To commemorate International Working Women's Day for today 8th March 2015, Edinburgh Solidarity Federation members supported the event of local feminist group These Hysterical Women [1] which was a public gathering and exhibition held at Bristo Square to remind everyone that gender equality has not been reached.
The exhibition of "why I am a feminist..." comments were written by those attended and hosting the event. Following the exhibit was a performance by Rhythms of Resistance Samba band and then a brief speech (extract):
"Today is International Working Women's Day, a day of struggle for womens rights, which is in commemoration of the deaths of 146 women who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 [2]. They could not escape because the employer locked the doors to prevent them leaving and from taking breaks. This struggle and tragedy led women to become more involved in labour unions. Also important, as an early struggle is the Singer Strike of 1911 of sewing machinists [3]..."
Afterwards we attended at the Pleasance (5-10 min walk from Bristo Square) to see a projection screening of the 2010 film 'Made in Dagenham' [4] which is about the 1968 strike of women machinists for equal pay. The film was followed by a well facilitated summary of its socio-political issues and then a broader discussion and debate with those attending, including the need for continuous working class organisation to defend and extend equalitarian rights which are won through struggle. Reforms of equality can be withdrawn at a whim by capitalism and the state, without working class resistance.
We look forward to more from These Hysterical Women.
link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.623220971113503.1073741832.329...
[1] These Hysterical Women http://thesehystericalwomen.wordpress.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/pages/These-Hysterical-Women/256578517849487 and the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/919294401434231/
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire
[3] http://www.radicalglasgow.me.uk/strugglepedia/index.php?title=The_Singer....
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_Dagenham and to share/copy, see https://www.google.com/search?q=Info+Hash%3A+3674BCB3CDCEDA841CB7E5390A1...
Further reading and information - see
* http://www.solfed.org.uk/edinburgh/8-march-2015-international-working-wo...
* (1986) De toda la vida ~ All our lives [Lisa Berger, Carol Mazer] [hardsubs: en] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrqgKMYhtug
* Mujeres Libres / Free women of Spain - Martha A. Ackelsberg https://libcom.org/library/free-women-spain-anarchism-struggle-emancipat...
* https://libcom.org/library/women-reading-guide
* http://zinnedproject.org/materials/women-in-labor-history/