The Exchange participants' reports

BATMA DEVI KISTNASAMY

Working with: 

Muvman Liberasyon Fam (MLF) Mauritius

write to: 

ISIS Switzerland

Given below is the summary of the presentation made by Batma Devi Kistnasamy (Kistna) at the orientation course of the Women's Cross-Cultural Learning Exchange Programme. This is followed by three other sections, which are: a report from Kistna about her programme of exchange with ISIS Switzerland; an evaluation by ISIS Switzerland (her receiving group); an assessment by the MLF of Kistna's participation in the above programme.

PRESENTATION AT THE ORIENTATION COURSE

Mauritius - independent since 1968 - is an island in the Indian Ocean where the main industries are sugar and tourism. We are dependent upon South Africa for food and tourism investment. The class structure is such that the members of each class are of distinct races - so class struggles become racial ones.

Women's Issues

Among women there is a rate of unemployment of 70 percent. This is clearly one issue; another is equal pay. While within government jobs the pay is the same, women working in agriculture receive 63 percent of men's salaries and women in manufacturing receive 59 percent.

Muvman Liberasyon Fam

The Muvman Liberasyon Fam (Women's Liberation Movement) was founded in 1976 - after a major student strike. Until 1982 we met under trees and so forth. We now have a women's center which is financed by renting the entire building and subletting out other parts. The members of the MLF— there are about 56 active members, plus 130-150 others registered - all work on a voluntary basis, with outside jobs for survival. In fact, one part of MLF's activities is for a member to go to work in a factory in order to learn first hand of the workers' problems. She then draws up a concrete plan of what can be done.

The center is used primarily for seminars. Since the political climate is so unstable, it is vital to discuss thoroughly any proposed action. The center is important since it allows us to meet at night - whenever the situation warrants immediate attention. One big issue now is abortion. One out of six women of childbearing age has an abortion each year, and the complications rate is one out of ten. We don't exactly have the support of the medical profession since the side practice of the abortions themselves and the hospital practice of dealing with the complications of illegal abortions is lucrative.

Most of the issues the MLF works on are working-class women's issues since the money of upper class women often helps to buy their way out of situations
like the abortion one. They can afford to fly to Reunion, a French colony where abortion is legal. So most women's issues are working class ones.

Unions are legal but strikes and demonstrations are illegal. We don't ask for permission to demonstrate because it would be refused. So we demonstrate and run the risk of being arrested. And the risk is real. Eight of us were arrested during the recent demonstration on the Diego Garcia issue. Fortunately, international support through ISIS and especially from Holland forced the government to drop the case against us. Most of the time the repression against the MLF is not open - although a lot of members are blacklisted - but, for example, mail is opened.

We do have difficulties with men — that's not surprising, the women's movement always does - but on the whole the union finds our work positive since it is the MLF that has brought women into the union. In branches with MLF members, there are more women members than men and the women are more active.

Another project of the MLF is fighting Nestle's grip on baby foods. We're trying to re-instate traditional Mauritian weaning foods. We're trying to have a small scale industry within the center and to sell the foods to women at a low price. Breastfeeding is not much of a problem. Most women breastfeed quite a long time, especially since maternity leave (at full pay) is compulsory for the first eight weeks, and can be extended (at one-half pay), or up to one year (unpaid). Women who have babies receive free milk from the government.

REPORT OF KISTNA'S EXCHANGE

I start by thanking Valsa for her understanding and support in my attempt to write a report on the Orientation Course and the Exchange Programme.

I have been in Geneva for two months now, and I have not had too many problems in adapting to the situation here. In a way I am glad that I did not have to leave Geneva after the Orientation Course for another country. I would have found it difficult to adapt to two foreign countries and cultures in the short period of fifteen days. My stay in Geneva has been very fruitful and interesting. The work has consisted mainly of learning the OASIS system with Beena, Cecilia, Patty and Monika, with the help of Jane, Rossana and Valsa.

I am really very fascinated by the OASIS system. It offers the advantages of a computer without the imperative need for one. Grass root groups especially in developing countries who do not have the financial means to own a computer, could find this an extremely useful and viable substitute. While trying to work on the OASIS system, I have discovered the real treasure of information that ISIS possesses on women in the world. Coming from a third world country where the access to information is difficult and expensive, I find myself often reading through documents and books while abstracting them. This slows down the work of making abstracts of the documents. I really appreciate the time spent by the ISIS collective in helping Beena and me understand the logic of the system.

I feel that I have not been able to give a fair contribution to ISIS during this process of learning. I have been more concerned about how to adapt the OASIS system for the use of my group in Mauritius rather than putting ISIS documents into the system. I realised this while trying to write this report and I sincerely hope that during the coming two months I will be able to make up for this.

I have been learning how to do the layout for the ISIS Bulletin from Cecilia. I find it very interesting and 1 thank Cecilia for her patience and good humour during my process of learning.

Beena and I have been invited to attend the Conference on New Technology organised by ISIS. I am looking forward to learning a lot from the participants of the developed and third world countries on this very important issue.

In conclusion I would like to express my thanks to everybody, ISIS Collective and participants in the Exchange Programme, for having made this crosscultural exchange of experiences possible. I feel I have grown through this experience. I hope that we participants will be able to share these experiences with our groups and together contribute to build a better world.

EVALUATION BY ISIS SWITZERLAND

The time Kistna spent here has been very important for us. She came when we were rather overwhelmed with work, and she fit in and adapted herself to life at ISIS with ease. She worked with different women on important projects of ISIS such as documentation, the production of one issue of the ISIS International Bulletin, the general running of the office etc.

It was good to have her participate in our group discussions and meetings because she was able to share her experience of how the MLF dealt with similar problems and situations. We benefitted from her experience as we struggled to work more collectively together.

Sharing our documentation skills with Kistna and Beena (also an exchange participant) was as useful and as much a learning experience for us, because our discussions on the processing of information, and the development of a hierarchy of key words, were enriched by their participation.

Kistna's sense of personal discipline, her enthusiasm and dedication was a source of inspiration to every one of us at ISIS. Her report undervalues her contributions to ISIS. We feel she more than compensated for our efforts at sharing our skills with her, by what she taught us, and what she did for us. One thing she does not mention is that she helped us clear up our backlog of documentation work. She was also of great help during the New Technology conference we organised in June this year.

Kistna's stay with us helped to strengthen the already existing links between ISIS and the MLF and we really enjoyed working with her and value the experience.

FEEDBACK FROM MUVMAN LIBERASYON FAM

Our Assessment of Batma Devi Kistnasamy's participation in the ISIS cross cultural exchange programme 1983

From the point of view of our women's organisation, the Muvman Liberasyon Fam, the ISIS cross-cultural exchange programme could not have been a greater success. Not only did we share a varied and rich experience when Delia Hynson from the Philippines stayed with us in Mauritius, but also we have gained a wealth of experience in our movement through our member's participation in the programme, when she went to ISIS.

It is difficult to put into words the advance that Batma Devi's experience means for our movement. We have a small, but growing documentation room in our Women's Centre. It was not only badly filed, but also very under-used. Here, in addition to all other problems with a documentation centre, is the problem of alienation from the written word... People know only domination through the written word. Our own languages (Kreol and Bhojpuri are barely written, and only a very few' alternative' books are written
in our languages). This means that whole wealth of human culture are very often barred from us.

Batma Devi has, since returning from the ISIS programme, in even the few weeks that she has been back with us, started a small contribution towards the process of making written material a heritage for us all here in the women's movement, and even beyond our movement. She has systematically set about ordering our document centre; and not only that but she has begun working with two other members, Marie Noelle and Nazli. Three afternoons a week they sit around a table, and read up each book, before putting it onto documentation records. A l ready the change is felt; there are suddenly three members who in conversations exclaim " I read a most interesting thing the other day about women i n . . . " and other people begin to feel the alienation from the written word fading. Already, we have had a demand for a "lending section" (novels and other non-fiction but easy-reading books) to our documentation centre. Just yesterday we put the first tiny budget into this programme.

The multiplier effect of Batma Devi's visit goes beyond the women's movement. Nazli, who is working 3 times week with Kisna, is also responsible for another documentation centre in formation - one for an adult literacy organisation. As soon as she feels she has understood and come to grips with the documentation process, she will start to train two other members of the literacy organisation: for one of the rare times a woman will train two men.

I have gone into some detail on this one aspect of our appreciation of the ISIS programme. This does not mean that we do not have equally enriching gains in other fields: our correspondence has already begun to be retrievable after filing. This in itself would have justified the programme for the Muvman Liberasyon Fam. And then, Batma Devi has also shared her experience in relation to the state of the women's movement in Europe, the types of experience that women have in other countries, the preoccupations
of the women's movement; this has started or re-started interesting debates in our organisation.

We express our deep appreciation of the important advances the exchange has meant for us.

Signed: Lindsey Collen 1983 President of the Muvman Liberasyon Fam

"A big poster we made ourselves and which stands out in one of the meeting rooms of the centre"

EDITH HORSFALL

Working with:

War on Rape Committee Hong Kong

went to:

Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center Tel Aviv, Israel

EDITH'S PRESENTATION OF HER GROUP AT THE ORIENTATION COURSE

A small island and a British colony, Hong Kong has a population of six million, of whom 50 % are Chinese. This enormous concentration of people has meant a severe housing problem and one which is compounded by a large number of immigrants who enter Hong Kong illegally. The result is sprawling slums. These slums are the site of many rapes - particularly in the community toilets and the slow-moving lifts.

Women

Women are an important part of the paid work force, although most of the time their salaries are one-half of those paid to men. Child care, being extremely difficult to find, is a problem for women working outside the home. A paid maternity leave (4 weeks before, 6 after) was recently won in Hong Kong. The rate of breastfeeding is 1% . Abortion is allowed when the woman's life is in danger, in cases of rape, pregnancy of minors, and where the fetus is abnormal - nearly on demand. There is very little counseling, however, and there is discrimination against poor women. The emphasis in the health system is Western medicine, although there is a great deal of traditional medicine (acupuncture, herbs), which is totally unregulated. There are many women's groups, although most are not very feminist. There is no women's center.

War on Rape Committee and the Hong Kong Council of Women

The War on Rape Committee was formed in 1977, composed of five Chinese and white women. Loosely structured, the women are involved in medical groups, research on attitudes, pressure activities, and speakers bureaus for giving talks in schools, etc. There is a great need to make counseling available for rape victims. There is no rape crisis center and there is a high incidence of guilt and suicide. The Hong Kong Council is involved in training Samaritain workers to do this counseling.

Another goal is to make rape recognized within the community, in order to change the mentality. Their poster reads "Don't let him get away with it. Report rape." The group is also involved in pressuring changes in the police procedures so that the women are not questioned by men and so the women will be treated more sympathetically. One project of the War on Rape group has been to write a manual for the police, outlining step-by-step the necessary procedures in order that no relevant evidence is lost.

Report from Edith's Exchange

Edith is a wonderful correspondent, witty and full of amusing details. Her report took the form of a long string of lively letters, which all of us at ISIS enjoyed very much. Unfortunately, it is impossible to reproduce them as a whole in this Bulletin: the following are extracts from the collection.

May Report from Tel Aviv:

I arrived on May 1st Labour Day - and marched with the enormous parade from North Tel Aviv to City Hall - with every street jammed with people. Israel in Microcosm!

This was the beginning of a month full of colour, warmth and vitality, meeting women from many backgrounds and moving around Tel Aviv and the country.

I have followed in broad outline my original plan of activities. This was basically to investigate, because I would need fluent Hebrew to do anything else. However, one big decision I made was to learn Hebrew, starting on the 15th o f May for 16 hours a week. By the end o f my three-month stay, I should be able to communicate!

I have had several meetings with the whole collective of the Rape Crisis Centre and am involved in two main activities at present:

- sorting and classifying their documentation and hopefully starting a very basic retrieval system and human resources file;

— writing a paper with Rina on "Adolescent Rape: the role of Rape crisis counseling".

June

This has been a busy month - and I've enjoyed the work! I still attend Hebrew classes 16 hours a week and am beginning to understand what people are saying.

Two major decisions were made with the women of the Rape Crisis Centre:

- that I would do a series of 4 workshops on women's health in Tel Aviv, in English. This led to 3 other workshops in Netanya, a smaller town North of Tel Aviv, which has
an English speaking women's awareness group;

- that we would accept an invitation to present a paper on "Adolescent Rape: the role of Rape Crisis Counseling" at an international seminar on Adolescent Sexuality to be held in Jerusalem.

This has meant a great deal of research for me: firstly, the material of the Rape Crisis Centre itself, which I am continuing to classify and record on cards; secondly, two days spent in the Jerusalem Feminist Centre Kol Haisha (Women's Voice) which has an excellent collection of material; thirdly, in the two libraries of Tel Aviv University.

— other visits:

Kibbutz: this was the highlight of the month! I spent 4 days visiting three neighbouring Kibbutzim and gave a lecture on sexuality.

July

The weather and the activities have definitely hotted up this month. I continued the Hebrew language programme and have finished half the course. It has been a marvelous experience and I hope to keep it up.

- Adolescent Sexuality Seminar: I completed the paper mentioned above on Adolescent Rape. This includes a few slides of Hong Kong to show the demographic effect of a dense population, and high rise housing on the pattern of rape. The two-day seminar was attended by about 100 educators and physicians. The paper will be published in the Journal of Adolescent Medicine in 1984.

I spent a few days in Jerusalem to meet the women who run the Rape Crisis Centre there. I also visited the Battered Women's Shelter in Jerusalem, and an organisation called Shilo which  gives contraceptive advice, mainly adolescents. One evening there was a public lecture on "The situation of women in Hong Kong".

 - The Rape Crisis Centre: Apart from the workshops on Women's Health, which continued through the month, the volunteer training programme also continues. Most of the material is now classified, cross-referenced and sorted out. Most of the documentation, with several resource lists, manuals from different centre and bibliographies,
are in English. The Tel Aviv centre could perhaps serve as a resource centre for information on rape.

August

This is the last day and the last message from Israel! I spent a few days in Haifa and visited the Battered Women's Shelter. I also met the women of the collective who are making a third attempt to found a women's centre. I showed slides of Hong Kong and China at the weekly collective meeting.

A farewell party, with speeches and gifts, was organised for me at the Rape Crisis Centre. This has been a great and wonderful radicalising experience. Thank you! And may they continue!

From Hong Kong: August 20th, 1983:

I had been in my flat for just 24 hours when I had a call and my first Israeh feminist arrived in Hong Kong! She spent three days with me. We planned her trip to China. Hope it works out!

My re-entry programme will be in the fall: the first meeting is planned for the 22nd of September.

My love and warm wishes to you all,

Edith

FEEDBACK FROM TEL AVIV

In September 1983 we received a full report of Edith's Exchange from her receiving group, the Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center, in Israel. We are reproducing
extracts from this here below

Edith Horsfall - Report of Activities in the Framework of the ISIS Women's Cross-Cultural Learning Exchange Program - 1.5.83 to 14.8.83.

Edith Horsfall arrived in Israel on April 30 1983, as the guest of the Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center, and immediately launched upon a variety of activities, visits and study tours, some of them planned in advance by us and others arranged at her initiative. All of these enabled our guest to learn what is being done in Israel in relation to the issues she is concerned with, at the same time as sharing her knowledge with us.

The preparations before Edith Horsfall's arrival included finding accommodations fall's arrival included finding accommodations in a suitable area in the apartment of a feminist woman and making an outline plan for the first few weeks of her visit. We found Edith Horsfall to be a lively and likeable woman with vast reserves of energy and good will. Together with her we worked out a rich and varied program suited to her areas of interest and our needs as the host organisation.

This program - which was certainly full of action and events - was designed to serve those aims that we saw as the aims of the ISIS program as a whole, and those which seemed to us to be specifically suitable for Dr. Horsfall herself, as guest of the program in Israel

a. To observe the work of voluntary organisations and feminist groups engaged in various aspects of women's welfare and status in Israel

b. To learn about feminist activity in Israel - in what way it differs from other countries in general and from Hong Kong in particular

c. To learn about the work of the Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center and how it functions, while contributing of her knowledge and experience in this area in Hong Kong

d. To observe aspects of the Israeli health system dealing with the health of women and children - her special areas of interest

e. To get to know the people, the language and the unique landscape of Israel

Conclusion

As we discovered, the War Against Rape organisation in Hong Kong - the group represented by Edith Horsfall - operates in a different manner from our Rape Crisis Center. The difference lies largely in two areas: (1) focus of goals - focus on political and information goals in Hong Kong as opposed to our focus on caring for the victims; (2) difference in the target population in the two countries.

Although the difference between the two organisations limited the possibilities of comparison and of reaching operatively significant conclusions in the two organisations, the fact of the difference in specialisation permitted mutual learning.

It seems to us that through getting to know the work of the Rape Crisis Center through preparing the paper for the international Conference on Adolescent Sexuality and through the excellent job of cataloguing the literature that she did for us, Dr. Horsfall had the opportunity to expand her knowledge on subjects related to rape victims and ways of treating them.

We, on our side, as the team that operates the Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Center, learned much from her in the area of information and public relations.

Additionally, the workshops on health given by Edith Horsfall - the proceeds of which went to the Center - drew many women and were of great service to the participants. One of the side results of the participation in these workshops was the setting up of a consciousness raising group in English.

In general, our participation in the ISIS Cross-Cultural Learning Exchange Program as a host organisation enabled us to learn of a different method of functioning in another body fighting rape. We were happy we had the opportunity to host Dr. Edith Horsfall, whom we found to be a very special person, with great energy and vitality, and who won the affection and esteem of everybody who came into contact with her, and made friends with people all over the country in the short time she was here.

In conclusion, we think this is a very important and useful program. We were happy to take part in it and we hope for its successful continuation.

Rina Ben-Zvi, Co-ordinator

ESTHER EILLAM

working with:

Tel Aviv Rape Crisis Centre Tel Aviv, Israel

was to go to:

Women's Centre Bombay, India

Unfortunately, Esther could not follow the whole Exchange Programme because the Indian Government did not reply to her request for a visa. Nevertheless, she participated in the Orientation Course in Geneva, through which she was able to meet the other participants and exchange experiences with them

ESTHER'S PRESENTATION AT THE ORIENTATION COURSE

History

A short, personal history of Jewish migration perhaps best gives an insight into Zionist motivation. About 2000 years ago Jews were pushed out of the Middle East by the Romans. My family then lived in Spain until the end of the 15th century when Jews were expelled from that country. They next lived in Greece until the rise of Nazi power and Nazi concentration camps. During this time, my family - like many others fleeing Nazi persecution or Russian pogroms - came to Palestine.

Israel, then, is a land of immigrants. This is in itself a source of tension, but is particularly exacerbated by the fact that it is the Ashkenazis (of East European
origin - who make up 407o of Israel's Jewish population) who hold positions of power - to the resentment of the less well-off Sephardic Jews (who are of Oriental, or Middle Eastern, origin and who make up 60% of the Jewish population).

Status of Women

One influential factor in the status of women is the governing role of religion in matters of marriage and divorce. Divorce, for example - for Jewish couples is granted not by a judge but by a panel of rabbis and may be instigated only by the husband (although the woman's consent is necessary). Despite a basic tenet of equality between women and men, which came originally from the socialist background of early Russian immigrants, sex role stereotyping still exists. Only 8 of 120 members of the Knesset (the governing body) are women. Women have little government influence, and non-religious groups often form coalitions with religious groups at the expense of women's issues.

Women's Groups

There are, as I see it, three types of women's groups in Israel. There are what I call traditional organisations that are non-political and concerned with maintaining the status quo. There are women's unions, which exist within and are supported by men's In general, our participation in the ISIS Cross-Cultural Learning Exchange Program as a host organisation enabled us to learn of a different method of functioning in another body fighting rape. We were happy we had the opportunity to host Dr. Edith Horsfall, whom we found to be a very special person, with great energy and vitality, and who won the affection and esteem of everybody who came into contact with her, and made friends with people all over the country in the short time she was here.

In conclusion, we think this is a very important and useful program.We were happy to take part in it and we
hope for its successful continuation.

Rina Ben-Zvi Co-ordinator

unions. These women's unions however are concerned with "equality" only, and this is an "equality" which is defined in men's terms. Then there are the feminist organisations which came into being during a project-oriented movement in the period 1971-72. These include battered women's shelters and rape crisis centers. There are also organised groups of Lesbians. It is very difficult to be a Lesbian in Israel - I personally know a Lesbian who lost her job. Many Lesbians are therefore in the closet. But they are organising - in addition to the very active role they play in feminist political action and issues. There is also a women-only disco once a month.

Rape Crisis Center, Tel Aviv

The Rape Crisis Center is a non-Establishment organisation, based on feminist concepts. It is entirely staffed by volunteers and is a 24-hour service. Its objectives are to:

- aid victims of sexual assault

- campaign against sexual violence

]- change rape laws

Help is given to rape victims in whatever form they need - whether it be empathic listening or a discussion of alternatives. A big investment therefore is put into the volunteer program, and volunteers are trained in consciousness- raising, listening skills, and education.

The maximum legal penalty for rape (with penetration) is 14 years, and 5 years for forced oral sex or other sexual abuse. Most convictions, however - what convictions there are — range from 9 months to one year. As of 6 months ago, it is no longer necessary to have factual proof of rape. According to Jewish law, a husband can be charged with rape. Two thousand sexual assaults (in a population of 4 million) are reported each year; 1500 rapes are reported each year. Of course, there is a low rate of reporting. Very frequently, men students rape women students; there is a lot of sexual harassment in the Army. Fifty percent of rape victims know their rapist. Sexual aggression is on the rise - at the same time there is an increased amount of pornography imported from the United States. There are groups organising against violence against women in the media.

Women's economic dependence on men is complicated in Israel by women's physical dependence in a country in a state of war.

REKHA BEZBORUAH

Working with:

Indian Social Studies Trust  New Delhi, India

went to:

ISIS Rome, Italy

REKHA'S PRESENTATION AT THE ORIENTATION COURSE

In contrast to other countries, India has 935 women to every 1000 men, and this figure has been declining over the years. There are several reasons for this, and this is one of the areas of our research. The literacy rate for women is 24.88 percent. Of course, this figure varies from region to region. In some states the rate is extremely high - especially in states where there are matriarchal systems.

The majority of the population are Hindus (82%), Moslem (11%), Christian (2.6%), and Sikh (1.89%). We have 15 official languages, but 1,694 unofficial languages.

In 1946, we became independent. From our government's point of view, we have a very enlightened constitution - there is equality between women and men. Government planning departments and social welfare have enlightened ideas about the role of women in development. But actual implementation is another thing.

ISST (Institute of Social Studies Trust) began in 1964, and our main work is research in the area of women and development. Only within the past few years have we gone into what we call action research programs. The major problems in India are poverty and the huge gap between rich and poor - so we address ourselves to those issues. We started in 1964 working on issues of women and poverty, and women and unemployment, but since 1975 we have focused on women and equality.

History of Women's Groups in India

There are the traditional sort of welfare groups which sprang up in 1946-47, and whose focus was refugee rehabilitation. Now, however, there are many new, radical groups
who work with trade unions around issues of land ownership, better wages, etc. There are also rural development groups interested in women in development programs.

ISST is not interested in pure academic research. We intervene in government programs and try to see that women are integrated into the numerous national government programs. We also try to get women integrated into state level development planning.

Another activity is to get self-employment recognised as contributing to the economy. There are always women working on construction sites or selling vegetables in order to feed their children. But the government - and often the woman herself - doesn't recognise that this woman is "working". The result is that she's counted in statistics as unemployed and that she has no rights as a worker. She is cheated by the money lenders, harassed by the police and exploited through piecework. One group we've organised is Self Employed Women's Association. Most of these women are Moslem women who make paper bags in their homes and sell them to merchants they have a bank account and credit. We try to give them raw material and also help sell the bags. We're trying to create more such groups throughout India. We also help design projects of women's groups and help them find funding.

Some action groups see no need for research, but I think you vitally need accurate data on what the women's situation actually is in order to know what to do. We do not deal with middle- class women and problems such as dowry murders. Our priority is the basic issues that affect the lives of the poorest women.

We are not a political group, but I think the basic issue that comes out is that women's groups must question the entire economic system which leads to women's exploitation. Our philosophy is, if anything, self-employment, decentralization, and a return to traditional methods of work which gave women more status than today's programs.

REKHA'S REPORT OF HER EXCHANGE

Before applying to the Exchange Programme, I had been working in a feminist organisation for some years and was not unfamiliar with the international women's groups and the feminist movement. However, no amount of reading and information can substitute for the actual experience of meeting with and living together with feminists of different cultures. It has been very important for me to have had this opportunity to "grow".

Orientation Course

The Orientation Course was a two week crash course in cross-cultural learning. The schedule was packed with a variety of activities, and there was also time to have fun and for sight-seeing. Apart from the participants learning from each other and from interaction with ISIS staff, there was opportunity to meet other feminist groups of Geneva engaged in different activities and understand the issues concerning feminists in the first world.

On the whole, the course was a very good mix of visits to other organisations in Geneva, discussions, cultural activity and sight-seeing. The presentations by the participants were really a learning process because one did not understand clearly till then the problems of the different countries and the situation of women in each. I also realised that women in the first world were not as emancipated from oppression as I had imagined them to be, looking from a "third world perspective". It was only that the forms of oppression were different, and sometimes not so much either. It was especially easy to identify common goals for the women's movement in third world countries. Apart from the discussions at ISIS, the experience of staying with a feminist from Switzerland helped to give a wider perspective on cultural similarities and differences.

However, the two weeks stay in Geneva was not enough really to discuss at length how networks could be strengthened or the participants could interact in the future with one another, and with ISIS. Ideally, after the exchange, participants should meet again in Geneva to discuss the experiences they have been through, as well as future possibilities. However, since this is not possible, considering limitations of time and money, one way could be to have the participants go straight to their receiving groups and spend two months with them, and then get together in Geneva for a month.

Work Experience - Rome

Since I work in an organisation doing research on women, poverty and development issues, I was interested in learning documentation to be able, on my return, to set up a documentation system initially for our own retrieval, and gradually to be also able to service others seeking information related to women. At the place of my internship
- ISIS Rome - I learned:

- the processes involved in bringing out the ISIS Bulletin. I participated in the selection of material and the making of abstracts and generally prepared the material for publication.

- the present system of documentation being used at ISIS: the method of maintaining boxes, dealing with regular publications/exchanges, human resource cards, and
the preparation necessary for setting up the OASIS system (to which I'd had a brief introduction in Geneva, and which I studied further at IDOC, Rome, an international
documentation centre).

Working at ISIS gave me the opportunity of reading many documents and women's publications on varied subjects and learning how a flexible system like OASIS could be easily adapted to setting up documentation centres on women's studies. I hope on my return to contact other women who have attended the OASIS course and with their help to start implementing a similar system. At ISIS, I also met many women of different cultures and through them, other groups, and I think the programme has really helped us to a deeper understanding of women of different countries. Through the women of ISIS Rome itself, the situation in Chile and South America became much clearer, and with the other exchange/intern participants one learned more about Brazil and the Philippines. In Geneva, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of Eritrean refugees and learn of the women's liberation struggle.

Some of the women I enjoyed meeting and talking to were: Simone Carbonel of the feminist bookshop, Danielle Blane; a Canadian journalist, Cida, a filmmaker from Brazil, Gaylene Preston, also a filmmaker from New Zealand, Patricia Giuvonetti of Noi Donne, Livia Geloso and Alessandra of the health cooperative, and Isabel Losseau of the FAO Documentation (Population) Centre. During this period I visited the feminist bookshop, "Al tempo ritrovato", the Doris (women's heaUh) Cooperative, the office of
Noi Donne, the women's magazine, and the FAO Population Documentation Centre. Although 1 could not visit women from UDI (Unione Donne Italiane), I talked to several women who had been following its activities in some way, and got some idea of the growth of the feminist movement in Italy and the present situation. Other groups I found interesting were the women's house which runs courses on women's studies among other activities, and the Women for Peace group, fighting against the U.S. base in
Comiso, southern Italy. With all the women I met and the groups I visited, I was able to talk and relate to them on feminist issues, and one important reahsation was the extent and strength of feminist activity everywhere, whether working individually or in small groups, or together at conferences and seminars. It seems that feminists
have a clearer grasp of political realities and direction than the parties they have traditionally associated with. I also felt that there was a new interest in Gandhian perspectives, especially among the women at ISIS itself, who, being from Chile, felt that Gandhi was relevant to the political struggle in Chile at the present.

In conclusion, it is difficult to give details of important experiences when the whole period of exchange was a learning process, sometimes intangible and not always quantifiable. The most important of all was being brought face to face with different realities from the one which one has been used to: whether in the form of different lifestyles, political choices, sexual choices, collective structures and the differences and similarities even within the feminist perspective. But I'm sure that I return with a feeling of strength, having seen how much is being done by feminists everywhere, and how much more is possible.

 

MARIA JOSE DE OLIVEIRA ARAUJO

Working with:

Casa da Mulher Sao Paulo, Brazil

Went to:

Dispensaire des Femines Geneva, Switzerland

Maria Jose was not able to attend the Orientation Course as she was delayed in leaving Cape Verde where she was working on an assignment prior to the Programme.
However, we include here the description of her group given in the application form.

CASA DA MULHER

Casa da Mulher was formed 5 years ago. Up to 1980 the group was working on a theoretical level on women's questions. But in 1981 it founded its own mobile gynecological clinic, together with other women's groups, as part of a project of sexual education and awareness.

The main objective of the group is to provide alternative health care for women — a place where they can come and learn, discuss and get control over their bodies, their health and their sexuality.

In addition to the health side, the group also carries out small artisanal workshops and courses of use to women such as on electricity or mechanics. They also have discussions on women's questions such as work, health, violence, etc.

MARIE JOSE'S REPORT OF HER EXCHANGE

The Dispensaire des Femmes is run by a collective of women working on women's health, contraception, pregnancy, treatment of vaginal infections, menopause, etc. The approach they have to health is relatively new: they regard health as both physical and psychological well-being, and they feel that the environment, food and lifestyles
are very important factors of health. It is the right of every woman to have full information about her own body, her specific health problem, treatment, how to know her body and to look after herself.

As an exchange participant, I work every day since 1 have so much to learn in so short a time. I have four women who are responsible for my training, and 1 have worked out with them an intensive programme of study and practical work. The consultations at the Dispensaire are always done with more than one practitioner to every client. As a trainee 1 always do the consultations with someone else, and never alone. The areas of work that interest me the most are: the diagnosis and treatment of vaginal infections, contraception and menopause.

During consultations, we always allow the client, or "user" as she is called, plenty of time to discuss and clarify her questions and doubts, spending at least half an hour to one hour per person. We normally help the woman to do her own breast examination, and it is always the user who inserts the speculum with our help (if necessary). The user is helped to learn how to do a self-examination with the help of the speculum and to understand the need to have regular checks internally. We do very simple things in the form of treatment. We explain to the women the different forms of treatment, their positive and negative consequences, etc. It is always they who choose the form of treatment they are going to have. They choose between alternative medicine (herbal medicine, homeopathy) or traditional medicine (allopathy).

In the beginning during the consultations, I would just watch the others while they worked, in order to get used to the language and the way of working. Now, I have also started participating actively during the consultations in doing simple tasks like the diagnosis and treatment of the more common infections. As mentioned above, we discuss with the woman the kind of treatment.

When someone wants to start using contraceptives, we first tell her about all the methods of contraception available, the pros and cons of using them, and leave it to her to choose.

I find the work at the Dispensaire very interesting and a useful experience for me. It has helped me to change my whole attitude towards gynaecology.

My first experience with this (during my medical studies) made me see it as a rather violent branch of medicine, but now, with the new approach I find it very interesting and important, and plan on my return to set up a women's health centre on similar lines.

(Note: this is Marie-Jose's interim report. Her final report had not arrived at ISIS at the time of printing.)

BEENA SORAB DE SOUZA

working with: Feminist Resource Centre Bombay, India

went to : SIS Switzerland  Geneva, Switzerland

Beena was unable to participate in the Orientation Course, since her travel documents were not issued in time. She therefore was notable to make a presentation of her group's work. We therefore include here the information about the group taken from the application form

FEMINIST RESOURCE CENTRE

Communication is the major concern of the Feminist Resource Centre. Their publication Maitrayi is a forum for women's groups and individual feminists in India. They are developing documentation facilities, and intend to reproduce relevant theoretical material in series, focusing on certain themes. They also collect and develop educational material for work with women at the grass-roots level.

In the near future the group plans to go into research, publish books and pamphlets and serve as an information bank for women. They are most concerned
with finding a cheap and efficient method of classifying and disseminating information.

Due to problems which arose in Beena's absence, the Feminist Resource Centre has temporarily ceased to operate but they hope to continue their work in the near future.

 

 

BEENA'S REPORT ON HER WORK WITH ISIS

I would like to begin my report by thanking ISIS for the lovely time I had with them and for giving me the chance to participate in the Exchange Programme. I also thank you for making the Exchange Programme a reality, giving women all over the world a chance to work with other women and to open ourselves to different cultures and experiences, to gain a better understanding of the problems faced by women from around the world.

The three months at ISIS have passed too fast, and there is so much I have seen and done. I have learnt a lot and gained through this exchange and I will never be the same.

As a feminist resource center, we were keen that I get training in OASIS and the other aspects of documentation; this I was able to accomplish. Besides this I have been exposed to a vast range of feminist publications and literature which we can hopefully get at our center.

With ISIS Geneva as my receiving group, I was able to benefit greatly and to make the most of my training and to adapt it to our purposes.

I feel confident now of being able to set up a center with the OASIS system. Besides the OASIS system and other aspects of documentation, there is a lot more we learnt at ISIS. Helping with the lay-out of the ISIS Bulletin on Women and Visual Images and learning from both Cecilia and Kistna was fun.

ISIS also invited Kistna and myself to attend the International Women and New Technology Conference organised by the ISIS collective. This was an opportunity to meet and hear women all over the world on various aspects of New Technology. I was thus introduced to a subject which was new to me and was given the chance to observe the efforts, energy and resources that go into organising an international conference.

Our work schedule at ISIS was discussed with all of us. Our own interests were taken into consideration while planning the schedule. This way we were able to spend time with all members of ISIS and learn from their individual experiences. We started off by spending time with Valsa, Jane and Rossana on allotted days doing the filing, abstracting and filling up of the OASIS item cards. Later on I gained enough confidence to work on my own and would ask for help only if I could not understand something.

During the last month of our stay and training Kistna and I worked on the information boxes, we managed to have a look at all the information in ISIS, which was really very interesting. We went to the extent of even reorganising some of the files. The information is now classified according to OASIS items which are placed right in the front, then we have kept the information relating to women. Each information item carries the box number on it so that it is not wrongly filed. The regular publications received at ISIS are registered in the exchange file, and we have listed the box number of each publication on its card so that whoever does the filing knows which box it should be placed in.

It was a brilliant idea to arrange our accommodation in the houses of local women. My stay at the women's commune was a very happy one. I was able to learn a lot about the work of the local women and the issues they were tackling. I have, in the past three months, been exposed to a completely new life style which would not have
been possible if I were in a hotel or hostel.

I have learnt and gained a lot in the Exchange Programme, and I wish I could have spent more time with you, but I know that this was impossible, seeing the heavy work load each of you has. I appreciate the time each of you spent with us and thank you. I hope that ISIS will continue the Exchange Programme, giving women all over the world a chance to share and exchange their experiences and ideas. I know we will keep in touch and will work more closely together even though the continents on which we live are different. Thank you . . .

RINA NISSIM

Working with: Dispensaire des Femmes Geneva, Switzerland                                    

went to: CEFEMINA   San Jose, Costa Rica

 

 

DISPENSAIRE DES FEMMES,SWITZERLAND

The Dispensaire des Femmes was started in 1978. Organized as a collective, we meet once a week for a full day staff meeting, and share decisions  and almost all tasks. The group is divided  into equal parts of medically trained and non-medical women. We work together in pairs - one medical and one non-medical. The work is basically
general gynecological health care, contraception, childbirth, and pediatrics. We see about 100 women a week. Since we now need to limit the number of new users, we've drawn up criteria and will in principle accept a new woman only if she is older, handicapped, lesbian, a prostitute, colored. Third World, or seeking alternative treatment.

We started out with allopathic medicine, with homeopathic medicine in the pediatric section. Gradually, various staff began getting interested in acupuncture, herbal medicine, etc. The users are free to choose the kind of treatment they desire, for example, allopathic or herbal.

Question: What is the situation on abortion?

It's getting more difficult. A woman needs the signatures of two doctors. There are only 4 (of 25) who are willing to sign or who cooperate or who are sympathetic. Abortion used to be done after 12 weeks - but not any more. Geneva used to be and still is a tourist city for abortion among the rich. A private abortion can cost between SF3000 and 8000. In Europe today women mainly go to Holland or England for abortions.

Q. Do you do research on drugs and their effects?

No. We explain the side effects of drugs to the Dispensaire users. Research is done in hospitals - what we'd like is more openness in publishing research results . . . Likewise we don't actively campaign against Swiss pharmaceutical companies - but we do do consciousness-raising in the area.

Q. What are the health problems of women in Geneva?

Manifestations of the oppression of women as women — starting with vaginitis, the unconscious attempt to control one's own body. It's a difficuh problem to get women to discuss things like this. It's very important, however, because women don't question the social pressure for and about sex. Other problems are the results of the consumption of unhealthy food.

Q. Do you work with men?

The men can - but don't' - come. The only ones who do are a very few, younger men. Men are much less open to change and to reconsider their hfe choices.

Q. Are herbs readily available in Geneva?

In a few pharmacies and alternative stores. But herbal medicine is more expensive than homeopathy.

RINA'S REPORT ON HER EXCHANGE IN COSTA RICA

I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica, on 30th April 1983, to spend 3 months with CEFEMINA (Centro feminista de informacion y accion).

CEFEMINA is a feminist group active in the university and linked to a mixed (women and men members) community organisation COPAN (Comite popular para el accion nacional). CEFEMINA brings out a monthly newsletter "mujer" (woman), which deals with issues like breastfeeding, divorce, welfare, food aid, women's rights, etc. Other women within COPAN distribute "mujer" and discuss the issues raised, along with other concerns of the organisation such as housing, water, electricity.

CEFEMINA has only been in existence for a year and is still in the process of developing. Some members work within the "barrios" (poor neighbourhoods) and others more with the university. There are at least two other feminist groups in San Jose: Ventana, which is a theoretical discussion group a bit turned in on itself, although it has brought out one number of an academic journal; and Colmena, which includes some North American women among its members. Colmena is involved in childbirth preparation and social assistance work. This is the group which translated and edited the ISIS Bottle Babies booklet into Spanish.

During the first month I took part in all the activities possible at the university. This included leading discussion groups ("charlas") on contraception, nutrition, natural medicine and women's health, participating in meetings and starting a self-examination group with the women there. By a stroke of luck, one of the leaders in CEFEMINA, Susanna Blais, is bilingual and she helped enormously in my contact with, and integration into the groups.

After one month, I was introduced to a professional upper-middle-class group and asked to speak on contraception. When I discovered that three out of five of them knew about the mucus method of contraception, 1 realized how out of place I was and asked to work in the "barrios".

It was then that I met Martha Trejos, the coordinator of neighbourhood projects of COPAN. She, and women  working in the neighborhoods, organised many "charlas" for me in the poor neighbourhoods. I participated in setting up "nucleos" of women, of which there are now about 15. Starting from the informal discussion groups, I was able to begin self-help groups with the women from these neighbourhoods, and this was a very important experience for me.

The situation of women in Costa Rica is, for the most part, very hard. Fifty two percent of families are headed by single women. In the poor areas this figure is even higher, to the point where women do not speak of "husbands" but of "father of my children". Thus the entire burden of maintaining and sustaining life - looking after children, old people and itinerant men - falls on women. It is the women, therefore, who are the first to become active on issues, making up, for instance, 80 percent of the COPAN
membership.

Contraception is not easily available and there is a great lack of information about it. In my first self-help group in Alajuelita, there was one woman who had 11 children, another younger woman who had 6, a girl of 15 who had one child already. Only the leader of the neighbourhood group had none.

There is also a cultural resistance to getting access to contraceptive information, because of the enormous influence of the Church. In San Sebastian, for example, about 20 women, including several adolescents, came to the discussion on nutrition. But the second discussion, on contraception, brought only 12 women and no adolescents
~ they were probably forbidden to come by their families.

Contraception in Costa Rica

The policies pursued with regard to contraception ("family planning" as it is called there) have changed with each successive government. About 12 years ago diaphragms were available in the health centres and nurses knew how to fit them. Sterilisation was freely available.

In 1974, aid agencies such as the Agency for International Development (AID) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) launched their family planning programmes in Costa Rica and other Latin American and Caribbean countries. Mass sterilisations took place, with widespread abuse in terms of indications and techniques employed. The reaction was that all sterilisations were prohibited, even for cases where it was medically indicated.

Under the Carasso government, one, httle was done on contraception, and thus a whole generation was denied access to family planning information. With Monge government, which has been in power for a year, there is a clear concern to make some kind of contraception available again. The Costa Rican Demographic Association
and sections of the Ministry of Health are working for legalising sterilisation, at least for cases where it is medically indicated. For the rest, however, efforts are limited to introducing injectable contraceptives (Depo Provera), the Pill and the lUD (almost exclusively the Lippes Loop which is less well tolerated than smaller kinds which are only available privately, and therefore at high cost). The supplies of these contraceptives come almost exclusively from the United States, especially from A I D .

It is important to note that, considering the high incidence of cardio-vascular diseases (among the four major causes of death in Costa Rica) hormonal contraceptives are not appropriate. The lUD is barely better, given that anemia lowers resistance to infections. There is 40 percent infection as against 4 percent in Switzerland, for lUD users.

So the diaphragm presents a very real and important alternative in Costa Rica, even though it is unavailable for the moment, except through CEFEMINA.

During my stay in Costa Rica I was able to discuss this question at length with the chief nurse of the Department of Maternal and Child Health, Haydee Gomez, and to win her over to this cause. This was an important contact, since she was able to help us subsequently with passing imported diaphragms through the customs and Ministry of Health, which has rigorous control over all imported medical goods.

Through Haydee Gomez I was also able to conduct an informal discussion group with the Association of Public Health Nurses. It was clear from this that most of them were not in favour of Depo-Provera and were much more inclined towards the diaphragm, although they couldn't imagine that women in the barrios could use this method. CEFEMINA subsequently established good relations with many of these nurses, which was very important since they work in the health centres in the poor  neighbourhoods.

Abortion is completely illegal. Nonetheless many doctors perform costly abortions in private. One of the projects started during my stay was to establish information about emmenagogical plants.

Self-examination groups

Apart from CEFEMINA, who quickly became a group of women learning in order to teach others, the four neighbourhood groups where I conducted self-examination groups all followed similar patterns. The groups were in Alajuelita, San Sebastian, Quesada Duran and the COPAN school.

First, how did the women come to participate in a self-examination group? After coming to several "charlas", which were announced by word of mouth or with a megaphone, the five or six most courageous women usually volunteered. They didn't always know what to expect, or what they would learn, except that it could help them to be more autonomous and that it had to do with their sexuality and contraception. We made a contract which was that if they came they had to attend three times running
and they must participate from the beginning - no spectators!

During the first session - always the most difficult - I spoke a lot about the fear which all women feel when doing self-examination for the first time. I spoke of our experience in Geneva, how ten years ago when we began, we kept putting off the first step . . . I spoke too, of what we were going to do together. Then 1 undressed first and used a speculum to show them my cervix. Then I had 2 or 3 women try an internal exam on me - exploring the vagina, finding the " G " point (point behind the pubic bone in the vagina where there are many nerve endings, as in the clitoris) and the cervix, feeling the uterus between two hands. I emphasised the importance of recognising different stages in a woman's cycle (the look of the cervix, secretions). When there was a CEFEMINA member with me, she did the same as me.

Then it needed a good bit of encouragement to get the most daring woman of the group to undress - there was always a moment of hesitation. Once when I was on my own, one woman fled and I couldn't run after her. Otherwise, all the women in the groups looked at their own cervix and did an internal exam on one or two other women.

This first encounter and discovery had an explosive and extraordinary effect - as it always does with women everywhere in the world. Even though they were hesitant at first, talking of other things to help ease their nervousness, very soon the discussion turned to their real preoccupations: painful penetration, lack of pleasure, fear of being pregnant, myths on how to avoid pregnancy . . .

In one of the groups I had a woman whose period was late after a contraceptive failure. Another had had a hysterectomy four years ago and did not understand why she didn't have periods or secretions any more! She nonetheless left the group very happy because she had a " G " point!

These were discussions with strong emotional content, which revealed the misery of women's sexuality and the intimate nature of their oppression.

At the second session we discussed the effects and reactions from the first session. Then we went on to measuring and fitting the diaphragm for those who wanted it. They did not have any more difficulty than women in the university or the Dispensaire users in Geneva in fitting the diaphragm and feeling comfortable with it. One session of self-exam had been enough to help them take control of their vaginas - they were even more confident than the more "intellectual" women, since they felt they were "experts" much faster.

The third session was spent in going over what we had done in the first two, especially checking the fitting of the diaphragm. We did breast examination and had discussion on various issues such as contraception, understanding ones cycle, health and sickness ....

At the end of my stay, we had an evaluation session. Here are the main points covered:

— the experience was entirely positive, although it is too early to measure the effect of this collaboration since CEFEMINA is in the process of change and development;

— I expressed my happiness about the way I was received by the women of both CEFEMINA and COPAN;

— although my Spanish was quite adequate for the discussion groups, it was thanks to Susanna that 1 was able to leave educational material in Spanish, since she translated it with me;

— for various reasons the training of CEFEMINA members in self-examination and self-help techniques was left a little late. They did not reahse at first how complex an issue it is.

— The most insoluble problem was how to say goodbye at the end of such an intense and productive three months.

A final comment on the orientation course - I found that two weeks did really prepare me for my exchange, not only because I learnt from and about many groups I didn't know before, but especially because it created the right atmosphere for listening and understanding things on an international level, which brought me out of my universe of local action and perhaps a narrow view of things.

Thank you, and bravo again for this wonderful initiative.

REPORT FROM CEFEMINA

Below we present excerpts from the report of Rina's receiving group,

CEFEMINA, translated from Spanish. This project has filled us with great enthusiasm ever since we heard it was going to take place, but in truth we never suspected the impact it would have. The results, at least those of our group, have gone much farther than had been hoped, and the Exchange has been for all of us a most enriching and
unforgettable experience. We hope that this report will help ISIS realise even more the immense amount of work accomplished by Rina in our country, and how valuable her too short stay in Costa Rica was.

Rina arrived during a period of reorganisation for CEFEMINA. We were beginning to establish priorities in the work to be done in poor neighbourhoods, and at the same time to form a solid nucleus of women at the University. It is important to note that Tina's participation in this reorganisation - her sharing with us of her experiences in the area of health - led us to begin a series of activities at the University and in the poor neighbourhoods in women's health. After several visits to the neighbourhoods and regular meetings at the University, we put together a day-long conference on "Women and Health", in which about 60 women participated. This "Women and Health Day" was a complete success; Rina very quickly won the confidence and affection of the women present. She gave talks on nutrition and contraception, which were excellent, as she knew how to develop those tow themes and adapted herself perfectly to the level of comprehension of these women. As a result, the women present were filled with great enthusiasm, and a series of different activities in numerous neighbourhoods was initiated, which are still continuing today. The idea launched by Rina to develop self-help groups in the neighbourhoods did not fall on deaf ears, and one month later, women in different neighbourhoods began asking for help in starting these groups. It is important to emphasize the success of these self-help groups because in the beginning we of CEFEMINA believed it would be difficult to carry out this type of work with women who are economically and socially marginalized, especially given the weight of the conservative values espoused by the Roman Catholic Church, the official religion of this country. Faced with the positive results of these groups, however, we realised this assumption was invalid.

The following is a brief synopsis of the different projects developed by Rina during her stay in Costa Rica with  CEFEMINA:

- Participation in the "Women and Health Day", with more than 60 women from marginalized sectors of the city;

- Elaboration of charts illustrating talks on nutrition and contraception;

- Talks given in different neighbourhoods and factories on themes of nutrition and contraception. For nearly two months, Rina was giving talks almost daily;

- Talks given at the University of Costa Rica on nutrition, contraception, sexuality, and natural medicine. Rina also initiated contact with the trade union of nurses of
the Ministry of Health and gave a talk to more than 40 nurses on different contraceptive devices used in Europe, putting into evidence the value of the diaphragm as a method of contraception without danger to the health of the woman;

- Organization of various self-help groups with the women of CEFEMINA in order that we could continue this project even after her departure;

- Initiation and development of several self-help groups with women of different poor neighbourhoods; - Elaboration of material which has since been published: bulletins on
nutrition and contraception, and a pamphlet on menstruation-inducing plants;

- Development of research on the medicinal plants found in our country;

- Contact with women's clinics in the United States, through which CEFEMINA was able to procure diaphragms and spread the use of this method of contraception - until now unknown in our country.

In conclusion, the work accomplished by Rina, with the women in the neighbourhoods and at the University, as well as with the staff of CEFEMINA, has been of immense value. Her presence here was a constant fountain of rich discussion about the experiences of the feminist movement in Europe and Rina's experiences in an enterprise
run by and for women. She opened new horizons for CEFEMINA and the organisation emerged stronger as a result of her sharing her experiences with us.

Here, in an underdeveloped country, the possibilities of learning are limited, and the conditions under which a feminist group exists are often adverse: economic difficulties, cultural resistance, conservatism, the heavy weight of religion, and, above all, the possibility of repression. For this reason, having the opportunity to exchange experiences
with people or groups of more developed countries is of great importance for the future development of a feminist movement.

For this reason, and all that I've written above, we want to thank you again and to repeat our proposal of collaboration with you. We sincerely hope that you will be able to continue with the extraordinary experience of the Women's Cross-Cultural Learning Exchange Programme and we wish you the best of success.

MARLENE RODRIGUES

Working with: 

Jomal Mulherio  Sao Paulo, Brazil

went to: Connexions  Oakland, California, USA

Marlene also works with Mulherio, especially on the graphics, layout and photographic side. Although she participated in most of the Orientation Course, she arrived after the sessions when each participant presented her work, group and country. We therefore refer readers to Adelia Gusmao's piece, where the work of Mulherio is described.

MARLENE'S REPORT FROM THE USA

When I arrived at the San Francisco airport, I was met by three women who gave me a room in their house, and who felt extremely responsible about my staying there.

Connexions is a quarterly magazine, which means that they have around 3 months to prepare each issue. During the first month, everyone was working on ther own, mostly at their homes, translating articles for the upcoming issue, on "Outrageous Women".

It was decided that I would help the women at Connexions in their work where ever possible, and would also learn their method of work. My first task was to translate an article which appeared in Mulherio (my newspaper), about an outrageous Brazilian woman, to include in the issue of Connexions being prepared.

I was taken to meet a lot of different women who are involved in many different projects. I also visited the Women's Building in San Francisco, some womens' book-stores and newspapers, a womens' demonstration against the war and of course the hills, parks and beaches around Oakland.

I started to study English in the University Language Laboratory, but soon decided that I could just listen to people talking and learn more about their language and culture.

The University also has a studio where people can develop and make copies of their pictures. They taught me how to do it and now I am working on my own. I am trying to take pictures of the facts and things that are important for me. You will see one of my pictures published in the next issue of Connexions. Since in Brazil I am the graphics editor, I find all this very helpful to improve my skills in this specific area of my work.

After June 15th, I stated to work on the lay-out with Dee, who was in charge of this issue. We exchanged a lot of experience and skills, just comparing the way I work on my newspaper, how I do a lay-out etc. As a result this issue will be a little bit different from the others. We worked with so much enthusiasm and good ideas, and now I can't wait to see the magazine back from the printers.

Besides this working experience, there was another side of myself that was just experiencing a small revolution The kind of freedom which people enjoy here ( I talk about the Bay Area), is something shocking to someone coming from a country where people have to fight everyday for their small space in society. I found friends who opened their homes and their hearts.

The Connexions' collective is a dynamic group where everybody can participate in the decisions. There is no official structure, which makes it possible for someone to join and to be integrated with the group. Due to their translation work, the group always has women from different parts of the world working together and this is very positive because there is a kind of confrontation between different cultures and view points.

The women of Connexions and I discussed the Exchange Programme, and we both agree that "the whole programme is wonderful and we have no doubts that everybody must concentrate efforts to make it possible again."

For Connexions, my presence here brought more enthusiasm into the group. For me, it was like discovering another world, the challenge of dealing with unknown people in an unknown country, with the peculiarities of the culture, the problems and specific struggles. "I discovered that I was strong enough to stand up to changes. It happened also because the women I met here accepted the challenge and we had this beautiful experience together."

ADELIA BORGES GUSMAO

Working with: Jomal Mulherio Sao Paulo, Brazil                              

went to:  ISIS Rome, Italy

Adelia was not able to leave Brazil in time for the Orientation Course. Her sending group, Mulherio, wrote the following about their work:

MULHERIO

Mulherio is an alternative newspaper for women, run by a group of women. It was started by a group of women researchers within theFundacao Carlos Chagas (a non-governmental organisation doing independent research projects for universities, public organisations etc.). Since 1975 researchers within the Fundacao have been concentrating on research on Brazilian women (work, education, family relationships etc.).

At first the newspaper was conceived as a way of making the ideas, experiences and findings of the research more accessible to a wider audience. It was gradually elaborated to be aimed at three kinds of audiences: women's movements, academic institutions and communications groups. It was presented to the Ford Foundation who
financed it jointly with the Fundacao Carlos Chagas.

Mulherio has come out regularly every two months since March 1981. The zero issue of 10,000 copies was distributed free throughout the country. Since then, the print run has been 6-8,000, mainly sold in kiosks.

From its inception, the group worked on the problem of how to produce a feminist publication, confronting such questions as what feminist language is, or what feminist images are, and how to use them in a publication like Mulherio which was intended to be both militant and yet far-reaching

ADELIA'S FINAL REPORT

Since I was unable to participate in the Orientation Programme, my participation in the Exchange Programme began directly with the receiving group - ISIS Italy. I was quite warmly received and immediately felt at ease. I think one reason why I didn't have any problem of adaptation is that I have known and admired the work of ISIS
for two years. I think this prior familiarity was an important factor in the utility of the Exchange Programme for me.

My time spent in Rome can be described in two ways; work done with ISIS, and getting to know the Italian women's movement.

Work done with ISIS

A large part of my work with ISIS was directed toward the production of the ISIS Spanish language Boleti'n on visual images. I translated articles from English to Spanish and also edited several articles, including one previously published in Mulherio - an interview with Dacia Maraini, an Italian writer and filmmaker. In addition, I also wrote up
the interview I did with Argentine filmmaker Maria Luisa Brenberg.

Working on the Boletin also brought me into contact with the vast documentation - a veritable "gold mine" - in ISIS Rome. I was able to learn a great deal in the area of organization and documentation.

Another aspect of work at ISIS was meeting the many visitors who came through the office. Among the first of the visitors I met were two representatives of Dutch Organizations which financially support projects relating to women. This contact was very interesting and opened up a possibility of financing for the continuation of the
work of my group in Brazil, the publication of Mulherio.

The Italian Women's Movement

An important part of my involvement with the Exchange Programme was the possibility to learn about the Italian women's movement: the issues, the activities, and what has been gained, what remains to be achieved.

One of my first contacts was with Gabriela Lapasini, editor-in-chief of Noi Donne, and Elena Belotti, an Italian feminist whose book "dalla parte delle bambine" is well known in Brazil. I later visited the offices of Noi Donne, observing the work in progress and talking to staff members. I wanted to develop stronger ties between Noi Donne and Mulherio, as I felt there is much to learn from the daily publication with its wide audience.

Another contact was Dacia Maraini who, in cooperation with a group of women of the Teatro La Magdalena, organized a showing of a Brazilian short-feature film on prostitution in Sao Paulo, called "Mulheres da Boca". The film was shown two evenings in a row, with a debate on prostitution, the women's movement in Brazil and Italy,
Third World women, etc. held afterward.

I also entered into contact with women journalists who had worked on the now-defunct "Quotidiano Donna"; with journalists who are preparing a pubhcation by and about prostitution; with feminists active in the campaign to make abortion more accessible; and with feminists who work in the health cooperative, Doris.

I also renewed contact with Brazilian women living in Rome, for the most whom are journalists. We organized a meeting in the home of one of these, Iza Freaza, where I talked about the situation of women and feminism in Brazil. I feel that this contact was very important for these women to become aware of the possibility of activity for
the women's movement in Italy. A few of these Brazilian women later visited the ISIS office, and expressed interest in the work of ISIS as well as a possible collaboration with ISIS in the future.

From the 12-16 of June, I participated in an international meeting on in an international meeting on "Women, Communication and Development in Latin America", sponsored
by the Department for Cooperation for Development of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Italy in collaboration with ILLA, IPALMO, IPS, and UNESCO. At this meeting, I gave a presentation entitled "Breaking Down Stereotypes; A Concrete Example in Women's Alternative Communication", which related the experiences of two years of Mulherio. The conference was not explicitly feminist, but I think that my participation, with that of the other women of ISIS, was very interesting, and I was glad to exchange ideas with different women who are presently working in communication and women in Latin America. I also edited a short article on the meeting which was published in the Itahan pubhcation Dialogo NorteSur, and which will be published in the Spanish ISIS Boletin. In connection with my participation in this meeting, too, 1 gave interviews
to the news agency Associated Press and to the magazine Noi Donne.

Reflexions

I've been back in Brazil three days now, and the emotion of returning, especially in seeing my two children again, still keeps me from making a more detailed report on everything my participation in the Exchange Programme has meant to me. One thing is certain: I am exceedingly glad to have participated in the Programme. These
months have been intense with new contacts, new friends, new experiences. I was very happy to have been able to follow closely a democratic process of the political elections in Italy, an experience which is especially interesting for someone coming from a country like Brazil.

It has also been important for me to learn about the women's movement in a country other than my own (especially in Italy where there is a certain tradition of struggle), and to exchange ideas and experiences with other women working in the area of "women and communication".

Possibly the most important aspect, however, has been the experience of working in a collective where both the decisions and the tasks are shared. This was a new experience for me and one which will have important repercussions on my life in Brazil.

Finally, I would like to remark on the extreme warmth, friendship, and solidarity with which I was received by the ISIS women, and on all that I learned with them during this period. This experience has left a deep and indelible impression on me.

The present situation of Mulherio is grave - although I'm quite hopeful that we'll be receiving help as a result of contacts I've made with funding organizations in Holland. However, even if we are not successful in this, I am certain that the experience of my participation in the Exchange Programme will lend itself to other activities as a
feminist journalist in Brazil.

FLORENCE ETALE

Working with:

Christian Students' Council of Kenya, Women's Department, Nairobi, Kenya

went to:

Indian Social Studies Trust New Delhi, India

We recorded all the presentations at the Orientation Course, and what we have presented in this Bulletin are, for the most part, summaries of those recordings. Inevitably,
there was a technical hitch — and it was Florence's presentation which was inaudible afterwards. We are therefore reproducing a brief paragraph about her group — the Christian Student's Council of Kenya, Women Consultation Department — taken from their own description in the application form

WOMEN CONSULTATION DEPARTMENT

The work of our group relates to enabling women to more actively participate in the process of social transformation in the sense that the Council has a central purpose to promote cooperation and Christian Unity in prayer study and service among others.

Through the theme of cooperation, we motivate the women to take interest in their endeavours to know their fellow women's experiences, knowledge and needs, and unite in trying to seek solutions to their common and specific problems surrounding them here Kenya and elsewhere.

Florence has been particularly working with counselling with women at the family level, and with working women's groups.

FLORENCE'S REPORT OF HER EXCHANGE

Programme Activities

At the beginning of my programme with the Institute of Social Studies Trust, I was given time to read in the office so as to have a better idea of the people I was to go out and meet.

First, I went to the Indian Institute of Technology. I was impressed to see how poor people, especially women, can improve their living standards by using simple technology. The practices carried on at the Indian Institute of Technology are rural sanitation, biogas, and smokeless chulahs.

I also visited Saheli, which is like a solidarity home. They do counselling and it is here where I have had my interest because the work is relevant to the work 1 do in Kenya. In this project I listened to cases of women harassed due to dowry problems. CounseUing here was interesting. I also visited Manushi - a journal about women in India who are harassed and mistreated by husbands and society.

The Social Welfare Centre Board is one of the most important centres in Delhi. One of these projects is a mobile creche for working mothers. They have workers who care for the children of low-income mothers who work on construction sites and resettlement slums.

Twice we had speakers in the office who talked about dowry in India and how women are tortured if they don't give sufficient dowry to the boy. Another project visited was the YWCA, although unfortunately many of the staff had gone on summer holiday.

Due to the unaccustomed heat, the number of my activities was limited. (Florence returned to Kenya at the end of June to complete her programme there, since the extreme summer heat was beginning to affect her pregnancy and health adversely.)

Evaluation

First, I should like to thank the ISIS women for their wise thought of arranging an orientation course. It was a good experience and a privilege for me to meet with different women from different countries. I value very much what I gained from each participant during the orientation course. This being my first time to meet feminists on an international level, I learned to see things from a broader perspective and have a better understanding about women's movements.

The two weeks I stayed in Geneva were good preparation for my stay in another country. Through the orientation course, I was able to know how to approach women of a different culture and background. The course helped me have an easier time of communication.

The Exchange Programme related very much to the work I do in my country. I found that all the places I visited dealt with women and how they can improve their standards of living by working in small projects and improving things which can earn them a living. With the knowledge and experience I gained during the Exchange Programme,
I am encouraged to implement it in women's projects, to encourage and strengthen women not only in my sending group but any group which will need my support.

During my programme I had an upsetting experience. For the first time in my life I learnt of how girls are burnt to death due to dowry. The harassment of girls shook me because I had never heard of such an issue. While in India I often read about it in the newspapers and to my surprise never read of what step the Government had
decided to take. To me it looks like a neglected issue though it is quite inhuman. It is my personal feeling that women from different countries of the world who have accepted to join hands and work together should plead to the Indian government so that our fellow women in this country can be liberated from such situations.

During my period of preparation to participate in the programme I had only one big problem and that was how to leave my country. I was afraid to fly to a place where I wouldn't know anybody. However, that was solved immediately when I landed in Geneva and met Rina who looked friendly and showed such a happy face.

During the orientation course I didn't find many problems - except that the programme was too tight for me to know Geneva and to stay in the ISIS office and read journals and articles on women from different parts of the world. While in India, the major problem I had was climate, diet and travelling - although as the days went by I got used to jumping in a congested bus. A minor problem was the language as I couldn't have free discussions with illiterate women, and I used to feel that translation didn't have a proper impact on our sharing.

The most important experiences and lessons I had or gained during my exchange were:

1) simply technology - where the practices of bio-gas and smokeless chulahs are carried out;

2) mobile creches for working lowincome mothers;

3) harassed and mistreated women due to dowry.

I very much liked the Exchange Programme. The only thing is that I would have liked to have received more information about my receiving group so as to help me prepare for my exchange.

PARTICIPANTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Given below is the summary of a joint presentation by Delia Hynson and Rita Baua at the Orientation Course. This is followed by a report of Delia's exchange with the
Muvman Liberasyon Fam, Mauritius and a Report from Rita of her one month spent with ISIS in Rome

DELIA HYNSON

Working with:

BINHI Agricultural Resources Foundation, Philippines

RITA BAUA

Working with: BINHI Philippines

went to:

Muvman Liberasyon Fam Mauritius

went to:

ISIS Italy

History

Philippines, an archipelago of islands in South East Asia, is a country of many tribal minorities. Feudal before colonization, it was colonized by the Spanish for a period of 400 years, during which time they introduced the Catholicism-based tenet of "patience while suffering" (especially for women) and the concept of tenancy (i.e. those who work the land are the "tenants" and not the owners). The Americans came in 1902 and stayed in power until the coming of World War 11 and Japanese occupation, the latter lasting from 1942-1945. Independence and "democracy" came in 1946. In 1972, martial law was declared and lasted until 1981.

The Multinationals

What attracts the multinationals to the Philippines - and there are large numbers of them already, including Fiat, IBM, Kellog, Dole, Shell, and Coca- Cola - is that strikes are banned, factory rent is cheap, and "the women are beautiful". Put another way, for every $1 the United States invests, it earns $3.58 - of which it repatriates $2.

From the workers' perspective, however, the situation is quite different. Women working in the export processing zone work under inhuman conditions with dangerous chemicals, and live in dorms where their only space is a bunk. Pay ranges between 14 and 17 pesos a day (USSl = 10 pesos). Even government statistics say that to  meet the basic minimum needs one requires 52 pesos.

Another aspect of the Philippines situation is the large amount of goods exported. Eighty percent of nickel and cobalt, 90% of iron, and nearly 100% of bananas, pineapples, aluminium ore, and rubber are exported. Another source of revenue is the Philippine workers themselves. It has been estimated that the revenue of migrant
women workers is second only to that of rubber. Migrants bring in more money for the Philippines than all the multinationals.

Binhi

The work of Binhi is in organizing economic and health projects. It's biggest project is ecological farming - developed in response to the erosion and health problems which are the "side effects" of the "Green Revolution" 's heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Within this program Binhi:

— conducts experiments with strains of rice not yet taken over by international rice research

— distributes seeds to hillside farms

— develops composting methods, which at this stage are rather crude because the fields involved run to the thousands of hectares

Binhi's program also includes the distribution of goats as part of a goat raising project, the development of fish ponds, and the planting of cotton in order to self-produce cloth.

DELIA'S EXCHANGE

Participation in the activities and running of the centre — report from the Muvman Liberasyon Fam, Mauritius about Delia's stay with them as an exchange
participant. 

Delia was soon settled in her room which was entirely furnished with furniture provided by the members of the MLF, and she used the common kitchen for her food. Her three months' stay in the centre turned it into a more lively and animated place. Delia has been a very responsible tenant in the women's centre, respecting other tenants' privacy and sharing in the common work like cleaning the toilets, bathroom, kitchen, garden and yard regularly

She has also contributed much of her time helping in the running of the centre and organising it's activities and holding the "permanence" with the centre's secretary, Marie-Noelle. She even replaced Marie-Noelle when the latter was absent.

She also showed much interest in the daily running of the Kindergarten school run by the playgroup in the garage of the centre and was engaged in some of their activities on weekdays.

Delia became a regular member of our executive meeting every Tuesday and in spite of the language difficulties, she managed to contribute in the sharing of the current problems we had in the centre and helping us sort them out.

Three self-examination and women's sexuality discussion groups were organised at the centre and Delia participated in it with the rest of the group.

We organised a slide show and discussion session on free trade zones in the Philippines at the centre. About 20 to 25 women, especially free zone workers
responded to our invitation. The slide show brought about an awareness that free zone workers, elsewhere in the Third World, suffer the same kind of exploitation and humiliation in their work-place.

The women workers who were present were interested to know about the working conditions, and salaries of workers in the Philippines, whether they had the right to unionise etc.

During Delia's stay at the centre, there were numerous informal meetings where a very rich cross-cultural exchange took place.

Report from Delia:

What did you learn during your period of exchange, and what did you contribute to your receiving group in terms of experience and skills?

Before 1 went out of my country, I never knew about what ferninism is. All I understood was that I am a woman who fights for equal rights and opportunities.

I felt very confused and bothered during the orientation course in Geneva, Switzerland. But my stay in Mauritius - my period of exchange - has helped me sort out my confusion and troubled feelings. Staying with other women from the Muvman Liberasyon Fam has helped me understand the women's movement and the need for it.

Not only that, but my friends in the MLF discovered as did I, that in my simple and practical way I am a feminist, in the sense that I am very against this structure that is oppressive to women. Women are usually found on the back benches. They are never given the same opportunities as men, and are exploited and seen as objects. I see my task as being a part of the struggle to liberate ourselves as women, from these oppressive structures.

Give details of at least three important experiences and lessons that you had or gained during the programme.

First I would say that as a woman from a developing country travelling to Europe for the first time, I learned to be a strong woman, responsible and sensible.

English is not my mother tongue and I speak not a word of French. The place I come from is quite backward. I never knew many things. But as I am here now about to go home, I should say that after all, I am a strong woman capable of dealing with all kinds of situations.

How did you find the orientationcourse in general and as a preparationfor your period of exchange ?

Generally the orientation course which was held in Geneva last April was very helpful to me. Through this orientation course I was able to meet ISIS friends personally and made contact with them. Our institution has been subscribing to ISIS for quite a long time now. It has been one of our best materials in the library, so my coming over here strengthens our linkages not only as a subscriber but as sisters working together for the advancement of women's rights and women's equal opportunities.

At the same time the most important and significant thing about the orientation course was to be able to meet all the participants, from the different parts of the world. Each participant shared information about the situation of women in her country. Each woman brought her own culture; every participant shared her struggle. This experience
of sharing has broadened my understanding of the different women's struggles in the world.

And lastly, the orientation course has helped me psychologically for my exchange. Coming together at ISIS made me feel secure, and having met all the participants helped me to feel dynamic and alive, coping with situations like my co-participants had done.

The only thing I could say about the orientation course is that it was held for a very short period of time. I would suggest orientation courses must give ample time for the participants to get adapted to a new place and have time to scan and visit the ISIS office and other women's groups.

I have become responsible. I feel responsible now that I am on my own. Freedom was never something I really experienced, nor is it a part of typical Filipino culture, which says that a single woman should stay at home with her parents. Now being far away from family ties and pressures, I hold myself responsible for whatever decisions
I make. This is one of the most beautiful experiences that has happened to me.

I have become sensible because I now have a direction in life. I feel convinced that women should fight now, when they are most exploited and dominated. As women wehave to fight for our very own rights.

The second lesson I learned is that there is a great need to write, and to communicate with all women who are struggling in the world. Our struggle is not only at the national level, it is for all women who are victims in this unjust society.

Do you think the Programme helped to bring about a better understanding between you and the receiving group about the problems faced by women in your respective countries, helping to deepen cultural understanding.

My exchange programme in Mauritius has helped us in both countries (Mauritius and Philippines) to know each other better. We have so many things in common: both are developing countries, in the so called Third World. Philippines and Mauritius are small countries. We are both known to the world as holiday islands. But because of the
exchange programme we were able to bridge ideas, knowledge, information on what our countries are like, and what our peoples are like.

I am not the only one who will experience how our sisters in Mauritius are struggling. I am going back to the Philippines, bringing all these experiences, and will be sharing with my sisters and friends the struggle of our sisters in Mauritius. Through this exchange programme, we both discover a new sisterhood, a friendship, an alliance to advance the women's movement in both countries.

RITA BAUA

Due to other commitments Rita was able to participate in the Exchange Programme for just a period of one month. She worked on the documentation system, concentrating on topics like development, appropriate technology and rural development.

In her own words:

"I learned the skill to store, classify and analyze documents that pour into ISIS from all over the world. Thus, during the training programme, I read the documents which were used for the guidebook, reclassified these, opened 4 boxes for new topics and noted the questionnaire made by Gabriela for the detailed analysis of the documentation center at ISIS. I was referred to IDOC* to study and practice a bit, the famous OASIS system. At first, I was afraid of it because I thought it was so complex. But Choi of Hong Kong, presently an intern at IDOC, patiently showed me each step of the system, till I found myself wishing I could stay longer in Rome so
that I could read and process more documents according to the OASIS system."

"I learned much from ISIS and IDOC. In the Philippines, my institution, BINHl, is a resource center on ecology and women, covering action research among plantation workers and fisher people. Through the skills I learned at ISIS and IDOC, we will now be able to systematize our documents so that we could correctly store, classify, retrieve and regularly study these for the service of the farmers, plantation workers and fisher-people, including the national minorities."

"As for the skills portion, Gabriela would first of all explain to me what I was to do, then she would leave it to my own initiative to carry out the task assigned to me, ie. choosing the topics that should go under development. Previous to that, she explained why ISIS was opening a new box on development which is apart from the other
subject matter. I would show her my work and ask for her comments. For example, she suggested once that the box I had opened on Appropriate Technology should be included under the category Women and Development as a sub-section. I suggested other topics that could be covered, one such being rural development, since a large
section of the world's population came from rural areas and half of them were women."

Rita concluded with the wish that the dialogue between ISIS and the receiving groups would continue, so also the contact and communication between ISIS and the participants of the Exchange Programme. She says, "my participation in the ISIS Exchange Programme has certainly broadened my understanding of womens' issues..., it
is conceded that women have deep problems, but these must be discussed in openess and solidarity."

* IDOC = International Documentation Centre, also based in Rome, with whom ISIS closely collaborates.