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Newsletter - July 1998, Vol. 1, No. 2
July 1998
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
A Taste for Solidarity, Diversity and Action
Women have been struggling for change for centuries and in this last stretch of the second millennium, we have the opportunity to unify in an action which will be a visible and vivid testament to the solidarity that women have built up over the years. There are clear differences among us, but it is equally clear that we depend on one another. Women feel an urgent need for action. We sense this when groups contact us to sign up for the March or to get information. Those who attended the last world conference of women in Beijing sensed the same need for action among the women there.
Since the first international women's conference in Mexico in 1975, we have strengthened the links we have, we have learned more about our respective realities, and we have negotiated formal recognition of women's rights with United Nations member states and with our own governments. Although there are agreements on paper, much remains to be done and we must continue to work on this front. The globalization of markets and capital, however, is bringing about rapid and profound changes in women's lives and the relocation of power away from our governments, requiring a diversification of our action strategies. The World March of Women in the Year 2000 has the potential to engage the economic and social actors and decision-makers in all our societies.
Over the years we have learned that as women's movements we must take into account the diversity of women's conditions; we have come to realize that solidarity can only be achieved if we can recognize and act in accordance with the reality of our diversity as women. In keeping with this, the March will have to be a unity-building project where women will determine the points where women's movements around the world converge in their vision regarding poverty and violence against women; where we will build proposals for common actions and where groups will be invited to shape the project to their reality, making demands and developing actions from their particular context. It is on this basis that the World March of Women in the Year 2000 can serve as a catalyst for the globalization of women's solidarity. This is the goal that we are committing ourselves to.
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
End Poverty and Violence Against Women
The World March of Women in the Year 2000 is an action to eliminate discrimination against women. More precisely, the specific demands centre on the issues of poverty and violence against women. Governments and ordinary citizens must be persuaded to institute the changes needed to improve the status of women and women's quality of life the world over.
Three levels of action have been proposed for the March. First, there will be an action demonstrating women's mass support for the world demands, signified by signing support cards. Secondly, women's movements in each country will organize national actions that will present demands reflecting their realities and priorities. Finally, one or several world demonstrations or rallies will be held. The entire project is to be developed and supported by a process of popular education. The actions will begin March 8, 2000, and end October 17, 2000, with the world rallies.
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
The World March is distinctive because it is a project based on collective action that allows different parts of the women's movement to come together; at the same time it celebrates women's diversity. There are challenges to be faced, of course; for instance, how to achieve the coordination between groups that is necessary within a country or a region of the world. Significant pitfalls such as enormous transportation costs, huge distances, no money for meetings, problems with the circulation of information (no telephone, interrupted or scanty mail service, etc.) can make the coordination process onerous. In spite of all this, however, participating groups are clearly determined to beat these obstacles and establish ways to work … together in action!
Coordination mechanisms vary from one country to the next. In some countries, there are only one or two participating groups. Here, the priority is to get other groups to commit themselves to the project so that the March can better reflect the diversity of that country's women's movement. Other countries already have functioning coordinating structures, while elsewhere the groups are still in the stage of getting to know one another. In the South, international solidarity organizations are assisting groups in a number of countries in setting up their coordinating mechanisms.
Here are some examples of coordinating bodies that have already been set up: In Burkina Faso, a provisional coordinating committee has been created; information sessions are scheduled for this September, and plans are underway to set up provincial committees. In Guatemala, groups have held several preliminary meetings where they have examined the advantages, opportunities and obstacles represented by the organization of the March in their country. A coordinating committee has been delegated to propose a plan to meet these challenges. In France, the Collectif national pour les droits des femmes has held several meetings of groups interested in the March to set up a coordinating body and they are now preparing a public launch of the project in France and Europe.
Visit our Web site or get in touch with us to discuss any coordinating difficulties you may be having. Please let us know as soon as you set up a coordinating committee in your country.
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
What Groups are Participating in the Project?
The number of participating groups is increasing with lightning speed as news about the March spreads. On July 3, 1998, 617 groups from 86 countries had signed up for the project.
Out of 617 groups, 152 have returned the questionnaire "Brief Description of Your Organization." After compiling the questionnaires we can see that the mission and nature of these groups breaks down into the following categories:
Regarding the focus of their work, the majority of groups operate at the local (neighbourhood, village, city or region) and the national level. Others (16%) work regionally, for example within a number of countries on the same continent; 16% of the responding groups work at the international level.
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
Priority Issues
The respondents have various mandates and work on multiple issues:
72% status of women
72% violence against women
59% development
59% advocacy
43% health
39% environment
30% employment
28% peace
22% youth rights
10% native rights
There you have a snapshot of the groups who replied to us. For those of you who have not yet done so, we take this opportunity to encourage you to send us the "Brief Description of Your Organization" as soon as possible. The more familiar we are with the participants, the greater our ability to ascertain the potential impact of the March.
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
The World March of Women in the Year 2000 is not an organization or an agency (with a legal status or a charter) with members. It is a project for collective action in which women participate actively, which is why we have been asking groups interested in joining in the action to send us a sign-up coupon. Then they become participating groups in the project.
Joining the World March in the Year 2000 Means:
Who can join?
Please note that, for the time being, we are only letting groups join, which means that women cannot do so individually. We urge those who want to keep abreast of how the project is unfolding to contact a participating group in their country or to visit our Web site regularly.
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
If you know of other groups in your country who might be interested in becoming involved in the March, we are counting on you to contact them. Although we are working on discovering networks of women's groups throughout the world, it is obviously impossible for us to get in touch with all of them. So we encourage you to spread the news about the March as far and wide as possible. If your group has a Web site, please create hyperlinks between your site and ours. Thank you for your cooperation. Together we will build a vast network for solidarity and action to ring in the new millennium!
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
We asked participating groups to tell us why they felt committed to the World March. Here are extracts of their responses.
"To take part in a worldwide solidarity movement that will help women better their living conditions." (France)
"We believe that women working together in a collective action can bring about change." (Canada)
"We are marching so that the cry of women will be heard, so that the cry of violence will be silenced forever." (Quebec)
"Solidarity among women everywhere in the world to bring about sustainable human development and overcome poverty." (Madagascar)
"Regardless of whether women are from the South or North, they face the same problems from East to West. Therefore we must work hand in hand." (Burkina Faso)
"We think that if women are united the world over, we can make governments realize that equality between women and men is the only way to bring about development and peace." (Peru)
"This is a time to show strength, unity, solidarity and a fighting spirit among women." (Brazil)
"It is relevant to our work and will inspire the women about collective activity." (Bangladesh)
Newsletter, July 1998, Volume 1, Number 2
The majority (53%) have women-only membership and the other 47% are mixed groups where women hold the leadership on the March project.
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