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Solidarity with women from Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)

11-03-2011
We are concerned with the current situation in Ivory Coast (Côte d’ Ivoire).

In November 2010 there were elections for president in Ivory Coast with controversial results. Alassame Ouattara, recognized by the international community as the winner, could not take office because Laurent Gbagbo, the current president, refuses to leave the power.

Last 3rd March, a woman's group allied to Ouattara organised a peaceful demonstration with 15.000 people to intensify pressure for a solution. Gbagbo forces opened fire to the crowd. Six women were killed on the spot, a seventh died in the hospital and about 100 were wounded.

On March 10, in collaboration with other women's organizations, WMW in Ivory Coast held a sit-in at St. Paul's Cathedral, in Abidjan, to say no to war and to the killing of women.

Click to read the statement they have made on the 4th March: in French and Spanish.

Below, follow a call that we sent to the African Union (AU) as requested by the WMW in Ivory Coast. We invite all of you to send messages to support it to:

Mme. Soyata Maïga – AU Gender Commissioner. Email: soyatam@yahoo.fr
Dr. Dia Mamadou - Responsible for Political Affairs at the UA. Email: mamadoud@africa-union.org

World March of Women International Secretariat

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To the African Union

We want to echo the request of our Côte d’ Ivoire sisters who have asked us to raise awareness of all women in the world about what is taking place in their country.

The tension increased after the election and is degenerating into a war against the poor which includes the bombing of neighborhoods of the city Abidjan. Most people who died in the conflicts are women because they continue to mobilize and to be on the streets. Most displaced people in the west of the country are women as well.

Our call is in order to cease fire against women. Let people make protests and express their will and positions.

Our call is to draw attention to the displaced people, especially pregnant women who are trying to give birth without the minimum conditions.

We condemn war and armed clashes and we call for a negotiated solution to the conflict.

We call to the African Union to accelerate the process of negotiation, lobbying to stop the killing of innocents and act in order to allow that people of Côte d’ Ivoire fashion their own destiny.

World March of Women

São Paulo, March 11th, 2011

Last modified 2011-03-14 02:26 PM
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