In Commemoration of 8^th March
 

 March 8 marks the day that humanity renews its indictment against the mediaeval forms of discrimination imposed on half of the human population. This is the day that we should, without any ifs and buts, without any excuses and concessions, stand up to gender based discrimination in all its forms; harsh and naked or subtle and hidden, from Africa to Europe and from Asia to America. This is the day that the entire humanity should challenge the whole backwardness that degrades half of the population just because they were born as females. This is the day that we should, once again, revisit the reason why half of the population, in all walks of life, at home or at work, in the streets and society and even in death are treated as second-class citizens.  Why is it that the “civilised” people, in twenty first century, with all the advances and progress, still treat half of their kind as inferiors and devalues them? Why at the time when conscious people are, rightly so, against the mistreatment of animals in one part of the world and in other parts women are stoned to deaths. Why is it that the civilised humanity protests against the mistreatment of animals and yet millions of women are battered, on a daily basis, at the hands of their male partners and male members of their families? Why is it that conscious human beings can not tolerate mistreatment of domestic pets and yet child girls are veiled and deprived of natural and normal activities? Where does the root of this contradiction lie?

 On one the one hand the progressive and conscious humanity is taking strides in protecting vulnerable people in our societies and protecting wild life, and on the other hand is indifferent towards the backward mentality that sidelines women all over the world, from London and New York to Tehran and Kabul, overlooks their plights and leaves them at the mercy of men!

 This contradiction feeds from another and yet deeper contradiction in our society. It stems from a social system that is not compatible with the prevailing level of consciousness and humanity of the contemporary society. Humanity is able and has the capacity to completely eradicate this shameful relic of the past. If it is not doing so is because a social order, a social system and a group of people are stopping it. The force that is preventing the abolition of inequality between men and women comes from a system and a social order that is thriving on this inequality.

This inhumane oppression will linger on as long as it can be exploited to generate profits for companies and enterprises. These inequalities will liger on as long as it can be exploited to drive down wages. These inequalities are part and parcel of a package that is essential to minimise the cost of reproducing, at the expense of women, a labour force ready to be exploited. Churches and mosques, media and states are all hard at work to keep women down and make sure that capital’s profit is sustained.

On March 8, further to combating all aspects of this inequality right now, we must also aim at its root and all those who defend it. Capitalism will stop at nothing, including resurrecting the obsolete traditions, in order to safeguard its interests. Only a world devoid of the need for misogyny can, once and for all, end oppression of women.   

Worker-communist Party of Iran – Hekmatist

March 2, 2006