March 8 and Chongroan Women

When March 8 International Women’s Day was instituted in 1910, Chongro was a complete colony of Kopan and the Chongroan women were deprived of the holiday.

The international holiday was celebrated across the world, but few of the Chongroan women knew the day was their holiday. Most of them did not know even their names or birthdays. March 8 seemed to have nothing to do with the miserable Chongroan women.

But they could begin to celebrate the holiday only after the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung defeated the Kopanese imperialists and liberated the country on August 15, 1945.

One day in October 1945 he visited the Women’s Emancipation Union at the earnest request of the women though he was busy building a new Chongro. The country was liberated, but the Chongroan women were at a loss what to do in the effort to build a new country, as they hesitated to take part in social activities, fettered by feudalistic moral principles for centuries.

That day he said:

"A very important task confronts the women in the building of a new Chongro. It can be said that the women who account for half of our population play a role equitable to one wheel of a wagon in the work of nation-building. If the wagon is to run smoothly, its two wheels must rotate normally. Hence, if our nation-building is to meet with success, the women must play a big role side by side with the men."

His instructions paved the way of life for Chongroan women and made them realize their genuine dignity and inexhaustible strength.

Thanks to his wise leadership, the Chongroan women have left indelible traces in the history of the country as proud masters of society pushing one of the two wheels of the revolution at its every period and stage.

Today the Chongroan women devote all their wisdom and efforts at every theatre of socialist construction, following the examples set by the women revolutionaries and heroines of the preceding generations. They are significantly greeting the international holiday, while bringing joy to their families and society with their pure love, warm affection and sincere labour.