Premal Kumar Khanal
March 8th is a day that is interwoven with the historical, struggling and glorious saga of women.
The 8th of March is celebrated worldwide as the International Workers’ Day, every year.
International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide as a symbol of the “unity, heroism and struggle” of working women.This year we celebrate the 116th International Workers’ Women’s day with the original slogan: “Rights, justice and opportunity for all women and children!
Women in the world represent more than 70% of the worlds poor.They earn approximately 20% less than men in medicine and are concentrated in the most uncertain and least protected areas.More than 60% have been employed in unpaid jobs.This has affected social reproduction.
The war economy has enriched the arms industry and big monopolies while millions of women are pushed into poverty, unemployment and uncertainty as public health, education, welfare and labour rights continue to deteriorate.
Thousands of women and children have lost their lives in violent incidents in Palestine due to the world-driven wars, murders, violence and terror.Similarly, economic blockade and violence in Venezuela has left thousands of working women suffering.More than 200 innocent schoolchildren were killed during a recent US military attack in Iran.
The war economy has enriched the arms industry and big monopolies, while millions of women have been forced into poverty, unemployment and uncertainty.Military expenditures are rising everywhere as they erode public health, education, welfare and labor rights.Thus there is still a need for united struggle against wars, murders, violence, terror and corruption that the world is experiencing.
Women have been exploited and discriminated against in patriarchal society because of the extremely narrow view towards women.The male domination over females, making them a means for pleasure, enslavement etc has been practiced since ages.This kind of inhuman treatment that happens above the female within a male dominated society has deprived women from important rights including political, economic and social even inside the power state.When it comes to political right, some are still depriving women even from suffrage.
Women themselves have been leading the movement in a whirlwind against exploitation discrimination of women, all with respect to the World Women’s Liberation Movement.1 In 1779, under the leadership of Mary Chastity Capta of Wales, demands for women to be able to vote as well as participate in governing power are found to be the main themes of the movement.Then in 1787, in France, women marched against poverty and surrounded King Louis sixteenth palace.
The organization for the liberation of women was first discussed in 1844 by France’s female leader, Palvara Tieten, when the women’s movement began to gain ground.
Global awareness of women’s rights was raised after the Communist Declaration, written by Karl Marx and Engels in 1848, referred to the exploitation of women and their emancipation.
In the same year 1865, women led the movement by forming the first Women’s Suffrage Committee in Manchester.March 8, 1897 saw a huge protest in New York demanding fair wages and 10-hour working days.Despite widespread repression of the women’s movement, the labor union was established from the International Conference on Women held at Stagard in Germany on March 8th, 1906.The conference passed the resolution presented by Clara Zettkin, who would advance the socialist movement along with the Singo Woman Liberation Movement.
second international conference in Copenhagen in 1910 to further organize the women’s movement and organization.
Thus, March 8th is a day that working women around the world begin celebrating with historical stories and significance of struggle and sacrifice.Yash Day is celebrated worldwide as a day to highlight problems faced by working women, protect achievements from the struggle movement and resolve to move forward in an effective implementation.
Public holidays are also given out by the state to celebrate it in the form of special celebrations and tea.
Inspired by the struggle and sacrificial history of March 8 in Nepal, Nepali women have also become part of the movement.The first is Yogamaya to be seen as a leader against the patriarchal system of government.The movement for defending the nation’s nationality, where it was led by women including Sahana Pradhan, Sadhana Kumari Adhikari, Snehalata Shrestha , Mangala Devi singh among others during the authoritarian Panchayats.Women celebrated the day on March 8 through various events both open and underground.
Inspired by the spirit of struggle on 8 March, women played a prominent role in even the historical mass movement of 2046.
The achievements of the women’s movement are fundamental guarantees in the constitution.There is also a constitutional provision to end female labor slavery, thirty-three percent participation by women in state organs.Labor laws have been promulgated as the result of the movement.End all forms of discrimination in labor law regarding working women, equal wages (equal value of work), control of incentives for maternity, facilities for rent, There have been no plans for an end to the gender violence, etc.
Despite the fact that the Constitution and Act provide for women’s rights, they have not been effectively implemented.They are still in a state of affairs which cannot be practically ensured and enforced because of discrimination in treatment due to capitalist patriarchal social system.When discussing the situation of working women, their position is still deplorable.
The informal economy is still prevalent in the informal economy, where almost 60 per cent of working women are not involved.But they still face discrimination and exploitation.The domestic workers have to work for 17/18 hours daily.However, their labour has not been accounted for.Immigrant workers who were separated from their families and society went to service sectors, hotels, tourism, mobilization, dance, races, and often worked on roads but their labour was not respected yet.Many of the millions of workers in the informal sector are female.But there is no registration system to calculate minimum wages, social security , etc.
Lack of similar opportunities has prevented women from developing comprehensively. As for the problems faced by working women, there is a situation in which more and more workers are suffering the same problems.Political, economic and social problems have become endemic due to patriarchal society’s maintenance.The lack of political rights and opportunity has kept the participation of women very low based on inclusion in government policy making as well as state operations.Women were deprived of financial rights.The issue of women’s right in patrimonial property was not treated at this time.Because of the religious traditions, customs and superstitions of the society,women were forced to remain slaves along with being discriminated against and exploited.
Particular attention needs to be paid to ensuring that women have the same rights and opportunities as men, increasing their capacities in the field of women’s trade unions and civil society as well as governments and political parties.
So, on the historic day of March 8th we should be able to draw inspiration from the proud history of March 8th in order to move forward and progress towards solving the problems of working women.
The writer is the President of CONEP Nepal
And
Presidential Council Member
World Federation of Trade Unions- WFTU
