by International Women’s Alliance

Close to 80 women and their allies turned out to the International Women’s Alliance meeting in New York, October 5, 2013, hosted by local member groups including the Women’s Fightback Network and Gabriela USA.

The meeting came on the heels of a successful 4th International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees that had culminated in a rally in front of the United Nations the day before.

The women were primed to talk about the pressing issues of women in the Americas and the need for international solidarity between women’s organizations within the Americas and globally.

After a short video presentation of the last March 8 rally in New York City organized by the International Working Women’s Day Coalition, the meeting chaired by IWWD Coalition co-coordinator, Monica Moorehead and began with a short slide-show orientation on IWA, its origins and history by Marie Boti of Montreal Québec, Secretary General of the International Women’s Alliance (IWA).

This was followed by Brenda Stokely, a leader of Million Workers March and IWWD Coalition co-coordinator, who spoke about the Coalition’s IWD initiatives since 2005 including paying tribute this past March to two Black freedom fighters, Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. She also pointed out the need to create a display for various communities on the amounts spent on the war and military budget that could be spent to meet human needs for food, housing and social services.

Monica Moorehead of Women’s Fightback Network (Executive Committee member of IWA) spoke about the importance of Can We Live demands like health care, education, childcare, etc. and connecting these overall demands to high-profile cases such as Marissa Alexander, a Florida African-American mother of three and survivor of domestic violence, serving a 20-year sentence for firing a warning shot at her estranged abusive husband.

Gwen Dobrow, from the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, spoke on the case of Lynne Stewart, a terminally-stricken human rights lawyer in prison for her stalwart defense of a client.

A student from the Revolutionary Student Coordinating Committee spoke about the campaign against growing militarization inside the U.S., with on-campus recruitment for the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) and the hiring of high profile former military commanders like David Petraeus to teach on campuses. This same student was arrested for a recent protest against Petraeus.

There were also representatives from Fanmi Lavalas, a Haitian group based in Brooklyn and Transport Workers Union Local 100.

Women participants got up to share their struggles: Lucia, an undocumented woman from South Africa told how an abusive husband forced her and her daughter to flee to the US; Mavie, a Filipina, talked about how she had survived human trafficking and was becoming empowered by the support of her community. Kendall Jackson from Picture the Homeless spoke about the 100,000 women and children in New York who were homeless. “The average homeless person is not a drug addict or a criminal, it is people like me and my daughter,” she said.

Jennine Ventura of Gabriela USA spoke about the Millions of Migrants mobilization which started October 2 with a flash mob dance in Manhattan, Hong Kong, and other cities and leading to a concluding event on International Migrants Day, December 18. Actions across the USA for migrant justice and legalization of the undocumented will take place while the US Congress discusses a bill for immigration reform.

Elaine Vilasper of Gabriela USA said the lack of decent jobs in migrants’ home countries that pushes them to leave to survive is a form of violence. “This is created by economic policies that try to kill our spirit,” she said.

Tess Tesalona from the Immigrant Workers’ Centre in Montreal, an IWA member organization, spoke about how IWA groups in Montreal were linking issues from members’ home countries with their conditions locally, with campaigns about mining aggression by Canadian corporations abroad and at home, and exploitation of sweat shop labour in the countries of origin and locally.

Rita Acosta of the Movement Against Rape and Incest in Montreal, a founding member of IWA, reported about the IWA member groups in Mexico and Ecuador dealing with issues like gender violence and opposing mining aggression.

Evelyn Calugay of Pinay Québec an association of Filipino domestic workers, spoke about the successful battle at the International Labor Organization to have domestic work recognized as work. “Now the countries have to adopt and apply that recognition, which is not easy. For example, Canada and the USA have yet to sign the Covenant to protect the rights of Migrants and their Families.” she said.

Marie Boti pointed out many of these issues were part of on-going campaigns underway with IWA, including the campaign against War and militarization, as the US shifts its focus from the Middle-East to Southeast Asia, accompanied by growing pressure on countries like the Philippines to build and re-activate US and foreign military bases.

A campaign to demand liberation of all women political prisoners has also been taken up by IWA internationally. The Oct. 5 meeting agreed by consensus to coordinate global IWD events in 2014, all supported by IWA.

IWA Book Project

Boti spoke about a major IWA book project, which would gather information about the issues of women and their experiences dealing with these on the ground in different regions where IWA is present.

IWA would produce a unified framework to put together data and testimonials about these issues and women’s resistance strategies, as well as input from progressive women academics. This project would be developed in line with IWA outreach and consolidation in each region. Fund-raising is underway for this project.
(NOTE: Those interested should get in touch with their local IWA groups for more information.)

Women at the meeting resolved to improve their linkages, share information on the International Women’s Alliance web site, Facebook, and send each other solidarity messages for special events.

A tool kit was made available to all, which included the Manila Declaration of Unity, the IWA Constitution and an application for membership for new groups.

Those present also agreed to move towards the establishment of a regional chapter of IWA Americas in the next year.

The upcoming visit in November 2013 of Lina Solano, an indigenous leader from the IWA group in Ecuador, Women’s Front Defenders of the Pachamama, would be another opportunity to bring together the IWA network in New York.

The meeting adjourned with a rousing chant session led by the dynamic head of International Affairs for Gabriela USA and IWWD Coalition co-coordinator, Irma Bajar, followed by a group photo.

Please see some of the photos at this link:
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Also visit the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) web site at http://www.internationalwomensalliance.wordpress.com

And Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Womens-Alliance/196144090409957?fref=ts

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