March 8th is celebrated around the world as International Women’s Day. In the United States, the rights of women, including reproductive rights, are currently under attack by right-wing reactionaries. The movement to defend and expand these rights is gaining momentum and takes inspiration from struggles waged around the world. For International Women’s Day 2024, Freedom Road Socialist Organization would like to emphasize showing solidarity with the brave and courageous women of Palestine as they fight not only for their own lives, but for the lives of their families and all the people of Palestine struggling against Zionist oppression. We encourage all those who support peace and justice to take action and celebrate International Women’s Day by holding a demonstration, march, program or gathering.

Support the Women of Palestine

The ongoing struggle to defeat Zionist oppression in Palestine is the single sharpest contradiction in the world today. Freedom Road Socialist Organization rejects proposed half-measures like the “two state solution” and proudly declares: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” All those around the world who love peace and justice must support the people of Palestine as they resist the attacks waged against them by Israeli forces, who themselves are supported by the U.S. government. We must also take action to help stop the genocide of Palestinian people – and every action, big or small, matters. On International Women’s Day 2024, we emphasize our never-ending solidarity with the women of Palestine who are fighting for peace, the right to return, and the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.

A History of Struggle and Victory

International Women’s Day has been celebrated for more than a century. In 1908, the poor working and living conditions of garment workers in New York City were in need of a change. The workers, largely women, waged a heroic struggle to improve things. This victory led to the socialist movement formally adopting a worldwide celebration to honor women’s struggle against oppression – a proposal made by the famous German revolutionary Clara Zetkin. In many social justice struggles throughout history, from campaigns for workers rights to battles against police crimes, women have played a central role.

Defend Women’s and Reproductive Rights

It has been nearly two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision which had previously been the legal basis for the right to have an abortion. Since that time, many people around the country have engaged in protests and actions aimed at defending and restoring this fundamental right. A person is not really free if they can’t have control over their own bodies. Freedom Road Socialist Organization believes that the struggle for women’s and reproductive rights is an important part of the struggle for liberation and justice for all oppressed people.

The Fight Continues

As long as the oppression of women has existed, so too has there been resistance and struggle. Our movement is diverse with strong fighters of all nationalities and genders – and that diversity makes our movement stronger. We can and will defend against the attacks on LGBTQ rights and will continue the fight against the reactionary attacks on Trans people.

The fight for a better world is what’s important. Mao Zedong famously said that “women hold up half the sky,” and anybody who’s ever been active in a trade union, student activist group, or social justice movement will tell you that women often hold up more than half.

The system of monopoly capitalism that dominates most of the world today is rotten and must be swept away. It’s a broken system that fails the overwhelming majority of humanity day in and day out. It’s a broken system that supports the exploitation of women, oppressed nationalities, and workers around the world. We need to replace that system with socialism so that we can address the fundamental roots of inequality in all its forms.

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