Voices of African Women Bulletin
After a brief hiatus, our Voices of African Women bulletin is up and running again. Since the seminars last year, WILPF has been busy getting support for women’s organisations. The declaration is online and keeps gaining more support. On WILPF’s 94th birthday, African women with WILPF activists delivered the declaration and the signatures we had received so far to Downing Street. We have since received a reply and will be engaging in dialogue to increase support to African women’s organisations.
On the same day, the Scottish branch of WILPF hosted an event on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Scottish Parliament, which was well attended by MSPs.
In the coming months we will be meeting with African embassies, calling on African governments to support women’s organisations in their country. We will also be starting to work on Security Council Resolution 1325 in African countries to increase women’s participation in decision making.
Come along to our next meeting on the 22 August to find out how you can contribute to this important campaign.
A call to action: Implement the Africa Women's Rights Protocol
In the five years since the adoption of the Protocol to the Africa Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, some 26 countries have ratified Africa's first regional human rights instrument. But with 27 countries yet to do so, the challenge remains to see each African nation commit to fully upholding women's rights. Moral arguments aside, implementing women's rights offers clear social and developmental benefits for all, argues Norah Matovu Winyi, benefits which will only be realised through sustained political will. Read the whole story http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57219
Promoting women's land rights at the 13th AU summit
With Sirte, Lybia, hosting the 13th African Union summit this week, Lyn Ossome of Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR) challenges African heads of state to keep women's land rights on the developmental agenda. At a time of marked global economic difficulty, women remain acutely vulnerable to unstable food prices and restricted access to land, meaning that African governments must now more than ever challenge discriminatory laws and customs, Ossome argues. If the AU's summit is offer progress, Ossome contends, African heads of state must make strong commitments to policies favourable to women's empowerment such as subsidising non-industrial agriculture and securing women's land tenure. Read the full story at http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57220
Safeguarding women’s rights will boost food security
African women play a critical role in ensuring the food security of the continent, writes Mary Wandia in the run-up to the 2009 African Union Summit (24 June-3 July), which has its official theme ‘Investing in agriculture for economic growth and development’. Highlighting that women contribute 60-80 per cent of the labour used to produce food both for household consumption and for sale, Wandia writes that improved women’s ‘access, control and ownership of land and productive resources are key factors in eradicating hunger and rural poverty’. Yet while land is ‘critical for improving women’s, social security, livelihoods and their social status’, culturally embedded discrimination continues to weaken their land rights and livelihood options, Wandia cautions. It is therefore essential, Wandia argues, for governments to ensure that women’s rights are comprehensively addressed in the AU ‘Africa land policy framework and guidelines’, scheduled for adoption at this year’s summit. Read the full story http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57225
Denied the right to a dignified life
Traditionally African culture dictated that elderly citizens be treated with respect, writes Anushka Sehmi, but as economic constraints erode the extended family system and fuel rural-urban migration, many old people languish in villages with no-one to care for them. With a quarter of African women left widowed by mounting conflict, disease and poverty, Sehmi explores abuse of and discrimination against elderly women in the light of cultural practices such as widow-inheritance and land ownership. Noting that ‘there is almost no legal or policy framework’ that safeguards the rights of elderly women in Africa, Sehmi calls for states to ratify and implement treaties that protect them, such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and for marginalised groups to ‘be engaged and educated regarding their civic and political rights’. It is up to us to lobby and push our governments to perform this task, says Sehmi, or ‘these forgotten women will forever be denied the right to a dignified life’. Read the full story http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57227
Actions
Stop Nigerian Military Attacks in the Niger Delta!
“The helicopter gunships hovered low over a crowded street, where people had gathered to celebrate an annual festival, and opened fire with machine guns and rockets…” --BBC Report
On May 14th, the Nigerian Joint Military Task Force (JTF), laid siege to towns along the coast, attacking from air, land, and sea. Although the Nigerian government maintains that the attack was targeting militant groups that obstruct oil flows, what transpired was a massive assault on the communities and villages of Gbaramatu kingdom.
Thousands of lives have been lost and upwards of 20,000 persons displaced in the ongoing military offensive. This is an inexcusable abuse of military power and authority by a government which is heavily supported by the United States .
Nigeria is slated to receive approximately $4.5 million in military training, hardware sales, and counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics education in 2010. It is intolerable that the U.S. taxpayer must subsidize a repressive government’s slaughter of its civilians. President Obama should make it clear to Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua that the U.S. will not support leaders who abuse their own citizens.
Voice your concern today by signing this letter to President Obama!
Solidarity statement on the SOAS cleaners
Nine cleaners from the School of Oriental and African Studies were taken into detention after a dawn raid by immigration police on Friday 12th June. Five have already been deported, and the others could face deportation within days. One has had a suspected heart attack and was denied access to medical assistance and even water. One was over 6 months pregnant. Many have families who have no idea of their whereabouts. This petition is an expression of solidarity, and well as a call for a halt to the deportations. Sign the petition.
Events
Moyo Wa Taifa Fundraiser
Moyo Wa Taifa Pan Afrikan Woman’s Solidarity Network warmly invites you to their bi-annual fundraiser for the 1st Pan Afrikan Solidarity Resource Centre in Accra, Ghana. A night of pure entertainment, there will be spoken work from OneNess, ShakaRa, AmeN NoiR, and Black Arts Production, music from Sarina Leah, Nkhem, Nutty NRG and more. There will also be a raffle on the night to win return tickets to Accra.
When: 6-10pm, Saturday 18 July
Where: Clapham Methodist Church Hall, Nelson’s Row, Clapham High Street, SW4 7JR (beside Sainsbury’s)
For more information call 07757 060 313 or email njeri4freedom@yahoo.co.uk
Get Involved
Voices of African Women Follow-Up Meeting
Join the core group who is driving this campaign forward. At the next meeting Alice Ukoko will be speaking about the current issues facing women in the Niger Delta.
When: 1pm, Saturday 22 August
Where: Ground floor, Tindlemanor, 52-54 Featherstone St, London EC1Y 8RT
For more information contact us on 0207 250 1968 or email office@ukwilpf.org.uk
On 5-8 November, grassroots African women campaigners from diverse nations travelled to London to share their stories. The seminar series included a forum at Parliament House, a round table discussion at Chatham House and a seminar discussion at the Amnesty International office.
This Voices of African Women Bulletins aims to keep you up to date with what is happening in Africa, and what you can do about it. If you would like to unsubscribe please email us at office@ukwilpf.org.uk Please feel free to circulate to your friends and networks.
