Women's work is never done.

by Sean O' Torrain

When I was growing up in rural Ireland my mother would always say:"a woman's work is never done." This was and is so very true. Except for the very top bourgeois women. Women bear the children. My step daughter is now expecting her first child and at age 38 and with MS that is work alright. Her mother to whom I am married is rushing in all directions to help. I try to help also but am pretty pathetic in what I can do due to health and age.

Then I see that the right wing here in the US are stepping up the efforts to force women to have children whether they can afford to or not. This assault is led overwhelmingly white men. They will never have to have children, go through the pain of childbirth, take on the extra work of raising a child along with working outside the home. In Texas and a number of other states the clinics where women can terminate their pregnancies is being reduced to a handful. Not able to overturn Roe vs Wade the right come up with all sorts of regulations on clinics which are not affordable or legally achievable and in this way they get the clinics closed. And of course behind that there are the howling terrorists at clinics trying to intimidate the women patients and behind that the murderers who shoot doctors.

On this International Women's day we must take an unconditional stand for the right to choose. This must incorporate two aspects.

One is the right for all women to decide for themselves to have a baby or not have a baby. This means full access to family planning and education. It also means free access to facilities for termination at fully professionally staffed clinics free of charge.

The right to choose must also mean the right for women to have a baby if they so wish. This means amongst other things the financial means to have a baby and bring up a baby. This means a secure well paid job, childcare facilities professionally staffed at work and in the communities free of charge,  and free health care and affordable housing.

Women all over the world are rising up and fighting for their rights. This is a great inspiration. Today women make up 50% of the world's factory workers. Because of this the working class of the world is enormously strengthened.

Workers of the world unite.