From Report to 17th Party Congress

 Stalin 1934

Women and Communism, Lawrence & Wishart, London, 1950;

We must note as a pleasing fact and as an indication of the progress of culture in the rural districts, the increased activity of the women collective farmers in social and organisational work. We know, for example, that about 6,000 women collective farmers are chairmen of collective farms, more than 60,000 are members of the management boards of collective farms, 28,000 are team leaders, 100,000 are link organisers, 9,000 are managers of collective farm dairies, and 7,000 are tractor drivers. Needless to say, these figures are incomplete; but even these figures are sufficient to indicate the great progress of culture in the rural districts.

This fact, comrades, is of tremendous significance. It is of tremendous significance because women represent half the population of our country; they represent a huge army of workers, and they are called upon to bring up our children, our future generation, that is to say, our future.

That is why we must not permit this huge army of working people to linger in darkness and ignorance! That is why we must welcome the growing social activity of the working women and their promotion to leading posts as an indubitable indication of the growth of our culture.