Militant Journalism

International Women’s Day San Francisco

National Women’s Day, then named, was first celebrated in New York CIty in 1909, when tens of thousands of working women and allies marched in solidarity with women garment workers demanding higher wages, shorter hours and safer working conditions. At the international women’s socialist conference held the following year in Germany, the women decided to celebrate International Women’s Day in early March annually. In Germany in 1914 it was held on March 8. Since then women world-wide commemorate that date with marches and demands.

In 2018, more than two dozen nations celebrate International Women’s Day as a national holiday. This year over five million Spanish women
celebrated March 8 with an unprecedented nation-wide strike with the slogan “Without us the world stops.” “Spain grinds to a halt” read
headlines, as the women’s general strike, backed by Spain’s unions, closed streets, highways, cities with its demands for equal rights for women in the workplace and in the home.

In San Francisco on March 8, the IWD rally began at 5 pm, in UN Plaza, attended by about 200 people. The rally got off to a rousing start. The MC chanted: “When women’s rights are under attack/ what do we do?” The crowd responded: “Stand Up. Fight Back.”

One of the first speakers, from teachers’ union United Educators of San Francisco, continued on that theme: “When we fight back, we win.” She used the very recent  unprecedented state-wide teacher’s strike in West Virginia–overwhelmingly female–as an example. The teachers went on strike defying state laws, demanded and won a 5 percent increase in wages not just for themselves but for all state employees. Plus, the West Virginia teachers have inspired teachers in other states to also organize. Those brave women have set an example for workers across the U.S..

The Domestic Workers Coalition speaker pointed out that by caring for the children and the elderly and cleaning homes: “We allow other workers to do the work they need to do.” Millions of people depend on domestic workers.

A member of the faculty association at SF State said, “As a socialist, today we march, tomorrow we strike,” referring to the women’s strike in Spain, as well as a women’s strike in Argentina. She also spoke of the necessity of maintaining an international perspective, struggleing to stop
deportations and fighting to stop the wars that the U.S. perpetuates.

Members of the General Union of Palestinian Students chanted: “From Palestine to Mexico/ The Border Walls have got to go.”

After scheduled speakers the Speak Out began. Patricia from PSL spoke with contagious conviction, clearly reminding us that “Socialism is a woman’s issue.”

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