The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-03-04
INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN'S DAY
By v. 1. LENIN

The most important and the /
chief task of Bolshevism and of
the Russian October revolution
consists precisely in drawing into !
the process of government those
who were the most Oppressed under
capitalism. In the bourgeois-dem-
ocratic republics, as we'll as in the
monarchies, the capitalist Cypress,
betray and rob the working mass
es. This oppression, this betrayal,
this robbery of the power of the
people by the capitalists these
are inevitable, as long as there ex-
lists private property in land, fac
tories and shops.
The essence of Bolshevism, the
essence of Soviet rule, consists in
the fact that the lies, and hypocri-
sy of the bourgeois democracy are
exposed, that private property in
land, in factories and in shops is
abolished, that the entire state
power is gathered in the hands Of
the toiling and exploited masses.
They themselves, these masses,
from now on decide the policy,
that is, they take into their own
hands the building of the new Sc
ciety. That is a very difficult
task; the masses are oppressed
and downtrodden by capitalism,
are robbed of the free play of
| their powers; but there is and can
be no other way out of wage slav-
cry, out of the slavery of capital
ism.
-. And these masses can in
no way be drawn into the exercise
of power unless women are also
drawn into power, for the female
half of mankind is doubly oppres.
sed under capitalism. The womer
worker and the woman peasant
( bear the yoke of capitalism anC
have not even "equal rights" II
the most democratic of the bour
geois republics, for the law doe
e not give them the same rights al
men; secondly, and this is tn,
e chief point, they bear also tn
. chairs of Household slavery.
They remain Household slaves
d for there presses upon them tn
e yoke of the pettiest, dirtiest, heav
I lest slavery, they are chained
e that work which most of all dead
ems and dulls human beings
homework and kitchen work; an
e the burden of individual house
, keeping chains them to the spo
# The Bolsheviks, the proletaria
revolution of the Soviets, hay
y hacked away the roots of the OF
l. preston and inequality of wome
r as no other Party and no othc
lie revolution in the world has dare
,r to do. There remains in the la
,r of Soviet Russia no faintest trat
le of the lack of equality with me
1T in civil rights. The especially d
1t grading, subtle, hypocritical il
If equality in marriage and fami
ID rights, inequality in relation
the children-these have bes
Y. completely abolished by the Sow
d republic.
fl This is only the first step
ID wards the emancipation of wome
Yet not one of the bourgeois, n
N. one of the most democratic of b
Or republics, has dared to take ev,
U. this first step, it has not dared
lg do so because of its awe befo
IS. sacred private property"
is The second and most importa
n step consists in the abolition
private property in land, in t
m factories and shops. In this wa
or and only in this way, will the pa
TO be opened for the complete a
real emancipation of women,
LIST their liberation from "househc
ok slavery" by means of the tran
ok ton from individual household
onomy to collective economy.
re This transition is difficult. F
ur it is a matter here Of overcomi
=. the deepest-rooted, the most Il
ditional. and best-supported "orc
of of things" in order to show
he truth: degradation and barbara
by but TO "order." But this tran
,he ton has already been begun, |
he wheels have been put in mott
to we have set our feet upon the n
path
And on International wome