From: Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM
Date: Tue Mar 08 2005 - 07:06:03 EST
*Happy International Women's Day!*
Klara Zetkin is often credited with founding IWD, although
March 8 has significance in the history of the workers'
movement going back to 1857 when workers in the needle trades
marched in New York City demanding a 10-hour-day, better
working conditions, and equal rights for women. It wasn't until the
1910 congress of the Second International that Zetkin proposed
that March 8 be *international* women's day. For decades
IWD was thought of as a *socialist* holiday. Now, of course, it
has gone more mainstream and there is little recognition of
the true radical and class history behind IWD.
Some sites on the herstory of IWD:
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/iwd/history-of.html
http://www.isis.aust.com/iwd/stevens/contents.htm
http://www.cwluherstory.com/CWLUArchive/interwomen.html
A few questions:
* To the extent that women have more rights today than
a few decades ago, is that move towards equal rights
*primarily*:
a) a consequence of capitalism? I.e.is there an inherent drive
towards equality associated with the bourgeois mode of
production?
b) a consequence of women (and their allies) creating a
social movement which fought for (and continues to fight
for) equality?
* To what extent has value and the struggle against value
played a role in the herstory of capitalism?
* Isn't the study of Marxian political economy and value theory an
area of study which has been, de facto, dominated by men? If so,
why? If so, what is needed to change this situation?
In solidarity, Jerry
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