Women, Communism, and, the ACP By: Kayla Popuchet

10/29/2024

Women, Communism, and, the ACP By: Kayla Popuchet

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Since its establishment in July 2024, the newly formed American Communist Party (ACP) has swiftly become a hot target for anti-communist vitriol from both left- and right-wing factions. Forced to fortify its resolve in its infancy, the ACP has highlighted the contradictions of the radical liberal left, revealing them as fascists at their core. In the face of true Marxist-Leninist principles, these critics appear perplexed by the ACP’s unwavering commitment to serving the working masses, rather than engaging in endless debates over the social-identitarian issues that have long stymied the American left. This distortion of Marxism into a mere social movement, rather than the rigorous economic science it is, drives our opponents to weaponize the “woman question” and the oppression of women against our party.

In 2022, I wrote a critique in Midwestern Marx, analyzing how numerous socialist and self-proclaimed communist parties in the U.S. have failed to grasp the lived reality of American women, and consequently, have fallen short in their efforts to bring them into the communist fold effectively.

For decades, the radical left has presented prostitution, the sex trade, abortion, and gender ideology as the solutions to alleviate the struggles of working American women. Even more troubling, they have demonized and dismissed women who reject these shallow offerings, showing no willingness for self-reflection. Today, it is the American Communist Party (ACP)—and the ACP alone—that offers working women a vision of a future beyond mere tokenism and the hollow idealism surrounding womanhood. Only the ACP can put women on the Marxist-Leninist path.

The Plague of Feminism on Leftists

It is crucial to clarify that rejecting feminism as an ideology does not mean Marxists are indifferent to the role of women in society and the economy. The radical liberal left often reduces any critique of their ideology to a simplistic liberal-versus-conservative framework, but this is a profound misunderstanding. Marxists reject feminism because it misidentifies the primary antagonism as one between men and women. In contrast, we understand the true conflict to be between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Feminism mistakenly suggests that bourgeois, capitalist women share common interests with working-class, proletarian women. Even more troubling, it implies that the bourgeois woman is oppressed by the working man, further perpetuating the myth that the antagonism between the sexes is irreconcilable—that men and women are inherently and perpetually in opposition to one another.

It is unnecessary for us to differentiate between "Marxist Feminism," "Liberal Feminism," or "White Feminism" because, at its core, feminism remains a bourgeois ideology—and by extension, an anti-communist one. Feminism, in any of its forms, serves the ruling class by perpetuating the illusion that merely placing women in positions of power equates to advancing women’s interests. Much like the Democratic Party, our critics view our commitment to women’s liberation solely by the presence of women in leadership roles—whether on our Executive Board or as presidential nominees—while showing little concern for actual policies that address the economic realities of working women, let alone a meaningful analysis of womanhood.

To demand the promotion of women purely for the sake of virtue signaling is, in itself, an insult to women’s competence. It suggests that we are to fill quotas, rather than rise on our own merits and prove our capability to lead as if we are asking for a favor rather than demonstrating our readiness. Moreover, this line of thinking assumes that our male comrades are incapable of advancing women’s interests—echoing the flawed feminist notion that men and women are fundamentally at odds, like oil and water. Our critics seem to demand our appeasement as if we owe them loyalty instead of staying true to our class. They, who could never win the trust of the working woman or man, somehow believe themselves entitled to dictate our party’s direction. How laughable!

The Aversion to Womanhood and Motherhood.

To date, the socialist and so-called "communist" parties in the U.S. have failed to offer any program that addresses the real needs of working American women. Some parties have blatantly ignored the American people entirely, let alone the specific concerns of working women, while others merely follow the lead of the Democratic Party. For them, women's issues begin and end with the right to abortion and the commodification of our bodies. They reject any connection between female anatomy and womanhood, dismissing Engels' insights in The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State, where he asserts that “the first division of labour is that between the man and women for child breeding” which in turn provides the basis to develop monogamous marriage in hand with the emergence of private property. This, as Engels writes, becomes “the first class oppression with that of the female sex by the male sex”, inextricably linking femaleness with that of womanhood.

In the radical liberal view, womanhood is reduced to a subjective feeling, something one can opt in and out of—completely detached from any material foundation. This inability, or unwillingness, to define and understand the material basis of womanhood puts these parties fundamentally at odds with any real representation of working women.

In 2023, the U.S. experienced historically low birth rates, as economic conditions have made it nearly impossible for many women to raise children and for families to grow. Instead of addressing this crisis, radical liberals and their left-wing allies, in lockstep with the Democratic Party, focus solely on defending the right to abortion, ignoring the economic realities that make motherhood unattainable for many. They do not believe in the right of women to motherhood—nor do they address the fact that many women feel forced to terminate pregnancies simply because they cannot afford to raise a child.

This is not to suggest, however, that motherhood and domestic labor should define the entirety of a woman’s aspirations. In socialist societies, women have been and continue to engage in the shaping of culture, sciences, politics, industry, leadership and beyond. Reactionaries attempt to limit women to the confines of the home, while liberals often dismiss the significance of the home altogether. In contrast, we affirm that working women hold vital roles in both spheres.

Only the American Communist Party (ACP) offers a comprehensive program to tackle the economic hardships that make starting a family and securing a home nearly impossible for young working Americans. With policies like canceling all debt, implementing extensive land and housing reforms, and nationalizing healthcare, the ACP addresses the root causes of these challenges. At a time when the U.S. has more college-educated women than ever before, rents are skyrocketing, and the average cost of childbirth exceeds $19,000, these policies offer real solutions for young families and women. Rather than limiting the conversation to pro-abortion slogans, the ACP provides a true choice—a path that empowers women economically and socially.

The women of the ACP have no need for hollow photo ops, grandstanding speeches to like-minded crowds, or other empty symbols of representation that our critics seem to value. Our women are on the ground, helping families feed themselves and secure internet access in Appalachia, they are providing clothing to homeless and battered women in New York’s Catskills. Feminism’s view of women’s liberation insists that to lead, women must mimic men, adopting a masculine façade that feels unnatural to us. But the women of the ACP—like all working American women—are leading in our homes, caring for our families, and nurturing our communities. The brand of feminism championed by leftists has failed, proving itself an ally of the ruling class parties. We have no interest in following their path to answer the woman question.

We are forging a new path for our compatriots. We, the women of the ACP, are the true communist women - the New American Women.

Author

Kayla Popuchet is a Peruvian-American from New York City with a background in Latin American history and Slavic studies from City Universities of New York system. She currently works in housing law, dedicated to advancing social fair housing policies in Manhattan and the Bronx. She is also a member of the American Communist Party.

Women, Communism, and, the ACP By: Kayla Popuchet

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