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Newsletter - July 2000, Volume 3, Number 4
Newsletter, July 2000,
Volume 3, Number 4
BEIJING +5
PLANET NEWS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION OCTOBER 17: ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD OTHER NEWS
Newsletter, July 2000, Volume 3, Number 4
BEIJING +5
Several members of the World March team were in New York to attend the UN conference held to evaluate the Platform for Action adopted at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Numerous members of the International Liaison Committee and national coordinating bodies were also present during that week (June 5-9 2000), enabling discussion among ourselves as well as increasing the visibility of the March inside and outside the UN. Consequently, the World March was invited to participate in a rally on Thursday June 8, in Dag Hammarskjold Park, facing the UN. Around 200 women publicly stated their fear that the final text of the Conference would constitute a step backward from the platform adopted in Beijing. They demonstrated in song, speech, slogans and brightly coloured T-shirts. Indeed, at that moment, news from the negotiating rooms was not good. The presence of approximately 3000 women from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) the world over helped to contain the damage. The language of the Beijing Platform for Action concerning reproductive health and women's control of their bodies was thus maintained. The final text enjoins States to enact laws condemning forced marriages, marital rape and so-called "crimes of honour." The impact of globalization on women was also touched on.
On Friday, June 9, five NGOs were invited to address the closing plenary of the special UN session. Françoise David, president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec and spokeswoman of the World March of Women in the Year 2000, represented the regions of Europe and North America. She insisted that governments must make "an unshakable commitment to put into place concrete measures to achieve equality for all women." She denounced growing poverty among women, unemployment that affects so many of them, and the prostitution networks that exploit and humiliate them. She denounced war and all forms of violence against women and called for another conference to be held in 2005. Last, she called on women to mobilize for the World March.
Indeed, the text that was finally adopted at the New York meeting is not a reason for us to stop mobilizing. Many of our demands are more relevant than ever. The March continues, as do the actions it inspires; and solidarity continues to build.
Main activities in June
France
Québec (Canada)
Switzerland
Main activities in July
Philippines Contact : World March of Women c/o Gabriela (National Alliance of Women's Organizations)
#35 Scout Delgado St; Bgy. Laging Handa, PO Box 4386, Manila, Philippines 4800 ; TEL :63-2-374-3451/3452/2302;
FAX :63-2-374-4423 ; @ : gab@info.com.ph
Pan-African Women's Day
CAMEROUN : Comité de pilotage de la Marche mondiale des femmes a/s Ruth Ekout Aboui Beyeme : B.P. 10029, Yaoundé, Cameroun ; TEL: (237) 22-31-13 / 22-21-02 ; FAX: (237) 21-62-60
@: marchemondiale@gcnet.cm
MALI : Coalition malienne des associations et ONG féminines pour la Marche mondiale des femmes en l'an 2000 a/s APDF : BP 1740, Bamako, Mali ; TEL: 223-29-10-28 ; FAX: 223-29-10-28
@: apdf@datatech.toolnet.org
RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO : Cause Commune a/s Marie Madeleine Kalala et Marie Ange Lukiana : n° 167, Avenue de l'Enseignement, Kinshasa, Commune de Kasa-Vubu, R.D.C. ; TEL: 243-88-01681
@: causecommune@hotmail.com
World rally in New York, October 17, 2000
October is fast approaching. We now have information concerning the world rally in New York on October 17, 2000. This is provisional information, and should not be widely distributed (other than to participating groups) right now, as many decisions have yet to be finalized. We will be sending you definitive information as soon as we have it and information will also be available on our Web site: www.ffq.qc.ca/marche2000
Time and place of the rally
We will deliver the signatures gathered from around the world to the United Nations headquarters, thereby underscoring the global dimension of the March. The signatures will appear on numerous formats, representing the diversity of women's movements. The details of how the signatures will be presented have not been completely worked out. The Action-Education Committee is thinking of using the symbolism of silence and noise to illustrate our demands.
In addition, the political delegation of the March (you will find more information on the composition of this delegation below) will meet with Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations. The time of this meeting is still to be confirmed.
We are looking for informal and inexpensive ways to allow marchers to stay together after the rally, facilitating further exchanges during the evening.
Funding
Visas
Travel
By bus or car: parking spaces will be designated at a later date for cars and buses bringing groups.
U.S. rally in Washington, October 15, 2000
In addition to going to the world rally in New York, we encourage women to go to Washington to participate in the American women's rally, to be held two days earlier. The rally will start at 11 a.m., October 15, in Washington's Freedom Plaza. A march will follow. An international action is planned outside the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The exact schedule is to be confirmed. For more information, you can visit the American World March Web site at www.worldmarch.org/
For all international participants at the Washington rally: a preparatory meeting is planned for October 14 to inform them of their particular role during the October 15 rally and to transmit logistical information about both rallies. Please note that except for the March political delegation, everyone is responsible for their own travel arrangements between Washington and New York. Additional information about different methods of travel will be provided soon. Washington has three airports: National Airport (the closest to downtown), Dulles Airport and Baltimore Airport. International flights arrive at Dulles Airport.
World March of women political delegation
According to the consensus reached during the November 1999 work session of the International Liaison Committee, the political delegation of the March will be reflective of its participating groups and representative of women's diversity; its composition will include:
With respect to the meeting between the political delegation and Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations: while we have received a confirmation, we still do not have details of the meeting (time, etc.). The president of the World Bank and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) received our letter requesting a meeting on October 15. The IMF has sent us a letter confirming reception of our request, however we have yet to receive confirmation that meetings will take place, either with the WB or with the IMF. In order to increase the pressure for these meetings we have asked members of the ILC and national coordinating bodies to fax letters to these institutions in support of our request.
ILC members are participating in the Action-Education and a Strategy Committees via e-mail. These committees are developing and planning the world actions and meetings with the World Bank, IMF and United Nations.
To be sure, the October 17 rally is the grand finale, with the presentation of the signatures, but at the same moment, women wherever they are around the planet will be united, celebrating the World March of Women. They will reaffirm their determination to win progress on both their national and international demands. We know that those of us who will be in New York and Washington will only be a small percentage of the women who have been mobilizing globally, and who will be acting collectively—if at a distance—in feminist solidarity with and for women everywhere. We invite you to organize actions—"an hour for the March"—wherever you are on October 17. We will send suggestions soon for a collective gesture or symbol to mark October 17.
Information please
-Progress of the signature campaign
-Media visibility
-Photo gallery
Newsletter, July 2000, Volume 3, Number 4
PLANET NEWS
Approximately 10,000 people marched in Paris on June 17, in response to the call of 200 regional collectives and the women's groups organizing the March in France. During the march, women expressed concrete demands to end poverty and violence against women. The demonstration ended with a big show in the Place de la Bastille. Participants were also invited to another rendezvous: the European rally, to be held in Brussels on October 14.
Contact: Coordination française pour la Marche mondiale des femmes : 104 rue des Couronnes, Paris, France 75020 ; TEL: 331-44-62-12-33 ; FAX: 331-44-62-12-34 ;
@: marchfem@ras.eu.org
On Sunday, June 4, 2000, thousands of women, men and children participated in activities throughout Quebec to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Bread and Roses March. In Montréal, a contingent of 200 cyclists rode 69 kilometres in the Tour de l'Île proudly wearing the World March of Women colours.
Contact: Coalition nationale des femmes contre la pauvreté et la violence faite aux femmes a/s Alexa Conradi, Fédération des femmes du Québec, 110, rue Ste-Thérèse #309, Montréal, Québec, H2Y 1E6
TEL: 514-876-0166 ; FAX: 514-876-0162 ; @: femmes@ffq.qc.ca
Many demonstrations were held around the country on June 14, anniversary of the 1991 Women's Strike. Equal pay for women and men workers and maternity insurance were the main demands.
Contact: Marche mondiale des femmes, Coordination suisse, Case postale 1093, Lausanne, 1001, Suisse tel : 021-351-7090 ; fax : 021-351-7091 ; @: femco@equal.ch ;site web : www.marche-mondiale.ch
Gabriela, one of the participating groups in the World March, is organising an international conference against sex trafficking of Filipino women and children, followed by an exposure tour, that will be held in Manila, Philippines on July 19-23. With the theme "Expose and Oppose Sex-Trafficking of Women and Children" - this gathering will be a venue to share data and information on the issue of sex trafficking of women and children from various researches, case studies and individual experiences. It is also a venue to come up with unities and resolutions to effectively address immediate and long-term issues regarding sex trafficking and draw concrete plan in international information and education campaign, policy advocacy and the necessary services which can be extended to the women and children survivors of sex trafficking. It will be opened with a colloquium entitled: " Beyond Numbers and Cases: Highlighting the Viciousness of Sex-Trafficking.
July 31, 2000, is Pan-African Women's Day. Groups participating in the World March of Women will be joining demonstrations and marches to take place in Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon.
Newsletter, July 2000, Volume 3, Number 4
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
We expect that the activities of October 17 will last roughly six hours, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The rally will start in Dag Hammarskjold Park. We will march in front of the UN and in the streets of New York to Bryant Park, where there will be a show. The show will highlight the victories won by the March and serve as an invitation to continue the struggle for equality, peace and justice.
Unfortunately, we cannot pay costs for travel and accommodations for those participating in the world rally in New York. Everyone must cover her own travel, accommodations and daily expenses (plane ticket, visitor's visa, food, local transport, etc.). We have sent fundraising suggestions to interested national coordinating bodies. We encourage you to work with other groups in your country to coordinate fundraising efforts for women who wish to come to New York.
We are currently discussing with U.S. women's groups (compulsory place of origin of a letter facilitating issuance of a visa to those women who need one) a process to assist women's entrance into the U.S. We cannot send individualized letters to all those wishing to participate in the New York rally (with the exception of members of the political delegation). We will let you know what the process for entry is when we get confirmations on this subject.
By air: New York has three airports: JFK, Newark and La Guardia. JFK is the international airport and La Guardia is closest to the United Nations.
-one representative per participating country (currently 155), chosen by the March national coordinating body;
-members of the International Liaison Committee (ILC);
-10 members of the World March Coordinating Committee;
-representatives of women's groups from countries experiencing particularly severe conflict (to be determined based on the current context).
Newsletter, July 2000, Volume 3, Number 4
OCTOBER 17: ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
If you can, please send us an estimate of the number of women from your country who are planning to come to New York. This way, we will have a more accurate idea of the numbers to expect and can make logistical adjustments. Please let us know also of women intending to participate in the Washington rally on October 15. Finally, all your contacts who might be useful to the organizers, whether in New York or Washington (transportation, accommodations, organization, volunteers, etc.), are welcome. Your contacts in the March team are: JC Chayer, mobilization; Martine David, popular education campaign; Mercédez Roberge, assistant coordinator and logistics.
Newsletter, July 2000, Volume 3, Number 4
OTHER NEWS
In the next weeks, we will be sending the first announcement concerning the numbers of signatures gathered so far in different countries to international media outlets. This information will also be posted on the World March of Women Web site. We are counting on you to send details on the numbers of signatures you have collected to your national coordinating body as soon as possible. If there is no national coordinating body in your country, please contact other participating groups in your country in order to coordinate your signature campaign and organize collective actions with a view to increasing your impact on the national level.
Our communications department is on the lookout for articles about the World March of Women in your city, region, country, or at the international level. Let them know also of any radio or television broadcasts.
Our Web site is growing. You can now visit our photo gallery of great March moments. You can print these photos and use them. They can be directly accessed at:
http://www.marchemondiale.org/photos/index-general.html
The site also includes a search engine enabling you to directly access specific information about your country. Bravo to Monique, our "Web mistress" for this wonderful tool!
Last modified 2006-03-23 03:08 PM
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