World March of Women

A girl jumping on the world with the word "equality" to us means fighting for womens rights. It symbolizes going against a pathriarcal system oppressing women. Overall it also symbolizes being against imperialism, racism and for socialism and solidarity.

The patch from Sweden talks about the nordic light, which is a famous light that exists in various paintings all over the world, mostly up here in the north of course. It also talks about the clean, crisp air up here and the pale sun we do not see as much as in the south.

The patch is made out of three bedsheets: one from my grandmother, with her initials and number in red. It is a handwoven linnensheet and we gave them numbers so that we could see that all of them were back after
the washing. The next, with white handmade embroideries, is a weddingsheet from my mother's generation, used on the weddingnight and the third is the light green sheet, in very thin cotton, that my mother had
made to me when I was leaving home. It has her handmade lace, made in a special way we call "knyppling" (threads on wodden sticks, woven around each other with help of needles in a cushion). I used it when I lived away from my family for the first time. Now they are all worn out but still exist in the WMW-quilt!

Gudrun Tiberg

Meaning of the Dutch Quilt,
Made by Caroline Looman, of Women for Peace

Earth, the basis of our existence. Gesture at the bottom left is the gesture for one but also for attention,
look out, take care. We only have one earth: let's take good care of it.

Wind, breath of our life. Gesture at the top left is the gesture of zero, but also of fine and excellent. Without air, we cannot live, we are nothing.

Fire, which warms and lightens us. Gesture at the top right is the gesture for two. Fire depends on supply and
wind. We are also dependent. It is also the gesture for the letter V, for peace and victory.

Water, which quences our thirst. Gesture at the bottom right is a gesture for good. Good drinking water for
everyone. Bringing the thumb to the mouth represents drinking.

The Heart. Essentially, we all depend on earth, wind, fire and water. With love in the heart, life in joy, friendship and peace with all people. Yellow, red, black and white people and all colours in between. Conscious of the (seven) generations that will follow.

EGUZKILORE.
When darkness reigned on the earth, the human beings begged Mari (the Mother Earth) to help them to fight against all the evils which threathened them. Mari, hearing these petitions, gave birth to her daughter, the Moon. The human beings celebrated her light but it was not sufficient to fight against the evil. Then the human beings once more asked Mari to send something to them which would give more light there which could overcome darkness. Marimade her second daughter, the Sun (in the Basque culture, Sun is female). And thus was born the day.

Therefore, no malignant spirit the human beings during the day. But, when night fall, the evil appeared and continued to threathen the people. Consequently, they asked Mari to give them something to fight against the evil during the night.

"... That's fine. I will create a so beautiful flower that, just seeing it, the malevolent beings will believe that it is the sun itself... "and Mari gave them Eguzki Lore [ egúski lóre; Sunflower, is the flower of the cardoon (Carlina Acaulis) ].

Since then, we put some at our doors to protect us. The Sun and the Moon are female divinities, girls of the Earth (Mari), in which the days go after their race in the Sky.

EGUZKILOREAREN BABESPEAN BAT EGINIK, BIDEAN AURRERA

"We walk and we grow, united, under the protection of EGUZKILORE"

We received the World March of Women, represented by a young tree with deep roots and protected by the women (represented in the leaves) and, all together, we walk and grow under the protection of EGUZKILORE. This piece was made by 45 women during a workshop of the municipal workshop Xenpelar de Orereta.

Thus goes our small piece of quilt, flying with the wishes and dreams of thousands of women. Our square carries the earth and water, because the earth and the sea are our country and we, women of the March, walk on this ground with the hope to transform it day after day.

Meaning of the Portuguese Square for the Patchwork Quilt

The Portuguese Square was conceived and produced by Ana Salazar, one of Portugal’s most popular and influential fashion designers.

This is the speech given by Ana Salazar when she presented the square to the public and the media at the World March of Women press conference in Lisbon on 16th May 2005.

The production of the square for the Patchwork Quilt which represents the values of the Women’s Global Charter for Humanity was the contribution of my team to the World March of Women. I would like to thank the Portuguese Coordination of the March and the organisations which are a part of this Coordination for having invited me to participate in this global movement of solidarity.

The Women’s Global Charter for Humanity contains 31 affirmations related to each one of the values of the March. For “Freedom”, a central value for our lives as individuals who are part of societies, there is an affirmation (nr. 4) which states: “Women are free to make decisions about their body, fertility and sexuality. They have the choice about whether they will have children.”

The spirit of my collections and my work has always been that of the free expression of the female body. The Ana Salazar lines of accessories and clothing have been inspired by an idea of a woman who is free, who knows what she wants, who loves herself and, therefore, at the core of my work there has always been the image of this woman who, loving herself, dares to fight for whatever she desires. Everything happening in society has a decisive influence on this woman and this square of the Patchwork Quilt is a reflection of that. Each image in the square represents a certain mood, a state of mind, and it is inspired by the spirit of solidarity which has brought the World March of Women to life and which makes it live after all these years of global activism.

I would like to end this with another affimation taken from the Charter: “Democracy is rooted in freedom and equality.”

Thank you, Ana Salazar

Our patchwork quilt represents diversity of womenhood, which may consititute a harmony altogether. It is composed of small pieces of fabrics which women wear. Whereas it demonstrates local and cultural diversity, it does not abandon universal values. Therefore, a Hittite Idol symbolizing productivity and fertility was placed at the center. The Hittites were an ancient society respecting human rights and gender equality, reminding our egalitarian past. Idol itself implies sisterhood and solidarity. Our patchwork quilt tries to combine universal values with cultural diversity and local and historical experiences of our society. There is a blue bead on it to protect our good intent from bad eyes.

Patchwork Quilt - United States of America

"Our Square Quilt has several meanings. The map of Cuba shows the love with the fatherland. The royal palm tree, tree which shows the sovereignty of the cuban people is a symbol of the "cubanity" and defense that each Cuban brings to its fatherland. It means the fight against the blockade of the imperialism which is each time more aggressive, but we do not fear it, on the contrary we are ready to face it to defend our conquests.

The image of the woman shows a hard-working woman, who can be mother, spouse, but with self-respect, joy and the decision to defend the Revolution which gave its dignity to cuban women. The Federation of the cuban women is the organization which gathers the majority of Cuban (86 % of the girls of more than 14 years). It is allied with the International Federation of the Women and the World March of Women to fight in favour of the equality, the development and peace.

Number 5 means the fight for the release of the five cuban prisoners unfairly held in the United States."- Tamara Columbie, WMW, Cuba.

The square made by the WMW in Colombia was and is a symbolic process of cultural building meaning that the women must give a direction to their life and their identity. That comes from the women themselves, of the so various women who live in Colombia: Andean, caribéennes, urban young people, old country-women, craftswomen, having completed artistic work or not, having political ideas.

The development process of the square continues, thus each time that a new area integrates the March in Colombia, it will add an element to the quilt, showing its adhesion with the philosophic and theoretical principles of the March. The WMW in Colombia and in the world will continue if each time the dreams and perspectives of each corner of the world are added.

The pattern expresses the dreams of the women of living in a healthy community, under better conditions and better quality of life, free of pollution, in a community organized without any form of discrimination, where one fights to build a more human world based on the principles of equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. A world where we enjoy the full exercise of the human rights, a world free of exploitation, of exclusion, which respects the diversity of the cultures and plurality

We made our square on March 8, 2005, before the March launching the international action of the WMW in Sao Paulo. Women who had travelled all over the country, coming from 16 brazilian States, participated at a collective workshop. They read the different sections of the Charter and came up with symbols, forms and colours.

Our square expresses the women’s hopes and fights of women who came to São Paulo on March 8, 2005, to launch the Women’s Global Charter for Humanity through the world. Its is the symbol of the construction of the March as a social movement and is the vivid memory of the day we took to the streets and held the biggest and most wonderful feminist demonstration of brazilian history.

This Norwegian piece for the patchwork is made by Marianne Mareno, a handicapped artist living with cerebral palsy.

Patchwork Quilt - Islamic Republic of Iran

Our quilt square illustrates our hope that each woman act as the creator of life and enlightenment (the sun), peace(the sitting posture) and harmony(playing flute).The five pigeons state for the five values contained in the WMW Charter: equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace.

This work was ispired by "LA GRANDALLA", a flower that represents our country. I tried to reflect, through the colours and the form, the feeling of being happy, optimistic and the fighting spirit of our group. The big petals are the embracing full of solidarity towards all of the women thrgouhout the world who, as we do, fight for human rights, equality, tolerance and respect.

I hope yoy like this square because these are the feelings I wanted to transmit.

Ana Anolitnez, Artist.

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