Born at a time of great social turbulence and crisis, when the imperialist nations were gearing up for world war, International Women's Day comes from a tradition of radicalism and revolutionary spirit.
Women and the struggle for socialism
As early as 1896, German revolutionary Clara Zetkin was arguing for the inclusion of women in the political struggle of the working class. She argued that the root of women’s oppression lies within the family – that there is an inseparable connection between the social position of women and private property in the means of production. Without a socialist revolution, women's liberation could not be achieved and, without involving women in the class struggle, the socialist revolution itself would be impossible.
The first International Women's Day 1911
In 1910, Zetkin came to the Second International Conference of Socialist Women with the proposal that Working Women’s Day become an international event. In 1911, more than one million women and men attended rallies in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Sweden under the slogan: “The vote for women will unite our strength in the struggle for socialism.”
Since then, women have demonstrated and protested on International Women’s Day against discrimination and for political and social equality.
Come to our celebration of International Women's Day with international and national speakers on the struggles of women past and present.
Thursday 10th March at 7pm
UCL – Chadwick G07 Gower Street, WCIE 6BT
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