Among the daily stories of disasters, destruction and
general bad news, we want to create a space where people can
come and feel good.
Here you will find stories that make your heart sing and
you face light up. These stories are about the joys of
diversity and difference and the fullness that is the human
experience.
If you have a story that you would like to see here,
please email us
mdaa@mdaa.org.au
by Elia Varela Serra
Countries: Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican
Republic
March 8th marked International Women's Day, a major
day of global celebration for the economic, political and
social achievements of women. Latin American bloggers
have widely celebrated the date in many different ways.
From Venezuela, Curiosa congratulates [es] all
women:
… a todas esas mujeres que le echan un
camión de pierna cada día, aquellas a las
que les dijeron que no podrían salir airosas de
una enfermedad, aquellas que les dijeron que eran muy
chamas o muy viejas o muy novatas para ese cargo,
aquellas que fueron subestimadas sin saber su potencial,
aquellas que fueron ridiculizadas, aquellas que fueron
vejadas, aquellas que fueron víctimas, aquellas
que les costó y les está costando un mundo
sacar a sus hijos o a su familia adelante, aquellas que
ríen y lloran sin pena de expresar lo que sienten
y no sentirse por eso menos que nadie, a todas esas
mujeres que deben batallar con un prototipo de tetas
operadas y cuerpos “perfectos” en un mundo
lleno de eso cada día mas, a todas ustedes
mujeres, porque dentro de cada una saben qué es lo
que más las hace fuertes, lo que mas las motiva,
lo que las saca adelante.
Porque se que dentro de todas y cada una de ustedes
esta la llave, la clave, para salir adelante y mirar alto
con orgullo y decir: Nunca me subestimes, porque en
realidad no me conoces.
… all those women that have a truck on their leg
every day, the ones that were told that wouldn't be able
to overcome an illness, the ones that were told that they
were too young or too old or too inexperienced for a
post, those that were underestimated without knowing
their potential, those that were ridiculed, those that
were humiliated, those that were victims, those that are
struggling to raise their kids or their family, those
that laugh and cry without embarrassment of showing their
feelings or feeling inferior to anyone because of that,
those that have to face the model of a woman with breast
implants and “perfect” bodies in a world with
increasingly more of those, to all of you women, because
inside each one of you there is something that makes you
strong, something that motivates you, something that
makes you go forward. Because I know that inside all and
each one of you there is the key to survive everything
and look up with pride and say: Never underestimate me,
because in fact you don't know me.
Also from Venezuela, Yosmary Delgado [es] pays
a tribute to courageous women in Latin America, such as
Arlen Siu Bermúdez, am 18-year old revolutionary
student leader against the Nicaraguan dictatorship that
was assassinated by Anastasio Somoza's National Guard.
She also posts a song dedicated to her, as well as a
couple of videos honoring women.
Sara Herrera B from the Dominican Republic also pays a
tribute [es] to all the women that forged the
country: “María Trinidad Sánchez,
Manuela Diez (mother of Juan Pablo Duarte),
Concepción Bona, María Baltasara De Los
Reyes, Salomé Ureña, Juana Saltitopa, and
other courageous women that are nowadays an example in
our society”. And Malena Ezcurra [es] from
Argentina, remembers the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,
for their courage in protesting for their lost children
by themselves, tireless and without fear:
Han extendido su ejemplo de lucha acercando su
solidaridad a otras madres de desaparecidos y presos
políticos de Latinoamérica y el mundo;
participando activamente en las luchas sociales de los
que creen que un orden mundial más justo es
posible. A ellas el homenaje de cada día y el de
hoy, por la verdad y la dignidad de los pueblos.
“Nunca Más”.
They have extended their example of struggle bringing
their solidarity to other mothers of the disappeared and
political prisoners in Latin America and the world;
participating actively in the social struggle of those
who believe that a fairer world order is possible. To
them, a daily homage and also in this special day, for
the truth and dignity of peoples. “Never
Again”.
Zenia Regalado from Cuba notes that [es] there
are still many women in the world complaining about the
need for such a day, because it means that women are
still far from being regarded with equity, and he
explains the situation of feminism in Cuba:
en [Cuba] la palabra feminismo no ha
encontrado aún aceptación, si bien miles de
congéneres la llevan a la práctica en la
cotidianidad ante la ruptura de la pareja y la crianza en
solitario de los hijos, lo cual demanda de una red de
apoyo personal entre familiares y amigos para escalar las
cimas de las tres dimensiones: madre, hija, trabajadora
asalariada (sea profesional o no).
in [Cuba] the word feminism is still not used,
although there are thousands of women putting it into
practice on a daily basis after a breakup with their
partner, and having to bring up the children by
themselves, which requires a network of personal support
amongst relatives and friends to reach the top of the
three dimensions: mother, daughter, wage-earning worker
(professionally or not)
Desde dos mundos [es], quotes José
Saramago, the Nobel laureate writer, in response to women
that are wondering if such a day is necessary:
Yo escribo, Pilar escribe, traduce, habla en la radio,
cuida del marido, cuida la casa, cuida los perros, hace
las compras, hace la comida, y escribe, traduce, habla en
la radio, cuida del marido y de la casa, y de los perros,
y sale a hacer las compras, y vuelve para hacer la comida
, y escribe, traduce, habla en la radio y se encarga de
la ropa, y acoge a los amigos y sigue, incansable,
dialogando con el mundo, y dice “Estoy cansada”
y luego dice “Pero no importa”. Yo escribo.
I write, Pilar writes, translates, talks on the radio,
takes care of her husband, takes care of the house, takes
care of the dogs, she goes grocery shopping, she cooks,
and she writes, translates, talks on the radio, takes
care of her husband, and of the house, and of the dogs,
and she goes grocery shopping, and she comes back to cook
again, and she writes, and she translates, talks on the
radio, and takes care of the laundry, and she entertains
some guests and continues, breathless, talking with the
world, and she says “I'm tired” and then she
says “But it doesn't matter”. I write.
For Susana Villarán [es], from Peru,
this day is also necessary because there are still
thousands of women that are not aware of their rights and
who need to make their voice heard:
Mientras Juana e Ignacia sean maltratadas en las
comisarías y las ninguneen, mientras no entiendan
el castellano con el que les habla el policía, la
Fiscal o el Juez. Mientras Juana e Ignacia sientan
vergüenza de haber sido violadas creyendo que es su
deber, sin saber siquiera que es un delito el que comete
su pareja y que podría terminar en la
cárcel si ella lo denuncia.
Mientras ellas amanezcan y se acuesten con miedo,
habrá que seguir luchando.
While Juana and Ignacia are being mistreated or looked
down upon in police stations, while they are spoken in
Spanish, a language that they don't understand by the
police, the attorney or the judge. While Juana and
Ignacia feel the shame of being raped thinking that it
was their duty, not even knowing that the one commiting
an offense is their partner and that he could end up in
jail if she reported him. While they still wake up and go
to bed with fear, we will have to continue fighting.
Source: www.globalvoicesonline.org
Message From Unifem (United Nations, New York).
5 March 2008. This year on International Women's Day we
have an opportunity to break new ground in the struggle
for women's rights and gender equality, including the
urgent need to end violence against women in all of its
forms.
On 25 February, the UN Secretary-General announced the
United Nations campaign, UNiTE to End Violence against
Women. For more than three decades, women's rights
advocates have been working to place the urgency of
ending violence against women on every national,
regional, and international agenda. That work took a huge
step forward with the kick-off of the campaign and the
Secretary-General's personal pledge to bring in men and
world leaders. It is the kind of high-level commitment
that is so badly needed. The campaign will add value and
visibility to the efforts that governments, women's and
other civil society organizations, UN and donor partners
are making to combat gender-based violence and send the
message that ending violence against women stands on par
with other critical development goals.
In line with the Secretary-General's campaign, UNIFEM
is expanding its advocacy and fund raising efforts on
behalf of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against
Women, which UNIFEM manages on behalf of the UN system.
The UN Trust Fund is a vital complement to our work in
all regions and all contexts to end sexual and
gender-based violence in women's lives, in both conflict
and non-conflict situations. Its resource base has
expanded significantly over the last year — from
US$3.5 million in 2006 to over US$15 million in 2007. To
build on this success and capitalize on the momentum from
the Secretary-General's campaign, we have set an
ambitious goal: raising US$100 million a year by
2015.
We are also promoting a way for people everywhere to
speak out and demand an end to violence against women.
Last year, on November 25th, we initiated an
Internet-based advocacy effort, Say NO to Violence
against Women, with UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole
Kidman in the lead. Today, as more and more people add
their names, we can see a growing movement of people who
are demanding an end to violence, including governments,
UN partners and celebrities Catherine Deneuve and Hillary
Swank. The entire cabinet of Senegal, led by President
Abdoulaye Wade, has signed on; the UN Deputy
Secretary-General has lent her name; and people are
signing from every corner of the globe. The signatures
will be presented to the Secretary-General in November as
an expression of widespread public support to his
efforts.
The United Nations Campaign to End Violence against
Women comes at a time when the world's leaders are
renewing their commitment to financing for all national
development goals, including the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). As a vital part of this, the Commission on
the Status of Women, in its 52nd session, has taken up
the issue of Financing for Gender Equality. As the
Secretary-General has stated, increased resources
invested in achieving Millennium Development Goal 3 on
gender equality and women's empowerment is central to
achieving all other development goals. Investing in women
and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity,
efficiency and sustained economic growth.
In the months that follow, it is important that this
forward action on ending violence against women and
financing gender equality come together — to Finance
an End to Violence against Women.
Financing efforts that will contribute to ending
gender-based violence in all contexts is central to
financing gender equality and, ultimately, financing
development. Ending violence against women was a missing
indicator in the MDGs, owing to the lack of comparable
data. It is encouraging, therefore, that the United
Nations has also committed to assist countries in efforts
to generate the data needed to measure the extent of
violence against women and girls. Together with proven
evidence of what works and the financial and technical
resources needed to support countries to meet the
implementation challenge, there may indeed be an end in
sight to the pandemic of violence against women and girls
— and genuine progress on achieving gender equality
and women's empowerment.
UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations. It
provides financial and technical assistance to innovative
programmes and strategies to foster women's empowerment
and gender equality. Placing the advancement of women's
human rights at the centre of all of its efforts, UNIFEM
focuses its activities on reducing feminized poverty;
ending violence against women; reversing the spread of
HIV/AIDS among women and girls; and achieving gender
equality in democratic governance in times of peace as
well as war.
Source: http://allafrica.com
