By PTUDC Quetta
On Thursday 8th March, International Working Women’s Day was celebrated in an event organized by Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) in Khurshid Labour Hall Quetta, Balochistan. Working women from Paramedical Staff, Nursing Federation, female students from colleges and university, and political activists participated in large numbers in the event. Shakila Baloch was hosting the event. At the start, Zafar recited a revolutionary poem. After that Ali Raza Mongol, Saniya, Pashtana, Nargis, Rubina Shah, Asif Sumalani, Hassan Jan and Nazar Mengal addressed the event and talked about the history and significance of International Working Women’s day. Meanwhile, Zafar, Shaista, Hifsa, Aftab and Lal Jan Ajiz recited revolutionary poems.
Speaking on the significance of the Day, speakers said that the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 was ignited by a strike of women workers. This day is related to the struggle of working women against their multifold exploitation. The women from petty bourgeoisie and the ruling classes also celebrate this day which is a blatant hypocrisy and is aimed at crushing the essence of this day. The speakers reminded that working man and woman face the same drudgery of exploitation and slavery in capitalism. They belong to the same class. Therefore, they have a common battle to fight against capitalist class and capitalism. The liberal feminists attribute the exploitation of women to the mentality of menfolk. They just want to crack the class solidarity of workers.
The speakers also said that the human society had passed through different socio-economic formations during its evolution. The primitive communist society was a classless society where there were no concepts of private property and gender inequality. The development of means of production resulted in a class society which gave birth to the concept of private property. Gender inequality is the product of class society and Capitalism transformed the woman into a commodity. Hence, the oppression of women is a product of the class system and society. The emancipation of women is bound up with the abolition of class society. Therefore, the working class women have to organize their struggle on class lines to overthrow capitalism. This will pave the way for real emancipation of women.
