TEN years ago, the growing women's liberation movement celebrated Women's Day rallies in London, Glasgow and Liverpool.
The 5,000-strong demonstration in London was headed by group of nightcleaners, several Transport Union banners, and a number of men.
demanded equal pay, equal education and job opportunities, free 24-hour nurseries, and free contraception and abortion on demand.
Women's Day started in February 1908, Wilt women in the needletrade on Manhatten's Lower East Side came out on strike. Socialist women in the United States decided to celebrate the day as all annual political holiday, a day when women could demonstrate to stamp out the last vestiges of male ano Lne dominate'.
Two years later women in the Socialist organised conference women's suffrage and the campaign against the imminent war.
Susan Mthemba These two themes became the rallying cry for International Women's Day. Over the next four years there were 8 March demonstrations Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland and Russia.
These not onlv OTOUCOL women into confrontation will militarists but also the workers' movement. As result especially Gerwolfcil. many, were soon playing a leading and radical role in the suclalist Huvchiicill. WOMEN UNITE Leaflet Women's Liberation demonstration.
Quite unexpectedly, demonstrations for TOT women LOOK Austria and Germany in 1911. When polce began to violently break up a demonstration ot 30.00 women in Vienna. a group of men intervened to avoid ooosned. places men supported women by staying at with the children.
molowing women in Switzerland •weden won une suboorl their socialist parties day wonels parades, and by being celebrated in Russia In 1914 the international was smashed under the impact of the war. Its parties lined up governments rather international working cass Only the secretariat kept and organised 8 March antiwar demonstrations neutra colne a a corr ference of women from both mela dane dalls In 1917, Women's first day of the Revolution.
The Vyborg Bolshevik committee issued a directive opposing all strikes.
Ignoring this, women texme workers from several lactories went on strike and sent •eregates to me mela workers for support.
Eventually the Bolsheviks agreed to support them well, followed political tendencies.
When workers were locked out of an armaments plant that day, women drivers at the trolley terminus prepared for a general strike and they sent a delegate to the soldiers camped nearby.
She returned with their promise nol to shoot strike became general - and workers promptly came out. Traffic ground to a halt.
By midday the wives and soldiers, mothers