Brazil

About 40 000 women participated at the launching of the Women’s Global Charter for Humanity in Sao Paulo, on March 8.

India

“We have just concluded a very exciting 10 days, March 4 to 12, when the World March Charter was launched in the different states.”

In the different states where the Charter was launched, women were honoured for their struggles for justice and for setting an example to other women in similar situations. At almost every launch, the women and government officials present took a pledge to end violence against women and create a New World. A Signature Campaign in support of the Charter was also carried out.

Japan

Launching the Women’s Global Charter for Humanity in Japan, March 8, 2005.

Jordan

The celebration took place under the patronage of the Mayor of Amman at the City Hall at 12:00 on March 8th. It was run by Arab Women Organization. In addition to representatives from the women NGOs and community leaders, there were representatives from UN Agencies. Ms. Emily Naffa was given the floor to speak about the Launching of the Charter in Sao Paolo and to declare the beginning of events in Jordan in preparation for receiving the Global Charter and the Solidarity Quilt on August 3rd from Lebanon to pass them to Tunisia, as part of the Relay. Another meeting is going to be held at the General Union of Voluntary Societies (GUVS, in which 900 NGOs are affiliated), on March 12th.

Media coverage was excellent. Jordan TV broadcasted the March 8th event at prime time News. Different Radio stations kept interviewing several women to talk about the event. The press covered the event with photos. Local press spoke about the Sao Paulo event. Emily furnished them with the information and the event was broadcasted via int. Satellites. We are so happy and wish success for the 2005 Relay.

Leila Hamarneh, AWO, Amman, Jordan

Lebanon

Women from each region will bring a puzzle piece to Martyrs Square, in Beirut and put the puzzle pieces together, each of them representing one of the five principles of the Charter. At noon, the churches will ring their bells and the mosques will broadcast the Muslim prayer in a gesture of solidarity from the different religions present in Lebanon. Then, from noon until midnight in succession, women in all the regions will make noise.

Turkey

In spite of the police violence which repressed several groups of
women expressing on March 8, the women of the World March carried out a
peaceful walk. Here, of the women demonstrating in Ankara, the capital.

Nepal

Nepal had launched WMW charter on women’s’ day of this year among member organizations of this National Indigenous Women Federation and developed a quilt.

New Caledonia

On March 8, International Women’s Day was celebrated across the territory with the participation of various women’s associations, institutional representatives, and the Human Rights League. This was an opportunity for us to organize the launch of the Charter across New Caledonia by inviting municipalities to participate.

We want to encourage women to participate in the development of a proposal document on the themes set out in the Charter, which will then be submitted to the country’s leaders. Throughout the year, we will have radio programs on various topics concerning women.

Peru

Philippines

On March 8, we marked 100 years of Women’s Actions with a day-long celebration. The morning began with a picket by urban poor women led by Likhaan (KK2’s secretariat) in front of Congress, calling for the passage of the Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Bill, strongly opposed by church conservatives. At the same time, Sarilaya held a forum on women’s actions against genetically modified organisms.

In the afternoon, Kilos Kabaro 2 organized a large celebration at Bantayog ng mga Bayani, attended by nearly 2,000 women from diverse sectors and organizations. Participants signed a long cloth bearing the WMW logo and the five charter goals as a show of support. A large WMW flag was displayed on stage, and Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio highlighted the WMW in her welcoming remarks.

The program featured interactive discussions on issues such as poverty, lack of social services, and fundamentalism, followed by poetry, dance, music, and the recognition of grassroots organizers.

Portugal

We made a launch of the Charter in the center of the capital, during three hours, in the afternoon. We prepared a file for the press with all the information available on the Charter, the actions of 2005, the World March, the March in Portugal. We held a street action where we revealed the Charter. One of the most important national newspapers put a reference to the Charter in the front page and also mentioned in a way very widened way the March and the Charter. We gave several interviews for national and local radios. We made a good and beautiful launch of the Charter in Portugal. Brazilian television and French television were there, but no Portuguese televisions! The presence of young women in our action was very important for us and inspiring.

Quebec

Women in Quebec held local, regional, and national events to launch the Charter in Quebec and unveil the five national demands. National launch events are planned in Montreal and Quebec City. March 8 marks the start of the 2005 World March and the political pressure campaign to achieve their demands.