Marching On For Bread and Roses
May-June 1995,on the initiative of the Fédération des Femmes du Québec (FFQ), some 850 women from all over Québec marched for 10 days to demand concrete action to eliminate poverty. The presence of women from the global South gave two Québec women the idea of organizing a World March of Women.
At the Fourth United Nations (UN) International Conference on Women, in Beijing, China (September 1995), and following a call put out in 1996, women from around the world confirmed their interest in forming such a movement.
In 1997, the Fédération des Femmes du Québec hired a team of women to take charge of the international organization of the March: coordination, logistics, secretariat, financial record-keeping, mobilization, liaison with groups, communications, popular education, fund-raising, etc.
In october 1998, roughly 140 representatives from 65 countries met in Montréal, on the invitation of the Coordinating Committee of the March, composed of women from Québec. The two themes of the March were adopted: elimination of poverty in the world and elimination of violence against women. They were articulated in 17 international demands. Women decided that the March would begin on March 8, 2000, and end on October 17, 2000, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
In 1998, an International Liaison Committee (ILC) was formed, composed of 44 women. They would oversee preparations of the world actions. They met once again in 1999.
March 8, 2000: the World March of Woman was given its official international launch during a news conference held in Montréal, with satellite links to women in New York City and Geneva. A signature campaign in support of the demands was also kicked off. The goal was to gather several million signatures.
Throughout 2000, the national coordinating bodies created for the March drafted national platforms and organized national actions and marches. Over 6000 groups from 161 countries and territories took part in the March.
October 15, 2000: delegates from around the world gathered in Washington, D.C., for the demonstration organized by U.S. women.
October 16, 2000: in meetings with leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, a delegation of the March denounced the devastating impact on women of these institutions' policies.
October 17, 2000: 10,000 women marched in the streets of New York City, while a delegation presented the March demands to UN leaders. They demanded that the UN put an end to the situations they were denouncing. They delivered five million signatures to the UN, collected in every corner of the earth in support of the demands.
October 18, 2000: women decided to continue their collective action.
October 6, 2001: at the third international meeting of the March, representatives of the March from diverse countries reaffirmed the need to continue the March and increase its presence at anti-globalization forums. Peace was adopted as a priority. Some 89 national coordinating bodies affirmed their interest in continuing the March.
A follow-up committee was formed to coordinate actions and decisions of the March until the next international meeting.
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