Upcoming screenings of “Trial of a Child Denied”

“Trial of a Child Denied: An investigation into the coerced sterilization of Roma women in the Czech Republic”

Document 6 Film Festival
Friday 17th October at 9.30
Centre for Contemporary Arts Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow, Scotland

The Frontline Club
Preceded by a short feature – Sanctuary directed by Lovejit Dhaliwal
Followed by Q&A with director and producer of Trial of a Child Denied, Michelle Coomber and Dana Wilson
Tuesday, 21st October, 7.30pm
13 Norfolk Place, London, W2 1QJ

Golden Wheel Film Festival
29th to 31st October (exact date TBA)
Skopje, Macedonia

fwd from c.

recentele rapoarte pe gen ale parl. eu.

Doua rapoarte adoptate de Parlamentul European atrag atentia asupra inegalitatilor intre femei si barbati si asupra perpetuarilor prin intermediul mass-media a stereotipurilor de gen. Un obstacol major in calea egalitatii il reprezinta violenta impotriva femeilor, fiind una dintre cele mai raspandite incalcari ale drepturilor omului.

In pofida progreselor semnificative inregistrate, persista multe inegalitati intre femei si barbati, se mentioneaza in raportul elaborat de eurodeputata Iratxe García Pérez.
Membrii Parlamentului European au salutat raportul Comisiei pe aceeasi tema, care sustine abordarea dubla propusa in ceea ce priveste egalitatea de gen, promovand, pe de o parte, masuri care sa asigure egalitatea intre femei si barbati, iar pe de alta parte, masuri specifice pentru reducerea discriminarii.
“Violenta impotriva femeilor – principalul obstacol in calea egalitatii”

cele doua rapoarte pot fi descarcate de la urmatoarele adrese:

informatiile oferite sint utile, dar rapoartele ignora faptul ca datele despre “femei” pe care le prezinta, si concluziile/sugestiile pt. pasi de facut, se aplica numai la unele categorii specifice de femei. de ex., la capitolele joburi si educatie, raportul comisiei porneste de la sesizari ca: “participarea femeilor la ocuparea fortei de munca a progresat in mod continuu, iar nivelul de educatie al femeilor este in prezent superior fata de cel al barbatilor” – ca si cum aceste concluzii ar fi universal valabile pt. femei indiferent de status social, etnie etc. sau ca si cum numai femeile pt. care sint valabile conteaza si au nevoie de solutii). in realitate, exista nenumarate exemple de perspective din care nu e adevarat ca participarea femeilor la ocuparea fortei de munca e pe calea cea buna [rapoartele “Femmes et Hommes – Regards sur la parité”, “Economic aspects of the condition of Roma Women”] sau nivelul de educatie al femeilor superior [raportul “A Place at the Policy Table”].

in esenta: “din pacate … nu am gasit nici un aspect despre “diversitatea femeilor” sau ceva in legatura cu aceasta… . se are in vedere “diversitatea europei”, insa nu si a cetatenelor si cetatenilor ei…” (c.)

fwd de la: crina, hajni

Filippine workers in textile company in Romania

“We have to work like horses!” – Filipina Textile Workers in Sibiu, Romania
by Ana Cosel

Like many other companies in the Romanian textile and construction sectors, textiles firm Mondostar has had to struggle with a persistent labour shortage for several years. Amongst the local workers hardly anyone is willing to work for the low wages paid in the textile industries. Since three months ago Mondostar has employed 95 women from the Philippines in order to counteract the shrinking supply of labour. Hoping for a good job in Europe, the workers from the Philippines borrowed money while still in their home country. They needed the money in order to be able to pay the high fees of the recruitment agency in Manila. The agency recruited them for Mondostar, signing a contract which entitled the workers to a basic wage of US-Dollar 400 and 100 per cent extra for overtime. In fact the women were never paid this wage. The following report is based on conversations with some of the Filipina workers. more

original text in german

target women episodes

un show despre diverse chestii absurde din mass media si publicitate despre/”pentru” femei [en]:

“yogurt edition”

“feeding your f*ing family”

“suffrage”

“wedding shows”

“birth control”

prezentatoarea este comediana sarah haskins

si apropos de feminism si umor:

PETITIE: Hrana pentru toti

‘HRANA SAU FURAJE’ (en: ‘FOOD VS FEED’ PETITION)

… In 1996, “Declaratia de la Roma asupra securitatii alimentare mondiale”, a reafirmat “accesul la hrana sigura si nutritiva ca drept al tuturor”. De asemenea, semnatarii si-au luat un angajament politic fata de “eradicarea foametei in toate tarile”.

In 2008, subnutritia si infometarea nu numai ca sunt in crestere in multe colturi ale lumii, dar ele ating noi culmi ale suferintei. Recoltele diminuate si irosite, preturile care cresc vertiginos, practicile zootehnice nesustenabile sunt numai cativa din factorii care impreuna supun oamenii vulnerabili la riscuri ce le ameninta viata.

Nu este acceptabil ca in situatia actuala in care foametea si malnutritia omoara aproape sase milioane de copii in fiecare an, procente enorme din recoltele disponibile sa fie folosite ca hrana pentru animalele de ferma.

In numele umanitatii, o comunitate globala responsabila nu mai poate sa-si permita sa investeasca 7-16 kg de cereale sau soia, pana la 15.500 litri de apa si 323 m2 de teren pentru pasunat in producerea a numai unui kilogram de carne de vita pentru cei care isi permit sa-l cumpere. Avem nevoie cu disperare de modalitati mai accesibile si sustenabile de a asigura hrana pentru toti.

Din nefericire, desi expertii Organizatiei pentru Hrana si Agricultura considera ca „zootehnia reprezinta o amenintare majora pentru mediu”, acestia doar recomanda diferite procedee tehnice in agricultura, din care unele implica riscul de a degrada si mai mult, probabil in mod ireversibil, un mediu deja vulnerabil.

Toti oamenii infometati, milioanele de vegetarieni si cei care cauta alternative sanatoase la practicile traditionale distructive au dreptul sa se astepte la o investigatie stiintifica a tuturor optiunilor existente, inclusiv a vegetarianismului, din partea celor care iau decizii, guvernelor si organizatiilor internationale. Acest stil de viata ce economiseste resursele si salveaza vieti este demn de un efort de cercetare impartial cat si de promovare, nu in ultimul rand datorita potentialului sau de a conduce lupta dezlantuita pe marginea dilemei „hrana sau furaj” la o concluzie in favoarea umanitatii. …

semneaza petitia

vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation… and solutions

2 presentations about the vulnerability to sex trafficking and exploitation, one focused on moldova and one on the u.s.:

h/t londonfeministnetwork & discussion about organizations, like GEMS (whose mission is “to empower young women, ages 12-21 years, who have experienced sexual exploitation and violence to exit unsafe and abusive lifestyles and to develop their full potential”), that provide the most vulnerable girls and women “with empathetic, consistent support and viable opportunities for positive change” – which arose as a reaction to the news about the “Guide to Brothels” from the Women’s Institute in UK: “Women’s Institute ladies toured the world in search of the perfect brothel” (story also in romanian: “Doua bunici, reprezentante ale Institutului Femeilor din Marea Britanie, au facut turul pamantului pentru a gasi bordelul perfect”)

Colombia: community leader, mother killed after speaking out against violence

The leader of a poor community on the outskirts of the Colombian city of Buenaventura has been assassinated by suspected paramilitaries after speaking out against violence at an event held to prevent young people from becoming caught up in the Colombian conflict. Martha Cecilia Obando, 45, was killed in front of the church in the main street of the San Francisco neighbourhood at 7.45pm on Sunday 29th June as she walked home. She was shot three times.

Ms Obando, who was also the President of the Association of Displaced Women (ASODESFRAN), had just finished speaking to a community event attended by some 300 children where women from San Francisco neighbourhood had been teaching the youngsters traditional games from their communities. Virtually all of the people in the neighbourhood are originally from the Charco River basin but have been forced from their homes by paramilitaries with links to the Colombian Army.

Mothers in the area, including Ms Obando, were worried that their children were playing games that included simulated gunfights and other violence rather than traditional children’s games. As a result workshops for kids were established with the help of the Church and Ms Obando. Following her murder the future of the project is uncertain.

The US human rights organisation Human Rights First has set up a web page from which people can protest direct to the Colombian authorities about this most recent killing.

source: Justice for Colombia
via la chola

Scrisoare deschisa privind femeile rome si discriminarea in sanatate

[Open letter regarding roma women and discrimination in health care, english version; Campaign on Coerced Sterilization]

“… scrisoarea isi doreste sa atraga atentia cu privire la formele pe care le ia discriminarea femeilor rome in sanatate si a fost elaborata pentru a fi diseminata […] in cadrul conferintei mondiale a femeilor (Mundos de Mujeres/Women’s Worlds 2008) [la o] prezentare a eforturilor realizate in obtinerea compensatiilor ca urmare a incalcarilor violente ale drepturilor omului prin sterilizarea fortata a femeilor rome din europa centrala.” (fwd crina)

Discriminare multipla – Cazul femeilor rome

Motto: “Noi nu suntem de neatins!”

Am redactat aceasta scrisoare pentru a exprima ingrijorarea noastra in legatura cu discriminarea multipla ce exista de multa vreme si continua sa fie prezenta in toate aspectele vietii publice, dar si pentru a face cunoscute circumstantele ei in ce priveste femeile rome.

Ca femei rome si ca membri de organizatii rome si non-rome, dorim sa ne exprimam solidaritatea cu femeile rome din Republica Ceha si Slovacia care au trecut prin drama de a fi sterilizate fara sa-si fi dat consimtamantul si fara a avea la dispozitie informatii adecvate despre efectele care pot aparea[1]. Exista o ampla documentatie ce arata ca femeile rome din toata Europa sunt excluse in mod specific de catre sistemul de asistenta medicala si deseori au acces la ingrijire medicala numai in cazuri de extrema urgenta si/sau la nastere[2].

Alaturati-va campaniei de la Madrid adresata guvernelor Republicii Cehe, Ungariei si Slovaciei cu privire la indreptarea actelor de violare a drepturilor omului, accesand: http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2965.

In orice interventie medicala, doctorul ar trebui sa se comporte fata de pacient ca o persoana ce presteaza servicii si un egal in fata legii; nu ca o autoritate publica superioara. Interventiile medicale sunt performante, servicii, nu acte de putere publica.

Din punct de vedere legal, aceste interventii de sterilizare fara consimtamantul pacientei sunt mutilari deoarece afecteaza organe sanataose si duc la daune permanente chiar daca au un scop permis de lege.

Dorim sa ne exprimam sustinerea ferma fata de femeile cehe care rup tacerea in privinta numarului mare de femei supuse de catre doctori la sterilizarea prin constrangere.

Este extrem de dificil pentru activistele rome, care sunt si sotii si mame, sa porneasca pe drumul plin de riscuri si nesiguranta al activismului contra opresiunii din afara dar si din interiorul comunitatii lor. Continue reading

Compensation Now: Campaign on Coerced Sterilisation

Romani Women Campaign around Forced Sterilisation Practices at the 2008 Women’s Worlds Congress in Spain
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2965

Information also in česky, español, magyarul.

3 July 2008, Budapest, Madrid, Ostrava, Prague: Today, a coalition comprised of the Ostrava-based Group of Women Harmed by Sterilisation, the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and the Peacework Development Fund launch a global campaign seeking support for Romani women victimised by coerced sterilisation practices in Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
Continue reading