; It was on the East Side of iNew York that the housewives and working women on March 8, 1908, staged powerful de- ‘nonstrations for women’s sut- ffirage. The success of these Nemonstrations surprised many iwho lacked faith in the ability ‘f the “women to keep up a P:onsistent struggle, but their -fforts were crowned with suc- ‘ess: They succeeded in getting American Constitution passed and ratified granting the 7American women the right to ‘yote; in other words, the right ';0 citizenship. What a grand ichieyement. : JN. 1910 Clara..Zetkin, one of the great women leaders, initiated the celebration of Miareh 8 as International Wo- nen’s Day, and that day was ‘adopted by the International | Socialist DMoyement to give ex- joression _to_ the political de- nands of the WO! nen. We have vivid recollect 05 of ‘the mas- niificent struggles. , ane which -vomen_ participated over a yeriod of years.. an other words, ‘n the struggle . for freedom. -vomen are. “seasoned fighters. -n 1917 in ‘Czarist. ‘Russia wo- ‘nen took part in the fight for rushing blows and make such ‘rand contributions towards »he annihiliation of fascism. The ‘yomen of the Soviet Union ained their freedom in 1917, -s Article 122 of the Soviet constitution shows: “Article 122: - Women in “the USSR are accorded equal ‘rights with men in all spheres of: economic, state, feultural, social_and political dife. The possibility of exer- cising these rights of women ‘is ensured by affording wo- _ men equally with the men i the right to work, pay- -ment for werk, rest and leisure, social insurance and ‘education,, and by state pro- tection of the interests of “mother and child, maternity leave with pay, and the pro- ‘vision of a wide network of | Maternity homes, nurseries and. kindergartens. Article "187: Women have the right ‘to elect and be elected on -egual terms with- men.” f “The “women ‘of ‘the iss’ Women —— friendship can be ceniented | if it is based on a genuine “under- standine= “The women®= USSR and the women of Can- ada are i bors, but have’ much in com- mon; our love’ for freedom, for’ Jur homes, for our children, bring us to one another, and by ‘the 19th Amendment to- the . »reedom, and because of that, ‘oday our brave Ally, the — ‘JSSR, is able to give those - China, +, fone on the home front. _, nave to combat those who want lave; earned our Inve and: grati;.. si mde for « a ‘epntribution ae _the world over. s., Whe gained a place in this peo- should strive =e better undér- .ple’s war will not accept the: standing. A eréat and‘ Tasting | only good neigh- * deepening our understanding of , one another we will learn to work together in time of peace just as we have learned to work together in time of war. (ee women of China have written -a glorious page in the history of mankind. Not only do they till the soil and make supreme sacrifices in this people’s war, the © women’s units in Shanghai and Hwang- Si will remain immortal. Our own Dr, Bethune, who gave his life for China, and Jean Ewen who for years nursed the sick and wounded, understood that we have a stake in Ghina’s democracy. When we pay iri- bute to the brave women of the democratic world we find that distances do not erect barriers. The heroism of the Spanish women is something we will never forget. In 1986 eighty thousand women demonstrated in Madrid against fascism and tor progress and liberty. That demonstation was led by that noble Spanish patriot, Dolores - ibarruri (la Passionara). Six hundred of our Canadians gave. their lives on the Spanish bat- tliefields hoping they would spare us from a world war. In the remotest corners of the world, wherever people’s hearts throb for freedom, men, wo- men and children, in a valiant Siruggsle make the most su- preme sacrifices to defeat fas- cism and expel the fascist in- vaders. E IX this greatest war in human history, where millions give their lives so that fascism will not impose upon us conceiy- able cruelties, we do not cele- brate International Women’s Day im the traditional sense, nor is this day to be regarded as a day of mourning. We clasp the hands of our heroic sisters of Great Britain whose eourage and devotion to the United Nations Alliance comes from an understanding of the people’s cause.. We greet our sisters in the Soviet Union, in and Jugoslavia, and in all lands where freedom is fought for. ; We Canadian women fully ~ Lessons Of History — eBy ANNIE. BULLER, LPP National Executive Member Ae WITH .one voice, the women who. ch Sh democracy and actively contribute to = thesdefeat of fascism, arenow giving much thought and consideratien to’ the post- war “world aud woman’s place*in that world. It is appropriate at this time, on the eve of “International Women’s Day, 6n the eve of st aggering victories, and at the conclusion of Fone of the most historic conferences in the Crimea of the Big ares, to deal with some of ithe Tessons history ‘provides us with. S this direction the farm women have not been lagging behind in making their contribution by producing food for victory. A quarter of a million women are now workne on farms.. In the postwar these women will have every right to want modern improvements, higher educa- tional standards, better health services, decent’ homes, good roads, electrification, . commu- nity centers, _ facilities for training. The standard of the people on the farm can be raised, and a higher standard maintained, not at‘the expense of the people in the city, but by an application... of a well planned agricultural policy that will raise the standard &t home and provide us with markets abroad. WOMEN’S place in industry in the postwar is a subject of considerable controversy. In some quarters the question is aproached from the standpoint that women have ‘10 right to take the jobs away from men. This ‘approach, of course, is wrong. Women are not compet- ine for jobs, they are not rivals. In many instances short-sight-- ed employers have discri- minated against women and paid them lower wages. We find in manufacturing, women’s average weekly earnings were only from 52 percent to 63 per- cent as much as the earnings of men. low wages affect the whole family. They lower men’s wages and undermine our standard of living for all the people. The principle of equal pay for equal work has been admitted to be correct by the National War lLabor Board The trade unions can be instru- mental in seeing that adequate legislation is enacted that will make it compulsory for em- ployers to pay equal pay for equal work. The trade union movement has’ made tremend- ous strides, and in that direc- tion the women are playing an important role in building™ the trade unions. In 1944 there were approximately 75,000 wo- men trade unionists out of a union membership of 664,000. Jobs for women in the post- war us. A large number of women appreciate that on the eve of,, will have to have’ jobs after much to be.. We. victory there is to disrupt national unity, as well as the unity of the United Nations which has been seale the freedom loving people ‘The... women and status of second rate citizen ship. They constitute about one qnillion gainfully employed in _ Canada. We have twice as many women working now as compared with 1939. Im war industries one worker in every four is a woman. In Nearly-=. one worker in every three inj., “Canadian industry is a2 woman. - this war is over.. The Toronto -Reconstruction Council made a survey among the women work- ers and found that 57 percent “of married women’ and 95 per- ‘cent of single women want to with the blood of our. people “4zeep on working.’ Women in the Auto Workefs Unhion show a higher percentage, 68.7 of married women and. 98:5 of “single women want “a place in “industry. We have many exam- ples to substantiate our claim! that women must work, they should ‘be~ considered in planning: for the postwar. Out of this war must come security. and economic expansion. Continued on Page 13. SEE LESSONS & : ~