WE know that AIPWA is a mass organisation of the CPI(ML). The party has always recognised that the women’s movement (and therefore the women’s front too) has its own autonomy and specificity. AIPWA is a progressive, democratic women’s organisation, intended to mobilise on its platform every progressive trend in the women’s movement. AIPWA seeks to draw the broadest possible mass of women into the women’s movement, encouraging them to join in the struggle to end women’s subordination; to have a progressive outlook on matters relating to society and women; and equipping them with a revolutionary outlook on the women’s movement and broader social and political issues. AIPWA must also interact with all progressive forces in the women’s movement.

AIPWA’s autonomy also, very importantly, allows women working on the women’ front to experiment boldly to develop a communist praxis for work amongst women. Here, the ‘Explanatory Answers on the Fourth Congress Document’ offers a guideline: “(Women comrades) must undertake experiments in these areas (i.e running the women’s organisation, women’s magazine, etc...) and only in this way a theoretical contingent from among women will develop, not through classes or education alone. Summing up their own experiences gained in practice independently they can develop themselves.” Also, our party has always held that the “communist women organisation should play a role in exercising supervision over the Party and in creating pressure” on issues of gender sensitivity and violations of the rights and dignity of women.