ORGANISED by the Women’s Group of the Co-ordinating Committee of Communist Parties in Britain (CCCPiB), this annual gathering has become a much-valued fixture of the left and progressive calendar.

Its traditional opening rally gives us an opportunity to learn from international speakers more about the struggle of women for peace, equality and justice across the globe and shows how our battle against the oppression and exploitation of women is integrally linked with the fight against global capitalism, imperialism and war.

This year’s theme is “Women and the International Struggle” chosen to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist International (CI). The themes of the CI’s early congresses are, as will be amply demonstrated by both the political and cultural elements of the event, as relevant today as they were in 1919.

The Communist International was clear that without the mass active participation of working-class women, a just future, free of capitalism forever, could not be won and that women’s rights as equal human beings and their true emancipation relied not on the united efforts of women of different classes, but on “the united struggle of all the exploited” — nationally and internationally.

The rally will take place in the first half of the programme. We have invited the ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, her excellency Rocio Maneiro, to open the meeting and we very much hope that she will be able to be with us at this crucial and difficult time. She will speak about women and the current situation in her country.

We will also hear from the Communist Party of Sudan and the Sudanese Women’s Union (UK and Ireland) about the brave struggle of their people, in which women of great courage and resilience are at the forefront.

Huge country-wide demonstrations began in Sudan in mid-December, initially against the hiking of the price of bread and, more generally, the disastrous economic mismanagement of the 30-year dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, which has left an economy in ruins and the Sudanese people unable to afford even the basics of life.

Now demonstrators are demanding for the regime to go and for the establishment of a people’s democratic government. Women have from the outset been prominent in these protests and many have been arrested, imprisoned and shockingly maltreated.

These include Dr Amal Jabralla, who has several times addressed our international IWD rally in previous years, as some readers may remember. She is a consultant psychiatrist and clinical director of a trauma centre for women in Omdurman, a leading medical sector trade unionist and member of the central committee of the Sudanese Communist Party.

Also detained is Adeela Alzaibag, president of the Sudanese Women’s Union (SWU) and Fayza Ibrahim Nugod, a renowned teacher and a member of the political bureau of the Sudanese Communist Party with responsibility for trade union work.

The Sudanese Women’s Union (UK and Ireland) is appealing to all peace, democracy and human rights activists to express solidarity with the peaceful protesters in Sudan, to condemn the Sudanese government’s brutal crackdown on the opposition, demand the release of all political detainees and demand that those who have murdered protesters on the streets are speedily brought to justice.

On our platform will also be women representing the Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Party of the Progressive Working People of Cyprus in Britain (AKEL), the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the Iraqi Women’s League UK and the Democratic Organisation of Iranian Women.

They will provide a unique perspective on the issues facing working class women and the strength and momentum of their struggles — things that are so often under-reported or unreported by the capitalist mass media.

During the interval there will be ample time for networking and talking with our speakers. We will also serve an international hot buffet during the break — with food from the Middle East, Africa and Europe on the menu.

The second half of the evening will be devoted to a cultural programme, including Silvia Balducci, the Italian guitarist and singer, who will play and sing songs of the movement from Latin America and Europe, and Sara Bahari, a pianist from Iran, who will perform classical pieces.

We hope that Morning Star readers, family and friends will join us for this event.

Saturday March 9 from 18.45 (doors at 18.15) to approximately 21.15, Ealing Green Church, London W5 5QT (nearest underground station — Ealing Broadway). Admission is free and everyone is very welcome.

Liz Payne is chair of the Communist Party of Britain