Essay on How Did Communist Movements Affect Women's Rights

Wars, disagreements, and different kinds of economic and political revolutions started the quick and rapid spread of communism in the late 20th century. It spread everywhere and it enforced traditional roles upon women and men. With men who got higher authority and power, and with women on the lower scale with men who had little to no opportunities. Women tried and were successful for a while standing up for their rights and gaining equality. This was shown through reform and by doing movements and revolutions of their own. However, in the 20th century, in places like Russia, Central Asia, Vietnam, Cuba, and Romania, communist movements greatly affected women by negatively shutting down and reducing the process that was made of the already struggle for women’s rights.

In Russia, before the communist movements, but during the first revolution, women were trying to uplift the idea of change and reform for them. Soon, movements for middle-class women became stronger and it shed light on many people in their society. However, this quickly stopped as the government and people with power were strongly against any change and liberation for women in Russia. Alexandra Kollontai, a Russian Communist revolutionary and a member of the Bolshevik government in Russia, with a piece from their autobiography, Soviet Union, 1926 (D1). Before the first revolution in Russia, Kollontai described the sadness and anger in the autobiography with the members of the party in the Bolshevik government. The common opinion and agreement in the “fate of women of the working class and how meager was its interest in women’s liberation.” was the opinion that many in the government believed. Even with a “strong bourgeois (middle class) women’s movement,” in Russia, no support on this matter was given. These movements were shut down and communist movements began, Kollontai knew that through her analysis, women in the middle class would have to be a part of these movements to gain “a new social order and a different economic system” and to gain equality and liberation.

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Women were delayed in their tracks to gain this from their reforms, before and after the movements. Even though it got better, women were still not able to earn their freedom all the way. As time went on women were slowly getting movements back up and going. A study published by the National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1961 (D4). This showed the percentage of women in research and professional positions in the Soviet Union. In the table, you can see the percentage of women in the categories, “professors,” “associate professors,” and “Junior research associates.” These all went up just by a little bit, the rest had little change or no change. This table does show that there was change as the years went on, even if it was a slow start. However, that does not go unnoticed by women who were still struggling to earn these jobs after the communist movements. Life wasn’t as easy as it seems in these charts. It was a slow process for women to earn rights, let alone a higher-paying job. The percentage showed a great deal, but women were still going through hardships and movements were still going to get their freedom and rights.

In the early years of communism, women in Central Asia were able to bring new changes and reform to their society. Communism was new to different places and it allowed women to express their movements and ideas. Mariia Fedorovna Muratova, a Soviet official in the Women’s Department of the Bolshevik Central Committee, working in the Soviet Uzbekistan in Asia, 1930 (D2). In the Muslim culture in Central Asia, women were commonly veiled covering their heads and faces. This was to symbolize respect and to be identified as a woman. Men would wear anything that covered their waist and knees, this was to show respect and identity for men. This tradition in their culture gave women their own way to practice their culture and present themselves. To women, this was a right to them. However, when communist and communist movements began, Russia was in control of Central Asia. Authorities there were against the Muslim practice of a veil for women. “Here is no place for you in the party and Komsomol,” this was towards anyone who wanted to continue to wear a veil. Authorities wanted to end this as it was a way for women to show themselves. By taking that away, the one thing they had to start a movement, was gone and no reform would start for women in Central Asia.

In Vietnam, however, change and reform for women was accepted. Having equal pay, and being treated the same was great for working women, but what about women who didn’t work? In Document Three, an article from the Communist North Vietnamese Constitution of 1960 describes the great deals for women who worked. Women who worked would, “enjoy equal rights with men in all spheres of political, economic, cultural, social, and domestic life.” This was great, as it showed that the reforms and movements women had really paid off for them. However, this was all for working women. “Women enjoy equal pay with men,” and would get paid leave for pregnancies and healthcare. Women who didn’t work, however, were still fighting for their rights for being unemployed. Even though this was a great step for women back then in Vietnam, women still had to keep trying and creating movements for themselves who couldn’t work.

In Cuba, communist movements have started. Women are trying to get their points valid and out there, but with no help from the government and the communist movements, their reforms have to wait. Fidel Castro, the president of Cuba, with a speech to Federation go Cuban Women, 1974 (D6). “In Cuba, there remains a certain discrimination against women,” he proceeds. “It is very real, [and it] exists.” Cuba has acknowledged that women are struggling, however, their way of showing their “help” was by “trying,” to fight for them. This shows women that they still need to keep fighting for themselves even after the movements and revolutions they helped with. Even though the president seemed genuine, not all governments can be trusted. Women were still struggling while the government “tried'' while women were still being brought to “higher revolutionary qualifications than men do.”

In Romania, Women were still being treated badly, but also had jobs. This seems like a great thing as women have wanted to have that freedom to work, however, they were treated more harshly. An open letter by an anonymous women’s group in Romania, addressed to the wife of the Romanian Communist dictator, Elena Ceaușescu, in 1981 (D7) describes the difficulty they are going through. “After so many exhausting hours of labor in factories… We are still expected to rush about like mad, hours on end, in search of food to give our husbands, children, and grandchildren something to eat.” This was just one example from the letter to the wife of the dictator that was received. Women fought for their rights to freedom, not to be given freedom for jobs and to do everything else. They grew tired and would most likely feel lonely. Instead of fighting for their rights every day which was their daily struggle back then, now their daily struggle was to be a producer and a supporter for their families. Women never asked for this, they asked for rights, liberation, and the chance to be equal. Not be equal work to a man and come home to cook and clean for a man. “Sometimes we would even feel like dying, not being able to face the suffering.” Women wanted change, however, they didn’t want it like this. With this new communist movement, it prevented women from being able to live a life. It felt like a routine every day and a chore to be alive. This did shut down the process for women to fight, as they were tired from the day's work. However, they did not let this stop them from being actually equal. Their protest and movements started back up again, even after the long days and the endless hours.

With the wars and revolutions communism and the communist movements spread rapidly. Men and Women were treated very differently during these times. However, women tried to prove their points and succeeded until the communist movements in the 20th century shut down these views. As you can see, women struggling to earn their rights were greatly affected by these revolutions and movements in places like Russia, Central Asia, Vietnam, Cuba, and Romina.