Organizational history Communist Women's International
1 organizational history
1.1 establishment
1.2 development
1.3 official organ
1.4 reorganization
1.5 dissolution
organizational history
establishment
the french-born inessa armand leading figure @ 1915 , 1920 international women s conferences of second , third internationals, respectively. (1916 photo)
the second international, predated communist international 3 decades, founded upon principles of political , social equality between men , women. various national socialist parties included participation of women despite being denied right vote in many places , women s suffrage made important programmatic goal of late 19th century , 20th century radical movement. special conference of socialist women convened in berne, switzerland in 1915, bringing such key international socialist leaders alexandra kollontai, inessa armand, , clara zetkin share common experiences , set common agendas.
less 18 months after russian revolution of november 1917, new communist international (comintern) established in moscow in attempt supersede moribund second international, had been shattered world war i. parallel effort made reorganize revolutionary socialist women of europe , america. took form of communist women s international, headed institution known international communist women s secretariat, established in moscow comintern in april 1920.
the international women s secretariat conceived small directing circle of half dozen members or fewer. 8 women named body, including 6 russians — kollontai, lenin s wife nadezhda krupskaya, lyudmila stal, zlata lilina, konkordia samoilova, , woman known history similova — dutch henriëtte roland-holst , rosa bloch switzerland. secretary of organization veteran german revolutionary clara zetkin.
an international conference of communist women convened july 30 august 2, 1920 in moscow, concurrent ongoing 2nd world congress of comintern.
delegates heard details of system of so-called delegates meetings conducted in soviet russia brought assemblies of elected female representatives of factories , villages in effort mobilize them on government administrative tasks , build female participation in village , factory soviets russian communist party.
development
at beginning of 1922 headquarters of communist women s international moved moscow berlin.
clara zetkin represented international women s secretariat communist work among women @ 4th world congress of comintern, held in moscow in fall of 1922, delivering report on monday, may 27, 1922. zetkin acknowledged secretariat conducted work under immediate direction , leadership of executive committee of communist international, governing body of comintern. zetkin singled out particular praise communist women s movements in bulgaria , germany, had established special women s committees work among women, claiming these groups had become force in nations. in poland , great britain, on other hand, no such organizations had been established, these parties instead insisting on integration of female members regular party organizations. work among women had consequently suffered, zetkin charged.
zetkin highlighted international women s day (march 8) on chief activities of communist women s movement, characterizing day of international demonstrations party campaign, declaration of war communism against capitalism, beginning of struggle army of millions of exploited , oppressed must gathered, armed, , made ready. zetkin noted important place played female activists in international workers aid soviet russia campaign of fundraising famine relief. echoing zetkin, hertha sturm of germany called increased organization of women workers in factories , trade unions , again singled out bulgarian organization special praise in regard.
the 4th world congress officially endorsed zetkin s views in resolution adopted, lauding efficacy of special structures female communist party members, such national women s secretariats, , remarking unfortunately, sections have failed partially or carry out duty systematically promote communist work among women failing create such indispensable institutions.
official organ
the communist women s international published bimonthly magazine called die kommunistische fraueninternationale (the communist international of women). total of 25 issues of journal produced during 5 years of existence, running 1921 1925. in all, 1300 pages of content published in pages of magazine.
die kommunistische fraueninternationale included articles dealing women s movement around world coverage of handling of women s issues in soviet russia. chief on agenda publication , organization behind ongoing effort promote international women s day worldwide revolutionary holiday build multinational support international red aid organization. other matters of emphasis included agitation against militarism, fascism, , price inflation, education in support of women s reproductive rights.
member parties of communist international issued magazines targeted female readership in period, including compagna (woman comrade), publication of communist party of italy, , de voorbode (the herald), periodical issued communist party of netherlands. czechoslovakia had no fewer 3 periodicals targeted women — czech-language kommunistka (woman communist), named german organ kommunistin, published sudetenland, , regional publication Žena (woman).
reorganization
on may 15, 1925, executive committee of communist international decided reorganize communist women s movement. international women s secretariat henceforth formally known women s section of executive committee, according ecci resolution. change unpublicized, however, same decision cravenly declaring in presentations general audience good, tactical reasons, preserve name international women s secretariat. @ same time ecci suspended publication of official organ of women s section, die kommunistische fraueninternationale, ostensibly financial reasons.
headquarters reorganized communist women s movement moved berlin moscow in 1926 part of decision downgrade semi-autonomous status of former international women s secretariat.
late in spring of 1926 fourth international of communist women s movement held in moscow. whereas previous gatherings had been known grandiosely conferences of communist women, 1926 session known 4th international conference on work among women — alteration meant further reflect reduced stature of women s section in comintern s bureaucratic hierarchy.
the 4th conference attended 18 voting , 47 non-voting delegates. gathering tightly controlled representatives of ecci palmiro togliatti , ottomar geschke, chaired opening , closing of proceedings. determining course of proceedings disciplined body of delegates soviet union who, in words of historian e.h. carr, dominated debates , confidently laid down line others follow , imitate. ultimate purpose of gathering, in carr s estimation, establish authority of ecci , women s secretariat on activities of communist women outside ussr.
the soviet system of women s delegate meetings — agitational gatherings of non-party women — again matter of emphasis, question of whether communist parties should found new women s organizations largely non-communist memberships. decision impose soviet model of women s delegate meetings seems have been made in advance of conference. despite lack of conviction of concept s applicability outside of specific conditions of ussr, no formal challenge made resolution calling system s implementation. similarly, approval of formation of mass organizations including non-party women endorsed despite report of german delegates of negative experience in regard, in new organizations stood in opposition regular women s section of communist party of germany.
dissolution
while in ussr numerically powerful communist women s movement emerged under russian communist party s women s department (zhenotdel), organization of women workers in other parties around world given short shrift relative other activities of communist parties affiliated comintern.
a final conference organized women s secretariat in august 1930 brought chiefs of women s sections of communist parties of europe , united states. conference chaired ruth overlakh, head of women s section of communist party of germany. in accord return radical rhetoric , policies of so-called third period, overlakh emphasized need women engage in special tasks such physically intervening in transport of strikebreakers across picket lines.
ecci determined further lessen place of specific appeals women @ time, however, , 2 plenipotentiaries dispatched meeting — exiled finnish communist leader otto kuusinen , boris vassiliev. vassiliev announced women s section had proven incapable of locating , training female strike leaders , activists or developing women physical resistance police violence or strikebreakers , must therefore dissolved without further discussion.
elimination of all-union communist party s zhenotdel took place in 1930. despite termination of soviet , international organizations, women s sections remained in communist parties several years after date, scope of activity of these organizations reduced , existence deemphasized.
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