The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-31
WOMEN ACTIVE IN
USSR COOPERA1IVES

THE October Revolution, in plac-
ing the toilers of the U. S. S. R.
at the helm of state sounded the
clarion call to the working and
peasant women to build up their
new life on a par with that of their
brothers, to share in building the
socialist structure on the ruins of
capitalist Russia.
Cooperation is the true path to
socialism; it is built on the pennies
of the toilers and with their own
hands. 1t sets as its aim that the
toiling women, who from the very
beginning of the Soviet govern
ment were given equal rights with
men, shall be drawn into the task
of practical work and construction.
Many obstacles stood in the way
of social organizational and econ
omic work on the part of the wom-
en-. They were hampered by GUS
toms which stifled their minds and
activity with housework which has
not yet been fully overcome, with
conservative views on women, their
economic dependence upon the fam
lily, etc.
The cooperatives had to devise
special forms of work to draw the
women into their ranks. With this
in view special instructors have
been employed since 1928 in the
consumers cooperatives to work
among women, and wherever this
was impossible those who engaged
in other tasks have to work also
among and for the women, to make
cooperators of them.
In the few years that have
passed, we see how slowly but
surely, the role of the women in
the building up of the cooperatives
is increasing, how they become ac-
tive social workers and how the
number of women members is
growing.
More Women in Work.
Thus in 1924 there were 275,270
women members in the rural coop
eratives (7.8 per cent?; in 1926
their number increased to 1872, 494
COS per cent?.
The number of women members
in the urban cooperatives in 1924
was 847,b48 (23.7 per cent?, and
in 1925 the number increased to l.
(25.1 per cent?.
In order to develop a permanent
body of "activists" in the consum-
ers' cooperatives, there is special
institution for working and peas
ant women, who have no experience
or knowledge of cooperation work,
to learn the Cooperative business.
There are 14,076 women engaged in
the study of the various branches
of cooperative work. Thus there
are 95 women learning to be in
structors, 81 to be manager, 1915
to be cashiers for the rural coop
eratives and 8,046 for the urban
The others learn to
be statesmen in the cooperative
shops (2,726 in rural shops and
1882 in towns).
In addition the cooperatives have
trained 10000 women who
are now directly engaged in coop
erative work. Many of these are
members of managing boards, au-
diting and shop committees, dele
gates from cooperative sections
and delegate meetings.
To an ever larger degree develop
the cooperatives their work along
the line Of improving the living
conditions of the toiling women.
This problem occupies an impor-
tant place in cooperative construc-
ton: first of all the cooperative in
working for the cultural advance
ment of the toiling masses, try to
begin by teaching mothers how to
rear children and take care of
themselves in order to bring up a
generation of socialist builders,
healthy in both mind and body.
Secondly, this work is important
for us in emancipating woman
from household drudgery and the
care Of children and thereby giving