OUR OPPRESSION IS CONNECTED: Speakout for International Women's Day!

International Women’s Day was born out of a revolutionary struggle for women’s rights. In 1909, 30,000 women shirtwaist makers went on strike against their bosses, demanding improved wages, working conditions and hours. This uprising inspired Clara Zetkin, a Marxist Feminist and leading member of Germany’s socialist party, to propose an International Women’s Day to recognize the tremendous work done by women both at home and in various industries, at a time when women in many industrialized countries were fighting for the right to even vote.

International Women’s Day actions in Russia in 1917 directly lead to the Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the oppressive Tsarist regime. — the Bolsheviks’ reforms included the right to divorce on request, legal and free abortions, 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, time off for breastfeeding, and free communal nurseries, laundries, and public eating spaces, allowing women to make choice that were best for them and their families.

Socialist Alternative aims to honor the revolutionary spirit of International Working Women’s Day by fighting for a socialist future, and we invite you to join us! Meet us at the UIC Quad on Friday, March 7th for a student speakout, where we’ll discuss how the fight for women’s rights is the fight for ALL of our rights — trans rights, immigrant rights, and workers’ rights!

**You do NOT have to be a UIC student to attend!

Host or Publisher Chicago Socialist Alternative