Comrades:
Today we are holding a women’s conference. Many people have come to participate—women comrades, men comrades, elderly women, and even little children. We all gather to commemorate “March 8,” to commemorate this International Women’s Day.

As for commemorating “March 8,” women all over the world, except those decadent and dissolute female bloodsuckers, are doing so wherever possible, holding meetings and assemblies.

Our Chinese women compatriots, except for those female traitors, are also holding commemorations and meetings wherever possible across the nation.

Why do we commemorate “March 8” and hold meetings? It is to unite in groups.

What is the purpose of women compatriots uniting in groups? It is to fight for women’s freedom and equality.

Right now, our Chinese nation is neither free nor equal; it is bound and oppressed by imperialism. The Chinese people are neither free nor equal; they are bound and oppressed by feudal forces.

Therefore, our Chinese nation and the Chinese people must shatter the oppression of imperialism and feudal forces, striving for the freedom and equality of the nation and the people.

In all countries across the world, except for the Soviet Union, the common people are also neither free nor equal. They are now waging heroic struggles for the same purpose—freedom and equality.

All the oppressed people in the world, men and women alike, number over one billion. They are engaged in fierce struggles against the oppressors.

Here in China, we have 450 million compatriots, men and women, waging a brutal struggle against Japanese imperialism.

In these struggles, whether in China or across the world, men certainly have great strength. But what about women? Do women have strength? Some say that women have no strength.

Others say that women have some strength, but it is very little.

Among women compatriots themselves, some also express the idea that their strength seems not great.

This kind of talk, this kind of thinking, is incorrect.

In all struggles, if we say that men’s strength is great, then women’s strength is also great.

In anything in the world, if women do not take part, it cannot be accomplished.

If we fight Japan without women’s participation, we cannot succeed. In the production campaign, without women’s participation, it also will not work.

No matter what the matter is, without women, it absolutely cannot succeed.

Women have strength, but they must also unite in groups.

Without groups, this strength is scattered and fragmented; people’s hearts are each minding their own business. This is called disunity of heart and lack of combined strength. With groups, hearts align, strength is united, and then we can work together with one heart and combined strength to accomplish great things.

“With hearts united, mountains can be moved.” This speaks to the principle that uniting in groups brings strength.

Now let us look: Have our women compatriots across the nation formed women’s groups? There are some, but very few.

In our Border Region, there are somewhat more, but in other parts of the country, they are very scarce, and in many places, there are none at all.

Therefore, the 225 million women compatriots nationwide have not shown the strength they should possess in the great national war of self-defense.

We must now hold meetings, give speeches, write articles, and conduct propaganda to call upon women compatriots nationwide to join mixed-gender groups, organize their own women’s groups, join the self-defense forces, and so on. Moreover, we call upon all women who are willing to and firmly struggle for communism to join the Communist Party. In this way, tremendous strength can be generated.

For example, among the two million people in the Border Region, if one million women all unite in groups, this strength becomes immense. If the 225 million women compatriots nationwide all unite in groups, this strength becomes even greater. If the one billion women in the world all unite in groups, and all understand world affairs and the principles of the world, their hearts aligned, then they become an even more majestic force. Whoever dares to bully them will be destroyed before them.

In sum, we must form good groups, form all kinds of groups, from small groups to large groups, using small groups to build large groups, aligning hearts and intentions, gathering strength to wage the great struggle.

This struggle is certain to achieve victory.

There are two kinds of people in the world today: good people and bad people.

Those who help us and sympathize with us, such as the Soviet Union, the oppressed nations of colonies and semi-colonies, and the oppressed workers and peasants in various capitalist countries, are good people.

Those who bully and invade us, such as Japanese imperialism and other imperialisms, are bad people.

In China, too, there are good people and bad people: workers and peasants, all progressive anti-Japanese elements, are good people—they want to resist Japan and advance. Those traitors are bad people—they do not want to resist Japan but surrender to it. There are also some die-hards, also bad people—they do not want progress but want to oppress progressive forces.

Now the Chinese people, men and women alike, are being bullied by the bad people of the world and of China, and are under layer upon layer of oppression.

First, there is the oppression of foreign imperialism, especially Japanese imperialism. Next, there is the oppression of traitors, die-hards, corrupt officials, and local tyrants and evil gentry. But our women compatriots face an additional layer of oppression—oppression from men. For example: men who beat their wives; those who look down on women; those who say women have no ability and do not let them manage state affairs; or those who hire women workers to do the same work as men but pay them less.

Naturally, this discrimination is social discrimination, not a problem between the sexes. This oppression is social oppression, not a problem between the sexes either.

Therefore, we, the Chinese people, men and women alike, must rise up to oppose the oppression of foreign imperialism, and oppose the oppression of traitors, die-hards, corrupt officials, and local tyrants and evil gentry. And women compatriots must stand up themselves even more to break that kind of social discrimination and social oppression.

Women must have freedom and equality, just like men.

Such words have been spoken around the world for several hundred years already, but how many places have actually implemented them? Across the world, apart from the Soviet Union, which other country has truly implemented them? In China, talk of demanding equality between men and women has also gone on for many years. But across the country, apart from the Border Region, where else has implemented it?

It is very clear that women’s liberation is closely linked to social liberation. The women’s liberation movement should exist as a component part of the social liberation movement. Departing from the social liberation movement, women’s liberation cannot be achieved. At the same time, without the women’s movement, social liberation is also impossible.

Therefore, to truly achieve social liberation, we must mobilize the broad masses of women to participate. Likewise, to truly achieve women’s own liberation, women must definitely participate in the struggle for social liberation.

The national-democratic revolution in modern China has been waged with guns from the very beginning, and it has now been going on for a hundred years.

But over these hundred years, every revolutionary struggle, after being fought repeatedly, ultimately ended in failure.

So, will this time fail again? Will fighting Japan end in defeat again? Will the whole nation suffer again? Will we again be subjected to the oppression of imperialism, the oppression of traitors, the oppression of die-hards, and the oppression of corrupt officials and local tyrants and evil gentry?

I believe this revolution will not fail, and fighting Japan will not end in defeat.

This struggle is different from the struggles of the past hundred years. All previous ones failed, but this time it is certain to win.

Why is that? Because this time, Japanese imperialism has invaded, occupying much territory. For China to survive, we must drive it out. We must persist in the War of Resistance, resist to the very end.

The great majority of people across the nation are in favor of resisting to the end, while a minority of wavering elements—who in the past prevented the broad masses of the people from joining the anti-Japanese united front—have now been gradually cast aside.

Thus, more people are joining the anti-Japanese united front. There is a united front of men and women together, a separate united front of women, and a united front of children.

In short, the united front is growing day by day, groups are growing day by day, people’s hearts are aligning day by day, and strength is strengthening day by day.

Fighting on like this, final victory is without question.

Also, because the world today is in a new era of war and revolution—an era in which the forces of socialist revolution are rising high and the forces of capitalist reaction are declining—this provides very favorable conditions for the victory of the Chinese revolution.

Thus, this revolutionary struggle will absolutely not end in failure like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the 1911 Revolution, the May Fourth Movement, or the Great Revolution of 1925–27. On the contrary, it can certainly achieve victory.

In our Border Region, not only men can hold meetings, but women can also hold separate meetings.

Our Communist Party calls upon all men and women compatriots across the nation to hold meetings, to unite in groups—and now it especially calls upon women to rise up.

Today’s meeting commemorating “March 8” is a call, a mobilization. We must unite the great group of women compatriots nationwide; we must unite the great group of men and women compatriots nationwide.

Let everyone come and solve China’s problems: overthrow Japanese imperialism, overthrow the traitors, overthrow the die-hards, corrupt officials, and local tyrants and evil gentry, so that the Chinese nation and the Chinese people may have freedom and equality. Solve the women’s problem: break the social discrimination and social oppression that belittle and insult women, so that women may gain freedom and equality.

We want to ensure that men have no suffering, women have no suffering, no one has suffering—everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear, and work to do. We want to carry the Chinese revolution through to complete victory.

This is the call and proposition of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. All our Communist Party members across the nation, men and women alike, all endorse this proposition, uphold this proposition, and struggle for the realization of this proposition.

I hope that all men and women compatriots nationwide will also struggle for the realization of this proposition. We Communists forever stand with those who fight for freedom and equality.

Our Border Region, the common people across the country all say it is a good place. Here there is freedom, here there is equality.

So, does it have no shortcomings? Naturally, there will be shortcomings. But compared to the rest of the country, it is far better. Compared to foreign countries, except for the Soviet Union, no other nation can compare.

However, we are not complacent about this. We must still seek further progress, to set an example for the world to see, for the whole nation to see, for North China and Central China to see, and for Xi’an to see.

In Xi’an, the common people are not allowed to hold meetings; the people have neither freedom nor equality. We Communists are entirely against this.

Today, as we hold our meeting, we send telegrams across the country to show the common people there: how the common people here are managing affairs, how the women are handling things, how the common people are living their lives.

And also to show the bad people there: what tremendous strength the common people have when they unite in groups, what great strength women have when they unite in groups.

The bad people should awaken. They should no longer cling stubbornly to their illusions of “monopolizing everything for oneself alone” or “no one dares harm me.” They should no longer regard the common people as fools.

The people have ability. Their strength is the greatest. When they unite in groups, they become an invincible army that sweeps all before them, an ever-victorious force unmatched under heaven.

Comrades, what does it mean for women to have freedom and equality? It means that women have the right to handle affairs, the right to hold meetings, and the right to speak. Without these rights, we cannot speak of freedom or equality.

Our Communist Party advocates such rights. I hope comrades will all unite and come together.

Let the women of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region be the first to unite, the first to come together, and then go on to unite across the nation.

Students of the Women’s University, when you go to different places in the future, you must do things just as they are done here in Yan’an, following the good methods of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

Do it this way for ten or eight years. By then, the entire Chinese people will be able to gain liberation: the 225 million men will gain liberation, and the 225 million women will also gain liberation.

Achieving this goal cannot be done in a short time; it will take ten or eight years of effort. It cannot be done by a minority; it requires the whole nation’s population to rise up and do it. It is not something easily achieved; we must redouble our efforts.

With the redoubled efforts of the people of the Border Region, the efforts of the people of the whole nation, and the necessary time allowed, our goal can surely be attained.

Freedom and equality are before us. Comrades, let everyone exert themselves!

(According to the transcript of the speech preserved in the Central Archives.)

Notes:
(1) This is the speech delivered by Mao Zedong at the Yan’an meeting commemorating International Women’s Day on March 8.
(2) “Women’s University” is the abbreviated name for the China Women’s University, a school founded in Yan’an by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to train women cadres. It was established in 1939 and merged with the Northern Shaanxi Public School and other institutions to form Yan’an University in 1941.