The capitalist system, due to its exploitative character, discriminates against women from the working class and the other poor popular strata, who are class exploited and doubly oppressed. This inequality is expressed through lower wages and precarious jobs with women risking unemployment or dismissal due to pregnancy. The attack on healthcare, education, welfare, social services, the handing over of these services to big capital, the inadequate childcare force working women to stay at home with the children or elderly and thus their participation in the movement is limited.

Capitalism as a system maintains inequality between the genders and discrimination is a structural component. The equality of women can exist in the framework of the abolition of the class relations of exploitation and not merely through legal measures regarding the two sexes.

In countries where imperialist interventions are taking place and wars are being waged women suffer from all kinds of violence. They are victims of abasement, kidnapping or an impoverished life in a refugee camp.

The growing influence of religion, which is a global phenomenon, worsens the situation, as it abolishes fundamental social, political and cultural rights of women, and amongst other things fosters backward views on the issue of abortion. All these reactionary attacks towards women are not in contradiction with the interest of the capitalist class as religion today is not an archaic but a "modern" phenomenon which serves the economic and ideological needs of the bourgeoisie.

At the same time when the socialist countries ceased to exist in Eastern Europe and many of their achievements for women were abandoned, illusions were promoted by the monopolies and their governments that the problems of the women for the working class and other poor popular strata would be solved in the framework of the capitalist development path and the EU. But in today´s world capitalism not only does not offer any solution for living a life in dignity with full rights, but on the contrary brings new torments and impasses for the women from working class and popular families.

Still, women´s consciousness and their willingness to struggle for increased emancipation are substantial. The names of pioneers like Clara Zetkin, Rosa Luxemburg and other militant women made a great historical contribution to the struggle for the rights of women. Women´s participation in the class oriented labour movement, in the militant women’s movement must be reinforced. But the decisive question will be if women will work for revolutionary changes or if they will be manipulated by the view that female representation will change capitalism.

A good example how representation is used in the interests of imperialists is the UN resolution 1325 (Women, peace and security). The resolution awoke false hope with its claims that if women participate in international conflicts they would be a huge asset for creating peace and stability. Their analysis was one of gender and not of class. NATO has adopted this idea and implemented resolution 1325 into its strategic concept, women serving as an alibi for imperialist wars.

The struggle for peace by women is inextricably linked to the struggle against the capitalist system, against the imperialist plans.

It has been proved once again by recent developments that the class exploitation and double oppression against women cannot be abolished under capitalism. A system based on private property is the main reason for inequality. In the capitalist system, independent from the level of development, women cannot achieve equality. Therefore, it is demonstrably clear that women’s emancipation cannot be achieved without a struggle for socialism. All other options which aim at reforming capitalism to improve the conditions of women will not be able to end inequality.

We celebrate International Women’s Day for all women of the working class and other poor popular strata. Once again we reiterate our belief in the possibility and the necessity of a better and equal world. This can be achieved only by the participation of women themselves in the joint struggle for gender equality against capitalism.

The emancipation of women cannot be achieved without a firm struggle against capitalism.

No women's struggle without class struggle – no class struggle without women´s struggle.