The World March of Women

The World March of Women dates back thousands of years. We have come a very long way and have yet to reach our destination.

We have never been silent: our words have been ignored. But nothing has stopped us. Nothing will stop us.

Manifesto written by Hélène Pedneault, read on October 14, 2000 at the

national gathering in Montreal of the World March of Women

A brief history of theWorld March of Women

Women on the march until we are all free!

1995 The genesis: The Bread and Roses March

May 26 to June 4, 1995: 850 women march to Quebec (200 km)

9 demands to combat poverty (bread) and improve quality of life (roses)

Important gains:

Increase in the minimum wage (increased to $6.45, still not enough to reach the poverty level, $8.45 needed)

Important gains (cont’d):

Adoption of a law on the automatic collection of spousal support payments

Important gains (cont’d):

Reduction in the sponsorship period from 10 years to 3 years for immigrant women sponsored by their spouse

Important gains (cont’d):

Freeze of tuition fees until 2007 A Pay Equity Act with a tight schedule

2000

A grandiose projectlaunched like a bottlein the sea

2000 good reasons for marchingagainst poverty and violence

An idea launched by the FFQ at the World Forum on Women in Hiairou in August 1995 which led to the more recent mobilization in Quebec

Why not organize an

international activity ?

To mark the year 2000 and denounce the policies of the International Monetary Fund

To demand concrete actions from the UNO to end poverty for women

The objective for undertaking this tremendous project: that 10 countries join

The response was like a wave unfurling: 161 countries and territories

October 2000: 6 000 non-government organizations in 181 countries and territories marched in their villages, their cities and in front of government headquarters.

In 7 months, 5,084,546 signatures were gathered to demand the end of poverty and violence against women.

On October 16th, an international delegation of women met with the leaders of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

On October 17th, it was the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations’ turn to receive the delegates while 10,000 women from every continent demonstrated in the streets of New York.

The results

In certain African countries such as Burkina Faso or Mozambique, the women obtained a meeting with government leaders for the first time in their history, in which they were able to present their concerns.

In Venezuela, spousal violence was finally recognized as a criminal act.

In Morocco, a demonstration in support of the desired changes to the Family Code helped make headway in this area.

On October 14, in Brussels, 30 000 women from Western and Eastern Europe finally forged bonds of solidarity.

And above all, an international solidarity movement is

started between women and for women

In Quebec

More than 40,000 people took part in local or regional marches or in the national rally in Montreal on October 14, 2000

Numerous mobilization activities by many groups as well as meetings with the Quebec government and the FFQ

A mixed response to the 21 demands for the elimination of poverty, discrimination and violence against women

But great success for grassroots mobilization

Some demandsand a few resultsA large education and awareness-raising campaign over 10 years financed by the

State, to eliminate violence against women. 1 million dollars over two years for spousal violence 4.5 millions dollars over 3 years for sexual abuse 1.87 million dollars for the ESPACE programme for the prevention of

violence against children.

Better financial support for womens centres in aboriginal communities for women who are victims of violence.

The under-financing continues while spousal violence of aboriginal women is a prevailing phenonomen

Operating capital for womens’ groups in cultural communities and visible minorities to meet their specific needs and encourage their participation in Quebec society.

Nothing!

Some demandsand a few results (cont’d) Better access to education for all women, particularly for single-parent women

and women « without a pay cheque". Payment of loan interest for students who must temporarily interrupt their

studies for the birth or adoption of a child: 1.3 million dollars Implementation of the Stratégie d'intégration à l'égard de la main-d'œuvre

féminine. (Strategy for the integration of the female workforce) Establishment of a minimum scale for welfare receipients below which no

claim, cutback, garnishment or penalty may be applied (to cover basic needs). Increase in the support of women receiving income security benefits who

are pregnant or breast-feeding = 2.5 million dollars Increase in the assistance for parents receiving income security benefits for

their children in primary or secondary school = 7 million dollars Increase in the minimum wage to $7 (increase of 10 cents an hour, $200 per

year…)

The 2005 action: Women’s Global Charter for Humanity

Photo: Catherine Ferland Locat

The Women’s Global Charter A charter for proposing economic, political, social and

cultural alternatives for a new world A vast consultation and collective writing

Five values:

Equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace

The patchwork quilt of women’s global solidarityA patchwork quilt was created by collecting the squares made by each country. This collective work illustrates the values put forward by the women which they inscribed in the Women’s Global Charter for Humanity.

Photo: Chantal Locat

A relay march across the world

The Women’s Global Charter welcomed inQuebec City In Quebec City on May 7, 2005, 15,000 people – women, men and

children, welcome the Charter and the international delegates

Gathering before the National Assembly to celebrate and claim the values in the Charter:

A relay march across the world

a global policy on the staus of women and preservation of the Conseil du statut de la femme and the Secrétariat à la condition féminine; equality

an agreement with the federal government to protect migrant women who are victims of human trafficking; freedom

coverage of the essential needs of welfare recipients and students receiving loans and bursaries; solidarity

the end of disparities in salaries for atypical workers and the status of employees and for people on workforce integration measures; justice

a major awareness-raising and education campaign over a ten-year period to counteract violence against women; peace.

Our March will continue…

Strategic plan for 2006-2010

4 main spheres of action:Economic autonomy: work for womenPeace and demilitarizationViolence against womenCommon good, access to public services

On the international level

March 8, 2010Kick-off for international actionsStart of the marches and actions in the 70 member countries

October 17, 2010Gathering of the delegates from the 70 participating countries in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo: in solidarity with the women living in countries involved in conflicts

The Marchers

Organization of the WMW in Quebec

The Quebec Coordination for the World March of Women is: regional and national women’s groups independent women’s groups women’s committees from community groupsstatus of women committees from labour organizations.

The CQMMF determines the Quebec demands and actions while respecting the fields of actions and the values of the Global Charter.

The World March of Women includes all the national coordinates. The CQMMF is represented at international meetings by the Quebec delegates chosen by the CQMMF .

The 2010 Quebec demands

Demands linked to 4 major fields of action

And a demand made by Native women

Women’s work: Women’s economic independence; urgent measures to fight against poverty

We demand an increase in the minimum wage so that people paid the minimum wage who work 40 hours a week have an annual income equivalent to the before-tax low-income established by Statistics Canada for a single person. For 2009, the minimum

wage should be set at $10.69 an hour.

Women’s work: Women’s economic independence, urgent measures to fight against poverty

We demand the abolition of social assistance categories ("fit and unfit for employment"), to fight the prejudices and guarantee a minimum income to every person that ensures coverage of vital needs while respecting her dignity. This amount must be subject to automatic annual indexing.

Common good and access to resources

We demand the end of privatization of public services and the common good (health, education, water, wind energy) and we oppose any increase in the rates for these services.

Violence against women 

We demand that the Quebec government put concrete measures in place to prevent and fight violence against women, particularly hypersexualisation and the commoditization of women’s bodies, starting with: legislating on advertising pratices;

Violence against women 

implementing specific sex education courses in a perspective of egalitarian and non-sexist relationships.

We demand that the Government of Canada guarantee the inalienable right of women to decide whether or not to have children, which involves the maintenance and consolidation of the free abortion services offered by the public and community networks and the development of new public services in zones with few services.

Peace and demilitarization

We demand that the Quebec government prohibit military recruiting in all Quebec educational institutions.

We demand that the government of Canada immediately withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

Indigenous women’s rights

We demand that Canada sign the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and implement the rights it contains, with special attention to the rights of Aboriginal women and children.

March 7-8 National launch of the March Regional launch

October 12 to 16: 5 days of marching

October 12: Marches in all the regions Theme: Women’s work and economic independence October 13: Regional marches

Theme: Common good and access to resources October 14: Regional marches

Theme: Violence against women October 15: Inter-regional marches towards Rimouski

Theme: Peace and demilitarization October 16: Inter-regionals marches towards Rimouski

Theme: Indigenous women’s rights

October 17 National gathering and demonstration in Rimouski to close the actions

The 2010 Quebec actions

The World March of WomenA key and irreversible movement!