March 08, 2016

On International Women's Day 2016

On this day we remember some herstory, and honor women human rights defenders, and all those working for peace.

A History of International Women's Day:

"International Women's Day was first celebrated on March 19 (not the later March 8), 1911. A million women and men rallied in support of women's rights on that first International Women's Day.

The idea of an International Women's Day was inspired by America's National Women's Day, February 28, 1909, declared by the Socialist Party of America."... more

JUSTICE FOR BERTA CACERES, JUSTICE FOR JUVY CAPION AND HER FAMILY. JUSTICE FOR ALL WOMEN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS.

MARCH 7, 2016
From our friend Corazon Fabros in the Philippines:

"Berta Caceres was an indigenous woman leader of the Lenca people in Honduras, and a mother of 4. She has led opposition to a proposed dam on the Gualcarque river, considered sacred by the Lencas. Last Thursday, March 3, Berta was shot dead in her own home, in La Esperanza in Honduras. While the Honduran police said that it was a failed robbery, everyone knew that it was because of her relentless campaign against the dam, and for the rights of the Lenca people. Berta’s murder reinforces the position of Honduras as one of the most dangerous places for environmental rights defenders.

In 2015, Philippines placed second on a list of most dangerous places in the world for human rights defenders according to human rights group Global Witness. We then remember Juvy Capion, a B’laan woman leader from Bong Mal, Kiblawan Davao del Sur. Like Berta, Juvy was shot dead right at her home in 2012. Juvy was also a mother. But 2 of her 3 children were shot dead with her that day. She too was active in the defense of their rights as indigenous peoples over their ancestral domain, against the large scale gold mining of SMI-Xstrata in Tampakan, covering ancestral domains of the B’laan people. But while the killers of Berta were supposed to be common criminals, the killers of Juvy and her two boys, are soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The murders were initially declared as a “mis-encounter”. Just a month ago, Teresita Navacilla, 60 years old, from Compostela Valley, was shot and later died. She was a strong anti-mining activist.

The murders of these women leaders expose the kind of development that governments are pursuing – that profit from the commodification of our waters, of our minerals, and the rest of our natural resources are more important than the lives of indigenous peoples.

The impunity with which these horrendous crimes are committed suggests that corporations have become more powerful than governments.

But Berta and Juvy and Teresita, their lives as leaders and their deaths, underscore the significant role of indigenous women as frontliners in the struggle for land, for human rights, for survival, for life; and struggle against the forces that deprive them of these. For Berta, it was the multi-billion dam project. For Juvy and Teresita, it was the large-scale open-pit mining project." read more

LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights)

Current commentary: Syria's peace talks need more women at the table

Margot Wallström

the guardian, March 8, 2016

Sweden’s minister for foreign affairs is supporting women to participate in discussions to end the conflict in Syria.

Excerpt: ..."Half of the population of the world is female. We cannot have a situation where they are not represented at the negotiating table. It is also my firm belief that having women represented in the peace talks will result in more options to work with.

The empowerment of women and girls is a true example of smart politics. It transcends the divide between hard and soft security that enables effective and sustainable peacebuilding. Sixteen years since the adoption of UN security council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, we can firmly state that the promotion of gender equality is not only a matter of women’s rights, but also, more importantly, a matter of ensuring peace and security for all.

A successful peace process is not just about reaching a ceasefire. It is also about justice, education, health, reconciliation and the fair distribution of resources. No warlord can achieve this. A sustainable peace process lays the foundation for resilient institutions that promote economic, political and social emancipation for all.

Peace processes, therefore, need to be inclusive. Women must actively participate in all decision-making processes at all levels and be active in defining priorities and resource allocation, in times of peace and in times of war." ...  read more

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