Women workers, youth and the socialist revolution.

The UN recently put out a report. There are some interesting figures in it for those of us who want to change the world. Not in this report but elsewhere we have the information that half the world's factory workers are now women. This means more than ever that the world socialist revolution can only be carried out with the full involvement at all levels of the struggle by women. Already women have been in the lead in the Arab Spring and many parts of South East Asia. Men and movements will have to take this reality into account and make the changes necessary. But back to the UN report.

It deals in part with the special oppression of women. It states "women's status, maternal death, child marriage and other indicators of women's well being have seen little progress in the last 20 years." In low and middle income countries pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death amongst young women aged 15 to 19. It was also stated that worldwide one women in three reported being physically or sexually abused. In Asia a separate study found that of 10,000 men interviewed half reported using physical and or sexual violence against a female partner, while one fourth of them said they had raped a woman or a girl with the vast majority saying they had faced no prosecution.

Part of this report also dealt with demographic changes with much of the advanced capitalist countries aging and the world's youth concentrated in the former colonial countries. 90% of people between the ages of 10 and 24 now live in these countries. As well as this development there has never been a larger generation of young people. That age group accounted for 28% of the world's population in 2010 and higher in Asia and Africa.

For those who wish to change the world the working class movement that we are building has to make sure that has the policies and structures and program and attitudes that will attract and give leading roles to women and youth.

Sean.