Women in Global Action

Like its counterpart the Comité mondial contre la guerre et le fascisme, the Comité mondial des femmes contre la guerre et le fascisme (CMF), established in 1934, was formed with the support of the Communist International. It sought to garner support from a broader range of women holding left-leaning but non-Communist views. From its headquarters in Paris the CMF developed a transnational network, though the French branch itself was the largest group, with an estimated 200,000 members in March 1937.  

The CMF participated in various initiatives, but its involvement in raising support for the Spanish Republic from 1936 to 1939 was particularly intensive. Its various constituent branches engaged in fundraising, appeals to international leaders, and held meetings, protests, and exhibitions.  

Several CMF affiliates published journals; a page from the March 1937 of the French organization’s magazine, Femmes dans l’action mondiale, which had a circulation that reached as high as 100,000, is reproduced here. Entitled “The Mothers’ Cruel Exodus,” the collection of photos seeks to encourage support for the women of Republican Spain and their children. 

In significant respects, the CMF thus appealed to what might be described as traditional maternal instincts. But the organization highlighted other themes in its propaganda as well. Women were portrayed as victims of Nationalist atrocities, but also as active participants in the fight to defend Republican Spain, itself a progressive regime dedicated to protecting their rights. The magazine issue depicted here features articles about women providing medical aid and care for children, but also participating in military operations, including armed combat as milicianas, though the CMF later supported the decision to withdraw women from that role.  

Femmes dans l’action mondiale also published tributes of women who gave their lives in support of the Republic, sometimes on the battlefield or as captives of their opponents, in some cases defiantly taking their own lives. The magazine did not shy away from providing graphic depictions of the results of Nationalist violence, publishing images of children maimed or killed in bombings, a practice which its British CMF counterpart publication tended to avoid. 

The appeal of the CMF was certainly impacted by its links to Communism. There were instances of friction between Communist officials and CF leaders and affiliates who concluded that Communist parties did not make women a priority. Nevertheless, the CMF and its affiliates achieved some significant results. For instance, it was a major participant in a broader humanitarian campaign that included sheltering some 10,000 children with families in France and its colonies. 

SK