The World March of Women is an international feminist action movement connecting grass-roots groups and organizations working to eliminate the causes at the root of poverty and violence against women.
We are a feminist, anti-capitalist movement struggling against all forms of inequality and discrimination that we suffer as women. Our values and actions are directed at making political, economic, social and cultural stereotypes change. They centre on the globalisation of solidarity; equality between women and men, among women themselves and between peoples; the respect and recognition of diversity among women; the multiplicity of our strategies; the appreciation of women’s leadership; and the strength of alliances among women and with other progressive social movements.
Born of the desire to unite women of the world around a common project, the March rapidly established itself as formidable international movement after organizing the World March of Women in the Year 2000 when it gave the women’s movement the opportunity to take its place and give voice to our demands in spheres rarely frequented by us.
“ In 2000 our marching feet and voices reverberated in a way seldom seen by the women’s movement, quoted the March. How did we accomplish this? By using the simple, but tried and true recipe of providing women with the opportunity to talk together, tell our stories and find the common thread that unites us in action. Each of us participated in this process during the past few years. With the World March of Women we have broadened our networks of influence with each other but also in relation to the decision-makers closest to us and those distant from our scrutiny in institutions like the UN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The main reason for marching was to increase the influence of the analysis underpinning our desire to redefine the political, social and economic rules that govern us. Feminism is a way of thinking, a social movement, an alternative and another perspective from which to understand the world. Feminism is more than simply observing inequality and obtaining access to positions of power. We are driven by the need to dismantle systems that perpetuate fear and hatred of “the other” and justify violence; we denounce all systems that generate exclusion and reinforce domination.”
The objectives of the World March of Women are:
Objective # 1
Strengthen and maintain a vast solidarity movement of women and grass-roots groups so that the World March of Women constitutes an affirmation of women’s capacity for action and autonomy around the world
Objective # 2
Achieve equality and justice between women and men, among women themselves and between all peoples
Objective # 3
Contribute to the building and strengthening of a vast process of popular education so that all women can analyse for themselves the causes of their oppression and discrimination, and the possible alternatives
Objective # 4
Highlight the common demands and alternatives emanating from women’s movements worldwide, on the local, national, regional and international levels, relating to the issues of poverty and violence against women.
Objective # 5
Challenge and denounce the policies and strategies of international financial, economic and military institutions (IMF – International Monetary Fund, NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, WTO – World Trade Organisation, WB – World Bank, transnational corporations, cooperation agencies that impose conditions on women’s struggles, etc.) that impoverish and marginalise women and intensify the violence committed against us, and formulate alternative institutional proposals
Objective # 6
Exert political pressure on governments and denounce multilateral political institutions (e.g. the UN) so that they institute the changes necessary for radically transforming the status of women and women’s quality of life worldwide, including a disarmament and peaceful conflict resolution policy, and an end to all forms of impunity and corruption, the use of rape as a weapon of war, occupations, foreign military presence and the imposition of political/economic blockades.
Objective # 7
Convince the general public, other sectors of society and social movements to support and institute the changes necessary for improving the status and conditions of women and women’s quality of life around the world.
Objective # 8
Develop and implement feminist actions and proposals that denounce the economic and financial institutions that promote the exploitation and degradation of our resources, climate change and the loss of biodiversity.
Objective # 9
Struggle for the self-management of our environmental resources and for food sovereignty as part of a development model that respects the basic needs of present and future generations.
Objective # 10
Work in alliance with other social movements, feminist organisations, and with the networks and institutions that share the WMW values.
Objectives modified during the 8th WMW International Meeting, held in Quezon City, Philippines, from 21 to 25 November 2011
Values underlying the action
Value # 1
The leadership of the World March of Women is always in the hands of women.
Value # 2
All regions of the world have a role to play in the organisation of World March of Women actions.
Value # 3
Active Participating Groups act independently in the organisation of actions in their respective countries.
Value # 4
We recognise, respect and value the diversity of women’s movements (women’s realities, different countries, political approaches that are respectful of women’s rights and freedoms, and action strategies).
Value # 5
The World March of Women organises mass mobilisation actions; popular education activities; resistance actions; and national, regional and worldwide mobilisations. We advocate non-violence while recognising the right to self-defence.
Values modified during the 8th WMW International Meeting, held in Quezon City, Philippines, from 21 to 25 November 2011.