‘Conference from Calcutta to Budapest, because of the persistent and continued refusal of the Indian government to grant visas and other facilities to foreign delegates. Since the Bengal women had already laid the basis of a Confetence, they decided to hold a Convention of Indian women only, at the beginning of November. This convention, the first of its kind, ‘was a great success, It was attended by one hundred delegates of the progressive ‘section of Indian women from many parts of the country, and more than a thousand attended its open rally, despite police interference. A National Co-ordinating Committee was set up as a first step toward establishing an All-Indian women's democratic organisation, Five delegates were nominated to serve on the preparatory Committee here in Budapest and to attend this 2nd Congress of the W.LD.F. It must be said that the enthusiastic work in preparing for the Asian Women’s Conference and its worldwide repercussions of international solidarity contributed greatly to the success of the Convention held by the Indian women. 30 465 === [PDF page 493] === From China, despite the difficulties of war and communication, two delegates have been sent from Liberated China to partipate in the preparatory work and were the first to arrive in Europe. Madame Chang Chin-chiu, acting Secretary General of the Women's Union in the Chinese liberated areas is one of the two. The W.I.D.F, Message to the women of Asia was translated and published through the New China News Service, The women of liberated China hailed the Conference with great enthusiasm and a delegation of five women were chosen to attend it. We also have here a delegate from Kuomintang China, who had to run great risks to come. The women of Viet-Nam gave their whole-hearted support to the plans for holding the Conference. The decision of the W.LD.F. was published in the press of the liberated territories of Viet-Nam and a delegation of women left the front line areas early in September for Calcutta. All necessary preparations were made by the Union of Viet-Nam Women in Rangoon: documents, photographs, etc, The difficulties of crossing the French controlled areas made it impossible, however, for the delegation from the interior to arrive and Viet-Nam women already in Europe were authorised to represent Viet-Nam at this meeting. The People's Republic of Mongolia, is represented here by the President of the Democratic Council of Mongolian Women, Madame Injima, The Council early cabled its full support of the Asian Con- * ference and two delegates were present at the preparatory meeting here, From Indonesia, the All Indonesia Women's Congress sent three cables expressing its desire to participate. Later, however, they informed the Secretriat that the war situation in their country would not permit them to send a delegate, but that all reports and necessary documents would be sent. The same kind of enthusiasm for the Conference was expressed by the women. of Pakistan, Ceylon, the Philippines and Siam. The East Pakistan Women's League expressed its solidarity with the W.LD.F, and asked for affiliation. Two delegates from Pakistan who arrived in Calcutta for our Conference, remained to take part in -the Convention of the Indian Women. From Ceylon, the Eksath Hantha, with whom the W.I.D.F, had had no real contact until then, decided. to send two delegates to Calcutta. It has been impossible, however, for their two delegates to come to Budapest. They have sent to our Preparatory Committee here their cordial greetings and good wishes for the success of the Conference. The Philippines Women's Society, which was organized only after International Women's Day this year, was also enthusiastic about the proposed Conference. To quote 466 === [PDF page 494] === their own words,,,The efforts of the W.LD.F. tu unite the women of the world for peace and democracy merit the full-hearted support of the women of the Philippines“, Financial difficulties prevented them from coming, but they agreed to send a written report to the Conference. From Siam also, where the W.LD.F. had had no previous contact, the Chinese Women’s Democratic Federation of Siam expressed great interest in the Conference and regretted their inability to send a delegation because of the political situation there. That group bas asked for affiliation with the W.LD.F. Korea, where the W.LD.F. has national sections both in the North and South, sent a delegation to the Preparatory meeting. The Asiatic Republics of the Soviet Union, after having carried on active preparations for the Conference, has sent a delegation here. The Democratic Organisation of Irannian Women of Iran, after having agreed to send a delegation to Calcutta, was refused a visa by the Indian government. Their delegate, however, came to the preparatory meeting here in Budapest and represents her organisation at this Congress. The Democratic League of Women of Syria sent their greetings to the Conference and were confident that it would result in a strengthening of the bonds of solidarity between the women of the West and their sisters in the Far and Middle East. Likewise, the women of Lebanon declared their ardent desire to participate in the Conference as did the women of the State of Israel. The Union of Progressive Women of Famagusta in Cyprus expressed their will to struggle for freedom, for national independence and for lasting peace and to unite the scattered women’s movements into a Federation of Pan-Cyprian women under the leadership of the W.LD.F. Special tribute must be paid to our heroic sisters in Malaya and Burma for their resolute struggle against imperialism and reaction, The.W.L.D.F. has a section in each of these countries. In Malaya, it is the Liaison Bureau of the women's federations in Malaya, including the Singapore Women’s Federation, and in Burma, it is the All Burma Women’s Congress, Both organisations welcomed the idea of the Conference. But the colonial and civil wars which broke out later in the two countries drove the democratic organisations underground, including the women’s federations. All our attempts to contact them thus far have been in vain. 467 === [PDF page 495] === Such magnificent response from the women throughout Asia proves the correctness of our Executive Committee's decision to organize such a Conference, It is also a clear indication of how successful we can be in overcoming all obstacles in holding the Conference in the near future. Support of Democratic Women in Other Parts of the Worid The call of the W.LD.F. to *hold the Conference of the Women of Asia and the report of the Enquiry Commission was wholeheartedly supported by women from other parts of the world as well. Soon after preparations were begun, the women of Australia elected delegates and made a contribution of 150 Australian pounds to the Conference, The women of Nigeria and South Africa planned to send their representatives to Calcutta to express their profound solidarity with their Asiatic sisters in the common struggle against colonialism and imperialism, The Congress of American Women, our affiliate in the U.S.A, cognizant Of its tremendous responsibility as American women to stop the march of imperialism in Asia also began preparations for sending a delegate to the Conference, in order to express their solidarity and also to take back to the U.S.A. an account of the struggle and aspirations of the women of Asia. They knew well that their children cannot live in peace while other children are oppressed, In France, the French women felt that it was their responsibility to assure that the women of Vict-Nam_ should participate in the Calcutta Conference; therefore, the National Council of the Union of French Women voted to raise funds to pay the travelling expenses of the Viet-Nam delegate to Calcutta. This was one of the many ways in which they could show their solidarity with the women of Viet-Nam who are fighting in the unjust colonial war unleashed by the French government, The French women have already collected 500,000 francs for the Viet-Nam women. They have also sold 6,500 copies of the report of the Enquiry Commission. Many French newspapers and periodicals — particularly these of women, such as,Femmes Frangaises"* —- gave a great deal of publicity to the W.LD.F, Commission to South East Asia, to its report, and to the plans for the Conference. The report of the Enquiry Commission was translated into many languages. In the New Democracies of Hungary and Rumania, not only was the report translated and distributed, but press conferences, radio broadcasts and special information mectings around the 468 === [PDF page 496] === question of the struggles in Asia were arranged. In addition, the W.LD.F. section in Rumania sent 90,000 frances for the Conference, The women of Czechoslovakia also elected a delegate. The Hungarian women promised material aid for the Conference, and along with the women of Poland, underteck a vast propaganda campaign. The Norwegian women translated the report of the Commission and are seeking the aid of various educational institutions to help finance the project. In Belgium, extracts of the report of the Commission were printed in a trade union newspaper with a circulation of 400,000 which is used as reference by a university professor. In Great Britain, Dr. Pat Miles, British member of the Commission, made a number of reports to various organisations, which were then mimeographed and sent to still others. In Morecco and Algeria, the report was also put to good use. In Mexico and the Latin America countries such as Cuba, Pern and the Argentine, the report of the Commission was also translated and distributed. In the Soviet Union, much publicity was given to the visit and findings of the Enquiry Commission and the Conference of Asia. A number of articles were published in,,Soviet Women”, the official magazine of the Soviet Women's Anti-fascist Committee, including the reports by Madame Tamara Morosova, the Soviet member of the Commission. Many meetings of women were organized for information and discussion on the situation concerning women and children in Asia and for the Conference of the Women of Asia. The Refusal of the Indian Government to Grant Facilities to the Conference Although the Call to the Conference had been enthusiastically greeted by the women of Asia and by the democratic women of other countries, the government of India, however, considered it fit to ban the Conference. Two letters and two telegrams, sent from the W.LD.F. in July and August requesting authorisation for the Conference, received a long-delayed answer in September saying that the government of India found,,,to its regret that it was unable to make suitable arrangements for such a Conference. Continued requests from our sections were of no avail. Visas were refused to the foreign delegates to enter India to attend the. Conference. Since all efforts failed to change the attitude of the Indian government, the Secretariat of the W.LD.F, was obliged to convene the Preparatory Meeting for the Conference in November at Budapest. 469 === [PDF page 497] === It seems unbelievable that the Indian government led by Pandit Nehru and his Congress Party, who-until a year ago, fought for the wfreedom of India“, once they were in power, could have refused to let such a Conference take place on their territory. No government genuinely interested in the welfare of its own people and sincerely working for democratic progress in its country could have banned such a Conference. No government which really stood for freedom and independence of colonial peoples against imperialism and colonialism, could have refused such a Conference, This sabotaging of the Conference, repression of the Indian women by the Indian government, along with the recent statement of Pandit Nehru calling for,,closest relationships with Britain", the implied readiness of the Indian government to accept a,,Marshall Plan“ for Asia, the official censoring of the Malayan liberation movement as a,,terrorist” movement, the vigorous government persecution of all democratic elements in India by extension of police terror, can only lead us to surmise that the present government of India is openly lining up with the Anglo-American war bloc against the people's democratic forces and is defending only the Indian vested interests which it Tepresents, against the upsurge of its own people who yearn for freedom and a better life.. Further, this banning of our Conference by the Indian government is by no means an isolated event. In view of the rising tide of the people's liberation movement in China and in South-east Asia, the American imperialists are now putting into effect an overall scheme for rallying all the reactionary forces in Asia for an,,Asian Alliance" similar to the,,Western Union” in Europe, in which the present government in India is to play a very important role. The Nehru government, by refusing to allow our Conference to be held in India, thus acted in almost complete accord with the interests of American imperialism. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the democratic women of the world should protest against this refusal? The Wave of Protest Against the Refusal of the Nebru Government Many of our national sections sent letters and telegrams to the Nehru government. The women of Great Britain sent a delegation to the Indian Embassy in London. Madame Pandit, leader of the Indian delegation at the U.N.O., when receiving a deputation from the W-LD.F., diplomatically” 470 === [PDF page 498] === denied any knowledge of-the refusal of the Indian government. She frankly admitted, however, that she too was against the holding of the Conference in India, because of the many Conferences taking place in India, and she particularly singled out the World Democratic Youth Congress for South-east Asia which had world-wide echoes and which, she declared,has given us a great deal of trouble”,,,We have enough trouble ourselves", she declared,,,and we do not welcome foreigner's visiting us at this moment”. In addition to the countries already mentioned which had been publishing the Conference and which protested to the Nehru government, we received protests from Holland, Trieste, and from the Union of Italian Women. The Italian women addressed their letter to the U.N.O. and to Pandit Nehru and it read, in part,,,.Jtalian women, as well as their sistersin all countries, want to inform you that we will not spare any effort to ensure that a successful Conference takes place“, The Transvaal All Women's Union in South Africa, not yet affiliated to the W.I.D.F., said in its letter to Pandit Nehru,,,The Transvaal All Women's Union, representing women of all races and colours, is deeply perturbed by the attitude that your government is adopting towards the Women’s International Democratic Federation, The storm of awakening which is sweeping the East has not left the women of India untouched, and we are at a loss to understand how people who themselves only yesterday, suffered from the lack of civil liberties, from lack of freedom of movement and organisation, can rob others of these rights once they are in a position to do so, The women of Asia, faced with heart-breaking problems, are looking for a sanctuary, a place where they can meet in peace and open their hearts to each other: It should be an honour for any government to offer them that sanctuary”. What Have Been the Achievements? — A Brief Summary One can say, therefore, that although the Conference of the Women of Asia was unable to be held, the positive results of our preparatory work for it have been many, 1) Through this preparatory work, the bonds between the Women’s International Democratic Federation and the women of the Asiatic countries have been greatly strengthened. Thanks to the visit of the W.ID.F, Enquiry Commission, three women's organisations in three South-east Asia countries have affiliated to the W.LD.F, — the West Bengal Women's Self-Defence League of India, the All Burma Women's Congress of Burma, and the Liaison Bureau 471 === [PDF page 499] === of the Women’s Federations in Malaya, including the Women's Federation of Singapore, In the course of organization of the Conference, two more women's organisations have requested affiliation. They are the East Pakistan Women's League and the Chinese Women's Democratic Federation in Siam. New contacts have been established with the women in various Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Ceylon, the State of Israel and Cyprus- The base of the W.I.D.F. is thus greatly broadened and the influence of the W.LD.F. in the countries of Asia has increased. 2) The confidence of the women of Asia has been immeasurably increased for they have been given a further realisation of the tightness of their struggle and the extent of the international solidarity of democratic women all over the world, They are now more sure than ever that they are not alone in their struggle, that the world’s democratic women are solidly behind them. Both the visit of the W.LD.F, Enquiry Commission members and the trip to India of Madame Lu Tsui, secretary of the W.LD.F. for the preparatory work, resulted in their returning home with an increased sense of Kinship and solidarity with the women of Asia. 3) In spite of the fact that the reactionaries prevented the holding of the Conference of the Women of Asia, the idea of the Conference, nevertheless, has spread far-and wide. This was achieved through the correspondence of the Secretariat of the W.LD.F. with the various Asiatic countries and with all of our. national sections on the subject of the Conference, through the publicity work which was done, through the translation into many languages. of the report and the pamphlets of the Enquiry Commission, and finally, the world-wide campaign of protest against the refusal of the Indian government to permit holding of the Conference. The very fact that the idea of the Conference has been so widely accepted and the fact that it has aroused such enthusiastic response everywhere constitute significant achievements in’ themselves. This is a guarantee for the future success of the Conference of the Women of Asia. The Preparatory Meeting in Budapest Preparatory meetings were held on the 23rd of November and the following days here in Budapest, during which 37 delegates from the following countries participated: India, China, Viet-Nam, Iran, the People’s Republic of Mongolia, Korea, the. Soviet Socialist Republics of Kirgisia and Kazakhistan, the U.S.S-R., France, the U.S.A., 472 === [PDF page 500] === and Albania, 8 of the delegates were representatives of countries in. Asia, These preparatory meetings prepared a brochure on the working and living conditions of women and children in Asia and Africa which will be ready for distribution at this Congress in a few days. The delegates to those sessions prepared also a report -on the development of the women’s movement in the colonial and semicolonial countries of Asia and Africa to present to this Second Congress of the -W.LDF. The decisions arrived at, at these preparatory meetings, were as follows: A, Organizationa] Work 1) An International Preparatory Committee is to be formed immediately, composed of delegates from all of the countries of Asia in which the W.I.D.F, has sections. At present, these countries are: China, India, Burma, Malaya, Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Korea, Mongolia, the Soviet Asia Republics, Iran, Siam, Lebanon and Pakistan: Asiatic countries which will affiliate in.the future shall also have the right to serve on the Committee. 2) A small working committee of the International Preparatory Committee, composed of representatives from China, India, Viet- Nam, Indonesia, Korea and one of the Republics in Soviet Asia will be formed after this Congress. This working Committee will work in co-operation with the permanent International Colonial Commission of the W.I.D.F, under the direction of the Secretariat in making all preparations for our future Conference. This Committee will have its headquarters at the office of the Secretariat of the W.LD.F., but will move to the country in which the Conference will be held as soon as that is decided upon. 3) National Preparatory Committees will be set up in all participating countries, each committee having as a base our national section, where such exists, but they should include women from all progressive sections of the people and from all democratic organisations, such as: trade unions, student unions, youth organisations, co-operative associations, educational groups, etc. 4) A great effort must be made to expand the basis of the democratic women’s movement in each country participating and to rally the broadest possible masses around the question of the holding of the Conference; that means, around the struggle for national ‘independence, peace and democracy, the defence of the rights of women and children- 473 === [PDF page 501] === B. Publicity Work, A still greater propaganda campaign must be organized both on a national and international scale in order to publicize the Conference and to arouse public opinion which will be strong enough to guarantee the sucessful holding of the Conference. For this purpose every means at our disposal, such as the press and’ radio should be fully utilized and additional pamphlets, articles, leaflets, posters, etc, on the Conference should be prepared for distribution. C. Date and Place of Conference The delegates to the Budapest Preparatory Meetings have decided that the Conference of the Women of Asia should be held before September, 1949. Greatly iieartened by the victories and advance of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the delegates were unanimous in their ardent hope that the Conference might be able to be held in China., The awakening of the women of Asia cannot be crushed. It, must of necsssity find expression and we, the women of Asia, are confident that the Congress will fill this need. Asia is now the testing ground for freedom, peace and democracy. With Asia in flames, with Asia oppressed, there can be no peace. The women of Asia are fully conscious of their responsibility, our enthusiasm shall not faiter. History is in our favour. The heroic struggles and the great achievements of tue women of Liberated China, of the People’s Republic of Mongolia and of the Soviet Asian Republics have shown us the road to emancipation- ° The forces of freedom and peace all over the world are with us. We pledge, therefore, that we shall not rest until we have sucessfully held our Congress in the very near future. Madame TSAI CHANG (CHINA) vice president of the WIDF. More than three years have gone by since the end of the second world war, which brought incalculable sufferings and unhappiness to the peoples, But this same war has considerably changed the political physiognomy of the globe. Many countries have passed out of the capitalist system. The States of People’s Democracy arose. The front of the progressive forces, with the great Soviet Union at its head, is enlarged and strengthened. The results of the war were so salutary and so disagreable to the reactionaries of all the countries that even now they are preparing a new war to re-establish their shaken positions. 474 === [PDF page 502] === The women, the mothers, live in constant anxiety under the menace of a new butchery. In most of the countries of Asia war is already raging. One of the prime consequences of the second world war is the aggravation of the crisis of the colonial system, which is expressed in a powerful movement of national liberation in the colonial and dependent countries of Asia and Africa. This movement threatens the basis of the entire capitalist system- In this struggle the women are playing a large part. Oppressed and exploited, they join in the sacred fight for freedom, national independence, democracy and peace. The imperialists can no longer govern the colonies with their old methods, Their attempts to crush the movements of national liberation by force of arms today come up against the ever-growing resistance of the colonial peoples, and end in ever more interminable colonial wars, without success for the imperialists. Striking examples can be found in the events taking place in Indonesia, Viet-Nam, Malaya and Burma. The people's anti-imperialist movement is growing in the countries of Africa — in Madagascar, on the Gold Coast, Nigeria, the Congo, in Kenya and in Tanganyika. The oppressed peoples of the countries of Africa are awakening and are also beginning to take the road of struggle for freedom. a However, the methods of armed repression are not bringing success to the imperialists. Their armies and their colonial administrative apparatus cannot get the better of the ever-growing resistance of the peoples of the colonial and dependent countries. In seeking. for new means of maintaining the colonia! regime in the countries of Asia and Africa, the imperialists are obliged to have recourse to different manoeuvres and new tactical methods. Their methods have as their aim the splitting of the national liberation movement; they stir up racial and religious hatreds in the colonies. The imperialists use their satellites — the national bourgeoisie and the feudal lords — to suppress the national liberation movement. Under the pretext of respecting. national independence, the imperialists put in power the representatives of the bourgedisie and the feudal lords, while maintaining their domination and privileges, and the masses of the people continue to live in frightful poverty and oppression. The imperialists give their former colonies a fictitious independence (such as the,,independence” granted by London to Transjordan and Burma), they confuse the peoples by giving the colonies the status of dominions (India, Pakistan, Ceylon). They Tesort to espionage and corruption the better to carry on _ their infamous intrigues: 475 === [PDF page 503] === The women of the colonies are beginning to understand what this policy hides. The women, the mothers know that the imperialists’ aim is to profit from the wealth of their countries, and to exploit the cheap labour of the women and children. In anguish they see the American imperialists creating military bases in the East, encouraging Japanese imperialism, and preparing a new war. The United States of America did not suffer from the war. On the contrary, it accumulated immense wealth. In granting loans to the countries which suffered cruelly from the war, the American imperialists, under the pretext of helping the peoples to rebuild their national economies, are trying to subject them to their policy by using the power of the dollar. The British, French and Dutch imperialists who have accepted this aid, have to reckon with the expansionist visions and the domination of Wall Street. Now, the demands of Wall Street are becoming more and more imperious. In the course of the last three years, American imperialism has supplanted the imperialism of other countries in the colonies. British imperialism is trying to repel these attacks and only withdraws after a tenacious struggle, trying to find compensation elsewhere. But there is one problem on which al! of the imperialists are in complete agreement, that of suppressing and wiping out every movement of national liberation. In all the co-- untries of Asia and Africa, the imperialists are resorting to direct intervention to crush the peoples’ movements; they are supplying money and arms to the anti-democratic movements. In all the countries where American imperialism has succeeded in ousting its adversaries, it is building military bases for a war of aggression against democracy throughout the world, By their common efforts, the imperialists are trying not only to crush armed resistance, but to suppress all resistance; they want to suppress every demonstration of the workers who are defending their legitimate demands, Thus, in the Spring of 1948, the Gold Coast workers went on strike for increased wages: The police machinegunned the strikers; among them were women and children. In the Summer of 1947, the oil workers in South Iran went on strike for better living conditions, Scores of them were exterminated. In spite of all this repression, the people's movement for national liberation grows unceasingly in the colonial and dependent countries. The imperialists are horrified at the awekening of millions of their former slaves. 476 === [PDF page 504] === The movement for national liberation in Asia and Africa is developing and. will continue to develop. The great victories won by the Chinese people, the force with which this people is fighting against Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang reactionaries to whom American imperialism is lending its support, are a shining example for all the peoples of Asia and Africa, a source of inspiration and encouragement in the struggle for liberation. Il The catastrophic situation created by the imperialists in the colonial and dependent countries. The population of Asia and Africa exceeds a billion (60% of the population of the globe). On these two continents, there are almost 600 million women,: The two continents are well known for their natural wealth; petrol, iron ore, wolfram, gold, and other minerals are found there. These countries produce rubber, coffee, rice, tea, cotton and other indespensable raw materials. But during the long years of imperialist occupation and foreign domination, the peoples of Asia and Africa have been deprived of this wealth which benefited only the colonising countries: Great Britain, France, Holland and Belgium. The American imperialists in their forced race for profits, are beginning their imperialist expansion which only means increased suffering for the colonial and dependent countries. In Iran, the oil beds are worked by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. In 1947, the yield rose to 20 million tons of oil; nevertheless, the Iranian government received only 15% of the total production. Recently, the British were obliged to hand over to the Americans a considerable part of their monopoly. 80% of the gold mined in South Africa goes to Britain. Since the end of the war, and up to the present, Great Britain has received 80 million pounds sterling annually. The monopolists and the bankers make enormous profits by exploiting the colonies. Thus the share of the Bank of French Equatorial Africa, created for the purpose of developing the mines, issued at 100 francs, were quoted at 3,250 francs in 1947 at the Stock Exchange, Hach of these shares is therefore worth 26 times its original price,. In the colonial and dependent ccuntries, the land too belongs either to the imperialists, to the feudal lords, or to the big landowners, In these countries, the majority of the peasants own no land: In India, 75% of the land belongs to the feudal lords. The Maharajah of Hyderabad himself possesses 2 million hectares, In China, the big landowners and the rich farmers, who represent less than 10% of the 477 === [PDF page 505] === rural population, retain 70—80% of the land. In Algeria, 100 European families own 2,400,000 hectares, that is to say, two thirds of the best laud in Algeria. In Egypt, 95% of the big landowners are foreigners. In Siam, 80% of the land is in the hands of the feudal lords. In South Africa, the native population has only 13% of the land; it is even forbidden for Africans to buy or rent land, The peoples of Asia and Africa, oppressed under the imperialist yoke, live in indescribable poverty. The wage for very hard labour is not even enough to ensure the lowest level of human existence. During the famines caused by the war, during droughts and floods, roots, the bark of trees and even soil are only food of the native populations. In Bengal, India, in 1943, more than 3 million people died of starvation. In China, in 1944, the famine in Hanan caused the death of 3,500,000 people. Imagine the immensity of this figure! From April, 1947, the disturbances caused by the scarcity of rice extended to Shanghai, Hanchow, Chungking, Shantung and other towns in the Kuomintang regions of China, The desperate peasants attacked the boats carrying rice to the Kuomintang armies: During the riots, many women and children were trampled to death, Many others were shot. The sanitary conditions in the colonial and dependent countries are particularly deplorable. There is only an insignificant number of creches (baby care centres) and day nurseries. Many peasant women carry their children fastened to their backs while they do the heavy work in the fields. Often, the women are obliged to give birth to their babies in the field or wherever they are working. For them, there is no question of rest or better food after the birth of a child. Often, poverty obliges the women to abandon their beloved children. Disease and epidemics rage, mortality is particularly high. In certain areas, infant mortality is 50%. In South Indo-China, the mortality rate of infants under one year is 850 per thousand. The women who work more than 13 hours a day, receive a wage equivalent to two thirds of the man’s. In most of the:colonial and dependent countries social insurance does not exist. The women are obliged to work continuously before and after confinement. Huddled in filthy slums, they live under the daily threat of unemployment, famine, and death. a. In order to exploit the wealth and the cheap labour of the colonial countries, the imperialists have organised a large number of plantations and factories working on light industry, in which female labour is largely used. 478 === [PDF page 506] === In India, in the tea plantations, the majority of the workers are women and children. In Malaya, in the rubber plantations, the number of women and children is 80% of the.total number of workers. In Egypt, 80,000 women work in the textile and food industries. In South Africa, more than 50,000 women work in industry, and 1,500,000 in the plantations, But the mosf horrible thing of all is the exploitation of the children, Often they begin to work in the factories from five to eight years of age, The W.LD.F. Commission which visited South East Asia emphasised that in spite of laws forbidding the employment of children under 12, such labour is widely used. The members of the Commission spoke to boys from 7 to 9 years old employed in cleaning the sewers, and to children from 5 to 7 years old in the tea plantations in India and the Malayan rubber plantations: The official statistics give the following figures: in India, 145,136 children work in the tea, coffee, rubber and spinning industries. If this figure is to conform with, the reality, it must be multiplied by ten. In the colonial and dependent countries, the imperialists. keep the populations in ignorance and in a backward state. Millions of oppressed people —-- men and women — are illiterate. The children of the workers are denied the right to education. To preserve their fabulous profits, the imperialists exploit the colonies pitilessly, and by this exploitation condemn the colonial peoples to live in terrible poverty. The peoples of Asia and Africa want to live, that is why they are determined to put up with the yoke of imperialism no longer. They are risig up and resisting. Particularly since the end of the second world war this resistance movement has become enormously widespread. III. Development of the pzople’s independence movement and the role of women in it. After the war, the national independence movement in the countries of Asia and Africa has won unprecedented victories. Armed struggle is at present the characteristic feature of this movement. In order to maintain their domination, to carry on the race for profits, to prevent the economic crisis in their countries and to avoid annihilation, the imperialists have employed various tactical methods against the colonial peoples. The anti-imperialist movement of the colonial peoples, after a certain period of retardment and some hesitations, has ultimately been able to mobilise wide masses of the workers in decisive struggle, in 479 === [PDF page 507] === armed resistance; we therefore see wars of national liberation taking place: The experience gained in the struggle for national liberation in China, India, Viet-Nam, Malaya and elsewhere, proves to us that: — the imperialists are inevitably vanquished, and their mercenairies, the reactionaries and traitors, defeated, if a people has understood the role and the true features of the imperialists, if it has completely denounced their intrigues and manoeuvres, if it has measured the strength and possibilities of imperialism at their true worth, if the working masses and the progressive forces of the country unite in a powerful national front, and if the struggle is relentlessly carried on against the imperialists and their agents — the reactionary governments, This is the only true path we must follow in fighting for independence, democracy and peace. In China, for example, the last two years and above all the last three months have brought the Chinese people great, unprecedented victories, Four million soldiers of the reactionary Kuomintang Army have been defeated by the Army of Liberation, 60% of the men have gone over to the Liberation forces, and have turned their weapons against Chang Kai Shek. Most of the arms and munitions supplied by the Americans have fallen into the hands of the Army of Liberation, after having passed through the hands of the Kuomintang. The Army of Liberation has increased to 3 million men. It is equipped with modern weapons, and it is invincible. It has not only freed vast territories and great provinces, but it has taken from the enemy many large fortified towns such as Tsi Nan, Chengchow, Chang-chun, Mukden, Suchow. At the present time the Liberation Army is advancing rapidly towards Nankin, the heart ‘of Kuomintang China. All China is impatiently awaiting the victory’ of the Army of Liberation. At the present time, talks are taking place with a view to calling a new consultative policy conference with the aim of setting up a democratic coalition government — the central Provisional Government — from which the lackeys of the imperialists will be excluded, The Chinese people are confident that victory will soon be won throughout the country. , The a peaceful independent democratic ‘China will be reborn — the new China. The victory of the Chinese people is not due to chance: It has broken the plans of the Kuomintang reactionaries and the American imperialists, who aimed at letting loose civil war under the cover 480 === [PDF page 508] === 290815) {O uolpesajap oy y === [PDF page 509] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 510] === of peace talks with the Chinese people. In July 1946 Chang Kai Shek carried out his plan of aggression against. the liberated. areas, and civil war began, At this time the Chang Kai-Shek group commanded armed forces of 4 million men. It controlled all the great towns and provinces, with more than 300 million inhabitants. Chang Kai- Shek received the entire equipment of the Japanese occupation army, and considerable military and financial aid from the American imperialists The Kuomintang thought that it could conquer the national army of liberation in three to eight months. But the leader of the Chinese people, Mao Tse Tung, then declared that the military superiority of the enemy was only a temporary factor, that the American imperialists only appeared to be strong, Jike a paper tiger, but in reality they were weak and there was no reason to be afraid; while there was the popular character of the civil war against Chang Kai Shek, the support and the resistance of the people constituted a permanent factor, The just war of national liberation, thanks to its revolutionary character, must have the support of the people in all countries, and all the attacks. of the nationa] and foreign reactionaries could and must be repulsed, The events in the course of the two last years have completely confirmed the truth of these words. Under. the influence of heavy military defeats, Chana Kai Shek called a National Assembly of puppet leaders, trying to deceive the Chinese people by a pretence of democracy. The American iperialists are again taking up the old refrain of peace talks, trying to hold up the revolutionary movement of the people in order to reorganize their forces and save the situation. They may dispense with Chang Kai Shek and replace him by another, But the Chinese people understand their manoeuvres very wel] and will not be taken in by American intrigues. On the contrary, they will continue to strengthen the national united front, and will support with all their strength the war of liberation which will bring the rapid and complete victory of the people. In India, the peoples are becoming more conscious by taking part in the struggle for the defence of their rights. They have already understood the trick of the Dominion status granted to them by the British imperialists; they have understood their intrigues with a view to provoking national conflicts. The Indian people understand that the Congress Party and the Moslem League defend the interests of the national bourgeoisie and the feudal lords, and that they are selling the independence of the 31 481 === [PDF page 511] === ‘people. It was the feudal lords and the bourgeoisie who accepted the British imperialist plan for the partition of India. The Indian workers understand that it is a crime to count on the support of the Nehru Government, and they are preparing for the fight. The workers organise huge strikes. During the first quarter of 1948 there were more than 900 strikes and the total number of man-hours lost reaches the total of 2,722,000. In certain areas of Hyderabad, the people have taken up arms, and organised powerful insurrections against the Nizam’s rule, dividing the land among the peasants. In spite of the cruel repression of the Government, the Indian people's resistance is growing continually. The peoples of Indonesia have also gained much precious experience in their struggle for independence- Thanks to their resistance to the Japanese. occupying forces, they broke the chains of the Dutch imperialists, and won national independence. However, the Dutch imperialists, determined to re-establish their former colonial domination, started the offensive against the Indonesian people. Encountering the fierce resistance of this people, the Dutch imperialists were obliged to make a truce, and to enter into peace talks with Indonesia. They were obliged to recognise the right to independence of the Indonesian Republics of Sumatra, Java and Madura. But, helped and encouraged by the American imperialists, the Dutch openly violated their agreements and refused to fulfil their promises, They imposed new conditions. Reinforcements were sent from Holland to intimidate the Indonesian people. In July 1947, the Dutch began a new aggression against the Republic. Again, the Indonesian people met this with firm armed resistance. Then the American imperialists intervened directly in the military operations. They corrupted the emissaries of the privileged Indonesian classes, and consequently the Hatta Government signed the humiliating Rennville Agreement, But the Indonesian people saw through these tricks of «Mediators and,,peace negotiations” engineered by the Americar and Dutch imperialists in Indonesia. The struggle against Dutch and American intervention continues. In addition, a new movement arose in the country, a movement directed against the Hatta Government demanding the abrogation of the Rennville Pact. An armed insurrection followed, The fight of the Indonesian people for their independence and democracy entered on a new phase. Viet-Nam is another example. This people's republic was born during the resistance against the Japanese invaders. Exposing the 482 === [PDF page 512] === lies of the French imperialists, and fighting against the French aggressors, the Viet-Nam people are from day to day consolidating their Republic, The peoples of Malaya, Burma, and the Philippines are following the same path, thus drawing nearer to the victory of the national liberation movements: After the complete “defeat inflicted on the Japanese imperialist troops by the Red Army in Manchuria, during the course of 1945, Korea was freed from the yoke of Japanese imperialism. The Yalta Agreement granted complete independence to Korea. Faithful to its promises, the Soviet Union is proceeding with the withdrawal of its troops from North Korea, The development of this country is being carried on in full.conformity with the will of the people. Agrarian reform and other democratic measures have been realised. In violation of the agreement, the American imperialists refused to withdraw their troops from South Korea. Against the will of the people they have given the leadership of the State to the puppet Government of the reactionary Li Chang Van. They have retained the colonial system, dating from the Japanese domination, and they deprive the people of al! freedom. The Korean people support the Soviet Union with enthusiasm and are fighting actively against the policy of the American aggressors, Recently a National People's Congress met at Pkeniang at which a national democratic govenment was elected. There can be no doubt that the struggle of the people against the American imperialists will only strengthen in the future in South Korea,: The movement of national liberation is growing stronger and stronger among the popular masses in the colonial countries of Asia and Africa. Wider and wider sections of the workers in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Lybia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Union of South’ Africa, and other countries-are uniting in democratic parties and groupings which fight to liberate their countries from colonial of semicolonial dependence, for a free and independent development for their peoples, For the first time in the history of the African peoples, a fairly considerable number of women are beginning to take part in political activity and in the struggle for national liberation. In Asia, as in Africa, the movement for national liberation is advancing towards victory. The women, who are plaing an important role in this struggle, have made a great contribution to the movement, The women of Free China are taking part actively in the war of liberation, and in the building of the new China. The women who live in the territory controlled by the Kuomintang join coura- 483 === [PDF page 513] === geously in the patriotic and democratic movement against the policy of enslavement of the countries by the American imperialists, against the traitours leaders of the Kuomintang dictatorship: The women of Viet-Nam, India, Indonesia and other countries are taking part in the wars of liberation in great numbers. In 1946, in Telengana (South India) the guerilla troops and the partisans liberated 2,500 villages with 5 million inhabitants. The peasant women in these areas, having tasted the benefits of the regime of popular democracy, joined in the armed struggle alongside their husbands, In 1947, the women textile workers in Bombay went on strike and picketed the factory gates, In January 1948, 56 women workers in a spinning factory at Malabar were dismissed for their trade union activity. A demonstration was organised to protest against their dismissal. In April 1948, the women of Andra rose against the repression and during their demonstration tear gas bombs were thrown among them, 74 women demonstrators being arrested. Among these was the president of the women’s organisation in this province. The paper of this organisation was banned. In July 1948, women took part in the road sweepers’ strike and even placed themselves at the head of this movement. The arrest of 70 of the most active strikers provoked a protest demonstration of the women, In 1948 in Calcutta, an enormous crowd led by the women's organisation, Mahila Akma Raksha Samiti (Women's Self Defence League) gathered in the street and went to the Parliament to protest against the police repression, Infinite examples of the selfless struggle of the Indian women could be quoted, They all show that the progressive women's movement is growing, but from the organisational point of view it is not yet sufficiently united. In order that the struggle for complete freedom, for national independence and democracy shall be crowned with success, all the women, all the progressive organisations must come together, elect and establish a new leadership which will defend the vital interests of the country and those of all the working women. The women of Malaya are also taking an active part in the fight for national independence and the rights of women. The Coordinating Committee of Malayan Women's Organisations already includes 7,000 women,. Shoulder to shoulder with their husbands, the Burmese women are fighting against British imperialism for the national independence 484 === [PDF page 514] === of their country, ~The National Congress of the Women of Burma, which groups 40,000 women, was founded in 1946. While the women of North Korea are actively participating in the democratic reorganisation of their countries, the women of South Korea are carrying on a tireless struggle against American imperialism,. In Algeria, a French colony, great democratic activity is carried on by the Union of Algerian Women, set up in 1944, which is affiliated to the W.LD.F. The aim of this organisation is to unite the ‘women's democratic movement throughout the country in order to be able. to fight more successfully for equal rights and for better condition for women and children, In Tunisia, another French colony in North Africa, the democratic Women’s movement is also developing: In 1943, the Union of Tunisian Women was set up. At the present time it is the most important democratic organisation in the country. Its task is to win all Tunisian women without distinction of race, nationality and religion, in the fight for peace and the rooting out of the remains of fascism in Tunisia, The Union of Moroccan women is developing great activity for democracy, It was founded in 1945 and is a member of the W.I.D.F. Its principal aim is to-improve the position of women in Morocco. The women of the Union of South Africa live under terrible conditions; they have no rights, and racial discrimination and oppression dominate, They are deprived of all civil rights. Today, the women of this country are beginning to interest themselves in politics, and to fight for their rights. They are taking part in demonstrations and strikes and are creating organisations of democratic women, In 1947, a Union of Democratic Transvaal Women was set up in Johannesburg. It gave itself the task of fighting for world peace, for rights for women equal to men’s, and for the protection of maternity. Mongolia occupies a very special position among the countries of Asia, In 1921, the Mongolian. people overthrew the power of the feudal reactionaries and the foreign imperialists. The. régime of popular democracy has radically changed the position of women. In the Mongolian People’s Republic, women enjoy the same rights as men in all spheres of political, economic, cultural and family life. The Constitution of the Mongolian People’s Republic guarantees all these tights, At present, women constitute 20% of the Supreme Khural, the highest organ of power in the Mongolian People‘s Republic, and 14% of the members of the local workers’ Khurals. 485 === [PDF page 515] === The position of women in the Soviet Union is an example which inspires all the colonial peoples. The true and complete equality, the friendship and mutual confidence which exists between the nations in the Soviet Union has never before existed in any part of the world, The Soviet State has abolished all old laws and customs which made the position of women in society humiliating and inferior, In conformity with the Constitution, women in the Soviet Union possess equal rights with men in all domains of public life, economic, cultural, and political, and are members of society enjoying all rights, without distinction of nationality race, language or religion. The political and cultural development of women in the Soviet Republics of Asia, where before the setting up of Soviet power women, deprived of all rights, were particularly backward, is illustrated by the following figures: In the Soviet Socialist Republic of Tadjik, there are 86 women deputies out of a total of 291 members of the Supreme Soviet. In’ the Republic of Uzbekistan, 106 women were elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Republic, while 14 Uzbek women are deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the U-S.S.R., 44 Kazakh women were elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Kazakhistan and 7 Kazakh women are deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the U-S.S.R. In all the Republics a considerable number of women have been elected to the local Soviets. Thus in the Republics of Uzbakistan and Turkmenia the women constitute almost half of the members of the local Soviets. In the federal Republics women have taken up the most varied professions, Many are doctors, engineers, teachers, social workers, professors, writers, etc., etc. At the present time, numerous women occupy responsible posts in the State apparatus, even ministerial positions.: It is for these reasons that the women of all the countries of the world watch the Soviet State with admiration and hope, as an encouraging example in the fight for a better life and the bulwark of liberty and democracy. The Anglo-American powers-that-be of the imperialist camp try to stifle the aspirations of the colonial peoples for freedom and independence, to crush the democratic national liberation movement of the peoples and to start a new war against the Soviet Union and the people's. democracies. However, the forces of democracy fighting for peace are infinitely more powerful than the forces of imperialist reaction. The powerful Soviet State is at the head of the democratic camp, All the progressive forces of the world rally around the Soviet Union. 486 === [PDF page 516] === The oppressed peoples of the colonial and dependent countries of Asia and Africa live in terrible poverty and ignorance. The responsibility for these crimes, for the suffering which the people endure, lies at the door of the imperialists and the national bourgeoisies. The women of Asia and Africa are realising more and more clearly that the solution to the problems which present themselves is only possible if the colonising foreigners and their lackeys are put to flight, and the monstrous system of slavery is abolished. Today, conscious of their strength and their role, the women rally courageously to the struggle for liberation which the people are carrying on against imperialism and the local feudalists of the national bourgeoisie. The working women are playing a more and more’ active role in this struggle. They are often to be found in the front ranks, These women and mothers, who have been slaves for centuries, give themselves the following tasks: 1) To establish a firm and lasting peace. Women must demand energetic action by the U.N.O. in banning the atomic bomb, a weapon primarily directed against women and children. Demand that American imperialist interference in Chinese affairs should cease immediately, that an end should be made of the supply of arms and financial aid to Chang Kai Shek. Demand the immediate cessation of the colonial wars in Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Malaya and Burma, and the prohibiting of encouragement for Japanese imperialism, Insist on the application of U.N-O, decisions on Palestine. Demand the recall of American troops from South Korea. 2) To win the right of self-determination for the peoples: 3) To obtain true democracy, a democracy which will free men from poverty, from the fear of starving to death, a democracy which will enable men to profit from life and its benefits, briefly, the freedom to live under human conditions, The peace-loving peoples of the colonial countries of Asia and Africa, arisen in the fight against the colonial yoke for national independence and the triumph of democracy, represent the great active force of the anti-imperialist international camp. The women of the whole world must realise clearly that freedom and democracy can only be won if the women participate actively in the struggle. The success of that struggle depends on the unity and cohesion of the democratic forces within each colonial and dependent country, and on the firmness of their international relations, 487 === [PDF page 517] === The struggle of the women must not be isolated, but must develop on a common democratic front. Grouped in women’s mass organisalions, without regard to race, nationality or religion, shoulder-to-shoulder with all the democratic parties, with the trade unions and the youth organisations, the women must direct their efforts towards the struggle against the colonial oppressors and their mercenaries, against those who betray the interests of their country and help the imperialists to enslave and oppress the people. The success of the struggle for complete national independence and for the democratisation of the colonial and dependent countries, depends also on the international solidarity of all the peoples, especially the women, fighting against imperialism. This solidarity is growing and strengthening. Numerous facts show it. The solidarity and the close contacts between all the women's organisations,. the consolidation of the women's progressive movement in Asia and Africa, have great importance for the success of the fight of the colonial peoples for national liberation. The liberation of the colonial and dependent peoples from the imperialist yoke is a duty not only for the colonial peoples, but for progressive mankind. It is the duty of all peace-loving women, above ° all of the women in the imperialist countries: U-S.A., Britain, France, Holland, Belgium and others: It is‘they who must teach their peoples the wicked plans and the true role of the imperialists in the colonies, and the dependent countries; they must carry on campaigns against the imperialist rulers. A people which oppresses another cannot itself be free. This must be the slogan under which the Union of French Women fights to strengthen the struggle against the war in Viet-Nam, under which it must demand of the Government the cessation of the war against the. Republic of Viet-Nam, the recognition of Ho Chi Minh Government, the complete independence of the Viet-Nam people. The women of Holland must ceaselessly demand the cessation of the colonial war, and the recall of the troops from Indonesia. This slogan must also be adopted by the women of the other imperialist countries, above all of those of the United States. They must help their sisters not only because they are moved by a sentiment of justice, but because the struggle’of the women in the dependent countries. against the oppressors is part of the fight for peace and democracy. Our American sisters must demand the retreat of the American troops from South Korea, ° The struggle which millions of women, a prey to poverty and terrorism, must carry on, is truly a hard one. It must not be forgotten that this struggle is carried on not only against imperialism, 488 === [PDF page 518] === but also against the national reactionaries and bourgeoisies. It is: necessary to expose the role of the women of the exploiting classes. who, under cover of non-existent tasks of an essentially feminine type, help the imperialists to enslave the women and mothers. These women who act only in the interests of their class, apply themselves to opposing the national liberation movements. They have set up their national and international organisations to stifle the women's progressive movement, The true face of such organisations must be: shown to the working women. It is the duty of the democratic oiganisations to expose them and fight against them. But it can be said with certainty that these women will not succeed in stopping the invincible action of the peoples: All the strength and all the attention of the progressive organisations of the women of Asia and Africa must go towards mobilising all the women in these countries in the struggle against imperialism, against the national bourgeoisies, against the feudal lords and’ reaction. The most urgent task before the women's progressive organisations in Asia is the unity and organisation of the women, to deman‘’i from the governments of these countries legislation satisfying their demands. They must demand the application of.the decisions of the Econamic and Social Council of U.N.O. in questions concerning the countries of Asia, 1. Equality {fer women from the political and economic stand-- point. 2. Complete quality for women in civil and family rights. 3. Application ¢f the principle: Equal Pay for Equal Work. 4. Protection of mothers who work outside the home: The experience of the People’s Republic of Viet-Nam, of liberated China, of Mongolia, and the great experience of the Soviet Republics of Asia shows that equality for women can only be achieved under conditions of complete economic and political freedom- In order to deepen the study of the living conditions of the women and children in Asia, the W.1.D.F. sent a Commission to South East Asia presided over by Madame Simone Bertrand. Seeing that the Women’s International Democratic Federation was taking such interest in themselves and their children, the women of Asia proposed the calling of a great conference where the women: of all the countries of Asia would be represented. The W.LD.F. is trying to put this plan into effect, a plan which has aroused the enthusiasm of women throughout the world. The women of Asia and Africa declare that they feel themselves stronger since they knew they were supported by the W.I-D.F- 489. === [PDF page 519] === The women of the whole world have proved the need for unity, and it is with joy and enthusiasm that they unite in the W.I.D.F. The ‘Women’s International Democratic Federation mobilises the women throughout the world in the fight for liberation. It groups in its ranks tens of millions of women of Asia and Africa who are resolved to establish peace throughout the world, and to exterminate fascism and imperialism forever. The W.LD.F. brings great moral support to the women who struggle in Asia and Africa. International solidarity inspires in the women of Asia and Africa great confidence in their strength, and gives them the certainty of the successful outcome of their fight for liberation- United in the ranks of the Women's International Democratic Federation, the women of Asia and Africa bear ever higher the banner of the fight for peace, for true independence and national liberation, for their rights as human beings, for the happiness of having healthy, joyous children. Madame PHAM NGOC THUAN (VIET-NAM) The women of Viet-Nam during the last 80 years, under French domination, lived a precarious existence. The condition of slavery imposed upon them by the old feudal system, and traditional customs, were strengthened under colonial oppression, Women labourers were particularly severely exploited by the French colonialists, who found their labour cheaper than that of the men, A woman working in the factories, the mines or the plantations earned an average of 0 $ 22 to 6 $ 28 or in france, 2 fr. 20 to 2 fr. 80 for a working day of more than 13 hours. The women workers like all the other women of Viet-Nam, had no democratic rights at all, They were not protected by a single regulation in their work, or by a single social law. They were constantly the butt of unhuman treatment by their employers, (corporal punishment, reduction of wages dismissal at a moment's notice). The peasant women were in a position hardly more enviable. Having to bear heavy expenses, and crushing taxes, they were often obliged to sell their children for ridiculous sums (20 to 50 francs at pre-war value). The extreme poverty of the countryside forced young peasant girls into the towns where many of them were obliged to become prostitutes in order to live. The women of Viet-Nam soon understood that their emancipation would not be won in the general state of slavery of the Viet-Nam nation as a whole. They did ‘not hesitate to face difficulties or sacrifices. In the rebellion of 1930 (Yen-Bay) as in the. strikes of that same year, the women marched in the front rank, Reaction, 490 === [PDF page 520] === furious, made mass arrests: The French police agents us¢d methods of the utmost refinement of torture. In 1936, with the coming of the Popular Front in France, the women of Viet-Nam redoubled their activity. In 1940, when Indo-China was handed over to the Japanese by the men of. Vichy, the Viet-Nam people was at the mercy of the double Franco Japanese domination. Living in this hell groaning under the oppressive yoke of the fascist demons, the people of Viet- Nam’ longed with every fibre of their being for democracy and freedom. Armed insurrections took place one after another at a quicker and quicker rate: In Cochin China (1940) Bao-Son (1940), ‘Do-Luong (March 1941), Thai-Nguyeh (November. 1944). The insurection in Cochin China in 1940 was led by a young 25-yearold-girl, Nguyen Thi-Minh Khai, who was arrested and condemned to death. The cries of,,Long live independence for Viet-Nam" of Minh Khai had, scarcely died away when thousands of women and young girls prepared to enter the fight. 1941 saw the birth of the Viet-Minh national front composed of the patriotic elements of all classes, religions and parties, with the aim of fighting against the fascists and winning the indepen- ‘dence and unity of the nation. Women without distinction of class or religion united in the Association of Women for National Salvation, They took the responsibility for liaison, food supplies and ‘transport of arms. The youngest and boldest among them were enrolled in the corps of Women Propagandists of.the vanguard and in corps of armed propagandists. On March 9th, 1949, the Japanese carried out their coup dEtat in the twinkling of an eye; the French fled, or lain down their arms without fighting.. Viet-Nam changed hands. The Viet-Nam people, under the leadership of the Viet-Nam Front set-on foot the movement to,fight the Japanese to save the Country”, Revolutionary Committees were formed of which women were members. All the women’s organizations contributed actively to the liberation from the Japanese fascist yoke. The revolution of August 19th, 1945, led to the formation of a People’s Government with President Ho Chi Minh, champion of. freedom and democracy, at its head. The new government solemnly announced the independence of Viet-Nam on September 2, 1945, ‘ The democratic rule set up by the Revolution of August 1945, freed the women of Viet-Nam from the double yoke of feudalism and foreign imperialism. Overnight, they found themselves in the ‘position of having the right to vote and to be elected, as well as ‘possessing sex-equality. Overnight, the women of Viet-Nam gained the right to a voice in the affairs of the nation, io be able to parti- 491 === [PDF page 521] === cipate in political, social and economic problems on the widest scale. To defend the newly-won rights, the Viet-Namese women first begam by strengthening their ranks. On October 20th, 1945 a single front uniting all women’s associations was formed: that was the Union of the Women of Viet-Nam which is today affiliated to the Women's International Democratic Federation. The Union of the Women of Viet-Nam which numbers 2.000.000 members, worked out a plan of action which included tasks of a cultural nature, such as close cooperation with the Service of Popular Education, the creation of public libraries for women, the organization of conferences, the publication of women’s periodicals, the opening of children’s classes, créches, etc. In the social field, Union of Viet-Nam Women set itself the tasks of co-operating with the Committees of Youth Movement, with the Ministry of Public Health, with social organizations in the struggle against famine, the establishment of close contact with women’s organizations in the other countries of the world, particularly with those in the countries of South-East Asia. The members of the Union play an active part in the present struggle for the country’s independence. For, three weeks after the proclamation of the independence of Viet-Nam, the colo-. nialist forces in their death throes, revived, and attacked Viet- Nam,. The activity of Viet-Nam women is developing in the rear of the battle for production, in social work, aid to the: Army, and in the political and propaganda aspects of the struggle. On the field of battle, Viet-Nam women play their part as. nurses, liaison workers, guerilla fighters and officers of regular units. Each sector of the front now has its heroines. At the beginning of the battle of Hanoi in January 1947, a press correspondent of the Reuter Agency, Don Campbell, wrote as follows: nThe French use bombs, shells and tanks against the Viet-Namese who, nine times out of ten, fight with their bare hands. In theheart of what has now become a desert of flames, I almost step upon the bodiless heads of young Viet-Nam boys. A French colonel commanding the tanks which take part in battle told me that their heads. had been cut off because they refused to surrender. Among them. was the corpse of a young girl, still grasping the sword with which she had urged on the nationalist and encouraged them to fanatical resistance...” The struggle of the people of Viet-Nam will be hard. The wo-- men and children of Viet-Nam must still endure much suffering and many privations, The French colonial extortioners have by no means. come to the end of their crimes, But our confidence in the future is. 492 === [PDF page 522] === unshakeable because we know that hundreds of millions of women throughout the world fight at our side to put an end to imperialism in all its forms, to build peace and democracy. ‘The message which ‘we have received from the Women’s International Democratic Fe- ‘deration, from Madame Kamaliadeur, who writes us on behalf of the All-India Women’s Union, the one from the Union of Hong Kong {Kaoloon) fill us with emotion and encourage us in our struggle for the couse of freedom and democracy. We strongly hope that the exchange of views between the delegates of the different countries of Asia, the experiences of the peoples in their struggles will help the Congress to work out resolutions which will ensure energetic suppert to the resistance movement of the women of Asia. Thus, we ask this Congress: 1, To send a message of congratulations to the Chinese women 2. To send messages of grecting to the women of Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Malaya and Burma. © 3. To organize effective aid to these women who are fighting for freedom and democracy (the sending of books, pencils, office equipment and of medical supplies; help to the orphans, victims of the colonial war). 4. To demand that the governments withdraw their troops from Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Malaya and Burma and open negotiations with the only legal and legitimate representatives of these countries. Long live the Women's International Democratic Federation! Long live the Conference of the Women of Asia!- Madame ANNIE GELOK WALVIN (HOLLAND) Dear Friends, First of all we wish to express our thanks to the W.LD.F. and the Hungarian women who have made such excellent arrangements for this Congress. As soon as we crossed the frontier, we receivea a Warm welcome, and we must also express our appreciation for the excellent hotel accommodation and for the arrangements made for the Congress. Wednesday evening's huge demonstration has shown us how strong are the forces for peace in Hungary, and what a great share the women here are taking in the struggle for peace. We have also seen with what enthusiasm the whole nation is working here to rebuild ‘the country and to create socialism. We, too, are inspired by this fact to continue the work in our country ever more vigorously and with ever greater enthusiasm. 493 === [PDF page 523] === We should be happy if the Congress of the Women's Federation could be held once in Holland, so that the Dutch women could realise just how many women all over world are making efforts in defence of peace, As everyone knows, the people of Indonesia are at the moment fighting for liberty. We, progressive Dutch women, are glad of, and. support, their fight. Unfortunately, we represent the only women’s. movement in Holland, which has consistently taken up the cause of the Indonesian people. The progressive women of our country want. to live in peace with the people of Indonesia and do not want the youth of Holland and Indonesia to shed their blood in a war, the aim of which is to reduce the people of Indonesia once more to. colonial status. Dutch imperialism has sent 150,000 young men to Indonesia up. to the present time, to defeat this fight for liberty. Progressive women are opposing the government with all their might and demand the withdrawal of the troops. Soldiers who shrink from burning Indonesian villages are sentenced to several years’ imprisonment. One: soldier, who was distributing a youth paper among his comrades, which protested against the cruelties of war, was sentenced to three year's imprisonment, As a result of pressure by the © progressive. women, the Supreme Court of Justice acquitted this young man of the charge. ‘ In this connection I‘should like to tell you about the setting up of the Indonesian Republic: After the defeat of Japanese fascism, the Indonesian Republic was proclaimed. The Government of the Republic was formed from various political groups. It is a regrettable fact that there are forces in Indonesia which work against the people. At the moment the leaders of the Indonesian people are imprisoned and called before a Tribunal by the republican government. The Indonesian nation fights against the growing capitalist forces and international imperialism, and in this fight finds the progressive forces in Holland on its side. The members of the Dutch. women’s movement are happy to count among these, As a result of the war. launched by Dutch imperialism against Indonesia, ever increasing sums are spent on the war and ever smaller amounts are directed to the betterment of living conditions and the reconstruction of war damages, For. example, 37% of the 1949 budget will be directed-to war purposes, 12% for the part payment of debts, the greatest part of which are war expenses. Only 2% is devoted to the building of houses, while the people are suffering from a housing shortage caused by the war and the increase in the 494 === [PDF page 524] === population. In our country the standard of public health is much lower than pre-war, The number of tuberculosis ‘cases is 1,600 per monih, There is a great lack of sanatoria, of hospital beds and of trained workers in the health services.. Dutch women have not only to carry on a campaign against the Indonesian war, but they must also fight against the West European war preparations. Holland has been drawn into the Western Bloc, but the women of Holland do not wish to sacrifice their sons and husbands in Montgomery's ‘army. Our government has accepted the Marshall Plan and we are already suffering from the results of this- The number of unemployed js constantly increasing, especially on the docks, We are compelled to accept ramshackle American liberty -~ ships, while our own shipping industry cannot work, because of lack of raw materials, Since Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg signed the Benelux commercial treaty the most important foodstuffs, such as butter, sugar and bread, and other articles such coal, are continually becoming dearer, As a result of these economic conditions, the position of Dutch housewives is becoming ever more difficult. Many married women are compelled to work but the government fakes 20 thought for the children who have to be left at home. One the contrary! It is made impossible for married women officials to satisfy their family’s needs, From January Ist, 1951, not one married woman teacher will be able to teach, in spite of the fact that there is an enormous need for teachers. From January Ist 1951 no married women will be able to work in the postal services, or in the other branches of the Civil Service, a‘ Briefly, these are the problems and difficuties with which the progressive women of Holland have to contend, In this fight they feel that the progressive women of the whole world are on their side. In our thoughts we stand beside the women of Greece and Spain, as well as beside the women of the French mining villages who are heroically taking part in the tight for peace. In cartying out this task we gain strength from the heroic example of the Soviet women and the results already won by the women of the West European People’s Democracies, It is our task, as progressive Dutch women, to bring home to those women who so far have not taken part in the fight for peace, just what are the forces fighting for peace and who are those who hish to drive the world into a new war. The Swedish delegate said. in her speech that W.I-D.F. should take its stand on theoretical rather than on political issues: From here we call to the Swedish delegation: Be brave! Trust: in the for- 495 === [PDF page 525] === “ces, of progress! We know that they must overcome the strong op- ‘position of many Swedish women, all the more because Sweden did not take part in the world war and did not experience its horrors. We, women of Holland, well know what war, oppression and in- ‘vasions mean. Indeed, we in Holland also know those difficulties with which Sweden today is contending. We have studied this question carefully and consistenly and we can say where the forces of peace are united and who are those who © wish to drive the world into a new war. We can support our contention with facts. We shall try to convince the doubters, because this is the way to increase our strength. We stand before a difficult period but we are convinced that facts are on the side of the progressive forces. This Congress contributes to the closer welding together of the forces of the world in sthe fight for peace, which will lead to a better future, to a life without fear and want.:: Long live the W.LD.F.! ‘Madame NAILA BASANOVA {U.S.S.R.) {Doctor of Biclogy, corresponding member of the Kazakhstan Academy of Science). When I hear here at the Congress the reports of the tragic ‘lives of the women and children in the colonial countries, the stories my mother and grandmother told of the recent, but already dim and distant past of my own people, come back to my mind. I am 37 years old. I was born only 6 years before the great “October Revolution. My conscious life started in the epoch of socialism, and my friends and I in the Soviet Republics of Asia Minor can scarcely believe that at the present time there are millions -of women beyond the frontiers of the Soviet Union, my happy country, who are deprived of all rights, reduced to a slate of poverty -and terrible famine, working like slaves, their hearts filled with - -anguish for the lives of their children. However scarcely 31 years have gone by since the time when ‘my people were in a terrible position. Kazakhstan was then, like its today flourishing neighbors the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, Turkmenia, Khirghizia and Tadjikistan, a colony of the Russian empire, The women of these countries were illiterate and oppressed slaves; they suffered under the yoke of the rich in their countries, the satrapes of the Tsar, from ignorance, from savage superstitions, and from pitiless exploitation in their own families. 496 === [PDF page 526] === From birth the women lived the life of a slave. For one thing, sshe was sold to rich old men; sometimes she was the second or third wife. In my country the price of a young girl was fixed at ‘40 head of cattle- In the family as well as in the whole nomadic type of life of cattle raisers, the woman was crushed by the weight of the enormous difficulties she had to face. It was the women who ‘went for water to the deep wells, for the herds; it was she who carried firewood on her back, and served her husband. Women hore ‘their children in the same dirty,,Yourtas" where they lived, where they were looked after by ignorant charlatans. Mortality was very chigh. They had no chance even to think of education. How could they, when in Khirghizia before the revolution, for example, there ‘were only 4 men with secondary education? And, as for the women. mo one dreamt of even teaching them to read. This was the state of things in those times. Our mothers still ‘remember them; to us, they seem like a bad dream. The great Russian people with the party of Lenin and Stalin at its head, tore the yoke of exploitation from our necks, and showed the peoples, ‘liberated from the former empire, the way of freedom, happiness sand culture, Now the people are masters of their destiny. In the space of thirty years, in the life of one generation, everything has changed, just like a fairy tale. But this change has been brought about by -our hard work and struggle. We were nothing; now we are everything; complete masters of ‘our country, taking part in the free creative work for the benefit sof our nation, leaders in the community life, deputies, ministers, scientists, writers, managers and directors of factories and collective farms, equal companions of our husbands, happy mothers of happy children. I do not want to talk about myself; but my career is typical of the careers of our women. I grew up among my people, whom the -great October Revolution led out of the shadow of slavery into the light of freedom. I was educated in the primary and secondary ‘school where my native Kazakh language was spoken. At the present time there are thousands of schools: In Uzbekistan 500,000 little girls go to the primary and secondary schools, and there are 15,000 -girl students in its training colleges. Biology interested me more than all the other sciences and my country helped me to become a biologist. I went to Moscow to ‘present my thesis for my degree, and presented my thesis for the degree of Doctor of Science in the capital of the Kazakhstan “Republic, Alma Ata. Now I am Professor of Animal Physiology in 497 32 === [PDF page 527] === the Zoological Institute of Alma Ata, and I am doing scientific work: on the functions of anima] organisms, developing the methods of that great Russian scientist, the Academician Pavlov. At the same time I am head of the Institute of Experimental Biology and have been elected corresponding member of the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences. No one is surprised at this in my country. At present, manywomen are working in the Institutes and laboratories of the Soviet. East, Names such as Umidova Zulfia, M. D., professor of therapy, who is a delegate to this Congress; Mahkamova Kypdor, Abidova, and Suloimanova, women scientists of Uzbekistan; Kulieva, Yasikova. Annagoul, Amirova Anna, from Turkmenia, and of many others, are: the pride of our peoples, The Uzbek woman poet Zulfia; the people's artists, Stalin Prizewinners Halima Nassirova, and Kuliash Baissietova, daughters of the Soviet East, and many others are known and loved far beyond! the borders of our Republics, There is no aspect of work, of social or civic activity in which our women, creators of a new, equitable unclouded life, do not take part. Numerous women experts on various subjects work in our rapidly developing industry. The Uzbek woman weaver Habib Izraelova, in a textile factory in Uzbekistan, fulfilled her plan for the year's work in October by carrying through 180% of her production target each day, and she has pledged herself to carry” through her quota for the five year plan in 2 years 11 months. The- Turkmenian women Stakhanovites in a silk factory, Seidova Bayvan and Annalieva Sonna, have already fulfilled their quota for the five year plan, and are now working on their quota for 1951- Women are a powerful force in agriculture. The Khirghiz womar collective farm worker, Sonkesh Mambetova, has earned 100 poods: of corn by her work, 120 poods of sugar and 100,000 rubles. She has: been honored with the title of Heroine of Socialist Labour for her admirable work and magnificent results. Dinabad Begevitchova,. leader of a team on a collective farm, gathered 4 more tons of cotton. than the 1.8 tons planned. Eight Turkmenian women received the: title of Heroines of Socialist Labour for their high production results in cotton picking, and 154 women collective farm workers have beem awarded medals and orders of the U.S.S.R. In Kazakhstan the title of Heroine of Socialist Labour has been awarded to 92 women; and: generally, in every republic of the Soviet East, dozens of women: can be seen wearing the beautiful,,Golden Star" decoration of our country, and hundreds of others wearing orders and medals. 498 === [PDF page 528] === A little more ‘than thirty: years has gone by since the great Lenin said that every cook must be able to govern. And now in Workers’ Republics which were only dark forgotten places under Tsarism, thousands of women have become first-class organisers, and occupy important positions. Berdijeba Niasolstan, a Turkmenian woman, has worked for five yeats as chairman of the rural council of the village of Baghir. During these five years, great changes have taken place in this village. A secondary school has been established, as well as a hospital and a first-aid station: In this village there is also a maternity centre, a mill, a créche, some kindergartens, a library, a teading room, and an electric power station. All the collective farms are working extremely efficiently. The collective farm bearing Lenin's name had a revenue of 2.5 millions last year, and this year plans for 3 millions. The,,Zakhnut“ collective farm is still richer, Its annual income is already more than 2 million; and all these millions are the result of really hard work, but they do not go into the pockets of capitalists; they benefit the workers themselves, in the creation of a full happy and cultured life for each person and for all. There are many women who are leaders of collective farms, of factories in important sections of the national economy. The Turkmenian woman Annamouradova Nourtatch, for example, is head of the carpet-making combine ‘of the Republic. Annagonsel Mamedova is head of a textile factory. Dozens of Uzbek, Kazakh, Kirghiz and Turkmenian women are greatly respected by their peoples, and have been elected deputies to the Soviets in the town districts, in the regions, and in the Supreme Soviets of the Republics. In Uzbekistan 106 women are deputies to the Supreme Soviet; in Khirghiziia 90 women, in Kazakhstan 78, in Turkmenia 74. Ermogombetova is assistant to the President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in the Kazakh Republic; Tagal Babajeva occupied a similar post in the Turkmenian Republic. In the Soviet East there are women ministers and ministers’ assistants) The Turkmenian woman Altebaieva Bahteboul is Minister of light industry; Asja Atanyepeszova, a delegate to this Congress, is Minister of Social Security. ‘We, women and mothers, know that it is not enough to open the paths of education, of civic activity and provide ‘opportunities for taking part in government: It is not enough to give them equal tights with men on paper, but the possibility of enjoying these rights must be guaranteed to them, In order to do this it is necessary ty create a material basis, to avoid the mothers’ anxiety about the 499 === [PDF page 529] === children’ welfare and the petty cares which take up all women's time and strength. In the Republics of the Soviet East, just as in the rest of the Scviet Union, very special attention is paid to the education of chiidren and the protection of their health. Establishments for children of pre-school age, créches and nursery schools, allow women. to carry ont their function as mothers at the same time as serving the commnnity and studying. The organisation of children’s establishments conforms to the women’s conditions of life and work. Thus in summer, seasonal créches have been set up in all localities, where the children are cared for and fed while their mothers work in the fields. In Kazakhstan alone there are 200,000 children in such créches. In Turkmenia 2,552 permanent and seasonal institutions for little children are functioning. 15,000 children attend special kindergartens. As everywhere in the Soviet Union, mothers in my country are surrounded with care and respect, Each year millions of rubles are devoted to the education of their children. In Uzbekistan during the last four years, mothers of large families have received 443 million 785 thousand rubles in State subsidies. 41,109 mothers have been awarded different orders and the medal of,,Maternal Glory’ for the achievement of their noble task as the children’s educators. In Turkestan, during the same period the mothers of large families received 86,846,000 rubles. Allanova Ognslo Bike, a Heroine Mother (title given by the State to each woman with 10 or more children) who had given birth to 14 children and reared them, received 60,000 rubles, the Heroine Mother Niasmouradova, 40,000 rubles: We give special attention to open air and physical culture establishments for children, such as sanatoria, children’s holiday camps, etc, A wide network of medical consulting rooms makes it possible to watch over the health of mothers and children daily. In our time such a way of living has become an irrevocable fact, and women cannot even imagine that it was ever any different. Soviet mothers have no-anxiety about their future or their children's future. On the contrary our motherly, sisterly hearts contract when we think of the lot of our friends, women in the capitalist countries, and in the countries under the colonial yoke. Can our minds be at rest when in India, country of legendary tiches, millions of people die of starvation every year, and death Teaps a rich harvest among the children of working women who work like slaves unceasingly in the plantations of the British and Indian landlords? 500 === [PDF page 530] === Can our minds be at rest when millions of coloured women live like lepers surrounded on every side by prohibitions, continually repulsed by the notice,,For Whites Only”, which reminds us so vividly of the impudent arrogance of the Young Hitler racists — nFor Aryans only“. Can our minds be at rest when millions of women in the Dutch East Indies, in Africa, Burma and Viet-Nam are deprived of political and economic rights, suffer under dire poverty and humiliation and live in misery? Our thoughts go out to them, and we raise angry voices in protest against the barbarism of the modern imperialists, who make profits of millions of dollars and pounds sterling by ignobly exploiting women and children. We say to all the women of the whole world; it is our task to arrest the greedy hands robbing our sisters. We call upon you to fight unitedly without respite, with unflagging determination, to break the colonial yoke, to obtain the granting of the right to life, to work, to cultural development, to happiness, for all women. Together we constitute a great force. Let us use that strength for this just and noble aim. Long live the Women's International Democratic Federation! Madame MIRIAM FIROUZ (IRAN) Member of the Council. Dear friends, for the first time, the Iranian women have the opportunity to make the voice of their people heard. And it is thanks to our great Federation, which has accepted us into its ranks, that we can make known our lives, our sufferings, and the crushing oppression of Anglo-American imperialism, to the world: We thank our Hungarian sisters with all our hearts, because in offering hospitality to us all they have given the Iranian women ~ the means to speak freely, to tell the truth at last about their lives. Since we cannot separate the life of Iranian women from the life of our nation as a whole, we will show you the whole picture: For 150 years British imperialism has tried to stifle us, to reduce our nation to nothing. The British Government, in order to exploit freely the immense wealth of India, resolved, according to the declaration of Lord Curzon, an English minister, to carry out the monstrous act of changing our rich and beautiful country into a desert. Methodically and cold-bloodedly, this policy has been carried out step by step. The water of the streams and rivers-is lost in the sand and in the sea, and the people are fighting each other for a drop of water, All attempt at irrigation is forbidden. In South Iran, where the heat is intense, where a drop of water is the price of 50L === [PDF page 531] === a human life, the rare plantations are guarded by armed men, because the starving population eats the bark of the trees and the grass, and there are many who pay with their lives for getting this much coveted grass. These provinces are becoming uninhabited, only ruins are to be seen, whole villages abandoned. In the oil giving areas where the,,black gold” flows; in order to have cheap labor at its disposition, British imperialism has committed the atrocious crime of destroying the date plantitions; callously depriving the people of their food, Thus the starving people have only one means of survival; that of putting themselves at the mercy of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Attracted by our great oil beds, by our close proximity to the Soviet Union, American imperialism has imposed itself upon us by the power of its dollars. United with its British predecessor, it tries to stifle every popular movement, and wants to change Iran into a fortress against the Soviet Union. In spite of our close proximity, and 3,000 kilometers of common frontier, because of measures taken by British imperialism, the Iranian people were in complete ignorance of the lives of the Soviet peoples, and the magnificent work they were achieving: When the war began, our country was occupied by the Allied armies, and therefore we had first-hand experience of thousands of Soviet soldiers, The Iranian people, who were used to seeing despotic men installed in their country, perceived for the first time that the Soviet people had succeeded in creating men who were magnificent in every sense of the word. And we Iranian women and. mothers saw that these heroic soldiers defended not only their own peoples but the whole of humanity. The people of Iran cannot forget that in 1921 the young Soviet Government annulled all the treaties which Tsarist Russia had imposed on Iran, Every Iranian man and woman will always remember a-clause of this treaty,,The Government of the Federation of Socialist Soviet Republics declares that it puts an end forever to the policy of oppression exercised by Tsarist Russia in Iran and that it wants the Iranian people to enjoy independence and to be able to control its wealth in such a way as to lead to freedom and happiness.” This treaty was signed by the great Lenin. In 1947, the reactionary Iranian government signed another pact, unkown to the Iranian people, with the American government, and it was scarcely six months ago: that the Iranian people learned about it. It is with anguish and.rebellion that we learn that we are handed. over as slaves to the American imperialists. This humiliating pact imposes American counsels on us in all aspects of policy, political, economic 502 === [PDF page 532] === and military. Here are a few clauses of this pact:,,The Iranian Army and_-police will be taught by American officers chosen by the American Government. Article 12: American officers have the right to visit all the arcas of Iran, to see all secret documents of the Iranian Army and Iranian “officers must hold themselves at their disposition. Article 10: American officers are to serve in the Iranian Army holding the rank which they held in the American Army, but they ‘will be considered by Iranian officers as holding the same rank as Thus again, we have,,super men” installed in our country. This humiliating pact has been put into operation and we see with our own eyes what it is. The war-makers do not hide themselves: We see American officers travelling particularly in the regions bordering on the Soviet Union, making plans and films, installing war bases. people understand the implications of this pact very well. They A flood of American armaments invades our country. The Iranian know about this policy of aggression against our great friend and netghbor, the Soviet Union, We Iranian women and mothers declare loudly that the Iranian people will resist and oppose this policy of war, in spite of pacts and in spite of imperialism, and it is on account of this restistance that today oppression and terrorist methods are so severe, We ask our American friends present here who are fighting for democracy to tell their people that it is in the name of the American people that this pact has been imposed on us; that it is in the name of freedom and democracy that we are enslaved and humiliated. ‘Let the American people know that their representatives order mass imprisonment, massacres and tortures. Tell your people that, supported and strengthened by American imperialism, the reactio- ‘naries in Iran crushed the young peoples’ movement in our province of Azerbaidjan and in two months massacred 50,000 people ~- men, women and children. Even today in the large towns, demosciatic newspapers are burned and the words,,freedom” and,,right” ‘are insupportable to the ears of American representatives, who punish those who pronounce them with prison and death. Dear friends, we could teli you the Tale of the Thousand and ‘One Nights, charm your ears with the verses of Saadi, but we are met here to unveil the truth and the truth for us is poignant, revolting. It is in the name of an oppressed nation, in the name of our women and children living in dire poverty that we speak to you and we speak particularly to our English friends. The day when the Labor Party triumphed, our people were full sof joy, believing that-the policy of the workers’ representatives would 503 === [PDF page 533] === be different from that of the Conservatives. Unhappily, that joy did not last long. Not only has the government of Bevin and Attlee changed no part of Churchill's policy, it has actually strengthened it) Bevin, who has so many times claimed that,he was a worker”, knows very well the lives of poverty and hunger of the oil workers. Let the whole world judge this man who is responsible for the machine-gunning of unarmed oil workers, who were demanding wage increasing. Let Bevin declare that he owes the petrol in the car that he drives to the Iranian workers. ‘What has he done for them? He has put at their disposal opium to intoxicate and stupefy them and his car rolls over the bodies of our women and children. An English delegate said to me,,,The role of English imperialism must not be forgotten”. No, and it would not matter if we did forget it. It has cost us too much blood, too many tears. It is you English women who must remember the bloody imperialism of your country. It is you who must keep before your eyes these bands of starving children with bloodshot eyes, blinded’ by ophthalmia, these mothers harnessed to ploughs who sell their childrey for lack of bread, these men mad with thirst who kill cach other for a drop of water. In the name of Iranian women, tell your people that it is in the name of the English people that these crimes are committed. It is our duty to tell you that every Englishman, whatever he may be — capitalist, engineer, or simple worker — enters our country and behaves there like a master. We want too, know the English people: We are waiting for thenr to enter the fight but they are delaying too long, Nora Wooster in her speech said that the English militant women are afraid that the Conservative Party will take power if the women intensify their activity. It is. not by keeping silent that thev will prevent that’ happening: It is the duty of English women to develop militant women who will be afraid of nothing. Our English friend has told us that English women are beginning to be alarmed at the measures: being: taken for war. However, already, millions and millions of women and children throughout the world are suffering and dying. We ask you in the name of Iranian workers to begin and tocarry on the fight against imperialism and to enlighten your people.. Tell all English mothers that it is their duty to make up for the crimes committed by the English representatives. We Iranian womer demand that the imperialists leave our country; we want to build democracy ourselves, In the name of Iranian women, we promise the democratic’ women of the whole world that we will fight against the plans of the American imperialists, that we will not allow our country te 504 === [PDF page 534] === serve as a war base against the Soviet Union. We swear to you: that we will do everything in order that democracy shall triumph. Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! Madame SARAH ABRAHAM sub. member of the Council. Allow me to supplement the Indian section, Mme Tchai Chiang- China‘s able report on Asia. India with its 400 million people is a multi-national state, whosepeople have been shamefully betrayed by the bourgeoisie which has allied itself with the imperialists. This bourgeoisie that enriched itself out of the lives of the millions who died in the Bengal famine of 1943 became panicky at the popular revolutionary upsurge; an upsurge that manifested itself in the demonstrations against the trial of the Indian National Army, the Naval Mutiny of February 1946, strikes of the Police force, demonstrations of organized women: This betrayal culminated in the division of the country on: a religious basis which far from solving the problems of the country only increased them. The immediate consequence of the partition was a purposeless: massacre of thousands of innocent people, many women and children. the violation of hundreds of women, and the mass uprooting of places instead of their real needs being properly provided for. Wher made for them in the regions to which they were sent. On the borders of both the Indian Union and Pakistan, women were stripped” naked and made to march in procession: There have been many instances where husbands and brothers have had to shoot their own wives and sisters to spare them dishonour. Refugee camps — worse than prisons — were set up in different places intead of their real needs being properly provided for. When the people plucked up courage to demand better conditions, they were met by ferocious lathi charges from the police. Another consequence of the partition was that industrial workers were made to choose, within the short space of a few hours, whether they would continue to live in the Indian Union or opt for Pakistan. Those workers who returned to India after having temporarily opted for Pakistan were subjected to a police inquiry before they were employed. Not all of them have been reemployed as yet; further, even those who have been reemployed are threatened with dismissal on the ground that their loyalty is not reliable. This threat should’ be understood in the context of a prospective general strike on the Indian Railways, 505. === [PDF page 535] === The old administrative divisions have been continued; divisions ‘hat have nothing to do with nationalities -- e. g. the Bengali Nationality has been divided, one half is in the Indian Union while the other is in Pakistan, The popular demand for linguistic provinces ‘is being resisted and the Government has ordered the suspension of the Commission of Enquiry on Linguistic provinces which, under popular ptessure, they were forced to appoint six months ago. “‘Untouchability still continues — it being profitable to the employer in that the untouchable can be paid even lower wages than are paid ‘to others: Provincial feeling is exploited. For example, a few months ago hirelings of the employers in Assam were instigated into assaulting Bengali workers in Assam, Feudalism is retained in fact and the princes — those hated oppressors of the people and notorious agents of imperialism — are now, because of the formality of accession to the Indian Union, ‘regarded as patriots and rewarded with governorship of provinces and foreign Secretaryships. No democratic elections have been held; instead an authoritarian Constitution is being drafted, giving wide powers to the Executive heads, governors and the governor general. They have cemented their alliance with their imperialist allies by agreeing to remain in the British Commonwealth, in their condemnation of the people’s movement in the Far East and in their overt and covert hostility to the Soviet Union. They are pursuing an aggressive policy in Kashmir and are ‘bringing pressure to bear on the Kashmiris to agree to a partition of their state, to serve the purposes of the bourgeoisie. Internally they have set up a police state in more senses of the term than one — they have economized on expenditure on education, ‘social security, irrigation and have greatly increased expenditure on the pelice force. Only 3% of the expenditure is on education, while that on the police is about 19%. Further, in every province they have introduced,,Public Security “Measures Acts’ — acts more repressive even than the Rowlett Acts of 1919. Arrests without warrant or trial have become a common feature. The Press is controlled and the right of Habeas Corpus reduced to a mere formality.. Treatment in jails can be compared to that in a Nazi Concentration Camp. Politicians are treated like criminals and several have ‘died in jail under very tragic circumstances. The bodies of the dead -are not always handed over to relatives. 506 === [PDF page 536] === . Assaults on women in places like Malabar are everyday happenings. Three heroines of popular resistance against princely autocracy, in Travancore State, South India, a resistance which made elections possible and the establishment of a Congress Government possible in the state, are now under sentence of death. And this side by side with the free run allowed to blackmarketeers, profiteering. industrialists and the huge compensation — over 20% of the annual rental value — to landlords. Culturally, too, there has been no change for the better. The same colonial system of education prevails with little emphasis on ‘technical education, There has also been no attempt at giving our children an idea of the genuine history of our peoples. Students who ‘asserted their right to assemble in conference and discuss their common problems, were tear gassed and fired upon and over 300 of them injured in December last. Democratic women's movements exist in Bengal, Andhra, Kerala, New Delhi, and the United Provinces, Most have their origin in the war time famine period. The New Delhi Women’s League has the cate of refugees as one main object of its work. The organisations ‘have consistently tried to rouse women against the ever increasing cost of living and police oppression and for peace and freedom. ‘That was the meaning of the demonstration by the refugee women ‘of New Delhi three months ago, of the women of Ang Andhra in April last, of Calcutta in August last, and of Kerala in their efforts to capture hoarded grain from the landlords’ store houses. A so-called industrial Truce has been established imposing only ‘one-sided obligations on the worker, with none whatsoever on the employer and the Government which wishes to re-introduce a 9 hour day, three shifts in the textile industry, and retrenchment. The worker, on the other hand, is denied his right to strike and is read many lectures on patriotism and national emergency, in addition to being subject to dismissal and imprisonment. The basic wage has risen very littie. Even the high cost of living allowance paid is not commensurate with the rise in prices which ‘even according to the unreal index was 391-2% of the pre-war level. Besides attacking the independent movement of the working class, ‘they have split it also and are now trying to obtain legal sanction for even greater control over Trade Unions. Commission after commission, beginning with the central pay Commission of 1946, has been appointed to devise ways and means of cheating the worker of his dues while retaining the top-heavy administration of the ‘earlier days: The workers’ demand for a basic wage of Rupees 55 ‘or. 4 Pounds a month is met with bullets and bayonets. 507 === [PDF page 537] === Housing is a disgrace in our country. Apart from overcrowding to the extent of 10 or 12 in a room 12 ft. x 12 ft., sleeping on the pavements is a common feature. In Bombay alone 300,000 people have to sleep on pavements. The extent of malnutrition will become clear when we mention that the average daily consumption is only 900 calories. There is no social insurance. There is neither unemployment insurance, nor old age pension no sickness benefit. While maternity benefit and workmen's compensation exist in theory, in actuat practice they do not exist because of the formalities which are too complicated for illiterate workers, Further, very often women and children are employed without proper registration and dismissed when pregnant. Moreover, a good proportion of women are employed in unregulated industries, In theunregulated industries of bidi or indigenous cigarette making, rice milling, mica mining, tanning, shellac and others, hours are very long and wages very low, sometimes as low as four annas a day, i. e, 3d- in English money, The penalty for violations of factorylegislation is only a ridiculously low fine of Rs. 500 or 30 Pounds in English money. Care of public health has not improved and infant and maternal mortality continues as high as ever before. We have so far been presenting only the sordid side of life in India. That by no means is complete. The upsurge of 1945 has not subsided. In 1946 the peasant struggle for freedom from the tyranny of the landlords and the Nizam in Hyderabad and Deccar started. This was followed by the armed resistance of the people of Travancore against autocratic tyranny. A mutiny in the merchant navy also took place, in which, in Bombay alone, over 300 people, including women, Jost their lives in one day. The fight for human conditions and peace continues unabated as can be seen in the many strikes in practically every industry. The middle class employees are increasingly throwing in their lot with general labour. The working class has so far consistently refused to be taken in by the anti-Pakistan propaganda inspired by vested interests. On the contrary, they have loyally stood by the Muslim employees returned from Pakistan and are fighting a common fight: This, weare confident, is one of the principal guarantees of peace with our neighbour. These provincial movements are moving fast toward unity and are intensifying their struggle for peace, human conditions of work and for the rights of women and children. The proposed Asia con-- 508 === [PDF page 538] === ference of the WIDF and the preparations for the same has been a landmark in our history. For, what else was the convention of Indian women early last month if it were not a demonstration of the -determination of the democratic women all over India to unite and play their part in the liberation of India? So too, the fight against repression continues unabated. We have also organized demonstrations for peace and friendship with the peoples of the Far East and with the Soviet Union. The country wide ‘demonstration on the 3ist anniversary of the October Revolution was a manifestation of it. The Indians are also resisting the desire of their bourgeoisie to remain in the British Commonwealth and they wholeheartedly support the peasanis of Hyderabad who are now being butchered by the Armies of the Indian Union. We shall not rest until we are free and at peace with the world. The people of the world can rest assured that the people of India ‘and especially our women will always be in the camp of peace and freedom, led by the Soviet Union, and will resist to their utmost the attempts of imperialists in whatever garb they may appear, to wage another war for their own profit. The Indian people will not lag behind. Down with colonialism and imperialism! Long live peace and freedom! Long live the Unity of the peoples of the world! ‘Mis, Tamara RUST (GREAT BRITAIN} Member of the Executive Committee. I would like to start by saying that the British delegation entirely agrees with the point of view expressed by our Iranian ‘delegate. The British Section of the Federation covers a considerable ‘section of the progressive and democratic movement in Britain ‘which is day in and day out exposing the part played by the Labour Government and by British Imperialism in Malaya, Greece, in India, Spain, Burma and Palestine. I think that the accusation made by our Iranian friend was raised because of a misunderstanding of our speech or maybe because of a bad translation. We never said that one should not criticise the Labour Government for fear of ‘letting in the Conservatives. What we did say in the section when we were trying to explain the moods of the British people and the ‘difficulties which are facing us, that there is yet a big section of active Labour workers who are sometimes disappointed with the ‘Government, are sharing our criticisms, but who are not yet fully 509 === [PDF page 539] === involved in the fight against the Labour Government and its policy because they are afraid that any criticism of the Government would. bring back the power of the Conservative Party. It is a terribly important point and I hope my explanation will be understood and noted by the Congress: I would like also to deal with the point made by our Iraniar friend where she accuses us of using the word,,beginning’ about our peace movement, We have a peace movement of women in Britain which the British delegation, quite conscious of its weaknesses, believes to be a good, broad and growing movement. This is. illustrated by the peace demonstrations, resolutions, meetings, deputations to the House of Commons which have been taking place in our country for the last five or six months. But, when we come to this Congress, we feel a very great responsibility not only to make fighting speeches but to give the Congress a sober estimate of what forces are working for peace and what the forces are which we have not yet succeeded in drawing into our movement. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the Congress, And, it is because of this that we have been using such qualifying terms as _,,beginning to realise", because we did not want you to get the impression that. we are moving into action hundreds of thousands, millions — although we hope soon there will be — but wanted to give you a picture of the movement as it is today. And, in connection with this point, I would like again to explain that if the point of view of the British Section of the Federation and of a considerable section of the democratic movement was already shared by all people in Britain —- then British imperialism would be already dead. But, unfortunately, it is not. I want to go on now to some points of my written text. Much has been said already about the suffering, degradation and exploitation of people in India, Asia and Africa. Today millions of people are in revolt against these conditions. They are fighting for a different life, for their right to live as human beings and to run their own country. We in Britain have a special responsibility to help our brothers and sisters in these countries which our rulers have oppressed for such a long time. British capitalism grew rich on the exploitation of its colonies, on the blood and sweat of the workers and peasants of India, of Malaya, Burma and Africa. For a small section of the British working class the colonial exploitation has meant a higher standard of life, but for the mass of the British workers it has meant increased exploitation and lower 510 === [PDF page 540] === wages: The Lancashire millowners always told the cotton workers. of Lancashire that they could not afford to pay them higher wages. That would raise the price of British goods which could not them compete with goods produced by cheap Indian labour. They themselves, however, were the owners of many of the Indian mills. The Jute workers of Dundee were then told the same. British workers were also led to believe that their security and their jobs were dependent on the existence of a colonial empire with exploitation of millions of colonial people. Today, unable to rule in its old way, British imperialism is acquiring a,new look". It is resorting to new tricks and devices. It announces with a great flourish of trumpets that India today is free and independent. But the imperialists only helped to impose new chains on the Indian people, to divide their country, and they are now trying to draw India into their war bloc. They have granted a sham constitution to Burma and Malaya, a constitution which gives no authority to: the native pecple but leaves all the power in British hands. Previously British workers were always told that the hundreds of thousands of people in Asia and Africa are not fit to govern themselves, Today they are told by the ruling class of Britain that the liberation movement of millions of people in Burma, Malaya and Cyprus is a Communist plot, organised by a few imported agitators. British imperialism, although weakened by the war and the: loss of some of its possessions to America, is trying to make up: for its losses and maintain its imperialist hold by strengthening itself in the Middle East and Africa. That is why it plans and supports the criminal war in Palestine, inciting Arab and Jewish workers against each other, that is why it turns guns on the demonstrations of ex-servicemen and strikers in Africa. And in Africa where the British monopolists have poured thousands of pounds into the development of new monopoly schemes like the ground nuts plantations, the British people are told that it is done solely for the benefit of the native people. Our movement has a tremendous task to do to explain these facts. Due to our efforts the events in Palestine aroused a cor.- siderable section of the people, who began to understand that the real concern of their ruling class was not the welfare of Jews or Arabs, but to get in their hands oil and military positions. There were meetings, mass petitions, deputations to parliament, demanding the recognition of Israel and the stopping of the criminal war, Thousands of women in Glasgow signed a petition demanding the withdrawal of our troops from Palestine, Scores of resolutions were passed by the working-class organisations against the events S12 === [PDF page 541] === ‘in Malaya, and when the High Commissioner of Malaya, Malcolm Macdonald, came to London, a demonstration of protest greeted him vin Whitehall, Today our task of explanation is made a thousand times easier by the shining example of the Soviet Union. Millions of people who were Said to be backward, ridden with superstition, unfit to govern ‘themselves, are today achieving the highest standard of culture, of freedom, of independence, of skill. There is no doubt that the consistent stand by the Soviet Union ‘in UNO on behalf of all the oppressed people, the speeches of Comrade Manuilsky, spotlighting the conditions of the natives in the colonies, the speech the Soviet delegate made on the question -of Palestine, is finding a tremendous response in the hearts of millions of people throughout the world and in Britain. It is showing “the people who are their real friends and enemies. It is a showing ‘up of the real facts. We give a pledge in this conference to intensify our efforts to assist the fight of our sisters in Malaya, in Burma, etc., and to widen and intensify our campaign of solidarity and protest: We are going to arouse the consciousness of the British women and convey to them the magnificent spirit of the women of Asia and Africa whom we have had the honour and privilege to meet here in this Congress. We will do all we can in order to find the correct words to express the bitterness, humiliation and fighting spirit expressed here in the speeches of our friends from Greece, Iran, India and Spain in order to arouse the hatred of our sisters in Britain. Madame You, YEN DUN Member of the Executive Committee. Comrades! a I deem it a grand opportunity and a great honour to be able to tell you at this World Congress of Democratic Women, on behalf of 1,030,000 members of the South Korea League of Democratic “Women as well as millions of unorganised women under its influence, about the political situation in South Korea and the living conditions of South Korean women under the occupation of the American forces. As you know well, on August 15th 1945 we Korean people were delivered, by the arms of the great Soviet Union from the long colonial rule of Japanese imperialism. We ardently believe that our country would soon be restored toa fully independent sovereign state by such a great change. And indeed, the Soviet Army, stationed in North Korea, took measures for real assistance..It handed over the “312 === [PDF page 542] === political power to the People’s Committees which had been created by the people on their own initiative; and thus established conditions for the Korean people, under which they could carry out themselves ‘the agrarian reform and all the other epoch-making democratic changes. Enforcement of the law of equality of men and women is, of course, also included in those reforms, The democratic institutions and reforms of the North Korean people have certainly become a material basis for freedom, welfare and independence for our entire Korean nation, Our participation as South Korean delegates of the South Korea League of Democratic Women in this Congress of historical significance js also possible because we* have North Korea as a stronghold of democracy in consequence of the disintervested assistance of the Soviet Union; for this, we are profoundly grateful to the Soviet people, the Soviet Government, and Generalissimo Stalin. But the U.S. Occupation Forces in South Korea on the other hand have been systematically pursuing a thorough-going slavish colonial policy. As a result of it, South Korea is swayed ‘by a political darkness, economic bankruptcy and cultural downfall. Having seen clearly that they could not seize upon the whole of Korea, on account of the firm foundation of a sovereign national state built up by the great democratic revival and development in North Korea, the Americans are now stubbornly pursuing a fiendish plan of separating the southern half, occupied by themselves, from the North and changing it into a permanent colony of their own: ‘This intrigue of the American imperialists hecame all too apparent as they deliberately broke the Moscow Decisions concerning Korea, which would have guaranteed Korea's democratic independence. On September 26th 1947 General Shitkoff, head of the Soviet Delegation to the Soviet-American Joint Commission, proposed a simultaneous withdrawal from Korea of both the American and Soviet troops by the beginning of 1948, to entrust the Korean people with the right to establish a national government themselves. But the American Government turned this down, brought the Korea problem to the U.N.O. General Assembly, enforced compulsory separate elections in South Korea alone, and formed a separate puppet government consisting of their henchmen, i. e. pro-Japanese elements, national traitors, reactionary land-owners and capitalists, who aré in all but a handful of reactionary traitorous villains- ‘You can easily imagine that women in South Korea, under such a colonisation policy of the American imperialists, are unspeakably exploited and oppressed. Here are a few instances: Average wage of a woman worker in a textile mill amounts to ¥50.93 a day. A kilogramme (two and one quarter pounds) of rice costs ¥200.00 to ¥220.00. That means the wage is about one fourth 33 513 === [PDF page 543] === of the cost of the said amount of rice. With that sum of money she can get only half of the minimum of food she needs, not to speak of her family — it is simply a starvation wage without. parallel. Official statistics in South Korea openly report that the actual income of the average worker or office employee at the beginning of 1948 dropped to 29% as compared with the year 1936. In addition to this the women get only half the male wages. At that, 50% of the women workers are unemployed as compared with the days previous to the 15th of August — this is also a fact which even the official statistics of the Americans do not conceal. Matters stand no better with the women ot the countryside. In South Korea 62.9% of the entire arable land is monopolised by the land-owners- The peasants in South Korea, desiring to get rid. of such a medieval system of land-ownership, request an agrarian reform which will confiscate lands without compensation and distribute them gratis among the farmers. This: is an urgent and sincere request of the peasants; but the American imperialists. stubbornly refuse it. From 50% to 70% of the produce goes to the landlord as rent, and most of what is left for the farmer is taken away in the name of so-called,,collections”, and the farmer has. crops just enough for three or four months of the year, And just imagine the situation of his wife in the kitchen!; Illiteracy, one of the remnants of the days of the Japanese occupations, still prevails among 90% of the entire female population of South Korea, Concubinage, licensed or private prostitution, human traffic- these things are what the American imperialists with the help of the Korean reactionaries force upon the South Koreans- The Democratic Women’s League of South Korea, as the only democratic and patriotic mass organisation of women in South Korea, has been faithfully fighting, at the head of ten millions of Korean women, together with the entire people against the policy of the Americans and their henchmen in general, against colonisation, and for a full liberation from. such a miserable livelihood for the Korean women in particular, The people in South Korea are fighting indefatigably for their emancipation, for democracy. The October Revolt of 1946, general. strike of March 22nd 1947, Patriotic Revolt of February 7th 1948, fight ayainst the Separate Elections of May 10th, and the campaign. for the elections of South Korean delegates to the Supreme People's Assembly of Korea this summer, are typical of them. During the October Revolt, m Taikoo, the centre of the revolt, 3000 women workers played a leading role in occupying the police station which was the headquarters of the murderers of the people. Young girls working in a textile factory made a valiant dash, under a shower 514 === [PDF page 544] === of enemy bullets, with the banner of our League at their head-they were wounded and bleeding, but they marched on. And further, the South Korea League of Democratic Women will never forget how heroically comrade Kim Joo-Gyeng, a member of our League and.a working woman, fought in the struggle against the Separate Elections of May 10th. This comrade, a girl of 20 years, is still going through all sorts of’ inhuman torture from the police, The most important of the fights against the separate elections was the armed revolt of the people on the island of Chejoodo (Quelpart Island) which completely smashed the elections in that region. In that revolt, members of the League supported the partisans magnificently. At the time of our All-Korea election of the deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly, the hateful South: Korean police killed our 300 patriots, and their first victim was Sook-Wha, chairman of the local League in Chinjoo, Within three hours of her arrest, they tortured her to death-her bones broken, and her flesh torn to pieces, These are just a few instances of the struggle of democratic women patriots rallied around the League.. 1,030,000 patriotic women are strongly organised in the Democratic Women’s League of South Korea, and are waging a resolute fight. In March 1947 we published a draft law for sex equality comprising nine articles; and we persistently requested the U-S. Military Government to enforce the sex equality law in South Korea as in the North. All the women of South Korea welcomed it and actively supported us. But the U.S. Military Government entirely ignored this request of ours, and resorted to a policy of repression, just as it opposes all other democratic reforms. Among the 190 deputies of the Parliament elected as a result of the forced separate elections, there is not even a single woman; this shows clearly what the attitude of the Americans and reactionary traitors towards us women is. In spite of the fascist policies of the American imperialists and their agents such as traitors of the Li Seung-Man type, our people continue their heroic historic struggle. As I -have mentioned already, we carried: out nation-wide general elections throughout North and South Korea, on the basis of the completely free will of the people, and thus we formed the Supreme People’s Assembly as the highest!egislative organ of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, ard established a united national government. The great Soviet Unten complied with the request of the Supreme People's Assembly, and she will withdraw her entire remaining troops from Korea by the end of this year- Under these changed circumstances, the Demucratic Women’s League of South Korea is now waging a persisent fight to obtain the application of the programme of our 515 === [PDF page 545] === national government in South Korea, and. to have sex equality actually enforced. The American imperialists, as usual, give no answer tv the request of the Supreme People's Assembly for the withdrawal of their troops, and are now exerting all their efforts to station their troops further in Korea. It is unnecessary to explain that is part of their intrigue to interfere in the internal affairs of the South Korean people and to enslave them by force, that it is also part of their general wicked plan to fall upon the great Soviet Union from the east in the event of a third World War. Therefore, further stay of the American forces in South Korea means an important source of disturbance of world peace. It goes without saying that the evacuation of American troops is a pre-condition for the formation of a democratic national state and for the protection of the national sovereignty of the Korean people: Hence, patriotic women of Korea,’ who ‘love the sovereignty, freedom, peace and security of their country, are firmly united under the banner of the League of Democratic Women of South - Korea, and have been fighting for the withdrawal of the U.S. troops; and it has become a most important task for us under the given circumstances which confront us. Certainly, this is also a most important task for all the democratic women of the world, who fight against the instigators of a new war, for peace and the welfare of mankind. ‘And I ask the Women’s International Democratic Federation to pay more heed to, to render more help to and take special measures for the support of our League’s struggle. Firstly, this Congress should take a decision, in the name of the women of-the whole world, to demand the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea by the end of this year, simultaneously with the withdrawal of the Soviet troops. At the same time, the national ‘sections of all the countries affiliated to the W.LD-F. should do their best to carry out such a resolution. Secondly, the Women's International Democratic Federation should; through its own delegation, or by some other means, make an investigation of the living conditions of women in South Korea, in order to demonstrate that the ardent requests of the people in South Korea for the withdrawal of the American troops are fully justified. V I ask you to expose colonisation policy of the American imperialists on a world scale, utilising publications and every other possible means, and to keep on with your ‘campaign until the Americans will have to withdraw their troops under the pressure of the public opinion of the peoples of the world. These are my suggestions: 516 === [PDF page 546] === ‘Meme FRANCOISE LECLERCQ (FRANCE) Member of the Executive Committee. The development of the democratic movement of the women of Asia and Africa, the struggle of the women of Asia and Africa are particularly important for us, the women of France, whose government follows an imperialist policy with relation to the people of Africa and Asia. Disregarding the Charter of the United Nations, disregarding our Constitution which says that_,,France” will never employ its ‘forces against the liberty of any country", disregarding finally, the agreement signed in March 1946 with the government of the Republic of Viet-Nam, an agreement never nullified, the French government is again waging a war of conquest against the people of Viet- Nam. * The French government is pursuing this imperialist policy against all of the people of Asia and Africa to whom France had promised in its constitution a Union founded on equality of rights and duties. As long as France maintains a government in the service not of the French people, but of capitalist interests, the French Union wil] be only a shamefil hypocrisy. The women of France denounce this hypocrisy.: An atrocious war in Viet-Nam, ferocious repression and unfair court trials’ in Madagascar, a regime of colonial oppression in the countries of North Africa and dark Africa — that is the sum total of colonialism and that is what the women of those countries and the women of France no longer can permit. In France where the Nazis were able to reduce the people to slavery and where today we must fight for our national independence, we have learned that we cannot demand freedom for ourselves without demanding it at the same time for the women of Viet- Nam, for all the women of Asia and Africa oppressed by the French colonial extortioners. A general. awakening of conciousness among the people and especially amiong women resulted from the struggle against fascism and obtains in the struggle for national independence: consciousness of their rights, consciousness of their strength.,,The right of peoples to self-determination is not just a phrase“. But what is happening today? The French government is negotiating with the government of the United States not only for France, but also for the countries of the French Union, And it is the military bases and strategic materials of these countries which are being ceded te the United States. 517 === [PDF page 547] === A French newspaper,,Le Monde” on October 20th, speaking about industrial mobilisation in the United States in preparation for war and of the lack of strategic materials had this to say:,,The authorities in Washington are evidently counting on the Marshall Plan since the nations benefiting from it have agreed to pay back a part of the American aid by sending strategic materials from their metropolitan and colonial territories.” Mr. Bullitt went from the United States to Indochina wheré he showed special interest in economic questions... in the industrial and commercial situation, and Mr. Bollaert, French High Commis-. sioner in Indochina speaks of,not having had to be evasive in face of a curiosity expressed with much good grace and of having asked his economic services to give Mr. Bullitt the information he was seeking”, And Mr. Bullitt writes in,Life magazine,,.We will have need of the Viet-Nam railroad in order to help China resist another aggressor, the Soviet Union”: But already, the democratic government of Vict-Nam ia arisen and denounced these agreements taken outside of its jurisdiction within the framework of the Marshall Plan. With the threat of the Marshall Plan weighing on them, the women of France know that to denounce the Marshall Plan and to unite to obtain a democratic government are the sure means of obtaining the end of the war in “Viet-Nam and the liberty and independence of the women of Asia and Africa oppressed by French colonial circles. » Without the Marshall Plan, without the aid given by the United States, not to the French people but to the French capialists, we would already have achieved the end of imperialism in our country. However, we will triumph and on the day when we shall have a democratic government in France, there will be no more war in Viet-Nam and the people of Asia and Africa, today oppressed by French imperialists will truly be free to form, if they wish, a real French Union with a democratic France, The French women know that our young people, sent by the government to wage war against the people of Viet-Nam, -are -defending not the cause of the French people, but the interests of a few French colonial extortioners for whom Viet-Nam is rubber, rice,. copper, everything except-a people, a nation. The French people know that the French colonial extortioers in Viet-Nam and in Madagascar and in all of the countries of North Africa and ~ dark Africa realize enormous profits — 400% in 1929 for the rubber of Indochina — and that these monstrous profits are made on the suffering, the tears and the lives of the oppressed peoples: They 518 === [PDF page 548] === know that these same French colonial. extortioners are always ready to sell themselves and with them, the countries which they exploit, to. the imperialists of the United States.. . French women will no longer permit their sons to be made into cruel wolves. They will no longer allow their sons to be’ sent to rape the women and young girls of Viet-Nam — to massacre little children. 5 French women will no longer allow a Viet-Nam child to be treated any differently from a Franch baby at Saigon, where the food distribution services allot 3 cans of milk per month to the former and 24 to the latter. Along with the women of Viet-Nam and with all of the women of Africa and Asia, French women intend to continue the struggle against the Common enemy — imperialism, the instigator of, war. Women of VietNam women of Asia and Africa who are struggling to defend your freedom, you are struggling for us and we thank you for it. And when we help.you in your struggle, we -also work for ourselves, for our own liberty. Our destinies are bound together: As long as there are peoples, women and children oppressed in the name of France by a few wicked men,.we cannot claim to be a free people. It is the same men defending the same principles who are waging war on the people of Viet-Nam and on the families of the French miners and who are setting up on the soil of France a foreign military General Staff. Women of Asia and Africa, we have decided to help you even more in your fight which is weakening the imperialist war-makers. Women of Viet-Nam, we solemnly pledge “to extend our action against the war in Viet-Nam, against military credits for that war, for the return to France of the soldiers sent to fight against your people, to increase our activity to put an end to the war, for recognition of the independence of Viet-Nam, for a democratic government in France which will carry out these policies. In addition, the French delegation supports the proposals made to this Congress by the Viet-Nam delegation concerning: 1. The sending of a message of greeting to the women of Viet- Nam, 2. The organization of effective help to the women of Viet-Nam. It is also our task to make known to everyone in France the true role and the infamous manoeuvres of the imperialists in the «clonial countries, to make known the infant mortality figure which is more than 80% in certain’ regions, the lack of schools and 519 === [PDF page 549] === hospitals, the frightful working conditions of women and also the magnificent struggle and courage of these women — our sisters. When the reactionaries speak of educating the women, of teaching them hygiene and child care, we say that the women are educating themselves in the struggle and that what they need are economic conditions which will allow them to live, to nourish and to rear their children. At its 2nd Congress in May, 1947, the Union of French Women created a women's friendship committee of the French Union. Since then, this committee has become a Committee for Friendship and Action of the women of the French Union, united in the struggle against imperialist oppression, and for bread, democracy, freedom and peace. When the Women's International Democratic Federation decided to hold a conference of the women of Asia, the Union of French Women immediately organized a collection to help financially to send the Viet-Nam delegation to the Conference. Half a million francs have already been collected, Since that time, the Union of French Women has decided to carry on a permanent drive for funds for aid to the women of the French Union, We know the commor character of the struggle of the Frerich women with the women of Asia and Africa, especially with the: women of the Fretich Union, and very specially with the womien of Viet-Nam. We know: also that it is through strengthening the anti-imperi-~ alist struggle in our country and in the world that we will achieve victory. | The Women's International Democratic Federation gives us this. possibility. We! have the honor of being present at this great Congress alongside the women of the entire world, alongside the women. of that great Soviet Union where there is no longer any oppressor country and oppressed country, but only, a free and equal people. With the Soviet women, we extend a special greeting to all those who-have spoken here in the name of the peoples who are. fighting for their independence and for ours, Long live the Soviet women! Long live the women of Viet-Nam! Long live the women of Asia and Africal Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! M-me MOROSOVA [(U.S.S.R) Dear friends, allow me to tdke advantage of this glorious assembly in order to pass on fo you some of imptessions on our trip to the countries of South East Asia 520 === [PDF page 550] === The Anti-fascist Committee of Soviet women had honored me with its confidence, by assigning me to take part in the working Commission of the Women’s International Democratic Federation which undertook the mission of studying the condition of women and children of South East Asia. You will receive elsewhere a full report of the work of that Commission as well as the’ results of the decisions of the Preparatory Committee for the Conference of the countries of Asia, and that is why I call your attention only to certain questions which are particularly close to my- heart, especially those which concern India. The second world war incontestably sharpened the crisis of the colonial system. The movement for liberation and national independence in the colonial countries and in those under mandates has leaped forward tremendously. Its form too has evolved: -There no longer exists any power in the world which can force these countries to return to the past, to the slavery of colonialism. The development of liberation movements (and especially in the countries of Southeast Asia) have shaken Western imperialism to its very base. The traditional structure of imperialist economy in England and the other Western countries has received a formidable blow. The imperialist governments are now attempting by every means to reconstruct and again strengthen the bases of their colonial expansion, They are searching for new ways, new methods of governing thése countries. Im order to split the national liberation mo- ‘vement and fo find new allies among the big bourgeoisie of these countries, they ‘are turning to corfuption and charity. That alone explains the’ creation of the dominions of India, Pakistan and Ceylon and recognition of the so-called independence of Burma and Transjordan, With renewed energy, they are stirring up national and religious antagonisms between colonial peoples, striving to destroy their unity and to prevent their getting together. The imperialists have not left these so-called - independent countties and have no intention of doing so- Today as yesterday, the imperialist monopolies are dominating the colonial countries. The better to hide the truth, the better to camouflage this illusory independence, the faithful servants of ‘imperialism prattle on the subject of,,freedom of the colonies” and,,the gentle refusal of imperialist designs”. But all that is only demagogy and crude lies. The Commission of the Women's International Democratic Federation which has just 521 nae aa === [PDF page 551] === visited the countries of South-east Asia has incontestable proofs that the system of colonia] exploitation is still in force. We members of the Commission saw the life in these _,,independent” countries, The colonial yoke produces the impression of an open and terrible wound. Especially in India, those who have not seen it with their own eyes cannot imagine the depth of the human distress, the open and ferocious exploitation nor the absence of the most elementary rights of man. Despite recognition of independence, India remains, in fact, a British colony. All of the levers of command in the economic, political and military domains remain in the hands of Britain. The hopes - of the workers for a better life under the Djavoharlala-Nehru government are vain- These hopes are bursting like soap bubbles. The national government openly declares the maintenance of the old order for a minimum of 10 years. _ The members of our Commission were able to observe the life of the lowest stratum of the indigenous population; we visited the jute and cotton mills. We saw the villages and the largest masses of workers, We saw the inhuman conditions of life and of work- We saw there, not isolated cases of the misery of one group, but the misery of millions of men.:, Systematic under-nourishment and hard’ work conditions lead to innumerable cases of tuberculosis and premature death.» In — India, child labor is ferociously and inhumanly exploited in the rug-making, cotton, glass, match, cement and rubber industries and on the tea, coffee and rubber plantations, The average life span of Indian workers is from 25 to 26 years. In case of injury on the job, the worker receives a single sum of money and thereafter, the employer declines all responsibility. Work security does not exist. Women workers are in a condition much worse than that of men workers. They are employed to do the hardest work and are more poorly paid. In Calcutta, the’ delegation visited the workers’ quarter of Kaoura. In a small area which in its etirety can be seen at a glance, live 23,000 workers of the neighboring jute plants. The workers' houses are build of clay- The width of the,,streets” is not more than approximately 4 feet. These streets are bordered by stone gutters full of foul-smelling garbage. The huts are very low, without windows and with holes serving as doors: In a space of approximately 13X17 feet, 5 to 7 people are living. There are no household utensils and in the entire area, there are very few sources of running water and the flow is very irregular. As early as 4 or 5 o'clock 522 === [PDF page 552] === in the morning, lines begin to form for water and arguments are not infrequent, The workers are forced to get water from a stagnant and polluted pond. The workers in this congested area have no toilets nor baths at their disposal. Sickness is rife and the death rate is tremendous. In the streets, large numbers of workers followed us. At each stop, they surrounded us and showed us the little handful of rice which is their daily ration. The rice is impossible to cook and cause illness among the children and old people. The workers asked for our help. Throughout, in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur and in other cities, the condition of the workers is unspeakable; tens of thousands of homeless people sleep and live in the streets, on the pavements. We arrived in Calcutta very late at night- The first thing which surprised us were the homeless. All along the main street where our hotel: was located, lined up against the walls, hidden in the corners, innumerable beggars and homeless people were sleeping. We had to walk along carefully in order not to step on the arms of little children sleeping close to their parents- On the plantations of Assam, children and grown people work without one day of rest. A woman named Indiamura told us, sobbing, that she worked on the plantation with her 10 children and that they were unable to eat properly even once a day. Here, slavery is in force. In general, the plantation owner does not pay in money but in kind: a starvation ration and a_,,habitation". The worker has no means of buying clothes. Children - less than 10 years old are usually completely nude; the men wear only a band. of cloth around the hips. We learned that the owners must furnish the workers with'5 yards of cloth per year, but on the plantation in question, this had not been done for many years. We began our visit to the plantation in the morning. It was extremely hot. The nude workers were trudging about under a torrid sun. The babies, suspended from the backs of their mothers, were bareheaded for lack of cloth to cover them. We visited the houses of the women workers. We entered those,houses", which having neither walls nor roofs in good condition, have not the right to that name- The rain, the cold, the sun and the wind enter these lodgings. There was no furniture inside them. In a corner were one or two bowls in which rice for the whole family was cooking. Everyone sleeps, on the beaten earth floor. Rarely does anyone possess even a sack filled with jute for a bed.: Fever rages throughout the plantations. Even when ill, the workers do not leave their jobs, because absence from: work for one day 523 === [PDF page 553] === is punished by suppression of rations for 15 days. I believe that it is not necessary to add anything to this picture of human injustice. The women and children in the towns are no better off. One half to two-thirds of the crops are taken by the big land-owners. In the towns of Rodjapur and Kalpart. (West Bengal), the peasants told us that only during a short period following the harvest do they eat rice twice a day- During the largest part of the year, they eat only once every two days.: And during this time, when the women and children are wasting away and dying, when mothers have not a shred of cloth to cover themselves, English boats are daily exporting rice and cotton (from India). And that explains the, origin of the,,pitcher of milk” of the English children, for which English mothers thank their. government- Dear friends, dear mothers! Children are dear to all of us, but we have not the right, even in-the name of our children, to demand the sacrifice of human lives, ‘ The laboring masses of the Indian Union are not satisfied with the liberty that it has granted them. They demand with much insistance the defence of their rights. ‘Despite government repression the force of the All-India Congress of Trade Unions is growing. Movements of workers, peasants and students are developing. In this struggle, women are taking an active part. The democratic women of India are rising to the struggle for the purpose of winning human rights, the right. to live; to eat and to be housed — for the right to be happy mothers. Dear friends, the Soviet delegation comprises delegates from all of the 16 National Republics, of the Soviet Union. Since less is paid for the work of women and children, the workers on plantations are for the most part, women and children, beginning with children 5 years of age. The men are employed for larger work such ds digging etc: In this way, the families of the found aH over the plantations and ate given no care. We saw children. blind from birth, who were born of parents having certain venereal diseases. The plantation workers are worn out, ignorant and oppressed that they do not even know their ages, the ages of their children nor their place of origin, On the plantations may be seen old women who began to work at the. age of 6 or & years. They are completely incapable of working and the administration throws them out. Most of these women remain all day long, abed in their hovels. So feeble are they, that they are unable even to turn their heads when they are visited. Two old women, Radha and Tchoughi, crept out to meet us, They were still able to stand, but theit bodies trembled without stopping and 524 === [PDF page 554] === they were completely nude. The sight of them filled us. with horror and pity. On the tea plantations, tuberculosis is very frequent, as well as a specific occupational disease,,Kukuworm". A worker gravely ill with tuberculosis cannot, even in case of hemorrhage, miss work more than three days. These days past, he must return to work- Other sick people, even those seriously ill, are given no consideration. All cases of absence from work are followed by a 15-day suppression of rations, Pregnant women benefit from no special disposition; not yet recovered from child-birth, they go right back to work. You have heard the speech of the delegate of the Kazakh people the Doctor of Science in Biology, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Nayli Basanova. She has given you a talk embellished with pictures of the life of the women of those Republics, of their past and the gains which they have realised under Soviet power, This example ought to inspire the women of the colonial and dependent countries to struggle for their independence, their freedom and to improve the’ conditions of their life. Dear friends from Europe and Americal I would like you to launch an appeal for aid and assistance to our sisters in Asia and Africa in their struggle for their rights, for a human existence. Only ‘the friendship and the efforts of the women of the whole world can assure the success of our noble cause. We Soviet women, like our Soviet Union, guided by the grea. Stalin, have always defended and will always defend the independence and sovereignty of the peoples. Madame CHANG CHING CHU (CHINA) Dear delegates and friends, I am going to speak to you of the Chinese women's contribution to the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle in China, but first I want to express, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, our full agreement with, and support for, the report presented by Madame Tsai Chang on the development of the women’s movement in Asia and Africa, The Chinese people, including the Chinese women, are today fighting with unexampled heroism for the overthrow and destruction of the reactionary Chiang Kai Shek regime which is supported by the American imperialists: The grim war that the Chinese people 525 === [PDF page 555] === are now waging is a fight for independence, for democracy and peace in China; at the same time it is a fight for peace and democracy the world over. Six months have gone by since our previous report to the Executive Committee in Rome. this brief time, the Chinese people have scored a number of brilliant victories in their war of liberation. On all fronts, the annihilation of large numbers of reactionary Kuomintang troops continues. The People's Liberation Army has not only liberated many strongly-fortified large cities and strategic points, but it is now marching towards Nanking, the capital of the reactionary Kuomintang regime. Such successive victories on the battle-fronts could not help but give great encouragement to the Chinese people. Side by side with the offensive of the People’s Liberation Army, workers, peasants and students in the Kuomintang areas are waging a relentless struggle with American imperialism and its lackeys, Chiang Kai Shek reactionaries, The blows which they strike are merging with those struck by the People’s Liberation Army. Moreover, the swift response to the call issued on May Day this year shows that college professors, workers in other cultural- and education’ institutions, even a section of the national bourgeoisie in the Kuomintang areas, as well as Chinese democrats and patriots living abroad are pinning all their hopes on the democratic forces of China. Many such groups have pledged their full support to the calling of a new Political Consultative Conference of representatives of all democratic parties and groups, and organisations of the non-party labouring masses, excluding the Kuomintang reactionary clique of lackeys to American imperialism, to prepare for the formation of a democratic coalition government as the provisional government of China, Today the people of both liberated China and the Kuomintang areas are working diligently to make the formation of the new democratic coalition government a reality: Under the powerful blows of the forces of the Chinese people and the People's Liberation Army, the Kuomintang reactionaries are on the brink of utter collapse, with regard to both military and economic affairs, Panic-striken, Chiang Kai Shek and his reactionary clique are trying to create an East-Asiatic anti-Communist bloc in order to _ get more aid from American imperialism — their only hope of extending their lease of life. However, their frantic activities will avail them nothing, but will only expose their evil intentions more plainly. It is already certain that American imperialism. will. be 526 === [PDF page 556] === ousted from China, the reactionary Ching Kai Shek will be overthrown, and the Chinese people will be victorious in their struggle. Nor is this a matter of the very remote future~ In this great war of liberation, the Union of Women in the Liberated areas of China has been working tirelessly to mobilise and organise Chinese women, urging them to increase production, thereby helping the front, and contributing to the building of a new democratic society. Since the agrarian reform, which gave them land and _livestock, Chinese peasant women have thrown themselves enthusiastically into the fight for bigger crops. In the front-line areas, where most of the men have joined the army, agricultural work is largely in the hands of the women. This year in Manchuria all the arable land was planted with crops, 425,000 acres of virgin soil ploughed, and improvements made in the irrigation system, with the result that agricultural output increased 20% as compared with last year All of these gains are the result of the endeavours of Manchuria’s two million peasant women. In the areas affected by the land reform an average of between 50 to 70 per cent of the female population work in the fields, Many a-woman who has seen her husband off to battle is now running her farmstead single-handed. Such women by helping. each other, have been able to cultivate their fields and provide their families with food. Even old women, fifty and sixty years of age, are gladly joining in the work in the fields. In the towns, many women have gone to work to take an active part in the restoration and development of industry and the construction ‘of new towns. During the period of the reactionary Kuomintang regime, wete brutally exploited; they received a miserable wage for a long working day, and lived in constant fear of losing their jobs, of being arrested or shot. Since their liberation, women have begun to taste the joys of freedom; they are assured a decent livelihood, they are joining the trade unions, and enjoy manifold tights. These women know that they owe these gains to the victories of the People’s Liberation Army on the battle fronts. This awareness finds expression in the enthusiastic and enterprising part they are taking in production. They are participating in labour competitions, They consider it a great honour to overfulfil their production quotas. Whereas in the past textile workers produced only forty spindles in the course of a twelve hour day, their output now, in their new eight hour day, is forty two spindles. Or similarly, whereas weavers produced 40 yards of cloth in a twelve hour day they are now putting out the same amount in the course of an eight or nine hour day. 527 === [PDF page 557] === In order to provide the men on the firing lines with winter outfits and boots, thousands upon thousands of women worked selflessly in ‘the factories. No better example need be cited than the city of Harbin, where over 20,000 women produced a million complete outfits in the space of threé and a half months, thereby fulfilling their assignment with flying colours. Inspired by the. victory of the People's Liberation Army in the battle for Chinchow, women workers themselves undertook to lengthen the working day’ and on October 15th, overfulfilled their-quota for the day. Instead of the 3000 complete winter outfits provided for in the plan, they put out 3700 outfits. In honour of the liberation of Changchum, they gave the front 30,000 winter outfits in three days. These women realise perfectly. well that every extra pound of bread, every yard of cloth they produce in the rear is very important to the army and to the population, and hence to victory on the battle front. Therefore they are applying themselves to their jobs as never before, and many of them have merited the honorary titles of Exemplary worker" or «Heroine of Labour’. Women have also. made notable contribution in other: spheres of life. Many ‘are working in propaganda brigades,. educational groups, medical detachments, war hospitals and so on. They are looking after the wounded at the front and in the rear. They are rising above the many difficulties in their way and working with a will, The record of their deeds will never die. Many women are denying themselves food and clothing so that they can make presents to their fighting and help the latter’s families. ' The women of the liberated areas are enthusiastically performing their duty to their country, and are certainly worthy to be citizens of the New China. How is this all-out effort of the women of the liberated areas to be: explained? In the first place, it is the result of the fact that women have been. given political, economic and cultural equality with the men. They have been transformed from oppressed slaves of. the feudal regime into. the master of society, and this has heightened. their social awareness, In the second place, they are inspired by the continual victories of the People's Liberation Amy at the fronts. And thirdly, the Union of Women has-been. carrying out patient educational and organisational work among them. Because of the outstanding role they have been playing in the war of liberation, women have won the admiration and respect ot the whole. nation-, 523 === [PDF page 558] === Mme MURIEL DRAPER {United States) President of the Congress ‘of American Women === [PDF page 559] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 560] === The Women's Union of the Liberated Areas, despite the shortage of labour and material resources, has been giving every assistance to the child victims of the war. It is doing very important work in caring for the children, The number of children’s institutions has increased greatly in the liberated areas, and in every newly liberated area the restoration of schools is proceeding at an accelerated pace. In the Kuomintang areas, on the other hand, the children who are our future are being mercilessly killed off. In every newly liberated area, there are thousands of children who still need our assistance. Unfortunately, we know that we have not completely coped with this task, and that there is still much to be done. With the aim of rallying the women of the whole of China more strongly, of extending the influence of the Women’s Union,. and advancing our work still further, we are planning to hold an All- China Congress of Women this coming spring, in which not only the women’s organisations of the liberated areas, but also those of the Kuomintang areas wherever possible will be represented, The latter are now working under conditions of terror under the Chiang Kai Shek regime, but are continuing their heroic work none-theless. In this way we will help to win the victory and hasten the culmination of the democratic revolution all over the country. Our aim is to make women still more active, to broaden their outlook, to increase their knowledge so that they can even more devotedly serve the cause of their country's liberation, of a lasting peace for mankind as a whole. The women of China feel very proud to be in the ranks of the gigantic united front of World Democratic Women. Under the leadership of the World Democratic Federation, the progressive women of all kinds are fighting heroically side by side to uphold peace and democracy everywhere, to defend the independence and freedom of the peoples, to protect our families and give our children the opportunity of proper physical and mental development. If we are firm and close our ranks, we shall be an invincible force: The democratic camp, led by the Soviet Union, is growing stronger from day to day. The forces of democratic women, rallied around the World Democratic Federation, are growing in numbers. The isolation of the American imperialists and of all the remaining supporters of Fascism is increasing, their road is a road to inevitable destruction, We believe in our ultimate victory, we are resolved to win it. To achieve victory in the Chinese people’s war of liberation, there is still a cruel and difficult struggle before us. We are looking for help in this struggle from the international forces of democracy. We hope that the democratic women of all lands will lend each other 34 529 === [PDF page 561] === a helping hand in this great struggle for national independence and peace throughout the universe! Long live the Socond Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federationl. M-me ANDREE RUIZ (ALGERIA) Algeria knows repression, and a regime of injustice and inequality. Institutions which protect mothers and children are nonexistent, The conditions of life of most of the workers, Moslems in particular, are miserable. For all of these reasons, women from part of the national movement, aspire to freedom and are defending in greater and greater numbers the bread of their children — alongside their husbands, In face of the popular rising of the democratic forces of our country, repression is being cruelly exercised, During the elections for the Algerian Assembly, the Governor of Algeria, Naegelen, worthy representative of Jules Moch, worked to stifle popular expression; the countryside was declared in a state of siege, People were thrown into prison and terror reigned. In the little town of Dchnya in Algerois, 6 men were killed for having wanted to vote freely: The pri- ‘sons are still full. In Kabylie, we saw 9 members of the same family in prison for 8 months without the government's giving any reason. In such conditions, the Algerian Assembly represents the interests of the big colonizers and financiers. Besides, the electoral law consisting of majority balloting and the arbitatry arrangement of election districts have as a goal to work against Algerian workers, in relation to both the ist and to the 2nd governmental bodies. Public opinion today is unanimous in demanding the dissolving of this Assembly, whose election was arranged by the colonial administration for the purpose of defending the interests of the big colonizers, The conditions of life are very hard — too miserable for the majority of the workers’ families. Life is very dear and wages very low, For the first time in Algeria, the agricultural workers went out on strike. The women, alongside their husbands, showed themselves calm and courageous in face of police provocation. How can one live on 150 to 190 francs per day? At the time of the tobacco strikes, the women workers, united, proved admirable. The Union of Algerian Women, organized solidarity and raised collections. The strike was supported by the population and the workers obtained a 30% raise in salary! 530 === [PDF page 562] === The Algerian miners are on strike. Those from the coal mines of Konadza and those from the phosphate mines of Kouif obtained ~ satisfaction after two months; the miners: who extract iron ore are still leading the struggle. Their fight is hard for there are no iron refining factories in Algeria to support the movement. In this case too, the wives of the miners of Beni-Saf in Oran are very courageous, They demonstrate along with their husbands, carrying their children and shouting their disapproval. Each day they are there in pursuit of the strike-breakets. In order to intensify the call for support, the Algerian Communist Party, true defender of the working class,.has launched a drive for funds for the Algerian miners. For the first time, Moslem women workers — #C of them — working in a date foctory which employs 150 workers have gone out on strike for a 30% wage increase. Their wage is not more than 1,200 francs per week (approximately, a little less than 3 dollars per week or 2 pounds per week) for piece work. With the Union of Algerian Women, they are developing solidarity with enthusiasm, organising soup kitchens, collecting vegetables and funds. The Union of Algerian Women is pleased to have the confidence of the women workers who have thus learned about its work, its militant members and with whom they will work united in the future. Domestic workers, who are the most exploited women workers in the cities, receiving between 20 and 30 francs per hour are organizing and forming a union. They are demanding 50 francs an hour and the right to rest time. On the occasion of Aid Kebir, fraternal demonstrations met with full success. 1,200 women met in Algiers, 700 in Blida and 400 in Oran, In the headquarters, at the markets, the housewives siyned petitions of the Union of Algerian Women,,For Application of Social Security Measures” affecting all Algerian women, and petitions For Peace’ which denounced the stocking of war materials. Spontaneously, last November, real meetings were held in the markets at which mothers of Algerian soldiers protested against the sending of their sons against the French miners. They could not accept the idea that their sons should be used against the French people — our surest friends. If the Marshall Plan brings us uneployment and misery, in the military plans Algeria is considered as an air and naval base by the American imperialists. That means that Algeria would become a theatre of war operations. The accident at Lagouhat revealed the preparation of a military zone in Southern Algeria for atomic bomb experiments. 200 victims were listed following the explosion. 531 === [PDF page 563] === After such warnings, the women and mothers of Algeria are standing all together against this common danger which is. uniting all of the Algerian people. On November 14th, the occasion of the 31st Anniversary of the October Revolution, 5,000 people in Algiers and 3,000 in Oran manifested their will that:,Never will the Algerian people go to war against the Soviet Union’. The Algerian Democratic Front is being solidly built. The colonial extortioners’ forces, despite splitting tactics, will never be able to break this force of the people who are struggling together for bread, for democracy and for peace. Thus — in the name of all the mothers and the working women of Algeria, we promise to make our contribution to the building of a lasting peace — gage of the happiness of our children for which our great Federation is leading the good fight. A delegation of Hungarian Women presents gifts to the delegations. The head of the delegation said: We have been highly honored in that this Congres has taken place in Budapest. It is with great enthusiasm that we have had the pleasure of seeing delegations from all of the countries: That is why the Hungarian women, with profound gratitude, have distributed gifts as a symbol to all of the women representatives from all of the countries, to all of the delegates who have given us the pleasure of coming to see us in the name of their federations, We will struggle together with all the women of the world for the peace of the world. Long live the friendship of the democratic women of the world! 532 === [PDF page 564] === RESOLUTION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S MOVEMENT IN THE COUNTRIES OF ASIA AND AFRICA adopted unanimously. The Second Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation notes with satisfaction the considerable growth in the strength of the forces of democracy, including that of the women’s movements in the colonial and semi- colonial countries of Asia and Africa, during the second World War, and since then. in the course of the incessant heroic struggle against imperialism and reaction. The defeat of German and Japanese fascism, in which they played such an important part, has proved to the people's who have suffered for centuries under imperialist rule, that not only is imperialism not invincible, but that it has been greatly weakened by the war. On the other hand, the democratic forces, headed by the Soviet Union, have gained in prestige and power. As a result, conscious of their own strength, the colonial peoples fight with growing determination for their liberty and independence: The imperialists of the United States, Great Britain, France and Holland estimate the change in the balance of forces correctly; they mobilise théir armies feverishly to maintain at all costs their profits and privileges, create military and strategic bases; accentuate their repressive methods of government and resort to making war upon the colonial and semi- colonial countries. They attempt to suppress the national liberation movements and for that purpose they do not hesitate to betray their former allies. They hasten to reconstruct the power of their ancient enemy, Japan, as a bulwark against the advance of the democratic peoples of Asia, With the growing resistance of the peoples in mind, the imperialists use new tactics to block the way towards freedom. They win to their side, by promises of honours and profits, the 533 === [PDF page 565] === native bourgeoisies and feudal landlords, who help them to deceive the people with the illusion of so-called,independence”. At the same time they foster religious and social differences, fan hatreds, divide the people, to enslave them more effectively. But the peoples of Asia and Africa, despite the violence of the oppression, continue their struggle, and push forward inexorably towards their aim of freedom and democracy. The success of the Chinese People’s Army, which has liberated more than a third of a population of 450 million, and moves towards total victory, has shaken the foundations of imperialist domination in the Far East: In Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Malaya and Burma, the people have taken up arms, In India, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, the Gold Coast, Madagascar etc., where the rapaciousness of the imperialists is unbounded, national feeling expresses itself on every possible occasion, in mass demonstrations, strikes, and various other forms of action.:: The women of these countries fight with heroism in the front line, often with arms in their hands, to win freedom and happiness for their children, Democratic women unite in mass organisations to strengthen their struggle. In the liberated areas of China, the Union of Women has 20 million members, that of South Korea 1,030,000. The Federation of the Women of Viet-Nam has two million members. All these organisations have rallied to the W.LD.F. bastion of peace and democracy. The women of Algeria, Morocco and other African countries meet with opposition from the women of the bourgeoisie whose role is to help imperialism to keep women in subjection; To this end, they develop their own organisations to confuse and hinder the work of the democratic women’s movement. The Second Congress of the W-LD.F, salutes the women of Asia and Africa, who fight to free their countries from the foreign yoke. It hails their growing efforts for the triumph of world democracy. ft issues an appeal to every women’s organisation in the colonial and semi-colonial countries: — To hold ever higher the banner of the women’s struggle against the imperialists and colonialists for national independence, democratic liberties and the happy future of their children; — To strengthen their ranks, to unite and group around themselves and in the W.I-D.F. all progressive women to fight together for freedom, democracy and peace; 534 === [PDF page 566] === -+ To lead-an ever more vigorous struggle against the imperialists and their lackeys in order to win their rights and to establish conditions worthy of human beings in their countries. The Second Congress raises its voice against colonial oppression, inhuman exploitation of women and children, against the suppression of all national culture. It protests strongly against the armed intervention of the governments of the United States, Great Britain, France and Holland, who want to weaken the liberation movements in China, Viet-Nam, Indonesia, Burma, Malaya and Madagascar. The Congress demands that U.N.O. which has proclaimed its wTespect for the principle of equality of rights of nations, and their tight of self-government’, and which. has,,accepted as a sacred mission the task of assuring their political, social and economic progress... and of protecting them from abuse”..., should: 1) Protect the countries of Africa and Asia against the cruel domination of the imperialists and colonial extortioners. 2) Demand the recall of imperialist armed forces from China, Viet-Nam, Indonesia and South Korea, and the cessation of military activity in Malaya and Burma- 3) Condemn the American imperialist policy of actively assisting in the re-militarisation of Japan, which constitutes a real menace to world peace, particularly in Asia. 4) Organise mora] and material aid to the women and children of the native populations fighting for liberty and peace, by collecting money, food, clothing and medical supplies. The Congress issues an appeal to all national bodies in the Asiatic countries attached to the W.ID.F. to contribute to the success of the Conference of the Women of Asia. The Second Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation hopes that all democratic women and all progressive peoples of the world will raise their voices on behalf of the colonial peoples, so that justice, peace and democracy will triumph. THIS RESOLUTION WAS PREPARED BY A COMMISSION ELECTED BY THE CONGRESS composed of Mesdames: LU TSUI CHINA SARAH ABRAHAM _ INDIA MARIAM FIROUZ IRAN ZELMA BRANDT UNITED STATES 535 === [PDF page 567] === BEATRICE KING GREAT BRITAIN BOUDEWIJN HOLLAND TAMARA MOROSOVA USSR ANDREE RUIZ ALGERIA FRANGOISE LECLERCQ FRANCE SEN VEN IR KOREA DOBRENTEI HUNGARY THAI THI LIEN VIET-NAM GABRIELLE METTEN ITALY 536 === [PDF page 568] === LETTER TO THE WOMEN OF ASIA Dear Sisters, ‘ We, women and mothers, meet together today with the sacre purpose of defending peace, our rights as human beings and those of our children. We have listened to the reports of the delegates from Asia with deep interest, The central facts have been made clear to us: The poverty of the peoples of Asia is incredible, the suffering which they have undergone for centuries under the yoke of imperialism — which held you and your children in its bloody grasp, retaining for itself all of the sources of life. But the countries of Asia are extremely important on account of their great natural wealth. Great is the strength of your peoples, who, shaking off centuries-old oppression, are embarking on their fierce struggle to free themselves from imperialist slavery. It is our duty to tell the women of other countries with what enthusiasm we learnt of the part played by the women of your countries in the fight for liberation —- in which working women and peasant women participate in constatly-increasing numbers. In some Asiatic countries, in the People’s Republics such as the liberated areas of China, Viet-Nam and Korea, women are fighting victorious battles and are building with their menfolk a society which opens before them a future of freedom. In the Asiatic Soviet Republics, women have obtained their full rights, which provide for their complete development. These victories could only be obtained through unshakeable unity against all efforts-to split our ranks. The secret of success of our liberated sisters lies in their ability to organize women, no matter what their political or religious opinions or the color of their skin may be, in national movements in which they have realised their power to defend their country as a whole. 537 === [PDF page 569] === At our Second International Congress, the. women of the whole world have forged unbreakable links which will enable them to fashion for all women and children, a future worthy of mankind. The W.I.D.F. speaks on behalf of 80 million women: We appeal to you to strengthen this mighty front, to bring together all. the women of your countries, all the oppressed and: exploited mothers, to join us in ever-increasing numbers. Imperialism has begun wars against several Asiatic countries and threatens to transform the whole world into a charnel house. Against imperialism, the instigators of war and poverty, we must unite by the hundreds of millions and win a lasting peace, without which life is impossible, The W.I-D.F, has decided to hold a Conference of the Women of Asia, where you will be able to discuss the defence of your rights, the rights of your children, the fight for national independence. If women throughout the world, especially the women of the oppressed and imperialist countries, make a great effort to mobilise the women for this Conference, it will be possible to hold it in 1949 on the soi] of Asia. Women of Asia, our sisters! Our hearts beat in unison with yours. The fight all over the world for liberty, for bread, for democracy and for peace is indivisible- We call upon you to join our ranks! M-me JASZCZUKOWA (POLAND) Deputy of the Polish Diet, former prisoner in Auschwitz and Ravensbruck, speaking in the rame of the International Federation of Former Political Prisoners: I have the honor of speaking to the 2nd Congress in the name of the former political prisoners in the fascists camps, who are organized in the IFFPP, International Federation of Former Political Prisoners, This group includes in its ranks, without distinction as to race, religion, nationality or political ideas, those who have been in prisons, fascists camps and Hitler's concentration camps. The IFFPP has as a goal, defence of. peace and democracy and the struggle against vestiges of fascism and against aliempts to revive it, Another goal of the IFFPP is the defence of the material and moral interests of victims of fascism and of their families. In this respect, the IFFPP demands compensation to the former prisoners in concentration camps. This compensation forms 538 === [PDF page 570] === part of the reparations to which all nations have a right who were victims of Nazi aggression. The IFFPP demands punishment of the Hitler war-makers Tesponsible for all the crimes they committed in Europe. Each former prisoner must keep the promise made to his comrades in misery and sorrow who diced behind the barbed wire. The voice of those millions of dead is a mighty voice. With the voice of those who came back, it denounces those who want a new war and who do not hesitate to threaten the world with new massacres. This voice accuses all the fascists who are assassinating the fighters for the freedom of Spain and of Greece- The millions of former political prisoners are following with anxiety the policies which are being pursued in Western Germany. In the Ruhr, we see the bases of the War industries being revived and in the hands of these same big German industrialists who put Hitler into power, who inspired his policy of aggression and war. These industrialists who worked to death the political prisoners and sent them to the gas chambers. The industries of the Ruhr, the base of imperialism and of aggression against the peoples who want peace, have been given back to these criminals, ‘i Before the threat of the rebuilding of German imperialism, the former prisoners of war call on all democratic international organisations to co-operate in defending peace and democracy: In the struggle for peace, we ask especially for the help of all the democratic. women of every country. The IFFPP would like to co-operate closely with the Women's International Democratic Federation, for this group is not only linked to us by common goals but comprises a net-work of organisations uniting thousands of women who are active members of both organisations. Thus, among the women who were prisoners let us cite for France: Marie-Claude Vaillaant-Couturier, Olga Tournade and Paulette Decluzet and for Poland: Kowalska Wdowikova. This collaboration could take the form here proposed: 1. Close co-operation between action groups having as goal the defence of peace in national and international life, 2, Co-operation through giving of material and moral aid to the fighters for freedom and democracy in the countries where the struggle against fascism and reaction still exists, 3. Exchange of information concerning activities and the results obtained in each country and on an international scale, 4, Exchange of propaganda material, 539 === [PDF page 571] === 5. Co-operation for the organizing of,International Women's Day" which takes place March 8th, as well, as’ for,,nternational Prisoner's Day“ on April 11th, 6. Participation of our two Federation at the Congress, in meetings and at demonstrations: Through more effective contact, new questions and new forms of co-operation will evolve, This co-operation will tighten the ties between the two Federations in the camp of democracy and peace headed by the USSR. We will struggle shoulder to shoulder and will march towards victory. 540 === [PDF page 572] === CHAPTER VI REQUESTS FOR AFFILIATION submitted for the ratification of the Women‘s Second International Congress === [PDF page 573] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 574] === REQUESTS FOR AFFILIATON presented for the ratification of the Congress by Madame VAILLANT-COUTURIER EUROPE GREAT BRITAIN: The Committee for the co-ordination of the organisations of Great Britain including: The Association of Scientific Workers; The Civil Service Clerical Association; The Tobacco Workers Union; The Women's Advisory Committee of the Communist Party; The London Women’s Parliament; The Women's Committee of the British Soviet Society, request for membership unanimously ratified. HOLLAND: ~— The Dutch Women's Movement request for membership unanimously ratified: TRIESTRE: — The Union of Italo-Slav Anti-fascist Women request ratified unanimously. NORWAY: — The Norwegian Section of the Federation request unanimously <atified. GERMANY: — The Democratic Union of German Women request unanimously ratified. === [PDF page 575] === AUSTRIA: — The Union of Democratic Women of Austria request unanimously ratified. DENMARK: — The Danish Section of the Women’s International Democratic Federation request unanimously ratified. AMERICA CANADA: — The Congress of Canadian Women; -—— The Women's Action Committee for Peace, request ratified unanimously. MEXICO: -- The National Bloc of Revolutionary Women request ratified unanimously. ARGENTINE: ~~ The Union of Argentine Women; ——- The Women's Cultural Group, request unanimously ratified. BRAZIL — The Co-ordination Committee includes two organizations: The Women's Institute of Constructive Service; The Committee of Women for Democracy, request ratified unanimously. BOLIVIA: — Women’s Days ratified unanimously. COLOMBIA: — The Colombian Women's Union request ratified unanimously. PERU: — The Action of the Women of Peru request ratified unanimously. VENEZUELA: — The Democratic Federation of Women of Venezuela request ratified unanimously.. 544 === [PDF page 576] === ASIA MONGOLIA: — The Council of Working Women of the Popular Republic of Mongolia ratified unanimously, KOREA: — The Women’s Democratic Union of North Korea; -— The Women’s Democratic Union of South Korea, request unanimously ratified. VIET-NAM: — The Association of the Women of Viet-Nam for National Salvation ‘ request ratified unanimously. INDONESIA: —— The Congress of Women of Indonesia request unanimously ratified. BURMA: — The Women’s All-Burma Congress request ratified unanimously. MALAYA: — The Liaison Bureau for the different women’s Associations of Malaya request unanimously ratified. INDIA: — The Women’s Organization for the defence of Bengal request ratified unanimously. PAKISTAN: — The Women's Organization of the East of Pakistan request ratified unanimously. IRAN: u — The Organization of the Women of [ran " request unanimously ratified. ot — The Committee for the Rights of the Women of Lebanon i request unanimously ratified. SIAM: — The Democratic Union of Chinese Women of Siam request unanimously ratified. === [PDF page 577] === ISRAEL: — The Women Members of the United Worker's Party of Israel request unanimously ratified. AFRICA ~~ The Women of Tunisia request unanimously ratified. NIGERIA: ~- The Union of Women of Abeokuta request unanimously ratified. AUSTRALIA - The New Association of Housewives Tequest unanimously ratified. === [PDF page 578] === | CHAPTER VIL ELECTION, of. the DIRECTING BODIES OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION === [PDF page 579] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 580] === ELECTION OF MEMBERS TO THE COUNCIL OF THE WIDF. LIST OF NOMINATIONS PRESENTED BY MRS. NORA WOOSTER (BRITAIN). Members Mesdames: ALBANIA NEXHMIJE HOXA ‘ GERMANY EMMI DAMERIUS WILHELMINE SCHIRMER- PROSCHER MAGDA LANGHANS ALGERIA ALICE SPORTISSE AUSTRIA HILDE MAREINER NURNBERGER IDA FLOCKINGER BELGIUM EMILIENNE BRUNFAUT LAVACHERY BULGARIA TZOLA DRAGOITCHEVA VERA NATCHEVA CHINA TSAL TCHANG DENG YIN CHAO HO HSIANG NING LEE TEH CHUEN TING LING Substitute members FIGRET SHEHU KAETHE KER MARIA RENTMEISTER ERNA SCHAFER LISBETH DICHTER MARGARETHE SCHUTTE- LIHOTZKY JEANNE MULLER DEGUENDT RADA TODOROVA ZVETANA KIRANOVA SH LIANG SHU KWANG PING LU TSUI 549 === [PDF page 581] === PAK DEN AI YOU EN DIOU KOREA CUBA EDITH GARCIA BUCHACA INGER MERETE NORDENTALT ANNA NEVOLAINEN EUGENIE COTTON DENMARK FINLAND FRANCE JEANNETTE VERMEERSCH M. C. VAILANT-COUTURIER VERA NICOLEFSKA ROULA KOUKOULOU SOENITO HEYLIGERS R. LIPS ODINOT MAGDA JOBORU BORIS FAI DOLORES IBARRURI IRENE FALCON MARY JANE MELISH GENE WELTFISH MURIEL DRAPER HELEN PHILIPS - MARY REED HAUG NAHNI BOSE GITA MALLIK MANIKUNTALA SEN RENEE CHAKRAVARTI 550 GREECE HOLLAND HUNGARY SPAIN TCHO EN SEN VEN IR ESPERANZA SANCHEZ- MASTRAPA AGNETE OLSEN HELVI LAINE FRANCOISE LECLERCQ MARIE COUETTE ELIANE BRAULT VAYA VOURNA RITA LASARIDES .PRATOMO GRET N. BOUDEWIJIN SUZANNE ORTUTAY PIROSKA SZABO ELISA URIZ MARGARINE ABRIL UNITED STATES INDIA STELLA ALLEN ADA JACKSON ANNA DEVUNICH. UMA RAY CHAUDHURI TAMARA BOSE SARAH ABRAHAM === [PDF page 582] === IRAN - MIRIAM FIROUZ .HOMAYON ESKANDARI / NORA WOOSTER - ROSE CARR TAMARA RUST MONGOLIA _INAJIMA NORWAY _ MIMI SVERDRUP LUNDEN POLAND | IRENE SZTACHELSKA EDWARDA ORLOWSKA RUMANIA CRACIUN KICHINEWSKI SWEDEN ANDREA ANDREEN VOLBORG SVENSSON ZAHRA ESKANDARI DOCT. AKHTAR KIANOURI GREAT BRITAIN UDVAL ELLEN GLEDITSCH EUGENIE PRAGIEROVA ISOLDA.KOVALSKA FLORICA MICINCESCU ELISABETH LUCA ELISABETH TAMM MARGIT LINDSTROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA HODINNOVA-SPURNA LENKA LEHKA Uy St Ree: NINA POPOVA ZINAIDA GAGARINA ZINAIDA GOURINA NADIEJDA PARFENOVA LYDIA PETROVA. MILADA NIETUSILOVA MARIE SVERMOVA GORNIYENKO DJAVACHACHVILY TOKTOMANBETOVA YUGOSLAVIA MITRA MITROVITCH VIDA TOMCHITCH ITALY MARIA-MADDALENA ROSSI ROSA FAZIO LONGO TERESA NOCE TRIESTE MARIA BERNETTI-BERNETIC OLGA MILOCHEVITCH VANDA NOVOSEL ELENA CAPORASO GATTI MARCELINNO NELLA. ADA ALLESSANDRINI LAURA WEISS 531 === [PDF page 583] === SWITZERLAND VENEZUELA AUSTRALIA ARGENTINE FANNY EDELMAN IRMA OTHAR MARGARITA PONCE TERESA AGUIRRE PAZ Unanimously elected, ELECTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PERMANENT COMMISSIONS OF THE WIDF. The Members of the Permanent Commissions are presented by Commission for the Rights of Women 1, RUMANIA MICAELA MANASSE 2, AUSTRIA DR HELENE LEGRADY 3. POLAND SOPHIE VASILKOVSKA 4, YUGOSLAVIA NEDA STEPHANOVITCH 5, CZECHOSLOVAKIA ANNA SLECHTOVA 6, HOLLAND SIENITA HELLIGERS %U.S. SR. MAKAROVA &BUS.S. R. ‘ VAINBETG 9, FINLAND AILIE BAKLOUND 10. SPAIN ANITA MARTINEZ 11. ARGENTINA MATHILDE ALEMAN 12, FRANCE GABRIELE DUCHENE 13. FRANCE MARGUERITE SCHWOB . Unanimously elected. Commission of the,,Democratic Movement of the Women of the countries of Asia and Africa” 1. RUMANIA IBEANA RATCHESOU 2. YUGOSLAVIA OLGA KOVATCHITCH 3. CZECHOSLOVAKIA ELEONORA DURICHOVA 4. HOLLAND PRATOMO GRET 5. U.S. S. R. BASANOVA 6 U.S. S.R. MOROSOVA 7. FRANCE SIMONE BERTRAND 8. SPAIN CARMEN RODRIGUEZ Unanimously elected. 552 === [PDF page 584] === Commission on Childhood 1. CUBA MARIA ARGUELLES 2. BULGARIA RADA TODOROVA 3. RUMANIA OFELIA MONOLIE 4, AUSTRIA LISBETH DICHTER 5. POLAND IRENE SZTACHELSKA 6 YUGOSLAVIA BRANKA SAVITCH 7, CZECHOSLOVAKIA METYLDA SYNKOVA 8. HOLLAND ENGELSE GAAG 9. U.S. S.R. PARFENOVA 10, U. S. S. R. PIDTITCHENKO 1t, SPAIN MARGARITA ABRIL 12, FINLAND MIRIAM TOUOMINEN 13. FRANCE PIERRETTE FORNELLI 14. FRANCE SUZANNE ROUBAKINE 15, HUNGARY SARA GELETAI Unanimously elected Commission for Propaganda and Information 1. ARGENTINE MATHILDE ALEMAN 2. CUBA MARIA LUISA BLANCO ‘3. SPAIN IRENE FALCON 4. RUMANIA ELISABETH LUCA 5. AUSTRIA GENIA LANDE 6. POLAND EUGENIE PRAGIEROVA 7. YUGOSLAVIA MILITZA BLAGENKA 8. CZECHOSLOVAKIA OLGA HILOVA 9. HOLLAND ANNIE GELOK WALVIN t 10.05 SR LIDIA PETROVA; 1. US. SR. MARIE OSVIANNIKOVA 12, FINLAND HILKA AHMALA 13. FRANCE LISE RICOL Unanimously elected. ELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE WIDF. The members of the Executive Commattee to be elected are presented by MADAME COTTON: Country Member Substitute 1. ALGERIA ALICE SPORTISSE 553 === [PDF page 585] === FANNY EDELMAN TZOLA DRAGAITCHEVA (Reserved) MANIKUNTALA SEN DOLORES IBARRURI MADDALENA ROSSI ROZA FAZIO LONGO TSAL CHANG TENG YING-CHAO HO SHIANG MING MIMI SVERDRUP LUNDEN 10, IRENE SZTACHELSKA EDWARDA ORLOWSKA CONSTANTZA CRACIUN 12. NINA POPOVA ZINAIDA GOURINA ZINAIDA GAGARINA MURIEL. DRAPER GENE WELTFISH HELEN PHILLIPS 14. EUGENIE COTTON JEANETTE VERMEERSH MARIE-CLAUDE VAILLANT- COUTURIER 554 ARGENTINE MARGARITA PONCE BULGARIA VERA NATCHEVA GREAT BRITAIN . INDIA SARAH ABRAHAM . SPAIN ELISA URIZ ‘ . ITALY TERESA NOCE ELANA CAPORAZO . CHINA LEE TEH CHU EN i LY TSUT: NORWAY POLAND EUGENIE PRAGIEROVA IZOLDA KOWALSKA RUMANIA FLORIDA MEZINCESCU U.S. SR. NADIEJDA PARFENOVA LIDIA PETROVA KORNELENKO . UNITET STATES JEANNETTE TURNER AGNES VUKCEVICH FRANCES SMITH FRANCE: FRANCOISE LECLERCQ MARIE COUETTE' — ‘ ( ELIANE BRAULT a === [PDF page 586] === ANEZKA HODINOVA CLAIRE BACHLIN MITRA MITROVITCH ROULA KOUKOULOU MAGDA JOBORU ANDREA ANDREEN ANNA NEVOLAINEN (Reserved) (Reserved) PAK DEN AI 15. 16. 17. 18. 20. 20. 23, 24. . FINLAND CZECHOSLOVAKIA LENKA LEHKA SWITZERLAND CHARLOTTE MURET YUGOSLAVIA OLGA MILOCHEVITCH GREECE VERA NICOLEFSKA HUNGARY BORIS FAI SWEDEN VALBORG SVENSSON HELVI LAINE TRAN MONGOLIA KOREA YU YEN-DUN Unanimously elected ELECTION OF THE CREDENTIALS COMMISSION The list of Nominations for the Credentials Commission. presented by Madame COTTON. Country Names 1. CZECHOSLOVAKIA MILA GRIMICHOVA 2. U.S. S. R. OLGA KHVALEBNOVA 3, HUNGARY ANNA KARA © 4, FRANCE ANDREE DUTILLEUL 5. UNITED STATES 6. BELGIUM DOROTHY HAYS 7, ALBANIA NEXHMIJE HOXHA 8. HOLLAND NEL BOUDEWLJIN 9. VIET-NAM DAO YAN CHAU Unanimously elected. 553 a see === [PDF page 587] === roca amineas ELECTION OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE WIDF. The members of the Secretariat to be elected are presented by Madame Cotton VAILLANT-COUTURIER — Secretary General ZINAIDA GOURINA — U.S. S. R. Secretary ELISA URIZ -— France. Secretary EVELYN MINSKY — United States. Secretary reserved for China reserved for Czechostovakia reserved for Italy Unanimously elected. ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE WIDF Madame Jeannette VERMEERSCH nominates Madame COTTON for president Unanimously elected. Madame Cotton nominates the vice Presidents; NINA POPOWA U.S. RR. GENE WELTFISH UNITED STATES DOLORES IBARRURI SPAIN TSAI TCHANG CHINA Nominations reserved for Poland and Britain. Unanimously elected. 556 === [PDF page 588] === CHAPTER. VIII TELEGRAMS AND PROTESTS FROM THE SECOND INETRNATIONAL CONGRESS OF WOMEN ee Se eee === [PDF page 589] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 590] === Madame VAILLANT-COUTURIER proposes a telegram addressed to Trygve Lie claiming Status,,a”. Madame Irene FALCON proposes that a telegram of protest be sent by the Congress ‘to the President of Paraguay. The Dutch delegation Proposes sending a telegram to the UNO on the subject of Indonesia. Protest telegram to the Indian Government Telegram of support for International Week of Free Spain, celebrated in Paris. Protest to the Greek Government against the terror. Telegram to the President of Paraguay On behalf of 80 million women of 56 countries, the delegates at the Second International Congress of Women now in session at Budapest demand that the government of Paraguay halt the brutal treatment inflicted on political prisoners and free the many women who are being held without trial. Eugenie Cotton, President W.1.D.F. Telegram to the Nehru Government In the name of more than 80 million members from 56 countries, the Second Congress of the Women’s International Deniocratic Federation protests energetically against the refusal to authorise the Conference of the Women of Asia in Calcutta, considering this act as a sign of hostility towards the movement of the peoples for peace, liberty and democracy. (Signed) Madame Eugenie Cotten President. === [PDF page 591] === Telegram to U.N.O. This Congress of the women of 56 nations representing 80 million members joins with the International Delegations calling on the United Nations to cease all aid to Franco Spain; to exclude Franco Spain from Commissions of the United Nations, and to use its immense influence to stop political executions and to free all Republican political prisoners in Spain and stop further arrests of Spanish Republicans for political activities, Telegram to Mr- Trygve Lie General Secretary U.N-O., Paris The Second Congress of the Women’s International Democratic Federation, meeting in Budapest from December Ist to 6th, representing more than 80 million women from 56 countries, after having approved the account of the Federation's activities since the first Congress in its tireless struggle for the defence of democracy and peace, expressed in the tens of millions of signatures on ‘petitions presented to the U.N.O., in its continual defence of the rights of women and children in its sending of a Commission of Enquiry to Asia, in its international campaign for child war victims, states that the W.ILD.F. has become the most powerful international mass women’s organisation, and demands therefore, that the Federation be granted Consultative Status,A‘ allowing it to support proposals in line with its aims in the Social and Economic Council, and to participate actively in the effective defence of the rights of women and peace in the work of the U.N.O. Telegram to U.N-O, The Dutch delegation proposed that the Second Women's International Congress should send the following telegram to the Dutch Government and to UN.O. The delegates of 56 nations represented at the Second World Congress of Women, held at Budapest from December 1st to 6th, 1948, protest against the carrying. on of the war in Indonesia, the burning of villages, and also against the execution of fighters for freedom, in the interests of Dutch and Indonesian women who want to live in peaceful relations with each other. On the basis of respecting ihe right of nations to choose their own way of life, the Congress demands the recall of Duich troops from Indonesia”. 560 === [PDF page 592] === [Photograph: portrait of a seated woman with short hair, arms folded, flowers in the foreground] Mme THAI THI LIEN === [PDF page 593] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 594] === CHAPTER IX TELEGRAMS AND GREETINGS RECEIVED BY THE SECOND CONGRESS === [PDF page 595] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 596] === Madame DOLORES IBARRURI (MESSAGE TO THE WLD.F.) Dear Friends, ‘ My state of health prevents me from taking part in the work of the Seconed Congress of our Federation, but my heart and my thoughts are with you: With what joy and enthusiasm I would have participated in the work of the Congress, which is showing the whole world the marvellous and ever growing strength of the WIDF, the only women's international organisation which is truly democratic and which expresses, by its very existence and in its activities, the will of Women to defend peace and democracy, their determination to oppose the anti-democratic and aggressive policies of the Anglo- American War makers with unshakeable firmness. In’the course of its three years of existence, the WIDF has become a powerful force in the service of peace and democracy. The activity of the WIDF has permitted its voice to be heard by women in far away countries, from one end of the universe to the other, it has mobilised in the fight for democracy and transmitted to them, as a message of hope, the fraternal call of other Women who, like the women of the Soviet Union, having broken the yoke of tyranny and centuries-old oppression, are already on the radiant road to socialism; or like the women of the popular democracies who are advancing to socialist goals; also the call of the women who, in each country, are fighting and working, with self-sacrifice, to overcome the obstacles which are opposed to the development of democracy as well as the consolidation of peace and international security. We, women of the WIDF, cannot ignore nor disregard the fact that the headlong development of the world’s democracy, that the women's active incorporation in the political activities and in the work of consolidating the popular democratic regimes-work and activities which, in their turn, stimulate the awakening of women 563 === [PDF page 597] === of other countries to the fight for liberty-are the result of the victory over hitlerism, won essentially thanks to the effort and sacrifices of the Soviet Union and its glorious Army. During its three years of existence, our Federation has grown and extended its influence in a remarkable fashion. It has contributed to the raising of political consciousness of important sections of the women in every country. It has given millions of women confidence in their own strength, and has stimulated their will to unite and fight against those responsible for the poverty of the people, who are not hesitating to prepare new bloody conflicts to fill their own pockets. Since the inaugural Congress of our Federation, numerous women's organisations, of different countries have come to increase our ranks, Because of their significance, it is especially important to underline those of the women of Great Britain, the women of several Latin American republics, of Australia, of Burma, Mongolia, and Korea. This tremendous growth of the WIDF is an aspect and an obvious demonstration of the growth of the ddemocratic forces in their fight against these imperialist cliques and war makers. The Federation has succeeded in developing solidarity among women of all countries, It has proved to the national sections and all its members that each nation’s fight for peace and democracy is not an isolated battle but part of the common democratic cause. And we Spanish women are perhaps in the best position to bear witness to the solidarity of the national sections of the Federation, because we constantly receive their help and support in our struggle, In the name of the Spanish women who have fought heroically and selflessly for 12 years against the Franco regime without flinching or ever losing hope of victory, and who are certain that they will see a free and democratic Spain, I wish to express here, before the Congress our profound gratitude to the WIDF and all its sections for their constant aid, and their active solidarity. Each day brings us striking news of the way in which our country’s women are fighting. We remember the moving example of Manuela Sanchez, a Galician peasant women of 53, who hid two guerillas in her home ang then defended their lives with a gun. She chose death for herself and her family rather than betray the two fighters for freedom, While the Spanish women, never losing hope of victory, continue the fight, I want to appeal anew to all democratic women and to the national sections of the Federation, especially those in Britain and America, to strengthen their campaign against Franco’s terror and put pressure on their Governments to end their support of the 564 === [PDF page 598] === Fratico regime, and. demand that all help be given the Spanish people in their fight for democracy and the re-establishment of the Republic. We ask all our friends to.lend us their aid to save the ‘lives of thousands of imprisoned Spanish women. We ask that they help by an international mobilisation of democratic forces, to force the Franco Government to change the decisions of the military courts which, condemned innocent women to life sentences or many years in prison. 3 It is not only to Spain, which is fighting to recover its liberty, that the Federation pledges its solidarity, but it is also towards heroic and martyred Greece which, by its firm resistance, proves tothe whole world, its will to defend the independence and sovereignty of its country, with liberty and democracy, against the monarcho-fascist hangmen and their protectors, the Anglo-American imperialists. No terror can exhaust the strength and will to victory of the Greek women, the heroic women of liberated China, or the women of the colonial or semi-colonial fighting against countries imperialism, because they know that their cause is just. On the contrary, the consciousness of the solidarity of millions of ‘women in our Federation stimulates their decision to continue the fight to its victorious conclusion. With profound emotion, I salute the representatives of fighting Greece, and ask them to carry back to the Greek women and mothers who are defending the liberty of all, the ardent and fraternal message of the Spanish women. In the present international situation, our Federation is faced with very responsible and important tasks which the Congress must discuss and decide upon. Against the raging war propaganda of the Anglo-American imperialists, against the policy of provocation and blackmail of the war-makers, against the attempts to destroy or render the UNO ineffectual. in attaining the ends for which it was created, the WIDF has the job of mobilising all its forces with those of other antiimperialists and democrats to stop the criminal projects of those who want to throw the people into a new bloody war- It ismecessary to mobilise all our resources to the utmost against the war-mongers- The example of the French and Italian women who manifested to defend peace and democracy, that of the Italian women who gathered three million signatures and- gave them to. the UNO, that of the Bulgarian women with two million signatures, and the Czech women who gathered two and a half million signatures in support of the Soviet peace proposals of disarmament 565 === [PDF page 599] === and the suppression of the atom bomb at U.N.O., are a demonstration of what can be done. Let the protests of the mothers and women against the: warmakers; let the voices supporting and popularising the peace policy put forward by the Soviet representative, Mr. Vyshinsky, at the U.N.Q, rise in every country as a barrier to close the road to the aggressive plans of the imperialists. We are convinced that it is possible to stop the projects for imperialist war, because the people do not want war. The people need peace, While the wounds caused by Hitler's barbarism’ are still unhealed, while Stalingrad and Warsaw, Oradour-sur-Glance and“Lidice, and so many other towns ‘still show their terrible ruins to the world, while millions of mothers, widows, and orphans are still deeply mourning, propaganda for war comes not only as an insult to the millions of men fallen in the fight against Hitlerism but as a crime which humanity must not tolerate. Against those responsible for the crime, we shall fight tooth and nail, even to using the very stones of the street! Our Federation, I am certain, will do everything in its power to carry out honorably the tasks which the situation demands, I believe it is necessary to strengthen the Secretariat. of our Federation, by the presence of all the secretaries and also by the collaboration of the representatives sent to the Secretariat by our ‘various sections: I believe that we should extend our propaganda so that women: throughout the world may know of. our activities and of the struggles, victories, sufferings, and sacrifices of women from other countries: Nothing is impossible as long as we work with enthusiasm, The brilliant realisation of the Women's International Exhibition which took place in Paris this summer, showed what the Federation is capable of when it brings its whole energy to bear,. That is why I think that the betterment of the propaganda is net an insoluble problem but that it enters into the frame-work of our possibilites. We must intensify the aid to the Spanish and Greek women, to our valiant sisters of liberated China, to the women of Viet-Nam and Indonesia, and to all the women who fight for the independence of their countries, ‘ ‘ We must pay special attention to the British and American Sections of the Federation,“ because they have very ‘serious ‘tasks before them at the present time, tasks of great responsibility not only to our Federation, but to all people fighting imperialist oppression. ma, a mee 7 566 === [PDF page 600] === Iwish to end this message in affectionately greeting you, the delegates from all corners of the world, for. having brought to our Congréss your faith, and confidence in the triumph of peoce and democracy, and your effort and strength to defend the great catse of the liberty of all the peoptes. I cordially salute our dear Hungarian’ friends who received delegates with such generous hospitality and who made it possible, thanks to their marvellous work, to hold the Second International Congress. Long live the united and fraternal effort of the women, of the whole world for peace and democracy! Long live the Second Congress of the WIDF! DOLORES IBARRURI December 1. 1948. MESSAGE TO MADAME DOLORES IBARRURI, FROM THE W.LD.F. Dear Dolores Ibarruri, In opening our Second Congress which is comprised of four hundred delegates representing thirty nine countries, we want to send you this expression of our deepest affection- We regret very much that your slate of health keeps you so far from us: But, nevertheless, dear Dolores, you are here in our minds and hearts. The example of your life and your strength and courage in the service of freedom and peace inspires our work; you are not only the purest symbol of the heroism of the Spanish people, but also to women throughout the world you represent the struggle for a more just and human life. Delegated in the name of millions of women and mothers of the world who passionately desire to assure the security of their homes and the peace of the world, we are united in the struggle against the imperialist war. mongers. Of the tasks which this struggle demands of us, one of the most important is that of helping with all our strength, the valiant Spanish people who were the first to take a stand against fascism in 1936. That is why we pledge ourselves to open again our campaign at the UNO against all aid to the butchers of Spain, against its participation in any UNO organ, and particularly in France, England, and American, for the breaking of all diplomatic and commercial telations with France; and we pledge ourselves to lead a tremendous campaign to repeal the sentences pronounced upon heroic Spanish women by the military tribunals. — 567 === [PDF page 601] === Dear Dolores, we accept this committment with all our. hearts and all our energy, and we hope that you will soon be well:enough to be back among us for the hard but worthwhile fight which together we will carry through to victory.. M-me BOSCH-WENNIK I am happy to be able to say a few words on behalf of the Congress of Dutch textile workers. We, Dutch women textile workers and housewives fight alongside the men against Duth capitalism. We know that the fight will be a hard one, but that victory will be won for the oppressed #f all the women unite. Our women are obliged to work in the factories, they put in the same work as men, but very often their wages are much lower. We carry on an implacable fight against this state of affairs, demanding equal pay for equal work. At this Congress of textile workers, our President told us that certain factory owners were not inclined to give our women delegates leave to attend Congress. Some of them took no notice of this, and came all the seme, and one of them was told by telephone that she had been dismissed- But our organisation is not inactive, and does everything possible to show the employers that workers have not only duties, but also rights, such as the right to represent their Trade Union at its Congress. We obtained the re-instatement of the women worker, and even the payment of her wages for the day on which she was absent. This convinced our Congress that only the united action of our working class can ensure a better future. I bring you the greetings of the. Congress of the textile workers, and at the same time I wish the gyeatest success to all progressive women of'the world in: the fight for peace and national independence, And it is on behalf of our Congress that I give the Hungarian women a small souvenir of our country, in the shape of warm thanks for the magnificent preparation of this Congress. LETTER FROM A GROUP OF IMPRISONED SPANISH WOMEN: From one of the cells of a Barcelona prison, a group of anti- Franco women, who put their hopes in you, in the democratic women of the world, address to you their heartfelt greeting and their sincere gratitude for the campaigns of aid and the sacrifices that you have made to liberate us from all the horrors and tortures which we suffer, Our only,,crime” has been to struggle against the fascists 568 === [PDF page 602] === . ain order. to liberate our country and to restore our Republic, which was the first People’s Democracy in history. The horrible treatment which we have received in the police headquarters is already well known to you. This torture has led to a high percentage of tuberculosis, blindness and mental illness, etc., and in this state, we have been thrown in prison. Inside these prisons, due to the lack of medical supplies, only the more or less robust constitution of the individuals determines whether he shall. be cured, whether he shall die or be an invalid for life. The prison infirmaries lack the most elementary necessities. There is,.for instance, no alcohol, no iodine, no thermometers, no cotton, no aspirine, and if a relative should bring medical supplies to a prisoner, he is told at the package desk,,,Take that back, for we supply all. necessary medicines —- the prisoners don’t need anything”, The question of hygiene is even worse. Even though many cells remain empty, prisoners sleep crowded together in cells which are adjacent to garbage-filled closets. The tortures and suffering to which we must Submit are so numerous, and so much has been written about them that we do not want to say anything more to you on this subject, for our goal is not to struggle simply in order to reveal our troubles, but to testify to the great fighting spirit which animates us. And we declare once more, that no matter what our enemy may do, we will keep this fighting spirit forever. On the other hand, we are becoming more and more indignant to learn that while you, dear friends, are fighting tirelessly for peace and freedom for all peoples, while all the real democrats throughout the world are rallying to tear the Spanish patriots from the criminal grasp of Francoism and to defend our people's right to be free, some Spaniards, traitors to their country, are attempting to come to a compromise with Franco fascism, which is disintegrating, with the | sole aim of strengthening the power of reaction which will permit it to continue to oppress and brutally abuse the Spanish people. But from the bottom of this huge Franco jail, we warn those \ who are teady preparing this stab in the back, that all of their reactionary tricks will fail and that one day, they will have to answer for their vile actions, because our people. will not cease to struggle unitil they are free from the murderers and traitors, until they are able freely and democratically to express their will. Dear friends, we want these lines, which symbolise the appreciation of.all of us, and in particular, the gratitude of the group of condemned women for whom you have done so much, to be the 569 === [PDF page 603] === proof of our faith in carrying on the struggle for the unity of all the democratic forces of the world. That is why, with a sisterly embrace, we all cry out:,Long live peace! Long live world democracy!" A group of imprisoned Spanish democratic women October, 1948. MESSAGE FROM THE WOMEN OF FLORENCE read by Madame ELISA MASSAI (ITALY). The working women and peasant women of Tuscany appointed a’working woman of Certaldo as delegate to this Congress. She was not able to come, because she was refused a passport. Why? Because she is one of the hundreds of women who were arrested for having actively participated in the general strike and in the popular demonstrations which took place on July 14th, following the attempt on the life of the beloved leader of the opposition, Palmiro Togliatti, which was organised by Italian reaction. I have been given the task of denouncing this fact before the Congress, by the imprisoned women of Tuscany, the mothers, wives and daughters who have been arrested and sentenced: De Gasperi's wblack” Government, surprised and terrified by the spontaneity and the extent of the popular demonstration which paralysed the whole country, {a demonstration in which workers, peasants, tradesmen, intellectuals and women from all spheres participated), set the police, on the people, on the workers, on their trade union leaders, on the women, inciting them to practice the most brutal forms of reaction, I quote an example: in Monte Amiata, a small region of Tuscany where miners are forced to perform unhealthy work, illnourished and badly paid, the police went from house to house, and arrested almost all heads of families and 20 women. These perse-: cuted people were supported by the whole nation, especially by the ‘women, who today in ltaly assist the strikers and arrested people, their families and children. The members of the Union of Italian Women have worked to collect gifts of solidarity, and trucks laden with food have gone from the whole area and from Tuscany. Thousands of workers have given part of their wages to the famillies of the persecuted workers..I want to emphasise the fact that there have even been proofs of international solidarity. The Bulgarian women have received, 51 children of prisoners in Tuscany and Sicily, the area where reaction is most violent, and ‘have put them in a children's home organised‘ for this purpose. From the platform of this Congress, in the name of all ‘the Italian women, I ‘send the Bulgarian women Our warmest thanks at the same time as this small 570 === [PDF page 604] === souvenir, assuring them that.no oppression or threats will succeed in holding back the rising struggle of the Italian women who march in the forefront in the fight for peace and democracy. LETTER FROM MADAME SEOANE To the President of the World Congress of Women, to the mothers and wives of the world!” uWith all my affection and with respect, I greet your Congress, and by the intermediary of its delegates, all the democratic women of the world, those who suffer from the same consequences as I, victims of criminal fascists. uThe 6th of November, the Franco hangmen shot my husband at Corunna. Many of you are informed of the barbarous crime committed on my husband, Antonio Seoane, and his comrade, Gomez Gayoso, wAs a Spaniard I can only repudiate, before the whole world, this horrible crime and those which the hangmen of my country are intending to commit, who kill, without respite, the best sons of the Spanish people, for the only offence that they wanted to liberate our dear Spain. Dear friends, in the name of the guerillas who fell. in Corunna and in all of Spain, in the name of the devoted Spanish women, I ask you to condemn the Franco regime energetically ask the world through you, for the greatest possible aid for the anti-Franco Spaniards, so that they can continue to fight against the tyrant of Spain. uThe fight for the freedom of the anti-Franco Spaniards is an integral part of the great fight that all the democratic people of the world are fighting for peace’ and against the war intentions of the imperialists. In the name of my son and his old gtand-mother,. mother of Antonio Seoane, one of the hundreds of thousands fallen in the fight, I send you fraternal greetings: I am convinced that the Con-- gréss will condemn the crime committed against my husband. I also have confidence that the world solidarity will be intesified so that those who again took up the guns that Seoane and Gayoso dropped in dying, can strengthen their fightnLong live the Women's Second Congress! Long live the Union of Spanish Women! For peace, against imperialist war! ‘SALADINA CRUZ DE SEOANE“ 571 === [PDF page 605] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 606] === BR X CHAPTE EXCHANGE OF GIFTS === [PDF page 607] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 608] === Presentation of Flags Following the speech by Madame Nina Popova on the tasks of the international democratic women’s movement in the struggle for peace and democracy, and amidst tremendous ovations of the Congress, Madame Jeannette Vermeersch. presents Madame Popova with a French flag embroidered with the inscription:,,The mothers of France will never give their sons to make war on the Soviet Union". The Union of Viet-Namese Women presents a flag to the W..D.F. and another to the women of Hungary. The Chinese delegation presents a flag to the W.I-D.F. PRESENTATION OF GIFTS given by: The Hungarian delegation The French delegation Vera KetlinsKaia (Leningrad) The Korean delegation The delegation from Bulgaria The delegation from. Italy ‘The women of Trieste The United States delegation The delegation from Great Britain ete, The delegation of Hungarian women presents gifts to all of the representatives present at the Congress and declare themselves honored that the Congress was held in Budapest. They declare their intention to continue to struggle with women from all countries for world peace, and hail the friendship among the democratic women of the world. The Union of French Women offers to the Committee of Anti- Fascist Soviet Women, a baund collection of,Femmes Frangaises” for the journal,,The Soviet Woman”. 575 === [PDF page 609] === The Women of Paris offer to the women of Moscow a brief case containing the propaganda. material for their struggle for bread, peace and democracy.. The women of the 2nd arrondissement of Paris offer to the women of Stalingrad a chest containing materials used during the underground restistance, including a Cross of Liberation, The women of Marseille offer a book containing all of the proganda materials — newspapers, leaflets, pamphlets — which represent their struggle for democracy and peace. There are also letters from French mothers who declare that. they will, never go to war against the Soviet Union”. In these letters the French women have expressed the same gratitude to the courageous women of Leningrad who have arovsed the admiration of the whole world. {Engraved on the brief case given by the women of Paris to the women Of Moscow are the words,,The women of Paris will never permit their sons to go to war against your sons”), M-me VERA KETLINSKAIA (LENINGRAD) Dear friends! Long live France which loves liberty! I thank you with all my heart for the gifts, for your friendship which is for ‘us a symbol of the solidarity of your people with their revolutionary traditions and of your courage in the struggle. We have confidence in the strength of our sisters who are cartying on the struggle for their idependence and freedom: We know that. the women are a great force when they are organized. Our experience, the experience of the women of Leningrad gives. us this assurance. We were surrounded on all sides by the enemy. We not only had no milk for our children, no bread, no water, no heat, no light, but we had only two possibilities: slavery or freedom, death or fighting. And we fought. In order that the enemy should not pass, we dug trenches. Under the fire of the enemy guns, we were on the roof tops while the bombs fell on us,-We worked, giving ali that was necessary for the Leningrad front. When we had no water and no means of transportation, our women carried buckets of water to the factories where the bread was being made, Women turned the machines by hand when there was no More motor power, in order that the work should not cease, Our young girls organized work battalions to help those who had no more strength because of hunger, Despite hunger and cold, they went out to help others, For 90 days we were under enemy fire, under the bombs and the shells, but we defended-our freedom-and the marvellous city of Le- 576 === [PDF page 610] === ningrad, the heart and brain of the revolution. How the women wor- Ked to help defend the city of Leningrad! During these 6 days at this Congress, we have felt with all our hearts, just as you have, that we women of the entire world/represent a great force if we are united. How very much we would be able to do if we were all united, sure and persevering in the struggle: In the name of the women of Leningrad and in the name of all Soviet women, I say to the women present and to all of our friends who hear our voice throughout the world: Nothing can defeat ust ‘The enemies of freedom and democracy will never be able to conquer us, There will still be a free Marseille, a free Paris and all the -cities of the world will be free. We are struggling for a just cause- Continuation of distribution of giits. «More gifts are offered by the women of France to Greece, to Hungary ete... Then come the gifts offered by Korea. Bulgaria offers gifts to the W.LD-F. etc... Hungary gives presents, Italy presents a gift to Hungary in appreciation for the warm welcome, Speech of the Italian delegate. uThe ftalian delegation has given to me, a worker from Turin, the task of offering, in the name of all the democratic women of Italy to the Union of Hungarian Women, a copy of,,The Divine Comedy” given to our delegation for this purpose by the cooperators of Florence, This book which we offer — and which is a basic work of Italian culture — is intended to express our warm thanks for the hospitable and fraternal welcome of the Hungarian women. It has another significance that working men and women want to establish between peoples new and more profound relations, in economic as well as in cultural fields, in such a way that peoples shall come together with their good qualities, their original creations, their different physical characteristics, but at the same time, united solidly in the common struggle fo: peace, social progress, and for the wellbeing and happiness of all men”. A gift is offered by the Polish delegation to the W.LD.F. The Finnish delegate, Helvi Laine, comes to the platform and declares,,,We, the women of Finland, carried on a campaign this Autumn, which had as goal to educate women toward international 577 === [PDF page 611] === understanding and friendship between.all.of.the countries.of. the world. Each one of our 17 districts adopted. one of the countries belonging to the.W.I-D.P. and worked to.make known its economic, political and social conditions, The Finnish women have-sent to the 29 adopted” countries.some small gifts.. The Soviet Union, China, Greece and Spain were the countries chosen. by, most. of the 17 districts because the women of these countries have given wonderful proofs of their fighting spirit in the struggle for peace and democracy”. Gifts are offered by Rumania to the W.1L.D.F, and to various dele- [Unreadable] United States delegates offer gifts to the French miners and , 500,000 francs (about 1,560 dollars) and medical supplies for the Greek children.; “ = RM The English delegation offers gifts. The Dutch delegation offers gifts- The women of Trieste present a flag.to the W.LD-F. The women of Korea offer a portait of Stalin-to the Soviet women and the Korean delegate expresses in a few words the gratitude felt by Korean women for Soviet women. She promises to work harder still for the reconstruction of Korea. ' The Hungarian women present a vase to the Secretariat of the Women's International Democratic Federation and various gifts to other delegations and delegates.: ‘ From all.over Hungary gifts continue to arrive for the ‘delegates of each country. These will be transmitted to them later.’ Each present is the work of a Hungarian.-woman who wants to express her sympathy and affection for our guests.: 578 === [PDF page 612] === CHAPTER XI CLOSING SPEECHES === [PDF page 613] === [Blank page] === [PDF page 614] === Madame EUGENIE COTTON gives the closing speech Dear Friends, our wonderful Congress is coming to an end. It has been carried on under the sign of women's will for peace. This will is confirmed by the Manifesto which you adopted this morning with such grand enthusiasm and it would tend to weaken the Manifesto and the demonstration to speak further about it now. I shall not do that. There have been at our Congress moments of exaltation in which We felt the force and greatness of the Women's International Democratic Federation. We owe one of these grand moments to our Hungarian friends. We all guard the memory of the great women's meeting of the night of December ist. In the flickering light of the torches could be ceen surging out of the dark the banners, the bright coloured neckerchiefs of the women, and especially the. faces anxiously turned towards peace. What an encouragement for the Women’s International Democratic Federation were those vibrant calls, the deafening applause of the enthusiastic crowd for the directors of our great movement! All of the delegates have’ been enthusiastic about the courageous work of their Hungarian sisters. They are filled with gratitude and admiration for the perfect organization and carrying through of this great Congress. Our thanks to everyone: to the secretaries, to the stenographers, the translators, to the young soldiers of the guard of honour, to the always-smiling guides who went up and down so many stairways for us, All of these attentions are precious because they demonstrate the great friendship and solidarity among women. If we have been happy to come in contact with the Hungarian women, Hungarian folk music, the Hungarian hospitality of the people and the government, 58) === [PDF page 615] === I know that our Hungarian friends have been happy to meet the wo: men of all the countries and varied opinions. The tribune of the: Congress witnessed a parade of yellow, black, and white speakers. We were happy to hear them express themselves in their own language, which became immediately accessible to us through the magic of the earphones, We have heard Catholic and Socialist women, Comunist women and women who belong to no party all in agreement on the important point that the essential cause of war racial discrimination and capitalism must be attacked if the world is to be rid of them, The time is past when women considered that they should not engage in politics. Now that they have the right to vote almost everywhere, it is, on the contrary, their duty to take part and to act. Each country knows its difficulties, difficulties which vary from one nation to another. It is essential that our sections support the firm direction of the Women's International Democratic Federation and see to it that their members profit from the experiences of the women of other countries, taking into account at the same time the difficulties peculiar to their own country. It is this determined attitude of the Women's International Democratic Federation, it is its dynamism which accounts for the great expansion of our association. You have heard that there are now 56, countries which have national sections affiliated to the Women's International Democratic Federation! You could see that we have some very active sections, not only in Europe but in all parts of the world, You have seen that it became necessary to enlarge our directing bodies, the Executive Committee, the Secretariat and the Vice- Presidency. All that indicates the growth of the force of the Federation, Our Congress is greeted everywhere. Al} that obliges all of us. all over the world, to work better and better, more and more, with enthusiasm for the accomplishment | of our great tasks. Do not forget that we are a great force in the ser- Congress, Long live democracy and peace! Long live the Women’s International Democratic Federation! 582 === [PDF page 616] === CONTENTS Preface Madame JOLIOT-CURIE : Introduction ; Madame Eugenie COTTON Manifesto for the defense of peace CHAPTER I REPORT OF THE ACTIVITY OF. THE WOMEN'S INTERNA- TIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION Report of Activity presented by Madame Cotton. Report of the Credentials Committee presented by Mrs. Boris. Fai ‘ a 8 os wm Speech by Madame Gagarina (USSR) Speech by i Mezincescu. (Rumania) Speech by # Dewintre (France) Speech by Mrs, Mary Reed Haug (United States) Speech by n Kowalska (Poland) ” Speech’ by - Maria Rentmeister-3ettinger (Germany) Speech by ie Claudine Chomat (France) Salutation by Miss. Kutty Hookham (in the name of the W’ FD: ’) Report. by the Norwegian Section ee 3 Report by the Committee for National Unity (ck ile} Report by,,.Momento Feminino” (Brazil) Report by the Women’s Union of Uruguay. Report from Belgium Report by the Union of Luxemburg Women Report by the Congress of Canadian Women Resolutio! 5 6 «exw «= oS el w me we ow & CHAPTER II THE TASKS OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMO- CRATIC MOVEMENT IN THE FIGHT FOR PEACE AND DE- MOCRACY Report on the uTasks of the Women’s International Democratic Movement. in the Fight for Peace and Democracy” ppssene ted by Madame Maria Magdalena Rossi 5 Speech by Madame Chryssa Hadjivassiliou (Greece) Speech by Mrs, Muriel Draper (United States) ‘Speech by Madame Andrea Andreen (Sweden) The problem of the possession of land (report read by Madame Andrea Andreen (Sweden) Gee 8 15 100 102 ill 117 136 142 148 150 === [PDF page 617] === Speech by Mrs. Nora Wooster (Great Britain) Speech by Madame Nina Popova (USSR) Speech by 7 Cho En (Korea) Speech by i Thai Ti Lien (Viet-Nam) Speech by a Vermeersch (France) Speech by a Lu Tsui (China) ‘ Speech by " Hodinova (Czechoslovakia) Speech by ji Anita Martinez (Spain) Speech by i Orlowska (Poland) Speech by " Fazio Longo (Italy) Speech by ra Fanny Edelman (Argentine) Speech by 6 Todorova (Bulgaria) Speech by ie Luzardo (Venezuela) Speech by tt Constanza Graciun (Rumania ) Speech by 7 Elisabeth Andics (Hungary) Speech by a Garcia Buchaca (Cuba) Speech by " Udval (Mongolia) Speech by fi Riwka Gurfein (Israel). Speech by ji Sarah Abraham (India) Speech by - Maria Bernetti (Trieste) Speech by ait Hilde Mareiner (Austria) Speech by o Anna Nevolainen (Finland) Speech by 1 Louise Dornemann (Germany) Speech by Mrs. Minnie Golden (United States) Seech by Madame Lapchova (USSR) Report of the Committee of Women for Danioeracy (Brazil) Against repression in Greece by Madame Joannides. Report of the Credentials Commission presented by Mrs. CHAPTER It REPORT,,THE DEFENCE OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN", PRESENTED BY MRS. HELEN PHILLIPS (UNITED STATES) Speech hy Madame Pragierova (Poland) Speech by Miss Joyce Brown (Britain) Speech by Madame Lea Moller (Sweden); Speech by Fe Grimichova (Czechoslovakia) Speech by ff Micaela Manesse (Rumania) ‘ Speech by 0 Hilda Benjamin (Germany).... Speech by it Teresa Noce (Italy) Speech by im Lenka Lehka (Czechoslovakia) 584 page 152 157 166 172 176 182 187 193 198 202 205 213 216 224 228 233 240 244 247 250 255 257 260 263 266 269 274 274 281 297 300 305 307 310 313 315 322 === [PDF page 618] === Speech by Mrs. Betty Millard (United States) Speech by Madame Gita. Banerjea (India) Speech by " Kozlova {USSR} ‘ Speéch by 8 Berta Braslavsky (Argentine) _ Speech by a Vera Natcheva (Bulgaria) Speech by és Ilona Bieber (Hungary) Speech by i Ivachenko (USSR) Speech by “ Hattie Cameron (Australia) Speech by fe Olga Tournade (France) Speech by Esperanza Mastrapa (Cuba) Report from iis y Women's Institute of Constructive Services Report from the State of Sao Paulo (Brazil) Resolution on the,,Defence of the Economic and Political Rights of Women” Speech by Madame Milada ‘Netaclave (Czechoslovakia) CHAPTER IV REPORT ON THE,,SITUATION OF CHILDREN AND THE DEFENCE OF THEIR RIGHTS", PRESENTED BY MADAME KORMANOVA (POLAND) Speech by Mrs, Freda Grimble (Britain) Speech by Madame Roula Koukoulou (Grecce) Speech by iz Chehu Figert (Albania) Speech by i Svensonn (Sweden) Speech by v Ofelia Manole (Rumania) Speech by it Nadiejda Parfenova (USSR) Speech by es Margarita Poni (Argentine) Speech by ‘i Chana Gurfinkel (Israel) Speech by én Giovanna Barcellona (Italy) Speech by ie Pierrette Fornelli (Franc) Speech by Ignacia Arguelles (Cuba) Speech by Madame Neyri Sandorne (Hungary) Speech by "9 Uma Ray Chaudhuri (India) Speech by " Synkova (Czechoslovakia) Speech by 1 Baya Allaouchiche (Algeria) Speech by a Ada Alessandrini (Italy) Report from Sao Paulo (Brazil) Resolution on the,,Situation of Children and the Defence of [Unreadable] page 323 * 524 328 335 339 342 344 347 350 356 363 368 371 375 379 399 402 408 41 41 418 423 430 432 435 442 445 448 450 451 453 455 === [PDF page 619] === CHAPTER V THE CONFERENCE OF.WOMEN OF ASIA Report on the Conference of the Women of Asta, presented by Mrs. Taruna Bose (India) os mt Speech by Madame Tsai Tchang (China) Speech by ry Speech by a Speech by 7 Speech by " Speech by " Speech by Madame You Yen Dioun (Korea) Speech by ii Speech by 8s Speech by Speech by " Morosova Francoise Leclercq (France) (USSR) Chang Chin-Chiu (China) Andree Ruiz (Algeria) Pham Ngoc Thuan (Viet- Nam) Gelok Walvin (Holland) Naila Basanova (USSR) Miriam Firouz (Iran) Sarah Abraham (India) Speech by Mrs, Tamara Rust (Britain) Resolution on the,Development of the Women's Democratic Movement in the Countries of Asia and Africa" ¢ Letter to the Women of Asia Madame Jaszczukowa (Poland) in the | name of the Joternational Federation of Former Political Prisoners: CHAPTER VI REQUESTS FOR AFFILIATION Submitted for the ratification of the Second Congress CHAPTER VII ELECTION OF THE DIRECTING ORGANS OF THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION Election to the Council of the Women's International Demo- Election of the Commission for the ‘Rights “of ‘Women Election of the Commission of the,,Democratic Movement of the Women of the Countries of Asia and Africa ‘ Election of the Commission for Childhood Election of the Commission for Propaganda and Information is Election of the Executive Committee of the Women’s International Democratic Federation Election of the Credentials Commission Election of the.Secretariat of Democratic Federation Election of the President Election, of the-Vice Presidents 586 the Women’s International page 463. 474 490 493 496 501 505 509 $12 | 517 520 525 530 533 537 538 543 549. 552 §52 553 553 553 555 "556 556 556) - === [PDF page 620] === CHAPTER VIII TELEGRAMS AND PROTEST FROM THE SECOND WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS CHAPTER IX TELEGRAMS AND GREETINGS RECEIVED BY THE SECOND WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS Message from Dolores Ibarruri Message of the Second Congress to Dolores Ibarruri Salutation from Madame Bosch-Wennink in the name of the Dutch textile workers: - Letter from imprisoned women (Spain) Message from the women of Florence Letter from Madame Seoane (Spain) CHAPTER X EXCHANGE OF GIFTS Exchange of gifts and speeches given by different delegates CHAPTER XI CLOSING SPEECHES Closing speech given by Madame Cotton page 559 563 567 568 568 570 S71 575 581 587 === [PDF page 621] === [Cover/decorative page: back cover with the WIDF emblem (dove over a globe) in blue on a yellowed cover]