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myMADRE Brings You the Latest

Global Fund for Women’s Erika Guevara Rosas provides an update on this year’s XI Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encuentro.

Roane Carey, managing editor at The Nation, talks about his experiences at the anti-separation wall demo in Ni'lin in the West Bank and highlights the unwavering resistance of these villagers and the Palestinian people.

Evidence of Israel’s war crimes mounts and begs the question: When will western powers and their allies be held accountable for war crimes?

Sunday, March 22, was World Water Day. Peter Dao posted a video on UN Dispatch that illustrated the world’s water needs. Also, John Boonstra recounted UNICEF’s big publicity stunt for the Day.

Eduardo Avila, a blogger for Global Voices, talks about the ongoing feminicide crisis in the cities of Juárez and Chihuahua. Rebecca Lichtenfeld, a blogger for The Hub, confirmed that a meeting with President Calderón has been secured and outlines the actions they will ask him to take to combat the atrocities.

Robert Naiman, Senior Policy Analyst at Just Foreign Policy, addresses the four key questions that President Obama should consider in his development of a “new” strategy for Afghanistan.

What are the consequences of further militarizing the US/Mexico border? Yolanda Chávez Leyva, a historian specializing in Mexican-American and border history, proposes alternative solutions to the drug-related violence on the Mexican side.

Adrienne Germaine calls on the US to “Stand Tall for a Robust Women’s Health Agenda” in her contribution to the After the Gag Rule salon, a blogging salon co-hosted by RH Reality Check and UN Dispatch that discusses other steps the Obama administration should take to promote the health and welfare of women worldwide.

In an online forum, a group of about 55 people from around the world discuss how to better promote the Millennium Development Goal, Goal No. 5, which promises to improve maternal health care.

Participate in the annual Urban Walk for Haiti to support Partners in Health on April 4 in Cambridge, MA!

Update on Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur

The closure of 16 aid agencies in Darfur has cut off supplies of humanitarian assistance sustaining approximately 1.5 million people displaced by the conflict. Aid groups that remain in Darfur have described the resulting situation as catastrophic, with recent outbreaks of meningitis causing hundreds of deaths and threatening many more lives. 

An assessment of all three Darfur states last week revealed that the expulsion of aid agencies has left troubling gaps for 4.7 million Darfuris in crucial areas such as food, health, shelter, water, and sanitation.

For example, the Sudanese government, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and national NGOs are supplying over 850,000 people with potable water. In a mere matter of weeks, however, the materials required to provide this invaluable resource will be exhausted, and sanitary facilities will need maintenance to prevent disease outbreaks.

In March and April, the UN World Food Program will make a one-time distribution to meet the food needs of 1.1 million people. As the rainy season approaches, the availability of shelter and food supplies for hundreds of thousands of people will be compromised.  MADRE’s partner organization in Sudan, Zenab for Women in Development, has long provided assistance for women and families in Darfur and, together, we will monitor the situation closely to continue to provide support.

Deadline is Next Week! Send In Your Photos and Tell Us Who Inspires You

Earlier this month, we let you know about a campaign to honor the women who inspire you.  Here are more details from a message we recently sent out over our e-newsletter.

At MADRE, we're devoting this month to the women who have made a difference without making the news. We are celebrating the people who inspire us to want and work for a better world: our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our friends. These are the women who motivate us to continue in our work.

Help us put together a video honoring these women. Send us pictures of the women in your life who inspire you! Is it a friend, a family member, a teacher or a colleague? Even if you don't have a picture of the person, you can still send us a message in tribute and we'll create a slide for you!

In your submission, include an image, a message and the email address of the person who you'd like us to forward the video to once it's complete.

All photos, messages and email addresses should be e-mailed to madre@madre.org. The deadline for submissions is March 31st.

The pictures we've received so far have shown us the depth of appreciation that people feel for the women who inspire them, and we're excited to be building this tribute.  Join us in this project, send us your photos, and let your friends know about this collaborative effort.

A Discussion on US Occupation in Iraq after Six Years

Yesterday, MADRE Communications Director Yifat Susskind took part in a segment on the TV show GRITtv with Laura Flanders, highlighting the impact of six years of war and occupation on Iraq.  The segment also featured Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! and Dahr Jamail, journalist and author.  The video is included below:

Six Years Later in Iraq: MADRE Resources

Six years ago today, the Bush Administration launched its invasion of Iraq.  To mark this day—and to recognize the women’s movement that has confronted the US occupation—MADRE has created the following resources.

TAKE ACTION.  Demand a Withdrawal of US Troops from Iraq.  Sign this petition to President Obama and demand an end to the occupation.  The withdrawal plan he has proposed is drawn-out and incomplete, leaving thousands of US soldiers in Iraq.  MADRE joins our partners in Iraq in calling for a complete withdrawal, including the closure of US military bases and an end to US efforts to control Iraqi oil resources.  Add your name to the petition here.

The War on Iraq: Six Years of Women's Resistance.  For six years, MADRE has continually condemned the US occupation and human rights violations of the war on Iraq.  This page provides an overview of MADRE analysis and reports over those years.

MADRE Talking Points on Iraq: Six Years of "Liberation" and an Epidemic of Violence Against Women. This resources provides an overview of the major challenges Iraqi women have faced, and of the US occupation policies that have bargained away women’s rights and empowered fundamentalist forces in Iraq.

After Six Years, Some US troops Will Leave Iraq. But Where Are We Leaving Iraqi Women? In this op-ed distributed to newspapers across the country this week, MADRE Communications Director Yifat Susskind recalls the story of one young woman whose life was changed tragically by the occupation and of her work with the MADRE sister organization, the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), to confront human rights violations.

One Iraqi Woman's Story

As we approach the six-year mark since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, the story below reminds us of the consequences of US militarism and of a foreign policy that threatens women's human rights.  Yifat Susskind, one of the contributors to this blog and MADRE Communications Director, wrote the op-ed that is excerpted below.

Soon after the U.S. invasion, Fatin began seeing groups of bearded young Iraqi men patrolling the streets of Baghdad. They were looking for women like her, who wore modern clothes or were heading to professional jobs. The men screamed terrible insults at the women and sometimes beat them.

By the fall, ordinary aspects of Fatin's life had become punishable by death. The "misery gangs," as Fatin calls them, were routinely killing women for wearing pants, appearing in public without a headscarf, or shaking hands and socializing with men.

As the occupying power, the U.S. was legally obligated to stop these attacks. But the Pentagon, preoccupied with battling the Iraqi insurgency, simply ignored the militias' reign of terror.

In fact, some of the most treacherous armed groups belonged to the very political parties that the US had brought to power. By 2005, the Pentagon was giving weapons, money and military training to these Shiite militias, in the hope that they would help combat the Sunni-led insurgency.

This op-ed was distributed by the National Women's Editorial Forum.  Click here to read the full version.

International Women's Day 2009 Wrap-Up

For the past week, we've been bringing you stories and perspectives from women around the world, in honor of International Women's Day.  They not only remind us of the many challenges that women worldwide are working to overcome, but of the strength, persistence and dedication of women's human rights advocates.  Below is a list of the entries we posted this week:

• Women Stand Up for Peace and Justice in Afghanistan
• International Solidarity for Women’s Liberation in Iraq
• Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
• CODEPINK Delegation Brings Aid to Gaza
• A Global Blog Round-Up
• Women Workers from Guatemala Speak Out
• A Message from Indigenous Women in Panama

Do you have any resources to share about women's rights activism for International Women's Day?  Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

International Women's Day 2009: A Message from Indigenous Women in Panama

In Panama, MADRE works with a network of Indigenous women, working to promote Indigenous culture and traditions.  In particular, their work combats the loss of knowledge related to biodiversity and promotes the political participation of young people.

We received the message below from Florina Lopez, one of our partners in Panama, for International Women’s Day.  The English translation is included below.

Estimados y estimadas

Saludos cordiales

En primer lugar aprovecho la ocasion para extenderle un gran abrazo a todas las compañeras, por el dia Internacional de la Mujer, y motivarlas a que sigan desde sus diferentes espacios, luchando y contribuyendo con sus esfuerzos a esta causa de nosotras las mujeres indígenas, las menos visibles en todos los procesos y niveles de la sociedad en general.  Hemos obtenido avances y logros, pero ha sido por esa lucha y contribución de todas ustedes, y de las que día a día luchan contra la violencia, la discriminación y el despojo de sus tierras, territorios y recursos, y sabemos que esto no es fácil estar en este proceso, por eso desde mi corazón les agradezco y las felicito por toda esa entrega, y también a los hermanos que de una u otra nos apoyan.

Feliicidades hermanas y compañeras.

Un abrazo

Florina Lopez M
Coordinadora Regional
Red de Mujeres Indígenas y Biodiversidad

English translation:

Esteemed Colleagues:

Kind Greetings,

I would like to take this occasion to congratulate all our compañeras, for International Women’s Day, and to encourage them to continue fighting and contributing their efforts in their own capacities for the cause of us, the indigenous women. We are the least visible in all processes and levels of society. Through our hard work, we have made some advances and achieved some of our goals, but it has only been possible through your contribution to the fight and the contributions of all those other women who day after day fight against violence, discrimination, and the plundering of lands, territories and resources. We know it has not been easy. For this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and congratulate you all. I also give thanks to our brothers who, in one way or another, support us.

Congratulations to my sisters and compañeras.

Florina Lopez
Regional Coordinator
Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network

International Women’s Day 2009: Women Workers from Guatemala Speak Out

In honor of International Women’s Day, we received this statement Sandra González, a leader of our sister organization in Guatemala, the Women Workers Committee, a group formed in 1997 by a women maquila (sweatshop) workers.  The English translation is included below.

Por que estamos concientes del cambio que surge en base de la trayectoria de lucha, nos permitimos anunciarnos como voces de cambio para ti y todo el mundo, MUJER…- portadora de la paz en la  igualdad de derechos presentes en la lucha….

CUANDO EL GENERO SUENA, CAMBIOS TRAE

MUJERES SOMOS LAS PORTADORAS DEL CAMBIO  

Para nuestra organización este 8 DE MARZO DIA INTERNACIONAL DE LA MUJER TRABAJADORA, asumimos nuestro compromiso y brindarles un saludo  a todas las mujeres del mundo,  especialmente a las mujeres trabajadoras de Guatemala. Donde manifestamos nuestro sincero sentimiento en base a las luchas constantes de problemas sociales en contra de la mujer. 

Repudiamos enérgicamente el femicidio en nuestro País como en todo el mundo,  es total mente injusto hablar de Derechos Humanos cuando las mujeres estamos siendo vilmente asesinadas, otra violencia inperante es la desigualdad de salarios por desigualdad de trabajos, por la gran recesión económica mundial que afecta directamente a las mujeres. 

EXIGIMOS:
A las Naciones Unidas su intervención directa a efecto de mantener una velación constante de los tratados violentados por todos los países, pero especialmente las de lucha de conflictos arrasadores de la violación en su contra.

El Respeto a nuestros derechos humanos, Educativos, Salud, y laborales de las mujeres trabajadoras, y  así como el respeto derechos colectivos y no unilaterales. Que deben ser regidas a una amplia aplicación y una justicia real.  

Les deseamos un Día lleno de Esperanza, para el cambio de nuestras vidas, y de nuestras hijas e hijos.

Por la inclaudicable lucha y el respeto a nuestros derechos, MUJERES UNIDAS SIEMPRE EN LA LUCHA.                         

Atentamente, 

Sandra González
Comité de Barcenas

English translation:

Because we are conscious of the change that surges from the roots of the path of struggle, we allow ourselves to declare as voices for change for you and the rest of the world, WOMEN…-- carrier of peace in the inequality of rights who are present in the struggle…”

WHEN GENDER IS HEARD, IT BRINGS CHANGE

WE WOMEN ARE THE CARRIERS OF THIS CHANGE

For our organization on this 8th day of March, International Day of Working Women, we assume our commitment and offer our greetings to all the women of the world, especially the working women of Guatemala.

We work here with a sincere dedication to the constant struggles against social problems which affect women.

We deeply oppose feminicide in our country as in the rest of the world, as it is totally unjust to discuss human rights when we as women are being vilely killed.  Another important issue is the inequality of salary which results from employment inequality and the great world recession which directly affects women. 

WE DEMAND:
That the United Nations intervene in destructive conflicts by maintaining constant surveillance over the violent treatment of women, especially rape.

Respect for our rights as human beings including our right to education, health, and labor as collective and not simply unilateral. They should be governed by real justice and serious implementation. 

We wish you a day filled with hope for the possibility of change in our lives and the lives of our sons and daughters.

For the inalienable fight for the respect of our rights, WOMEN FOREVER UNITED IN THE STRUGGLE.

Affectionately,

Sandra González
Women Workers Committee

*Photo credit: Comité de Barcenas.  A young women attends a literacy training organized by the Women Workers Committee.

International Women’s Day 2009: A Global Blog Round-Up

We continue our blog series this week of International Women’s Day commentary from around the world with this: a round-up of some interesting perspectives we found on other blogs this week.

First, let’s start off with some photos, gathered by the bloggers at the Feminist Peace Network, in this blog entry, “International Women’s Day 2009: This Is How We Celebrated (Pictures From Around the World).”

Eduardo Avila, a blogger for Global Voices Online, examines the reactions of bloggers in Latin America to International Women’s Day in his entry entitled, “Americas: Celebrating Women’s Day,” with some of the following examples:

In Peru, blogger Susana Villarán also presents some alarming data about the state of women in the Peruvian region of San Martín [es]:

Es una región en la que la tasa de mortalidad materna es de 30 por cada 100,000 nacidos vivos, donde el índice de analfabetismo es muy alto en las mujeres de las zonas más pobres en el área rural de San Martín, en la que la cobertura educativa en la primera infancia es de solamente 5%, donde han elegido una sola alcaldesa, en la que los niveles de violencia física, sicológica y sexual son preocupantes…

It is a region where the maternal mortality rate is 30 for every 100,000 live births, where the rate of illiteracy is very high for women in the poorest areas of the San Martín countryside, where the educational coverage for the first infancy is only 5%, where only one woman mayor has been elected, where the levels of physical, psychological and sexual violence are alarming…

In another diverse country, Cristina Quisbert of Bolivia Indigena [es] honors the indigenous women of El Alto, Bolivia, who can be often seen with the traditional textile called the aguayo that are used to carry goods and their children:

Muchos y muchas de nosotros de seguro que hemos recorrido kilómetros y kilómetros cargados en un multicolor aguayo sobre las espaldas de nuestras madres. Hoy, como ayer, muchas son las mujeres que recorren las calles de El Alto, del área rural o de otras ciudades, ya sea trabajando o participando de las actividades ciudadanas.

Many of us surely have traveled kilometers and kilometers being carried in a multi-colored aguayo on the backs of our mothers. Today, like past days, many women walk the streets of El Alto, from the rural areas or from other cities, working or participating in other activities.

Meanwhile, Juliana Rincón Parra, also of Global Voices Online, brings us videos of International Women’s Day activities from Chile, Peru, and Nepal in her blog post, “Video: Celebrating Women on their International Day.”

Do you have any other resources to share?  Leave them in comments.