World March of Women reiterates to the United Nations its demands for the elimination of poverty and violence against women, October 17, 2000

Montreal, October 31st, 2000. Having gained strength from the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of women who demonstrated under the March banner in 159 countries and territories starting last March and especially on October 17, 2000;

Having gained strength from the roughly five million signatures collected all over the planet in support of its two demands: to eliminate poverty and violence against women;

Having been received on October 16 by Messrs Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, and Kölher, managing director of the International Monetary Fund; and on October 17 by Ms. Fréchette, UN deputy secretary-general, and Ms. King, special advisor to the secretary-general on women's issues,

The World March of Women re-affirms its fundamental differences with the economic policies implemented by the World Bank and IMF and with such basic issues as the debt, structural adjustment programs, integration of a gender-based perspective, and democratization of their institutions, including the demand for transparency and accountability.

The World March of Women denounces the impact on populations, and on women in particular, of neoliberal globalization and forcefully reminds decision-makers that there will be no change at all where poverty and violence against women are concerned, unless they call into question the direction they are headed.

The World March of Women demanded from the UN and its member States concrete measures to put an end to poverty and the different forms of violence against women. It demanded genuine respect for the rights of all women regardless of their origin, their sexual orientation or their social or cultural affiliation.

Six women from countries in conflict (Afghanistan, Colombia, Kurdistan, Palestine, Rwanda and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) talked with emotion and conviction of the effects of these conflicts, particularly on the lives of women and children. They denounced the industry of death that travels from country to country in the form of arms and other kinds of trafficking. They called on the UN and member States in no uncertain terms to end complacency toward regimes that trample women's rights, toward the violation of UN resolutions and toward the arms trade.

At the end of these meetings, World March of Women participants expressed their wish to continue working together to create a truly worldwide feminist network and to have a common voice to make themselves heard at international organizations. They showed their determination to build an international civil society in solidarity that would be feminist, united, peaceful and would participate fully in the fight against neoliberal globalization that makes women poorer and sharpens the inequality between rich and poor countries, between men and women, and between privileged and non-privileged classes.

The March in numbers

On October 15, in Washington, some 2000 women and men from countries other than the United States marched with the women of that country in a rally organized by NOW, the National Organization for Women. In all, 20,000 people were there.

In New York, about 10,000 women and men joined the March and represented women all over the planet taking part in the World March of Women. Four thousand women came from countries other than the United States and Canada to participate in the world event.

Close to 100 countries were represented. Notable among the delegations were the large European contingent, energized by the success of the March of European Women, held in Brussels on October 14 and bringing together almost 35,000 women; the 250 women from Mexico, who arrived in a motorcade that set out from Chiapas; some 50 Japanese women; the large number of Native women; and the vibrant group of African women.

By October 20, 2000, the total number of signatures collected in support of the World March of Women's two demands stood at 4,736,000. Baskets of signatures were presented to the meeting held at the UN on October 17 and the remainder was delivered to the UN on October 19.