Road to women’s emancipation debated at US women’s marches – The Militant

January 28, 2023 –
From Marxist Update

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[….] Speaking during an open mic at the end of the program, Ilona Gersh, Socialist Workers Party candidate for Chicago mayor, started from a working-class perspective.

“Birth rates are down, suicide and drug addiction are increasing, young adults are forced to live with their parents for an extended time,” Gersh said. “We need a union-led fight for jobs — with wages and conditions that allow workers to support a family. We need to fight for child care, health care, cost-of-living raises. And for access to contraceptives and safe, legal abortion when needed.

“Working people are beginning to use their unions to fight for these things. We need to build a labor party, based on our unions. Not look to the Democrats and Republicans, the capitalist parties that have gotten us to this point,” she said.

These were some of the questions SWP members and supporters discussed and debated throughout the day.

“I don’t agree with looking to the courts to advance our interests,” Gersh told Claire, a volunteer handing out flyers urging participants to vote in the upcoming state Supreme Court election. “The Roe v. Wade ruling was the Supreme Court acting as a legislative body. Dobbs was good, because it put the issue back to the states and the people. We need to take advantage of that and debate the issue to win a majority. What we need is a fight to repeal the 1849 law.”

“I think of the court election as a stopgap measure,” responded Claire, who didn’t want to give her last name. “Getting a different balance on the court can block the law. I agree the Democratic Party has failed us, but I’m scared for women’s lives right now.” They left it at that, and each continued talking to other participants.

As the march gathered, Gersh spoke with nursing students Jessica Forsgren and Ashley Morgan. “The biggest obstacle we have is people are so divided between Democrats and Republicans,” Forsgren said.

“What’s at the root of sharpening conflicts today is actually the divide between the capitalist class and the working class,” Gersh said, “as the bosses and their government make us pay for their crisis.”

“Well, it’s a big step to reach that understanding,” said Forsgren….

Road to women’s emancipation debated at US women’s marches – The Militant