AFRICA

Nigeria

«We are a women's centre founded by the church women of the Christian Assembly of Nigeria, a small church body in Nigeria. We care for orphans, abandoned children, battered women and destitute women of over forty years. We educate our women and help them to be aware of the age long oppression, domination and exploitation of women by men in religious, political, economic and social perspectives. We provide vocational training to our women to enable them to be on their own in due course. We are a communication and information centre for women; and we act in solidarity with all oppressed women worldwide.

«In a society such as ours where polygamy is culturally and traditionally recognised, women who cannot compete favourably with other wives to maintain their husbands' love are often maltreated, battered or divorced. Some of them out of frustration may go into prostitution and subsequently be severely harassed by law enforcement agents who go about collecting heavy taxes. Sometimes these unfortunate women are rounded up by these agents, maltreated, and detained on the allegation of harbouring the undesirable elements of society. We as a women's centre cannot remain indifferent when our folk are subjected to such treatment, hence we keep our centre open to these victims, care for them and provide vocational training so that they can be on their own in due course...

«In a country such as ours where no provisions are made for orphans, handicapped or older people, such responsibilities are borne by voluntary groups, religious and church bodies; and the source of funding such programmes is through gifts and donations. In a country of poor and battered economy such as ours, depressed and drought prone, our women are so poor that nothing is deprived here by way of gift. Moreover, inflation in Nigeria has reached 500%. This situation has crippled us as we do not have sufficient funds to feed our inmates properly.

«We appeal to our wt)men folk to come to our aid by way of gifts and donations. We shall accept personal cheques. International Postal/Money Orders, International Reply Coupons and bank drafts. We shall also accept material gifts such as clothing, books, etc., but packages containing such items must be clearly inscribed «Charity Goods, Church Donations/Not for sale» so that wc may be exempted from taxation on delivery.»

For more information contact:

Women's Rehabilitation Centre, Christian Assembly of Nigeria, P.O. Box 185, Eket, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria, West Africa.

Uganda

«A Voice to the Voiceless»

This is one of the mottos of the Uganda Media Women's Association (UMWA), an organisation of media women in Uganda established in August, 1983.

« Ever since, we are striving not only to be heard but also to change the stereotyped image of women portrayed in the mass media. We are trying to build up a solidarity with other women's groups as well,» said Fatuma Alio of UMWA.

UMWA was born out of the recommendations of a three day seminar on «Media Women in Development" held in Kampala, Uganda in the same year. Over 150 women and some men, professionals in media work, law, education and development, participated in this seminar which noted that media women in Uganda had not played their rightful role in the reconstruction of Uganda. They stressed the importance of articulating, through the media, women's concerns and noted in addition the concerns of the rural women without direct access to media, and the need to rectify the distorted image of women portrayed in the media.

UMWA will publish a magazine called NGABERU (women) and establish a library to enable women to broaden their scope and do proper research into women's issues. A career guidance counseling will be established in schools to encourage young girls to join the media profession.

For more information, contact:
Uganda Media Women's Association, PO Box 681, Kampala, Uganda.

ASIA

Hong Kong

The Association for the Advancement of Feminism (AAF)

As a response to the UN Decade for Women, the AAF in Hong Kong will organise a mobile street theatre in local communities and will publish a Women's Resource Guide on women's social welfare services in Hong Kong. The first volume of the guide will be finished by the end of 1985. In 1984, immediately after its inauguration, the AAF conducted a door to door survey on «The Participation of Hong Kong Women in Public Affairs.» It was carried out by members of AAF and 200 volunteers. A preliminary report has been published recently.

Information provided by:
Kong King-chu, AAF, 2 Ship Street 2/F, Hong Kong.

Sri Lanka

Centre for Women's Research (CENWOR)

CENWOR was established in Sri Lanka to meet the pressing need for more in-depth and systematic research as a basis for action programmes for women. It operates on the following objectives:

1. to undertake and promote systematic research including action-oriented studies relating to women;
2. to evaluate development policies and projects relating to women;
3. to explore alternative approaches to development with special reference to women;
4. to evolve appropriate methodologies for studies on women in the Asian region;
5. to provide a forum for discussion and interdisciplinary dialogue on women's issues;
6. to sponsor and conduct conferences, seminars, workshops and public lectures on women's issues;
7. to provide information and documentation services and resource personnel for research and action programmes;
8. to collaborate in women's programmes with organisations and institutions within and outside Sri Lanka.

For more information, contact:
Swarna .layaweer or Hema Goonatilake,120/10 Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.

Mothers Front of Jaffna

This is a newly formed group of women in response to the stringent measures introduced by the Sri Lankan government relating to the Tamil population of Jaffna.

The Front calls upon President J.R. .Jayawardene to rescind the Emergency Regulation No. 1 of 1984 (Establishment of a Prohibited Zone and a Security Zone) in an open letter excerpts of which are given below:

«We the mothers and women of Jaffna write to you with extreme sadness that the new regulations and excesses of the Security Forces are a virtual declaration of war by your government against the Tamil People,of Sri Lanka as a whole. The new regulations are a merciless war of attrition against the entire Tamil People in this country...

«The prohibited zone covers a large number of prominent schools, hospitals, post office, crematorium, burial ground, 35 temples, and 15 churches. The creation of the Prohibited Zone and regulations governing them would destroy the coastal fishing people of their right to employment, to live in their homes, educate their children in schools, to worship, to bury or cremate their dead and in short their right to live...

«The stoppage of all transport, the lack of fuel for motor vehicles and water pumps, the declaration of prohibited and security zones in their region have brought food production to a halt. The marketing of the agricultural produce has been seriously affected and this will deprive the farmers of their livelihood. There is hardly transport of food and essential supplies by rail...

«The imposition of curfew for days at a stretch has resulted in complete dislocation of life of the community...

"Reprisals by the security forces against civilians and their property have now become a common feature. The search for

"Terrorists' have now resulted in indiscriminate arrest of innocent persons and children, rape of women and young girls and plunder and looting. The whole operation of the security forces has now become a war on the Tamil people.»

The Front appeals for international support and assistance for those who have lost their livelihood in the fishing villages in the Prohibited Zone.

Letters of protest should be sent to:
The President, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka.

For more information, contact:
The Mothers Front of Jaffna, Weavers Lodge, Trimmer Hall, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Information from:
Outwrite, issue 34, March 1985, Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London E2, UK.

EUROPE

UK

The Common Thread

This is a collective of white working class women who joined forces after two meetings in 1983/84 in London, UK. They are now working towards publishing a collection of writings from working class women . to be published in the summer of 1986. «This collection of writings aims to explore what we have in common as well as celebrating our differences... It's time our lives, our feelings, our ideas, our struggles and our work are taken seriously!» declared women from the Common Thread.

For more information, contact:
Sandra, 36 Working Close, London SW15, UK.

Information taken from:
WIRES, the Women's Information Referral and Enquiry Service, PO Box 20, Oxford, UK.

LATIN AMERICA

Venezuela

Circulos Femeninos Populares

In 1974 «we were only five groups... At that time I saw an organisation which helped women, but I didn't understand what it was about ... Today the organisation is much stronger, we have 200 coordinators and 75 Circles in twelve Regions. What I most like about the Circles is that they help us grow as persons. Developing our capacities and skills, discussing our ideas, discovering our abilities, helps us feel surer of ourselves as women in the society we live in. We feel that we have a fundamental role to play in changing this society for one that is more just and equal.» (Mujeres en la Lucha, nr. 8, 1984.)

This is how one of the founding members of the Circulos Femeninos Populares sees the growth of this women's organisation which organises and trains women living in rural areas and poor neighbourhoods. Each local group organises seminars, workshops and training for women of their own area. For example, the Circulos helped organise 500 women who make hammocks in a peasant cooperative. Together they buy cheaper material, fix the price of their work and products and divide the earnings in equal parts.

The Circulos publish a bulletin, Mujeres en la Lucha (Women in Struggle), which includes articles about their activities and issues such as housing, water, food, health.

For more information, contact:
Circulos Femeninos Populares, Apartado 4240, Caracas 1010-A, Venezuela.

Argentina

Lugar de Mujer

Located in downtown Buenos Aires, the Lugar de Mujer (Women's Place) is the first of its kind in Argentina. They have organised all of their activities without using the word «feminist». As one of the twenty founding members of the Lugar said, the use of the word «feminist» is too dangerous to be able to reach the community. This is why they emphasise its role as helping women, giving them a place to go and organising women's activities. «The organisers see it as a place where women can get legal, medical and financial advice, take courses and workshops, have access to women's international resource information banks, study women's art. music, literature, film, and photography.» (Off Our Backs. March. 1984) .

For more information, contact:
Lugar de mujer, Corricntes 2817,5"B, 1193 Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Brazil

Associafao de Mulheres de Mato Grosso

The Women's Association of Mato Grosso, formed in 1980, works closely with rural women in organising day care and health advice clinics. They work in seven action groups:

• Communication group collecting information about the feminist movement internationally.
• Day care group giving advice and helping rural women organise day care.
• Self-defence group denouncing violations of women's rights and defending women against violations in any area, including the work place.
• Contact group promoting support and solidarity with other women's groups.
• Expression groups organising discussions, research and cultural events.
• Health group organising discussion groups on women's health.
• Education group studying the problems women face in the educational system and taking action to solve these.

For more information contact:
Associacao de Mulheres Mato Grosso, Rua Baltazar Navarro 231. Bandeirante, 78,000 Cuiba-Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Costa Rica

Ventana

«...we are aware that the position women occupy in a patriarchal society is not an individual problem, but a social one and that to eliminate sexism one must transform society...»

In 1981 the group's main activity was the production of the quarterly journal, Ventana, through which they expressed their needs and aspirations and their discussions on women's role in society. Today, besides publishing the journal, they organise seminars and workshops and help women organise and take action. In the future they hope to open a documentation centre and a Women's House, together with other women's groups.

For more information, contact:
Ventana, Apartado 925, Centro Colon, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Guatemala

IXQUIC

IXQUIC was founded in May 1983 to deepen the knowledge of the situation of women in Guatemala and to promote solidarity with their cause.

IXQUIC focuses on:

1. The rights of women in Guatemala - social, political, economic and cultural.
2. Alternatives for women in societies facing serious internal conflict.
3. The role of women in the history of Guatemala.

Given the importance of the oral tradition in Guatemala, IXQUIC collects personal testimonies from women in different sectors of the society. This documentation of both individual and collective experiences contributes to the preparation of the report on Women in Guatemala.

IXQUIC also produces occasional publications, organises seminars, international tours, and special projects with Guatemalan women.

For more information contact:
IXQUIC, Apartado Postal 27-008, Zona Postal 06760, Mexico, D.F.

MIDDLE EAST

Women Not Only Want to Give Their Lives, but Also Want to Change It

Turkey

Kadin Cevresi

Kadin Cevresi (Women's Circle) is a publishing collective which has recently been set up by some Turkish feminists. It aims not only at producing books and organising conferences and events, but also providing a communication network for women in Turkey. A legal advice service and a library for women have already been established.

For more information contact:
Yeni Hamam Sok, Oztel Is hani, Kat 2, No 7, Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey.