FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8 March 2006
Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America

International Women's Day 2006

On behalf of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement, the Irish
Republican Socialist Committees of North America issue the following
statement to mark International Women's Day 2006.

International Women's Day is observed on 8 March every year to
celebrate the economic, political, and social achievements of women
and to call for full gender equality worldwide.

On 8 March 1857, female garment workers in New York City staged a
protest against inhumane working conditions and low wages. The
protestors were attacked by police and dispersed, but two years later
they formed a labor union to fight for their rights as workers. On 8
March 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding
shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to child
labor. Their slogan was "Bread and Roses", with bread symbolising
economic security and roses a better quality of life.

In May 1908, the Socialist Party of America designated the last Sunday
in February for the observance of National Women's Day, which was
celebrated for the first time on 28 February 1909. In 1910, the
Socialist International established the first International Women's
Day to honor the movement for women's rights and to assist in
achieving universal suffrage for women. The first IWD was held on 19
March 1911 in Germany, Austria, Denmark, and other European countries.

In 1917, with 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian
women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and
peace", despite the opposition of political leaders to the timing of
the strike. The strike occurred on 23 February by the Julian calendar
then in use in Russia, but on 8 March by the Gregorian calendar in use
elsewhere. Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the
provisional government granted women the right to vote.

In 1975, which had been designated International Women's Year, the
United Nations gave official sanction to and began sponsoring
International Women's Day.

While we recognise that women have made economic, political, and
social gains, it must be kept in mind that this is not the same thing
as liberation. Middle class women in western capitalist nations may
have more life options now than at any time in the past, but
throughout the world women, especially workers and peasants, continue
to be victims of poverty, labor exploitation, sexual exploitation,
violence, rape, and religious dictates. The modern day slave trade
exploits women primarily for sexual purposes, and the number of women
who have been victimised by this trade is staggering. Even in the US,
the rights of women are under assault by religious fundamentalists,
especially the right of women to choose abortion. Women who are
lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered are doubly oppressed as women and
as sexual minorities.

In Ireland, the Irish Republican Socialist Movement has always been at
the forefront of supporting women's liberation, and women have always
been an integral part of our movement. When the Irish Republican
Socialist Party was founded on 8 December 1974, four women were
elected to its first national executive. At its first Ard-Fheis
(convention) in 1975, it became one of the first parties in Ireland to
support a woman's right to choose abortion and to call for full
equality for lesbians. Its second chairperson was a woman, Miriam
Daly, and at one point in the early 1980s much of its leadership was
female. Women have also been active as volunteers in the Irish
National Liberation Army.

In conclusion, we say that women's liberation can only be realised
within the context of a global struggle to liberate all oppressed
people. We must boldly go forward in our struggle for socialism and
the liberation of humankind from its shackles. We salute all of the
women and men who have fought for women's liberation. Let us all do
our part to make future International Women's Days victorious
celebrations of the full liberation of all women.

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Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
PO Box 8266
Austin TX 78713-8266
USA
irscna@irsm.org
http://www.irscna.org/
http://www.irsm.org/irsm.html