Women constitute half of the working population. Their active participation in revolutionary work plays a vital role in the revolution: for example, women joining guerrilla units, volunteer armies, Red Guards, and Young Pioneers—all of these demonstrate women’s revolutionary enthusiasm in various forms of struggle. Failure to address women’s issues and to safeguard their legitimate rights would weaken their enthusiasm for the revolutionary struggle, which would be detrimental to the revolution. This is especially true as the revolutionary war expands outward; with most able-bodied men entering the Red Army or serving at the front lines, it falls increasingly to women to shoulder the responsibilities of rear-area work and of consolidating and defending the base areas. Therefore, we must resolutely implement the decrees on protecting and liberating women, lead and inspire the working women to actively participate in the revolutionary war, closely link their activities with the women’s movement, and ensure effective coordination, so as to accelerate the pace of revolutionary victory.

All levels of Soviet governments should recognize the important role women play in the revolutionary war. In the past, however, Soviet authorities have paid scant attention to women’s rights and have often shown a dismissive attitude toward them. The following facts illustrate this: First, during recent elections, some localities deprived working women of their right to vote, preventing them from participating in Soviet affairs. This violated the Soviet electoral principles and infringed upon the constitutional rights of working women—an extremely serious mistake! Second, under the Soviet system, peasant women were allocated land on an equal footing with men, enabling them to achieve economic independence. Nevertheless, in many places, when women divorced their husbands, they were still not allowed to take their share of land and housing with them. Moreover, government officials not only failed to address these issues or protect women’s rightful claims but even interfered with their freedom to enjoy their property—for instance, by prohibiting divorced women from taking their personal belongings. Most egregious of all was the persistent wage inequality between men and women. For example, female workers at the Xingguo Cooperative earned less than apprentices, while in the Nanyang District of Fujian, male and female rice mill workers performed identical tasks yet received significantly different wages, with women being paid half as much as men. Such blatant disregard for proletarian women constitutes an intolerable error. Third, in matters of marriage, the Marriage Regulations were frequently ignored; practices such as the buying and selling of brides, forced marriages, and the custom of “child brides” persisted. Furthermore, domestic violence against women remained widespread across regions. Indeed, many local governments adopted repressive and interfering measures in marital affairs, leading to tragic incidents in places like Longsha Shangshe in Xingguo County. There, because women were denied matrimonial freedom and subjected to arbitrary confinement and brutal beatings without recourse, some resorted to extreme measures—reminiscent of feudal-era practices—by poisoning their husbands in order to secure their liberty. This not only shames the Soviet regime but also demonstrates that these local authorities were defying central directives and continuing the feudal tradition of oppressing women. Fourth, although labor laws contain clear provisions safeguarding women workers’ rights, these are rarely enforced, particularly with regard to prenatal and postnatal protection. Fifth, despite existing regulations providing preferential treatment for families of Red Army soldiers, local governments have yet to take decisive action to ensure their full and consistent implementation. Notably, no special provisions have been made for women who join the Red Army—for example, members of volunteer units—who deserve the same benefits as their male counterparts. This underscores the neglect of women’s interests. Sixth, historically, women’s general level of political and cultural awareness has lagged behind that of men. In addressing women’s concerns, Soviet authorities have often focused solely on resolving marital disputes, adopting a patronizing or dismissive stance, or simply ignoring the issue altogether. Efforts to promote women’s political and cultural development have likewise been inadequate, if not entirely abandoned.

In light of the above, we must thoroughly rectify past mistakes and shortcomings in our work concerning women. Accordingly, all levels of government are hereby instructed to establish Women’s Welfare Committees to undertake the following tasks: First, regarding the organizational structure and operating procedures of the Women’s Welfare Committee: this committee shall serve as a specialized body within the government dedicated to improving women’s lives, distinct from departments dealing with land, labor, culture, and other matters. It is not an administrative division of the government; all its plans and proposals must be submitted to the presidium of the corresponding government for discussion and approval. Once approved, the relevant government shall issue orders to implement them. However, the Women’s Welfare Committee does not have the authority to directly instruct lower-level governments to carry out specific actions; its role is limited to providing guidance and oversight to subordinate committees. To guide and supervise the work of these committees, the presidia of all levels of government should regularly send representatives to attend their meetings. For instance, when the presidium discusses women’s issues, it may invite the chairperson of the Women’s Welfare Committee to present her views; conversely, the committee may request the presidium’s assistance in presenting and explaining its plans and recommendations. Similarly, when various government departments deliberate matters pertaining to women, the committee may dispatch representatives to participate in those discussions and offer input. Second, the functions and responsibilities of the Women’s Welfare Committee, as stipulated in the central government’s organizational guidelines, include conducting surveys and statistical analyses of women’s living conditions, formulating measures to improve their welfare, and monitoring lower-level governments’ implementation of relevant legislation concerning women, reporting findings to the appropriate authorities and making concrete recommendations. Third, the relationship between the Women’s Welfare Committee and conferences of working women’s representatives: the committee may convene such conferences to gain insight into women’s family circumstances, needs, and opinions regarding government policies; it can collect suggestions and demands related to women’s own interests and compile relevant data through various mass organizations. When necessary, the committee may invite representatives of these organizations to attend its meetings. The Women’s Welfare Committee should also participate in workers’ congresses and gatherings of working women, informing them about the Soviet government’s decrees on women’s rights and the benefits to which they are entitled. Fourth, under the Soviet system, men and women are legally equal. Working women possess both the right to vote and to stand for election, and they should be integrated into all aspects of governmental work, uniting broad sections of the female population around the Soviet regime and encouraging them to strive actively for the full realization of their rights. At present, we must first correct the erroneous tendency among government officials at all levels to look down upon women and neglect their rights, and launch a vigorous campaign against non-compliance with all relevant legislation pertaining to women. For example, women should be elected as village representatives, and qualified working women should be appointed to various committees established by the village government (such as those responsible for land distribution and surveying), with particular emphasis on education and training during their tenure. Fifth, we must raise the political consciousness of working women and deepen their understanding of the Soviet government and the revolutionary cause. The liberation of women is inseparable from the overall victory of the proletariat; only through class victory can women achieve genuine emancipation. Therefore, women must understand that fighting for their own interests and for the protection of their acquired rights ultimately means fighting for the Soviet regime. We should encourage them to support the Red Army, urge their husbands, brothers, and sons to enlist, oppose desertion, organize laundry teams, medical aid detachments, and guard posts, and participate in local armed forces. They should also diligently study and engage in the work of the Soviet government and mass organizations, thereby contributing to the consolidation of Soviet power and the advancement of the revolutionary war, striving for the initial victory of the revolution in Jiangxi Province and neighboring regions. Sixth, to elevate women’s political and cultural literacy, cultural departments at all levels should establish half-day women’s schools, run literacy classes for women, set up temporary home-based training sessions, and conduct mobile literacy programs in rural areas. Teachers should be drawn from government employees, school instructors, and cadres of mass organizations. Lower-level Women’s Welfare Committees and their respective cultural departments should coordinate to implement plans for women’s cultural development and for cultivating female cadres, recruiting women to serve in various government organs. At conferences of working women’s representatives, as well as in women’s schools and clubs, political education should be provided to motivate women to actively participate in the Soviet movement and the revolutionary war. Seventh, Women’s Welfare Committees at all levels should promptly consult with Labor Departments to determine how to fully implement all provisions of the Labor Law protecting women workers’ rights, especially those concerning equal treatment for women and men in terms of maternity leave and social insurance. Men and women performing identical work should receive equal pay. Eighth, working women who bravely and resolutely join the Red Army should enjoy all the benefits accorded to Red Army personnel under the relevant preferential treatment regulations. Ninth, all levels of government must rigorously enforce the entire Marriage Regulations, ensuring that when a woman divorces her husband, she is free to manage her share of land and property independently. Practices such as the sale of brides, forced marriages, the institution of child brides, and the abuse of women must be strictly prohibited. Any government official found guilty of suppressing women or failing to protect their rights will be severely punished. Finally, Women’s Welfare Committees at all levels should intensify efforts to mobilize women to defend and uphold the Soviet decrees on women’s rights, further enhancing their revolutionary spirit and encouraging their active participation in all aspects of the Soviet struggle. Tenth, establishing the organizational framework and defining the functions of Women’s Welfare Committees at all levels is of paramount importance for comprehensively improving women’s lives. A. All levels of government are urged to promptly establish Women’s Welfare Committees, oversee their operations, and adopt concrete work plans. The Central People’s Committee previously issued an instruction requiring all local governments to set up these committees by May; however, many have failed to comply, disregarding the higher-level directive. We now reaffirm this requirement and set July 15 as the new deadline for completing the establishment of Women’s Welfare Committees nationwide. B. The Central Women’s Welfare Committee has distributed two sets of survey forms, which must be fully completed and the compiled statistics submitted to the central authorities by July 15 in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. C. Women’s Welfare Committees at all levels are required to submit monthly reports to their superiors detailing their work, the current situation of women’s lives, and specific proposals and measures to address women’s issues. D. The Soviet governments of Jiangxi and Fujian, having already established their respective Women’s Welfare Committees, should immediately formulate concrete and practical work plans for the near future, swiftly urging lower-level governments to follow suit. Special attention should be paid to key counties, where guidance and support must be strengthened. By July 15, a comprehensive report on progress must be submitted to the central government.  Issued by Chairman Mao Zedong, Vice Chairmen Xiang Ying and Zhang Guotao, June 10, 1931.