“Globalization, Climate Change, Food Sovereignty and VAW Interrelate” —International Women’s Seminar

This was among the points presented by women doing organizing work among women in rural areas in Asia, Africa and South America who attended an international women’s seminar on Building Alliances on Food Sovereignty and against Violence toward Women held in Numemo, in the district of Marracuene in the province of Maputo in Mozambique from July 26 to 29, 2010.
    The women belong to three international alliances:  Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), La Via Campersina (LVC) and the World March of Women (WMW).  They were assisted by nine interpretrs and staff of La Via Campesina. Focus on the Global South’s Bangkok’s office also sent one woman  to the seminar. 

    “Ancient forms of violence are still in existence.  And this has been happening because of patriarchy that has existed since the emergence of slaves and slave owners,” explained a WMW member from the Philippines.  “But with neo-liberal policies being adopted by many countries, they cut budgets for women’s reproductive health thus allowing more women to die from childbirth and post abortion complications; buying and selling of women becomes  globalized and the violence that goes with these increases.  Globalization has compounded oppression and exploitation of women”.
The LVC leader from Nepal explained how TNC’s take over lands for expansion of agricultural monocultures and for non agricultural uses result in more food scarcity for those who are supposed to be food producers.  According to her, these lead to many women turning to more precarious work where, most often they are subjected to different forms of violence.

 The FOEI  leader from Uruguay, explained further  that these neo-liberal policies also result in worse climate and the over-all environmental problem.  And the big economies offer carbon capture and storage, building of large hydro-electric and nuclear power plants that are false solutions and further drive women out of their farms.
As the seminar discussed the different forms and perpetrators of violence against women, the women also took note of the current state of VAW in Afghanistan, in other areas where US troops are deployed or fighting “terrorism”, in the strifes among religious communities in India and in other places where war is going on.
Women from the local chapters of LVC and WMW in Marracuene met with the women holding the seminar on the last day.  In between songs and dances, they shared their experiences and problems regarding violence against women.  Their stories clearly showed the powers stuctures that sustain the still widespread violence against women in their communities.
Specifically indicating events whereby these three different groups can hold united actions, the women ended their seminar with the resolve to make more vigorus campaigns against violence against women while fighting for food sovereignty and real solutions to climate crisis.