in the Struggle for Unity
p The success of the struggle waged by the women of Asia and Africa for their rights, for national liberation, for economic and social development, and for world peace rests in the first place on the unity of their actions, on their cooperation with different national democratic organisations, and on greater solidarity with all the international progressive movements forming the front of anti-imperialist forces.
p It must be emphasised thai in Asia and Africa the problems of unity in the women’s movement are not only very important but are extremely difficult to solve. The development of the women’s movement here runs in specific conditions, which is largely explained by peculiarity of each country, by the different status of women in different countries, by their different understanding of their role in society and of the chief aims pursued by the women’s organisations. There is also the opposition of the imperialist and the world forces of reaction which use every means to hinder the development of the women’s movement in Asia and Africa, to isolate it from the national liberation struggle, and divorce it from its democratic and anti-imperialist content.
276p In view of this, the results achieved in Asia and Africa seem all the more impressive. This is evidenced, in particular, by the creation of many national and regional organisations. Thus, functioning in Africa are the National Union of Algerian Women, the National Women’s Organisation of Tanzania, the National Women’s Council of Senegal, the Supreme Women’s Council of Mauritania, the Revolutionary Union of the Congolese Women and other national democratic women’s organisations.
p The creation in 1962 of the All-African Women’s Conference was of much importance for the unity of the women’s movement in Africa. This Conference now unites women’s organisations of more than 40 African countries. With its activities AAWC helps to draw women into economic, political and public life, assists them in organising the struggle for their rights and gives every support to the national liberation movement. By decision of the All-African Women’s Conference July 31st has been celebrated as African Women’s Day since 1962. Topical problems of the women’s movement were discussed at the four congresses that have been held since the establishment of the All-African Women’s Conference.
p The Fourth Congress, held in Dakar from July 25 to 31, 1974, adopted decisions keynoted by the idea that Africa’s women should not separate themselves from the common struggle of the African peoples. It is stated in the political resolution of the Congress: "... the African continent’s development requires the full and conscious participation of women in the political, economic, social and cultural fields ... the genuine equality of women is inseparable from 277 national independence, peace, justice and social progress.”
p The Congress worked out a programme of concerted actions directed at intensifying the participation of women in public life. It stressed the prime importance of the unity of African women in the anti-imperialist, anti-racialist and anti-colonial struggle and the need of strengthening solidarity with the women of the struggling countries of Asia and Africa.
p It was stressed in the political resolution that the AAWC welcomes the proclamation of 1975 as the International Women’s Year and calls on the women of Africa to launch vigorous preparations for it.
p It was noted by the Congress that important changes had taken place in the AAWC activities in the period since 1968. The organisation has grown numerically and has consolidated its influence on the masses. The Congress decreed to rename the AAWC into the All-African Women’s Organisation (AAWO).
p The All-African Women’s Organisation attaches much importance to the strengthening of ties with the international democratic women’s movement. This cooperation takes the form of meetings, congresses, seminars, exchanges of delegations, of information on activities, and so on.
p WIDF is well known in Africa and its prestige there is growing with every year. A session of the WIDF Bureau was held in Bamako (Mali) in 1962 and discussed the role of African women in society and their struggle for national independence. The World Congress of Women in Helsinki (1969) was attended by representatives 278 of national women’s organisations of Africa and the All-African Women’s Conference.
p A regional seminar on the question of eliminating illiteracy among women was held hy WIDF jointly with UNESCO in Khartum in 1970. The seminar familiarised its participants with the conditions in which national organisations carried on their work and suhmitted recommendations for solving the prohlems of the general and specialised education of African women.
p In March 1974, Algiers was the venue of a seminar of women’s organisations of Arah and African countries, that was also attended by representatives of WIDF, on the subject: Education of Women—an Important Factor in Their Active Participation in the Economic, Cultural and Political Life of Their Countries—taking into consideration the International Women’s Year.
p The participants unanimously subscribed to the view that the questions of attaining full independence, overcoming the backwardness resulting from colonial domination, successfully coping with social problems, including the emancipation of women, and drawing women into economic, political and cultural life, can be solved by consolidating the cooperation of state and public organisations in the promotion of public education. The winning of economic independence makes it possible to allocate considerable sums from the budget for these purposes.
p In their opinion the top-priority tasks in the field of women’s education are the adoption and enforcement of laws on the elimination of illiteracy, the training of national cadres of teachers, the carrying out of necessary measures to abolish language barriers within national borders, the 279 use of the mass media in raising the population’s cultural standards, the easing of the burden of household chores of women, assistance to women in upbringing children, etc.
p The participants in the discussion also agreed on the need to intensify the struggle against harmful old customs.
p The seminar’s work proved to be of much importance for the further activity of the women’s organisations of Arab and African countries, and for strengthening their cooperation with WIDF.
p A regional seminar held by the All-African Women’s Organisation in Mogadishu (Somalia) in April 1975 was another important stage in strengthening the cooperation of Africa’s women’s organisations with WTIDF and with the women’s organisations of socialist countries. The seminar was held within the framework of the International Women’s Year and was devoted to the role of women in the national liberation movement, to the aims of their struggle for economic, social and political rights, for the ideals of equality, justice, peace and democracy.
p The seminar demonstrated the political maturity of the All-African Women’s Organisation, its lively interest in the USSR’s experience of solving the question of women’s rights and the resolve of African women to make a worthy contribution to the struggle of the peoples for the continent’s complete liberation from colonial enslavement.
p Prominent in the recommendations drawn up by the seminar was the need to raise the effectiveness of the African women’s struggle for their rights, and for stamping out the grim heritage left by colonialism—economic backwardness, 280 illiteracy, ohsolete customs and traditions. Also advanced to the fore was the task of accelerating the development of their social consciousness and organising them to purposeful action so that eventually a democratic marriage and family code would be introduced in every African country, as required by "the revolutionary socialist orientation, a code which would guarantee the equal rights of husband and wife".
p Important steps in this direction are now being taken in a number of countries. New marriage and family laws have already been adopted in Tunisia, Mali, Guinea, Somalia, and other African countries.
p The Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organisation devotes much of its attention to the work done by women’s organisations in countries of Asia and Africa. The Women’s Bureau has been formed in the Permanent Secretariat, and a quarterly the A fro-Asian Women’s Magazine is now put out. Questions of vital importance to the women of African and Asian countries were discussed at the two conferences held by the AAPSO.
p The first of these, held in Cairo in 1961, called on the various women’s organisations of the two continents to merge their efforts and work on principles of solidarity with the aim of completely uprooting imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism.
p The Second Conference was convened in UlanBator in 1972. Its importance lay, above all, in the fact that it was prepared and conducted by the joint efforts of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organisation, the Women’s International Democratic Federation, the All-African Women’s Conference, and the All-Arab Women’s Federation.
281p The purpose of this Conference was to elaborate a broad platform of action that would help the further unity of women in Asia and Africa and would enhance their role in the liberation struggle of the peoples and the national development of the countries.
p The decisions adopted by the Conference formed a realistic basis for practical work among women with a view to giving them greater political weight and cultivating in them a higher social consciousness and better organisation.
p The main result of the Second Afro-Asian Women’s Conference was that broad women’s public united round a common platform of struggle for the maintenance of peace, for the security of peoples, and for successful radical changes in their respective countries and a change in the status of women in society as a component of these changes.
p The following documents were adopted: a Declaration, a Resolution on the Participation of Asian and African Women in the Struggle for Liberation, Independence and Peace, a Resolution on the Contribution of the Afro-Asian Women in the Cultural, Economic and Social Development of their countries, and also twelve special resolutions on such particular questions as Indochina, Cyprus, South Africa, the struggling countries of Africa, and others.
p These documents have a clearly expressed anti-imperialist character. In examining the questions relating to the position of women and their role in society, the accent is on the interconnection of these issues with the accomplishment of general political and economic tasks facing the peoples. The documents call on women to join more actively in the peoples’ general 282 anti-imperialist struggle. They also underline the decisive importance of the national liberation movement being in alliance with countries of the socialist community and with international democratic public in order to form and consolidate a united anti-imperialist front.
p Soviet women resolutely support the struggle of the peoples for a complete liquidation of colonialism. Friendship between women of Asia and Africa and Soviet women is growing with every year and acquiring an ever greater importance. Visits by women’s delegations from African and Asian countries to the USSR and other socialist states, special seminars arranged to exchange experience in women’s education, their medical service, participation in socio-political and state life, the making available of grants enabling activists of the African women’s movement to study in socialist countries, the sending of medicines, school accessories, children’s clothing, and equipment for kindergartens: these and other forms of cooperation further the consolidation of women’s unity and make it more lasting in modern conditions. The peculiarity of this cooperation is that women’s demands in defending their rights is closely linked with the fight against imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism.
p In our times solidarity and unity are becoming vital factors in the struggle of the peoples of the world for peace, national independence, equality and justice. The women of Africa, Asia and the Middle East are also making their contribution to the cause of peoples’ solidarity. Along with the women of other countries they participate in the movement of solidarity with the peoples of Indochina, and are helping to gather materials 283 for the Mother and Child Welfare Centre, being built in Hanoi on the initiative of the WIDF.
p World progressive opinion, including women’s progressive organisations in various Asian and African countries express their solidarity with the brave struggle of the people of South Korea for the complete and immediate withdrawal of American troops from their country, and for the re-unification of Korea on a peaceful and democratic basis.
p The world’s progressive forces, including women’s organisations in Afro-Asian countries, enthusiastically support the heroic and just battle which the democratic forces and the popular masses of Japan are waging against Japanese militarism.
p Women’s organisations in many Asian and African countries have come out in support of the struggle of the Arab peoples and decisively condemn Israeli militarism as a weapon of imperialism and international Zionism.
p World opinion protests against the racist, misanthropic policies of the ruling circles of the RSA and Rhodesia in relation to the indigenous population. The movement of solidarity with the struggle of the peoples of these countries for national independence, for human rights and dignities, and in the defence of patriots and democrats subjected to repression is growing daily. The women of Afro-Asian countries play an active part in this movement.
p Everyday reality gives much proof of the increased socio-political consciousness of the women of Afro-Asian countries, of their understanding of the need for women’s organisations to unite their activities and to strengthen the solidarity of women both on a continental and 284 on a world-wide scale. It is also clear that a whole series of important political, economic and social problems is of equal concern to all women on Earth and that they can only be solved on the basis of the solidarity and cooperation of all progressive, peace-loving forces, of all people of goodwill.
p These problems are firstly involved with the struggle against wars and aggression, against imperialism, neocolonialism and racism, for peace, genuine national independence and for social progress. There is no need to stress the significance of the solution of a problem like that of food, especially for the peoples of the developing countries. More than half the populations of these countries suffer from starvation or malnutrition. How could a problem like illiteracy fail to cause concern, when about 800,000,000 people on Earth can still neither read nor write. One burning problem is that of the attainment by women all over the world of complete equality, the protection of their rights as mothers and child protection.
p The contemporary international situation and the development and intensification of the national liberation struggle are posing greater and more complex problems for world progressive opinion.
p The experience which the peoples have gained in the course of their freedom struggle shows that ultimate victory in a national liberation revolution can only be achieved by a persistent fight to gain economic independence and social progress. The solution of these tasks demands the intense activisation of the popular masses, of all patriotic and progressive forces in each country, and this includes women’s organisations.
285Through their constant work in consolidating unity of action with the Women’s International Democratic Federation, the All-African Women’s Organisation and other regional bodies which have devoted themselves to common or similar goals and tasks, the women of Africa and Asia will continue to promote the consolidation of the anti-imperialist front.
Notes