The first womens day celebration in the United States in 1909 was a demonstration by working women and their supporters for better wages, shorter working hours, better working conditions, and politically, the right to vote. Despite many social and political improvements for working women in the 20th century, the fundamental problems of yesterday are still the fundamental problems of today. The articles this year for International Womens Day highlight the continued struggle of working-class women for equal pay, better working conditions, protection against physical harm, and better living standards for all people.
Wages are one of the biggest concerns for all workers under the capitalism. Currently, on average, women in the United States make less than men, which means they have less economic and social power in society. The article Women: Low Pay and Sub-Prime Mortgages stresses how low wages, coupled with other factors, create a desperate economic situation for many working-class women.
Similarly, women face sexual harassment in their workplaces, which creates a climate of fear amongst women. As the case of the New York Knicks demonstrates, sexual harassment is pervasive in capitalist society. Our history has shown that working-class women need to go outside the capitalist legal system and build mass movements and mass actions that are inclusive of all workers to win lasting victories.
This is why the example of the California Nurses Association, a militant union with fighting tactics an demands is important for all workers.
While working-class women need to fight on these issues we must understand that, under capitalism, these victories will constantly be under attack by the ruling class (a good example of this in the United States is the right to an abortion). Only a socialist society, based on democratic workers control and management of the economy, can succeed in eliminating wealth inequities, discrimination, sexual harassment, and the many other problems that working-class women face today.
Check out these articles:
Women: Low Pay and Sub-prime Mortgages
Women: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Women: Fighting For Nurses and Patients