A member of the International Women’s Secretariat of the Comintern, and head of its Western Europe bureau, Hertha Sturm reports on the work of implementing decisions, in the face of widespread repression in post-war Europe, of the recently held Second International Conference of Communist Women in Moscow and the Conference of International Women Correspondents in Berlin.

‘Past and Future of the International Communist Women’s Movement’ by Hertha Sturm (Berlin) from International Press Correspondence. Vol. 2 No. 17. March 3, 1922.

Since the Second International Conference of Communist Women in Moscow, a solid tie binds all sections of the Communist women’s movement of the world. The ever more uniform and energetical organisation of women’s propaganda results in closer and closer connections between the various sections and the International Women’s Secretariat. While the latter-besides the work of the Women’s Secretariat-has been especially engaged in establishing connections with the countries of the Near and Far East with the Russian border states as well as with Poland and the Balkans, the Berlin Sub-Bureau had to keep up communications with the Western European countries. The means and results of this activity will be outlined in the following review. Only very seldom and at special opportunities the Sub­ Bureau addressed general circulars to the sections. It rather exchanged opinions and material with this or that country on national problems of special practical importance, thus giving the communications an individual character. The reason for the employ of this method is evident. Only the International Women’s Secretariat is authorized to discuss and decide on problems of international importance. In consequence of difficulties of communications between Soviet Russia and the Western countries proposals and decisions of this kind did not arrive in Berlin as often as would have been desirable for a close and vigorous cooperation. In order to carry through the tasks set by the International Women’s Conference it was necessary, however, to consider the particular national conditions in every country.

Immediately after the World Congress the International Women’s Secretariat addressed a first circular to the Party Executives and women correspondents of all countries clearly summarizing the demands of the International regarding women’s propaganda, which are of fundamental importance for a systematic organization of the activities among women. Among these demands the most important were: the setting up of National Women’s Secretariats, publication of women’s periodicals and women’s pages in the Communist daily press, providing of continuous financial support for purposes of women’s propaganda. The Party Executives were asked to support by every possible means the realization of these measures and to give a report on the results of this work within three months.

On its own initiative the Berlin Sub-Bureau twice appealed to the Communist women of all countries for participation in the actions and demonstrations of the world proletariat. Two manifestoes were issued dealing with the relief campaign for Soviet Russia. These manifestoes were dispatched to the international Communist Press and to all women correspondents. On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the proletarian revolution in Russia a circular was issued containing material and organizational directions on the participation of women in the manifestation. Moreover, an article on the significance of the Russian Revolution with regard to the liberation of women was conveyed to the international press through the “International Press Correspondence” (Vol. I, No. 3).

Of great significance is furthermore a plan for the study of the economic, juridical and social position of working women after the war in all countries of the world which has been elaborated by the Statistical Institute in Moscow in conjunction with the International Women’s Secretariat. The Berlin Sub-Bureau communicated this plan to all Sections together with an accompanying explanatory letter.

In close co-operation with the Berlin Sub-Bureau the International Women’s Secretariat is now preparing the International Women’s Day which is to take place on March 8th. It is endeavoring to make this day an impressive manifestation of the proletarian women struggling for their emancipation.

“The Communist Women’s International” edited by Clara Zetkin on behalf of the E.C. of the Communist International and of the International Women’s Secretariat in Moscow, contains information on the Communist Women’s Movement and on important political, economic and organizational problems concerning it. This international organ, however, is until now only published in German and the material contained therein can only be utilized by a few countries. With regard to this fact we consider it necessary to publish regularly the most important articles in the “International Press Correspondence” and thus to convey them to the international Communist press. Moreover the Sub-Bureau itself is translating part of the material and sending it to the various countries.

Another important task has been begun by the Berlin Sub-Bureau: the publication and distribution of Communist booklets for agitation among the masses of politically indifferent proletarian women. In countries with very few trained agitators this task meets with great difficulties. In order to overcome them the entire women’s propaganda material which has been published until now by the National Women’s Secretariat of the Communist Party of Germany, has been sent to the various sections for information and utilisation. Furthermore, the organ of the Communist Party of Germany for women’s agitation “The Communist Woman” is regularly dispatched to all sections which are in connection with the Sub-Bureau. On the other hand the Berlin Sub-Bureau receives more or less regularly all women’s periodicals and women’s pages as well as all pamphlets on women’s problems from the various countries. The Sub-Bureau has also commenced to organize an exchange of this material between the Sections which, however, has not yet been completely accomplished. By exchanging articles and reports on the women’s movement which are of international interest, the character and the methods of women’s propaganda will become more uniform, and experiences, successes and plans of every country can be utilized on an international scale.

The Sub-Bureau furthermore considered the idea of translating pamphlets of international significance into the most important languages, and of publishing booklets for countries with the same language (Germany, Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, Switzerland; France, Belgium, Switzerland). The first attempt in this direction was made by the booklet “Working and Peasant Women in Soviet Russia” by Alexandra Kollontay, which is now issued by a German publishing House. For translation into other languages two pamphlets were chosen which have already been published in German and which are especially suited for agitation for the Russian Relief Action: “The Working Woman in Soviet Russia” (illustrated text) as well as “Soviet Russia and Her Children”. The simple descriptions of revolutionary ideas and inspirations as well their rich illustration of these booklets have met with great sympathy among the German proletarian women.

On the organizational state of the Communist Women’s Movement in the various countries the following may be reported: The Berlin Sub-Bureau is lacking information on America, Australia and on the following Western European countries: Jugoslavia, Roumania, Spain (where the Communist Party is working underground), Portugal and Luxemburg. Material and reports on Hungary were provided by an Hungarian woman comrade who is working in Moscow. Though we have received no reports from Bulgaria since the International Women’s Conference, we realize from the Bulgarian women’s organ “Ravenstvo” (Equality) that our comrades there are doing active and successful work. The other Western European countries are all in communication with the Berlin Sub-Bureau. Some of them are even reporting regularly and in detail.

National centers for women’s propaganda (women’s secretariats or women’s committees) exist in the following countries: Germany, Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, Bulgaria, France, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland. In Italy, where heretofore only some district committees were in existence (Turin, Milan), the Party is at present organising a National Women’s Secretariat in the new headquarters of the Party in Rome. Secretaries for women’s propaganda paid by the Party are employed in Germany, Czecho-Slovakia, Bulgaria and France.

In Germany, Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, Bulgaria (?) France and Holland the responsible directors of women’s propaganda are members of the Party Executive with deliberative and in some countries even with decisive voice.

In Belgium, Great Britain and Italy (where the formation of a national committee is only a question of time) the Party Executives have charged certain comrades with the task of organizing the women’s propaganda. In Denmark Comrade Marie Nielsen has been appointed president of the Relief Committee for Soviet Russia. We hope that this fact will have a good influence on the propaganda among the Danish women.

Communist women’s magazine are being published in Germany (“Die Kommunistin”-The Communist Woman), Czech­Slovakia (“Die Kommunistin”-the Communist Woman in German, “Zenski List” and” Zeny” in the Czech language), Bulgaria (“Ravenstvo”-Equality) Holland (“De Voorbode”), Sweden (“Roeda Roester”-Red Voices) and in Norway (“Arbeider­koniden”-Working Women). In France the publication of a women’s magazine was decided upon at the Marseilles Congress; in Austria this problem is being discussed.

Women’s pages in the daily papers were arranged for in Germany. (Tribune of the Proletarian Woman in the Central organ, “Die Rote Fahne”-The Red flag, and pages under various headings in 24 provincial organs), in Austria (Women’s Page of  the Vienna “Rote Fahne”), in France (Tribune des Travailleuses-Tribune of Laboring Women in the “Humanite” and an increasing number of women’s pages in the provincial papers), in Switzerland (women’s pages at irregular intervals in the ”Vorwaerts” at Basle and in the “Kaempfer” at Zurich). Occasional articles, contributions and reports on women’s problems appear on the editorial pages of the Communist Press in Germany (“Die Rote Fahne” and the provincial papers) Czecho­Slovakia (“Vorwaerts” at Reichenberg), France (“Humanite”), Italy (“Ordine Nuovo“), Holland (“Tribune”), Belgium (“Drapeaux Rouge”) and Switzerland (“Kaempfer”).

Germany, Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, France, Holland and Sweden have published pamphlets for women’s agitation.

Women’s National or District Conferences since the World Congress have taken place in Germany, Czecho-Slovakia, Holland, France and Finland. In Austria a National Women’s Conference will be organized in conjunction with the forthcoming Party Convention.         

Two problems of great importance for the character and the spirit of Communist  women’s  propaganda as well as for its firm organizational structure could not be dealt with in this report and will be discussed separately: the mutual information and support of the sections and the Berlin Sub-Bureau by appointing delegates of the International Women’s Secretariat with instructions for temporary collaboration in this or that country; secondly, the international mobilization of proletarian women for the Russian relief action and, vice-versa, the utilization of the campaign for the enlivenment of the Communist women’s movement.

The ECCI published the magazine ‘Communist International’ edited by Zinoviev and Karl Radek from 1919 until 1926 irregularly in German, French, Russian, and English. Restarting in 1927 until 1934. Unlike, Inprecorr, CI contained long-form articles by the leading figures of the International as well as proceedings, statements, and notices of the Comintern. No complete run of Communist International is available in English. Both were largely published outside of Soviet territory, with Communist International printed in London, to facilitate distribution and both were major contributors to the Communist press in the U.S. Communist International and Inprecorr are an invaluable English-language source on the history of the Communist International and its sections.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/inprecor/1922/v02n017-mar-03-1922-inprecor.pdf