General Secretary’s international Women’s Day message
From: Socialist Party General Secretary, Comrade Cosmas Musumali
To: Socialist Women’s League
Dear Comrades, I would like to wish you a revolutionary International Women’s Day.
As revolutionaries, let us not lose sight of the history connected to this day, and how its commemoration is borne from a deep desire by women to free themselves from patriarchy and class-based oppression within the capitalist system.
This day came up from the working class women of the U.S.A. They could no longer tolerate the levels of patriarchy and capitalist exploitation directed at them for merely being women. The International Women’s Day also bears the hallmark of the women of the Tsarist Russia, whose wave of protestations against bread-related issues, led to the 1917 Russian Revolution.
With the increased levels of economic exploitation, patriarchal marginalisation, globally, high levels of political and gender-based violence in Zambia, it is only appropriate that we commemorate this day by maintaining that revolutionary legacy.
Let us extend solidarity to the needy and marginalised people in our communities. A visit to one detained at a correctional facility or a lonely brother or sister admitted to a health facility, for instance, is sufficient revolutionary solidarity which speaks to our humanity and our programme of Justice, Equity and Peace (JEP).
The revolutionary path the Zambian working masses have embarked upon through the Socialist Party can only become a reality if women lead the class struggle against and if they also take each day as Women’s Day.
Long live the socialist revolutionary women.