Отчет о работе женотдела ЦК КПТ за июнь 1923 г. Report on the work of the CC CPT Zenotdel, for the month of June 1923

Translation

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CC Zhenotdel [Department for Work Among Women], Report on the work of the CC Zenotdel,

for the month of June 1923

The following oblasts were surveyed for the month indicated: the Turkmen and Bukhara Oblasts by Cdes. Simonova and Lyubimova, Instructor of the CC Zhenotdel, and the Samarkand Oblast by Cde. Lyubimova; the Fergana Oblast was surveyed by Krol, Deputy Director of the Zhenotdel.

(Oblast material....appended).

A single session of the Collegium was held.

A representative of the Zhenotdel was actively involved representing the CCZhenotdel at the Narkompros [People's Commissariat of Education] Congress held from the 5th through the 12th of this month and year.  The following issues were included in the resolutions: those relating to Sotsvos [Social Education]:  Throughout the entire existing system of schools for boys from the indigenous population, divisions were established for girls from the indigenous population.  Those relating to the Politprosvet [Political Education Committee]: On the organization of clubs and Red Teahouses for female peasants. On the resolution of the ChKLB [Extraordinary Commission to Eliminate Illiteracy]: Recruiting working women into the schools and establishing separate schools, at least one per uezd throughout each krai, for Muslim women. Under the resolution of the Turkprofobr [Turkestan Committee for Professional Education], at least 15 seats in professional and technical schools are to be reserved, by agreement with Narkomtrud [People's Commissariat of Labor] and the Zhenotdel; in the Fabzavuch schools [factory training for adolescents] a number at least proportional to the number of working [women] [would be reserved]; more young girls and adolescents need to be recruited. The political education committee of the KSMT [Turkestan Communist Youth] resolution stipulates organizing clubs for Muslim girls in the more heavily populated areas of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Kokand. By resolution of the Committee for Social and Legal Protection of Minors, a Central Club would be established for troubled girls where they would be trained on crafts.

Cme. Burnasheva, a Muslim working woman educated in political Marxism, was removed from the position of Director of the Samarkand Party School and appointed to work with Muslim women at institutions of higher education; primarily at the Uzbek Women's Krai Institute of Education which has up to 150 students and where this work is sorely needed.  Cme. Burhasheva was selected by the CC Zhenotdel for the newly organized Unit of Young Muslim Women Pioneers–which consists of 75 people, in order to do political work with them.

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Note: The removal and appointment of Cme. Burnasheva to the Women's Institute of Education involved significant difficulties (reports on her work are now good).

The CC Zhenotdel worked during the reporting period with the Commission to Develop Legislation under the Narkomvnudel on marriage, the marriageable age, divorce, registration of deaths, etc., relating to the indigenous population.  And also with the Commission on Physical Education.

Agitsud [propaganda plays] were run to advocate for Soviet rule in Tashkent, and women workers from the Zhenotdel were actively involved in such efforts.

Due to a lack of workers and time, efforts to use correspondence to provide leadership for the oblasts, with the exception of the ongoing census, has resulted in a single circulating letter.

Very little work has been done by the Council to Combat Prostitution, and the CC Zhenotdel has made only an insignificant contribution to this effort.

Communications with the Turkestan Bureau of the VTsSPS are being maintained through participation in Presidium sessions and the resolution of issues as required.

Report on work by oblast.

Turkmen Oblast: Four meetings were held, including one delegate meeting, one general cell meeting that included non-party-affiliated women workers; one general municipal meeting and one meeting of cell and union organizers.  Cultural and educational work, as well as practical work, is ongoing, but there is very little work taking place and it is irregular.  Weak leadership of the uezds.

Syr-Darya Oblast: The uezds have expanded by seven workers including five Muslim women and two European women.  Uezd work is weak. There have been four Collegium sessions. Practical issues have been resolved and leadership of the Oblast Committees has been strengthened. Two meetings of Muslim women have been held, with attendance of 35 and 100, including communists, Council members and women delegates.  Party discipline, the Week of the Orphan Child, a husband trial and Uzbek wife killer were discussed. Work is ongoing to provide assistance to orphan children while meetings of cell and union organizers are being held. An artel-affiliated school for Muslim women was opened.  Political discussions are held three times a week in the raion Muslim women's school. Preparations are underway for setting up nurseries for women transportation workers in Tashkent.  Efforts are being made to organize a sewing workshop in Chimkent; a school is also operating there; at L.V.[?] a school for 17 Muslim women and a school for European women. In Kazalinsk, European women are being recruited to a common school where there is a joint Zhenotdel/KSMT club. The Zhenotdel receives a European and a Muslim newspaper and distributes [them] to the women.

Samarkand Oblast: Work has begun on the Preservation of Motherhood and Infancy Program. Correspondence has been established with the uezds. The arrival of uezd Party Committee secretaries has been utilized to conduct training talks and tasks have been assigned.  The delegate apparatus is working well, with two European groups of 80 and one Muslim group of 100 in Khodzhent which consolidates 20 people from the nearest auls. There is a sewing cooperative consisting of 30 people in Samarkand.  The club in Khodzhent is very active; illiteracy is being eliminated and the Muslim girls are putting on theater performances. One school for Muslim girls has been opened in the old city of Samarkand.  Two political courts have been convened over prostitution. Three uezds have schools for Muslim girls. Union organizers have been assigned to all the unions. The Oblast Congress of Trade Unions has discussed the trade union work among women; there is strong participation in supporting the Week for Assistance to Invalids and in the pensioner census.  A conference of Bukharan Jewish girls with an attendance of 100 was held. A lecture was given on the women's movement at the Soviet Party School.  The uezd Zhenotdel apparatuses are weak, while leadership of the uezd party committees is terrible.

Fergana Oblast: The delegate apparatus is only operating at the oblast center. There is a sewing and sackcloth cooperative consisting of 60 people.  Cultural and educational work is ongoing at Posledgod food sites.  Efforts are underway in conjunction with the Labor Exchange to eliminate unemployment through work in the silkworm breeding industry. A home for the unemployed has been established with housing, a cafeteria and a laundry facility.  Faction and cell organizers are available. A consultation service

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at a maternity home has been established, but it is rarely visited.  There is a school and clubs for Muslim women; transportation workers visit cell and general Party meetings. Uezd workers are not effective; the primary hindrance is that they don't speak the local language.  The Oblast Zhenotdel provides poor leadership over the work of the Uezd zhenotdels.

No reports were received from the Zhetysu or Amu-Darya Oblasts.

There are no workers at the Central Department of the CPT; they need to be sent from Moscow.

Deputy Director, CC Zhenotdel, Krol