The Communist Women's Movement (CWM), virtually unknown today, was the world's first truly international revolutionary organisation of women. Formed in 1920, the CWM mapped out a programme for women's emancipation; participated in struggles for women's rights; and worked to advance women's participation in the Communist movement.
The present volume, part of a series on the Communist International in Lenin's time, contains proceedings and resolutions of CWM conferences, along with reports on its work around the world. Most of the contents here are published in English for the first time, with almost half appearing for the first time in any language.
Mike Taber has edited and prepared a number of books related to the history of revolutionary and working-class movements—from collections of documents of the Communist International under Lenin to works by James P. Cannon, Leon Trotsky, Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Maurice Bishop, and Nelson Mandela.
Publication date: November 17, 2023
Preface
Editorial Introduction
Daria Dyakonova
About This Edition
List of Abbreviations
Prologue
1 The Tasks of the Working Women’s Movement in the Soviet Republic
2 Resolution on the Need to Draw Women Workers into the Struggle for Socialism, First Congress of Communist International, 1919
First International Conference of Communist Women 30 July–3 August 1920
30 JULY 1920, EVENING. Opening Ceremony
Greetings by Bukharin. Messages to Zetkin and Kollontai. Greetings by Levi; Wolfstein; Ströhmer; Balabanova; Newbold; Linderot; greetings from Turkey and Poland; Münzenberg; Gopner. Appeal to Polish working women.
31 JULY 1920, 12:00 NOON. The Third International and Working Women
Report by Yaroslavsky. Discussion: Roy; Karymova; Wolfstein. Manifesto to the Working Women of the World.
31 JULY 1920, 7:00 P.M. Delegate and Country Reports
Wolfstein (Germany); Ströhmer (Austria); Linderot (Sweden); Kovács (Hungary); Newbold (Britain); Rosmer (France).
1 AUGUST 1920, 12:00 NOON. Delegate and Country Reports (Continued)
Balabanova (Italy); Maksimov (Bulgaria); Kazhukhanen (Finland); Nielsen (Denmark); Tumu (Latvia); Biti (Lithuania); Roy (Mexico); Dvorkina (Turkestan). Written reports: Norway; China; Korea; Iran; India; the Caucasus. The Situation of Working Women and Peasant Women in Soviet Russia: (a) report on economic and civil rights by Armand; (b) report on liberation from domestic bondage by Nikolaeva. Report on the RCP’s methods of work among women by Armand.
1 AUGUST 1920, 7:00 P.M. Women’s Section of the Comintern
Report on theses of Russian delegation by Armand. Discussion on theses. Conference closing.
Appendix: List of Delegates
Guidelines for the Communist Women’s Movement
Second International Conference of Communist Women 9–15 June 1921
Conference Call
9 JUNE 1921, EVENING SESSION. Inauguration of Conference
Convening by Kollontai. Greetings by Thalheimer; Kalinin; Lozovsky; Gusev; Zetkin; Bukharin; Tskhakaia; Colliard; Podchufarova; Bloor; Chernyshova; Musabekova; Nam Man-ch’un; Kollontai.
11 JUNE 1921, MORNING SESSION. International Women’s Secretariat
Zetkin convening. Election of committees. Agenda and rules. Message from Germany. Report on International Women’s Secretariat by Kollontai. Zetkin protest. Report on strengthening international ties by Zetkin.
11 JUNE 1921, EVENING SESSION. Discussion on International Women’s Secretariat
Braunthal; Bloch; Nikolaeva; Lilina; Colliard; Roland-Holst; Linderot; Csirs; Zorina; Areshian; Křenová; Moirova; Vinogradskaia. Kollontai summary.
12 JUNE 1921, MORNING SESSION. Forms and Methods of Work
Gliński greetings. Report on forms and methods of Communist work among women by Kollontai.
13 JUNE 1921, MORNING SESSION. Discussion on Forms and Methods of Work
Greetings from Iran. Discussion on report: Volnaia; Kiiskinen; Smidovich; Golta; Zetkin; Mildner; Bloor; Nikolaeva; Krupskaia.
13 JUNE 1921, EVENING SESSION. Discussion on Forms and Methods of Work (Continued)
Reply to Zetkin protest. Continued discussion on report: Maimunkova; Smythe; Joska; Nam Man-ch’un; Areshian; Wertheim; Faber; Kudelli; Yanson. Kollontai summary.
14 JUNE 1921, MORNING SESSION. Women in the Revolutionary Struggle
Report on participation of women in the struggle for power and the dictatorship of the proletariat by Lilina. Report on the economic position of women by Sturm. Discussion on reports: Wertheim; Volnaia; Ströhmer; Geffke.
15 JUNE 1921, MORNING SESSION. The Fight for Women’s Equality
Report on fight for political equality by Zetkin. Discussion on report: Smythe; Stal’; Moirova; Lilina; Podchufarova; Kaligna; Montagnana; Roland-Holst; Linderot; Leiciague; Bloch; Joska; Ströhmer; Sturm. Zetkin summary.
15 JUNE 1921, EVENING SESSION. Greetings by Trotsky; Women of the East; Conference Closing
Trotsky greetings. Voting on resolutions. Motion on International Women’s Day. Credentials Commission report by Stal’. Greetings to Lenin and Zinoviev. Greetings from Eastern women: Tarijanova; Kaboulbaeva; Koussoumbaeva; Baisbekova. Closing of conference.
List of Delegates
Resolutions of Second Conference
Greetings to the Heroes of the Struggle and the Martyrs of the White Terror
Resolution on International Ties between Communist Women and the International Communist Women’s Secretariat
Resolution on Forms and Methods of Communist Work among Women
Theses on Methods and Forms of Work of Communist Parties among Women
Trade-Union Work
The Participation of Women in the Struggle for the Capture and Consolidation of Proletarian Political Power and for the Proletarian Dictatorship
The Integration of Women into the Struggle for the Proletarian Dictatorship
Equal Political Rights for Women in Law and in Practice
Manifesto to Working Women of the Whole World
Appeal to the Working Women of All Countries
Women’s Correspondents Conferences, 1922
The First Conference of International Women’s Correspondents (25–26 January 1922)
Report from Die Kommunistische Fraueninternationale
First Correspondents Conference Resolutions and Appeals
International Women’s Day and the United Front of the Proletariat
Resolution on International Communist Women’s Day
The Second Conference of International Women’s Correspondents (24–25 October 1922)
Report from Die Kommunistische Fraueninternationale
Second Correspondents Conference Theses and Resolutions
Resolution on the Organisational Report of the International Women’s Secretariat
Resolution on Work in the Trade Unions
Resolution on Work in the Cooperatives
Resolution on International Workers’ Aid for Soviet Russia
Near East Women’s Conference, 1921
The Communist Women’s Conference for the Near East in Tiflis (12 December 1921)
Report from Die Kommunistische Fraueninternationale
Resolution of the Tiflis Conference
Forms and Methods of Communist Work among Women of the Near East
The Communist Women’s Movement around the World
1 Germany
2 Czechoslovakia
3 France
4 Bulgaria
5 Dutch East Indies
6 Soviet Russia
Chronology
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
“Through The Communist Women’s Movement [...] we witness how communist women developed a revolutionary socialist approach to reproductive rights, marriage-rights, socialisation of housework, the sexual division of labour and women’s liberation in the global South. [This book] will be of interest not just to socialist feminists, but to activists in the Palestine solidarity movement, trade unionists and those organising oppressed groups.”
—Fabian Van Onzen, Marx & Philosophy Review of Books
“[These] records of the CWM’s first two congresses give an inspiring sense of how women overcame enormous obstacles to demand their liberation.”
—Judy Cox, Socialist Worker
“The editors have put together the documents of what one could call a foreshortened global women’s communist movement. Foreshortened, that is, mainly because the early spirit of the Bolshevik Revolution as the spark for world revolution faded before the eyes of observers.”
—Paul Buhle, Monthly Review
