The Revolutionary Workers Collective has produced this pamphlet as a contribution to what we hope will be a thorough going rectification by our movement on the women question. U.S. Marxist-Leninists, despite paying lip service to the slogan “women hold up half the sky”, have a very poor record when it comes to developing the political line and strategy and tactics necessary to provide leadership on this issue. What we have seen to date is partial liquidation and deferral. Organizations such as the RCP and the CPML liquidate the cross class nature of the question, limiting their analyses to questions including working class women, while limiting their written agitation to reformist demands and slogans. These organizations put forward the line that since the women question can be resolved only under socialism, let’s not push too hard on the question, so that we don’t alienate some of the male workers who have a bad line on the question. Other groups have practiced benign neglect towards the women question. They argue that the international situation is key at this time, and must be given priority. While the RWC does not dispute that the International situation is the primary question facing our movement today, we also believe that we should not ignore our other theoretical tasks simply because one takes on greater importance. The contents of this pamphlet represents our attempt to begin an analysis of the woman question in the United States. It is not a full political line on the question, although we believe that the elements for such a line are present. We include a speech delivered at an IWD dinner sponsored by the RWC in March 1978, draft theses on the women question prepared by the RWC in January 1978, and a reading list which was the basis for an internal study of the woman question. The study followed the drafting of the theses. Based upon what learned from the study, we intend to revise the theses in accordance with our stronger grasp of the question.
The audience at the IWD program consisted mostly of RWC contacts and friends. There were also a few cadre and contacts of local collectives with which we have close working relationships. Most of those present were people who have demonstrated a willingness to work with communists in struggles on the shop floor and in the unions and who are open to socialist ideas when presented to them. On the other hand, most are not yet willing to take up study, nor do they regard socialism as a realistic goal in the United States. The program itself consisted of an introductory presentation which explained who we are, why we see socialism and communism as desirable, why we believe that the working class must play the leading role in the struggle to overthrow the capitalist system, and why we need a Marxist-Leninist vanguard to lead this struggle. The presentation was followed by the film “Union Maids”, which, despite weaknesses, we found to be helpful. After the film came the speech. A question and answer period after the speech was successful beyond our expectations. Many questions were raised about socialism and the role of women, and there was much discussion among members of the audience. As a result of the discussion session and subsequent follow up work, the RWC was able to conclude that the goals we set for the speech were achieved. These goals were: To show the link between capitalism and the oppression of women; to expose male supremacy as a tool of the capitalists; to link the oppression and exploitation of men on the job to the oppression of women at home; to illustrate the unity of interests of men and women in the workplace and the need to carry out a united struggle against capital; and to distinguish between formal equality and real equality, and within that, to show why we must have a party, and why we must fight for working class rule.
Our draft theses on the woman question represents our basic line. While not a strategy for resolving the woman question, the theses present our views on the cross-class nature of the question, on women of oppressed nationalities, the family, the role of working class women, and the role of women in the communist movement.
The final item included is the reading list that we used for our internal study. The purpose of the study was to move beyond the draft theses. It was not an attempt to develop a basic ideological position on the question. That was accomplished by a prior study and was further consolidated through collective discussions of the theses. Thus, the readings do not include the M-L classics. The thrust of the study was to learn from the experience of socialist revolutions and from other Marxists. On that point, we believe that the CORES pamphlet had some very good aspects, especially on the difficulties faced by the women in their organization.
As we stated, this is just a starting point. Work around the woman question should not be seen as a substitute for work around other important theoretical questions. However, at least in part due to the liquidation of the question by the M-L movement, both theoretically and practically, the leadership of the women’s movement has remained in the hands of liberal reformists and “socialist feminists.” Especially at a time such as now, when the attack by the organized right wing in the country is directed to a large extent at women and the gains made by the women’s movement in the last 10-15 years, the RWC sees that it is crucial that our movement begin serious work on the women question.
We would greatly appreciate the comments and criticisms of all who read this pamphlet. Please address your view to:
Boxholder
P.O. Box 2546
Oakland, CA 94614