Prisoners Write on the Oppression and Emancipation of Women

Revolution receives many letters from prisoners writing on a range of topics. The following are excerpts from letters from prisoners writing about the oppression and emancipation of women. Last week we posted excerpts from prisoner letters on Bob Avakian and communist revolution.

“Speaking about humanity, women have the rights to their bodies. If they choose to have an abortion that’s her choice”

April 30, 2018

I am personally responding to your request for correspondence on the topic of International Women’s Day.

As it is my observation that today’s society is not in favor of women’s rights or women’s independence. Nor is society in favor of women being anything or becoming anything more than baby makers, sex machines who accomplish nothing more than waiting hand and foot on their husbands to come home and serve them, like slaves who will be beaten and abused.

All too often men in today’s society take grave advantage of women. The husbands, the one who is supposed to love them and care for them and protect them is often the attacker. Women are not punching bags or slaves. They are mothers, wives, students, teachers, lawyers, doctors, politicians. They have rights as well as anybody if not more rights to not be abused, degraded, demeaned, deceived, brutalized. Read more.

Read also:

Prisoners Write on Bob Avakian and the Emancipation of Humanity

April 23, 2018

Struggling for a Scientific Understanding of Women's Oppression—and Liberation

March 7, 2018

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE! ANYTHING ELSE IS THEFT!

As always, health is foundational for all Humyn happiness. So it is a must i inquire about your health and sincerely hope at the time you receive this (and beyond it) you are of sound Mind, Body, Emotion, and Spirit.

P.E.A.C.E GOD! Last year i decided to study feminism for all of 2018. To come to a more clearer and hopefully attain a scientific understanding of Winmin’s condition and the underlying causes of their condition and their struggle. I understand through the study of Brother B.A. (Bob Avakian) and the book The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State, by Frederick Engels that the enslavement, oppression and exploitation of Winmin come into existence as a result of the rise, development, and evolution of private property and the state. The Family is also a consequence of this. Along with its organizational patriarchal structure. Read more.

“Women across the globe are saying, ‘Time’s Up!’”

April 30, 2018

What we are witnessing today are generations of abuses going ignored. But we can ignore them no longer. “Time’s Up!” Women across the globe are saying, “Time’s Up!” for sexism, chauvinism, machoism and all societies “ism’s” that have kept women in the society and around the world in inferior positions. Our refusal and our unwillingness to listen and take action has created a movement that will no longer be ignored.

We are at a critical moment in history. This moment is exposing what happens in a society and to a society who has a history of denying its citizens equal rights and protections. From music, to arts, to entertainment, to education and sports, women have been systematically denied equal access, rights and employment. Lives and careers have been affected and ruined. But not only that, as a society we are all “affected and ruined” by oppression and abuse. Our advances, our growth, our creativity, and our potential as a nation depends on us elevating women to their true position so that we can realize the best of who we are and what we are. Oppression and abuse are diseases that affect the society and stunt our growth. Read more.

Women prisoners working in a chain gang, Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo: AP)

Get the Special Prisoners Issue of Revolution into the Hands of Women Prisoners! Donate Now HERE

Revcom.us announced last week the publication of a special issue of Revolution newspaper for prisoners, featuring the text of a talk by Bob Avakian (BA), THE TRUMP/PENCE REGIME MUST GO! In The Name of Humanity, We REFUSE To Accept a Fascist America. A Better World IS Possible. There is nothing like this speech in laying bare the roots and dynamics of the Trump/Pence fascist regime moving to consolidate power—and the need to drive it out, for the future of humanity and the planet itself. And the speech is a way for people to “get to know and meet” BA, the most radical revolutionary alive and the architect of a new communism, a whole new framework for human emancipation.

The film has been online at revcom.us—and now, with the special issue, prisoners will be able to read this crucial speech. Funds are urgently needed to get the BA speech to as many imprisoned people as possible. And we need many revcom.us readers to not only contribute, but to be a part of raising this money.

As part of the efforts around this special issue, Revolution newspaper needs to get into the hands of many more women prisoners. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world—and a third of the female prisoners in the world are incarcerated in the U.S. While the number of women prisoners in the U.S. is rising fast overall, Black women are incarcerated at double the rate of white women. Think of the real difference it would make if this special issue of Revolution were read by hundreds of women prisoners—if there were many more regular readers of Revolution and readers of the works of BA not only in men’s prisons but also among women behind bars. This is all the more reason to contribute to the effort to raise funds for the special issue. And if you know of sisters behind prison walls who should get Revolution and the works of BA, urge them to write to the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund to request a free subscription.

West Coast reader: I’m Contributing to Get BA’s Talk To Prisoners

Last fall I heard about Bob Avakian’s talk on driving out the Trump/Pence regime. I was hoping that it would address two things: “How did we get in this situation?” and “Is this really different or will it start to feel normal after a while?” The first question was gone into in detail with historic background leading up to the situation we are in today, it was very illuminating and exposed bare ideas taken for granted that prevent political progress towards sanity and human rights. Since November, when I viewed this, the second part has gotten even worse as people are numbed to ever more outrageously criminal plans being concocted by our “leaders.” Avakian dealt with this issue specifically as well, and so I’m going to refresh myself with another viewing to try to shed some of the cynicism that does build up (much to the ruling class’s glee). Overall, seeing a person who truly cares about the vast majority of people is extremely refreshing, to say the least. As a counterpart, Bob Avakian’s knowledge and justifiable hatred of the systematic evil being spawned in the name of this country is really something to experience. I recommend it, and will once again contribute financially to the distribution of his talk.

Click for enlargement (PDF).