See Wo

Women under socialism:

equality as a fact of life
| Womeninthe GDR

MAGINE, if in Canada, we could say
(as socialist countries do) that in
public life there are ‘no men and
women, but rather all are citizens
and judged by the usefulness of
their activity.

Does this mean that socialist
society makes no distinction between
the sexes, or there is a sameness? On
the contrary, the differences are fully
appreciated and revealed in all the do-
cuments and analysis on the equality
of women.

The accumulation of successes- and
exciting results in the establishment of
equal status for women are boundless.

The statistical score of their participa-.

tion and achievement through the so-
cialist world go uncontested by any
capitalist country. What then is it that
produces such dramatic results? Scien-
tific socialism developed the fundamen-
tal recognition that in order for woman
to achieve her emancipation, it was ne-
cessary for her to participate in-social
production outside the home, thus free-
ing her from the servitude and isolation
imposed by total submersion in kitchen
and nursery. Women’s right to a job,
with pay equal to that of men was put
into life right from the first days of
the socialist Soviet Union.

In 1919 Lenin stated before a confer-
ence of women workers: “The Soviet
Government has applied democracy to
a greater extent than any other coun-
try, even the most advanced, by the
fact that in its laws not the slightest
hint of any inferiority of women is léft.
I repeat, not a single state and no other
legislation has done even half of what
the Soviet Government did for women
in the very first months of its exist-
ence.” The consequences of the demo-
cratic emancipation which had its be-
ginnings following the October Revolu-
tion in feudal Russia have inspired op-
pressed women the world over. Start-
ing with an 85% illiteracy among
women, within 50 years,. the Soviet
Union was in a position to initiate a
proclamation in the General Assembly
of the United Nations — “On the Eli-
mination of Discrimination Against
Women” which led to the setting aside
of 1975 as International Women’s Year.

The constitutions of each of the
socialist countries accord full equal
rights with men in all spheres of life.

The laws do more than proclaim these
rights, they guarantee the possibility
of exercising these rights which protect
the interests of mother and child. There
is no part of the national economies of
socialism which preclude women. They
are machine operators, architects, doc-
tors of science, heavy equipment driv-
ers (specially adapted for the woman’s
physique), mayors and ministers.’

The ever-expanding system of crech-
es, kindergartens, after-school clubs,
the educational and vocational training
for wonfen, extended paid maternity
leave, shorter hours, longer holidays,
all spell out the real conditions of
socialist society which enable women
to fulfil their varied role as mothers,
workers and educated citizens. Con-
trast the bleak situation for Canadian
working women with children. The ele-
mentary lack of adequate day care is
still dismissed by. “‘a woman’s place is
in the home.”

From the German Democratic Repub-
lic a publication by the Committee for
Human Rights titled “Equal Rights: for
Women in the GDR” elaborates on
their . achievements’ and experience.
Prior to 1945, many women were com-
pelled to take jobs in industry and else-
where as unskilled workers. A 1971
census illustrates the radical change in
the educational field. Out of every 100
women, 92 had obtained their univer-
sity or college diploma since 1946; 90
their technical school diploma; 79 their
supervisor’s certificate and 74 their
skilled worker’s certificate. Women
with family responsibilities are enabled
to take further training during working
time without loss of wages. It is ob-
viously no small effort to raise the
‘standard of knowledge and abilities of
women and bridge the educational gap
between men and women. In the USSR
the level of education has become prac-
tically the same among working men
and working women.

Canadian experience offers mostly

negative examples of how the scientific
and technical revolution provides op-
portunities for women. Where autom-
ated processes and sophisticated equip-
ment are introduced as they were in
the sales control operations |of air
lines, management precluded women
from learning to run the equipment. It
seems it is too risky to train women

PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATIVES
31.8%

36.0%

39.6%
MAYORS
22.0%

JUDICATURE
400% Directors and Judges

479% Lay Judges)
PT] Disputes Commissions)
residential area)

400%

—

People’s Chamber)

County Parliaments |
District Parliaments},

in Towns and Villages

I}

Disputes Commissions)

(factory level!

Gainfully employed women of working age 3
(in per cent) 1955 1960 1965 1970 1973

a aan
|

because they get married, and waste ¢ +
that investment. af

Thus the high level of education and
culture in socialist society enable)
women to master any profession. It D®)
comes clear then how it is that wome!) —
occupy leadership positions in plat)
ning, directing, and decision-making !
all phases of public life. . 4

Socialism provides the economic ane
social conditions in which the energ/| —
and initiative, numerous gifts al
talents of the women have been full)

discovered. D.
—

Peace —a special wort

By DOREEN PLOWMAN

EACE has special significance
and importance to women. Be-
cause they have been the moth-
ers, the wives, the sweethearts
of the men who have fought
and died in wars, women have
: always had a very special feel-
ing about the question of peace and
war. :

Peace cannot be ensured without the
world-wide acceptance and implemen-
tation of the principle of the peaceful
co-existence of states, regardless of
their social systems. Peaceful co-exis-
tence is based on international secur-
ity and mutually advantageous cooper-
ation between states in every sphere—
it is based on territorial integrity,
sovereignty and legal equality of
states, non-interference in internal af-
fairs, and repudiation of the threat or
use of force.

Peaceful co-existence does not mean
maintaining the status quo. On the
contrary it means that nations have the
right to fight by all means necessary
for political and economic liberation
and social progress, to freely determine
their own destiny without outside in-
terference. Peaceful co-existence is now
accepted by dozens of governments.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1975—Page 8

wea mA FT

The overall world situation has de-
veloped in the direction of detente, and
the idea of peaceful co-existence be-
tween different social systems conti-
nues to gain ground. However there are
powerful forces in the world that are
working against detente. We must be
ever mindful of this danger and work
towards making detente irreversible.

Over the years women have played,
and are still playing, an important,
prominent and leadership role in the
peace movement, both as individuals
and through women’s organizations.
Through the many years of the war in
Vietnam, women’s organizations show-
ed their solidarity and support to the
Vietnamese people. Twenty-five women
were among the 60 Canadian delegates
to the World Congress of Peace Forces
in October 1973 — a Congress of over
3,400 delegates.

In Winnipeg, two important, success-
ful, broad united front actions took
place. One was during the world-wide
observance of World Disarmament
Week which got the support of the
labor’ council, church groups, UN Asso-
ciation, and political parties in addition
to other groups. The other was around
the visit of two released political pri-

“|
i
a

to women |

soners from South Vietnam, whic! i
received excellent news, radio and 4 :

coverage. Women played a very imp
tant part in organizing theseevents. |

Canadian women will in the next fev).
months have to play an important 10")
in the campaign to make sure th#)
Canada does not renew the North Am) —
rican Air Defence Agreement in Ma
NORAD, a supposed “defence” agtt’,
ment, is no defence against any three)
of attack. NORAD is obsolete, cost!)|
and useless, as Bomarcs, Dewlin@) |
Pine Trees and USA forces on Catt)
dian soil have shown. The NOR/*)
agreement came into being during the |
height of the cold war. and the aM).
Soviet hysteria of the 1950’s. It pYy
Canada in the position of being dra
into a war by decisions of the Pen
gon. With the recent sabre rattling
Mr. Kissinger, this becomes an €Y™|
more frightening consideration. . 2

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ef

Peace has been the dream of al
human beings: for hundreds of yeal®
But today, in the age of nucle)
weapons, peace can no longer be omy
a dream — it is a vital necessity!

It is only in continuing peace tha
the emancipation of women will co”
about.