LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL WORKING WOMEN’S DAY
Communist Solidarity: Fighting Sexism in the Factory
INDIA, February 14— “I was 10 minutes late to work. My line supervisor started abusing me and said I would have to stay after work to help clean up,” Mala reported to her trusted coworker Gopi. Mala was very nervous about the idea of working after hours. It would certainly mean the boss will sexually assault her.
During Mala’s short break, she told Gopi about how nervous she was about staying late. Gopi had been distributing Red Flag to some people she trusts, including Mala. Mala confessed that even after reading Red Flag only superficially, she thought Gopi could help her.
Gopi knew that the boss uses his power to harass women workers. She reached out to some other workers and told them that Mala was going to be alone after work and they should stop her detention by organizing other workers. All the women are familiar with this sexist boss.
Gopi’s text message went to all the shop floor and other women workers started reposting it during their short break. The male supervisor got a hint that other women are going to defend Mala. Or at least, that is what he thought.
In the afternoon, he came to Mala and said, “This time you can go home. But if you are late again, you are going to work on Sunday.”
Mala left the factory on time and walked with Gopi and other workers. It was a very charged atmosphere as the women in the garment factory cursed the supervisor. “In communism, do you think this can happen?” Gopi asked everybody.
“Communism will have no supervisors, workers will work for the benefit of the international working class, not for profit.”
Another worker said, “The male boss gets material benefit from sexist behavior and attitude. That kind of outlook will be severely punished by all the workers in communism. And since we will have no capitalists, all workers will learn and teach each other to get rid of past sexist practices.”
“I want to be part of this communism,” said one of the women. “Today we saw that if we are united, we can change how things work.” This shows that Gopi and other women will have to organize collectives of ICWP members.
It is time for more garment workers to organize for communism. That is the system nobody can threaten. It takes digging deep to weed out the roots of capitalism.
Read our Pamphlet and Materials on Sexism:
The Communist Fight Against Sexism here
More Materials on Sexism here
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