special: chile
RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIRST NATIONAL CHILEAN WOMEN'S MEETING
A National Chilean Women's Meeting, organized by the Women's Department of the Chilean Trade Union's National Coordinating Committee, was held in Santiago on November 17-19, 1979. It was the first such meeting in Chile since the overthrow of the Allende government in 1973. In attendance were 298 delegates from all over the country. Including workers' organizations; organizations of the unemployed and of artists, intellectuals and professionals; groups of families of prisoners who have "disappeared"; mothers' centers; and organizations of retired persons.
At the close of the discussions at this meeting, the following conclusions were reached:
A. That the cultural, political and socio-economic situation in Chile today has created serious problems that directly affect Chilean women and their families.
B. That this situation is the result of an official economic policy which goes against the interest of the great majority of the Chilean people.
C. That fundamental rights, like the right to life; freedom of speech and expression; freedom of assembly and the right to organist; the right to human dignity, to better health, education and recreation; the right to work and a just wage, are severely restricted in Chile. That most importantly, the Chilean people have been denied the right to participate in public life, especially the right to elect their officials and to stand for office.
Having reached these conclusions, the First National Chilean Women's Meeting resolved to demand:
I. On the Socio-Economic Front
- that the government take urgent steps to fight the scourge of unemployment, by creating new jobs and abandoning its absurd policy of free trade, and thus defend national industry against foreign competition.
- respect for the rights of all workers to a decent income, not only those who are employed, but the unemployed as well, and public as well as private sector employees.
- the defense of Chile's resources against foreign exploitation.
- the right of all citizens to free and democratic education at all levels. The state education budget should be increased to provide more schools, scholarships, hot meals, libraries, teaching materials, etc.
-- the right to free medical attention for all at clinics and hospitals, and an increase in the state budget for hospitals, medicines, etc.
-- the right to a decent standard of living and the advancement of the majority of the population.
- respect of acquired social rights, among which the right of women to retire at 55 and to receive full pay for maternity leave.
- repeal of Decree Law No. 2,247, which stopped the process of agrarian reform and the maintenance and appreciation of the law for the protection of the Mapuche Indian people.
I I . On the Labour and Trade Union Front:
- an end to discrimination against women in the labour force, by creating conditions which make it easier for them to take jobs, e.g., nurseries, day care centers, etc.
- repeal of Decree Law No. 2,000 which discriminates against working mothers, especially by making it difficult for them to change jobs and by eliminating certain mothers' and trade union rights.
- repeal of Decree Law No. 198, as well as all other laws which serve to suppress trade union organizations, such as the Central Union of Teachers, the Retired Workers Association, and others.
-- an end to all the means of repression used against the trade union movement, which are intended to intimidate its leaders and workers in general.
-- an end to all forms of interference in the organizations of the Chilean people, for example, by creating parallel unions or trying to take over the leadership.
- respect for the traditional and acquired rights of workers, which have been enshrined in law, especially the right to bargain collectively and to strike.
I I I . Women demand respect for Human Rights:
-- The right to life: the government should immediately respond, on a case-by-case basis, to the demands from the families for information of persons who have "disappeared" while in the hands of the state security apparatus.
The First National Chilean Women's Meeting declares its complete solidarity with the Association of Families of imprisoned and/or Disappeared Persons.
- Protection of all Chileans from torture.
- Freedom from arbitrary imprisonment.
- The inalienable right of Chilean citizens to live in their homeland
- Right to elect one's officials through universal suffrage and he secret ballot, and the right to full information about candidates for public office, so as to be able to cast an informed vote.
The participants in this First National Chilean Women's Meeting are firmly convinced that the only way to solve the problems set out above is through a prompt return to democratic government, the only system which guarantees adequate respect for fundamental human rights.
The First National Chilean Women's Meeting calls upon all the women of our country to take up the struggle for the economic, political and social liberties of Chile.
To join wholeheartedly in the work of existing grass-roots organizations, such as trade unions, mothers' centres, and community organizations.
We call for the establishment of a National Women's Committee for the Defense of Rights of the Child, in order to commemorate 1979, the International Year of the Child.
We close in expressing our firm renunciation of all warlike intentions, which would signify breaking the peace between fraternal peoples (reference to threat of war between Argentina and Chile ed.)
FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND LIBERTY LONG LIVE THE FIRST NATIONAL WOMEN'S MEETING!
RESOURCES !
Asia and the Pacific
AUSTRALIA
Sybil P.O. Box 198 Nedlands, West Australia 6009
A fourteen-page quarterly dealing with rape, abortion, health and lesbian rights. It is supplemented with poetry, art and short stories. US$3.00 per year.
BANGLADESH,
Women and Education - Bangladesh 1978 published on behalf of the Women for Women Research and Study Group, August, 1978. Price Tk 15.00 c/o Bangladesh Books International Ltd., Ittefag Building I.R.K. Mission Road, Dacca-3 Bangladesh.
This is the second publication under the series "Women for Women". It presents data that surfaced through the analytical investigations and surveys undertaken by its members. It includes papers covering; social attitude to women's role and status; resultant types formal education received by Bangladeshi women; present attitudes of middle class urban parents towards women's education in general and women's role in particular; primary education in Bangladesh; position of women in secondary education; married graduate students in higher education and women and non-formal education, stressing the importance of income-generating programmes for rural
women. (From the publisher's blurb.
KOREA
Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations, 1 -866 Yoido-Dong Young Deung Po-Ku Seoul, Korea
Set up by Dr. Tai-Young Lee to make counseling of family relations within the reach of all. The activities of the center are: Daily legal counseling for men and women, a mobile unite for rural women, library, clinical training for women, development of a research center of the women's movement in Korea, lectures, work toward amending present discriminatory laws against women, visits to male and female juvenile delinquents, and use of the mass media for counseling and to share women's issues.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
South Pacific Appropriate Technology Foundation, P.O. Box 6937 Boroko Papua New Guinea
A foundation designed to develop and promote the use of technologies appropriate to: individuals' self-employment and self-reliance efforts, village groups' self-help projects, the government's strategies for national and regional development. They maintain a library and information centre, publish and distribute "how-to" manuals, and conduct workshops. Their most recent publication is a report on a National Women's Workshop on Appropriate Technology - tradition-linked technology, which simply reports the "how-to" oriented workshop with only sketchy analysis.
INDIA
Manushi, A-5 Nizamuddin East ew Delhi 110013 India
Manushi is a new feminist journal about women and society, published by a collective of Indian women in English and Hindi. It appears bi-monthly. The first 60 page issue includes articles on sexual abuse and violence against women, women and the labour movement, discrimination in education, personal testimonies from women as well as poems, book and film reviews. The whole issue is very well done and very interesting. An excellent source of information on the women's movement in India. Well worth subscribing to. Yearly subscription: USA individual US $ 3.00, institution $ 6.00 plus S 6.00 postage for both; UK £ 1.80 individual, £ 3.60 institution plus £ 4.60 postage.
Feminist Network, Gayatri Singh, c/o H.V. Shukia, v Bhavna Apartments 1st Floor, S.V. Road, Vileparle (west), Bombay - 400 056
An irregular feminist newsletter which brings together news from women's activities and groups in the different regions. A useful resource
Women's Action for Development (WAFD) D-139 Anand Niketan New Delhi - 110 021
"WAFD is a secular Indian organization of christian inspiration working for the development of women and children belonging to the weaker sections of the rural, urban and tribal communities, irrespective of caste, creed or community". It produces a quarterly newsletter. Links, which reports news about projects and activities for women. (WAFD is funded by an FAO-related organization).
UNITED KINGDOM
Lesbian Line, BM 1514, London WCIV6XX Tel: 01-837 8602
Lesbian Line is a feminist phone service run by and for women. Information about feminist and lesbian resources both for London and all over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Open Mondays and Fridays 2-10 pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7-10 pm.
Sisterwrlte. 190 Upper Street London N.1.
First feminist bookstore in London.
Newsletter, Research Unit on Women's Studies S.N.D.T. Women's University 1 Nathibai Thackersav Road , BOMBAY 400 020
A 4- page publication containing news of women's studies in India, recent publications relating to women in India, overseas news (groups mainly), and forthcoming conferences. Informative. (Vol.1 no.1 appeared Nov-Dec 1978).
HONG KONG
Federation of Asian Women's Associations, c/o Sheryl Walker 68 Macdonnell Road, Flat 4B HONG KONG
The FAWA is holding the meeting of women's groups in the Asia/Pacific region, June 1-5, 1979. Major themes of the programme will be: the year of the child, women's health, and communication and leadership techniques. For more details, write above.
NEW ZEALAND
NOW (National Organization for Women), P.O. Box 2946 Auckland, New Zealand .
NOW has formed a New Zealand chapter. Membership is $2 and members receive the monthly newsletter, may attend the monthly meetings, and take part in seminars.
Roman Catholic Feminists, c/o 33 Arlow Road London N21 3JS, UK
Roman Catholic Feminists is London based and aims at a network of groups nation/worldwide. We unite and support each other in our efforts to integrate feminism and Catholicism and also to bring the various issues to the attention of the whole Church. We also share an 'occasional' newsletter.
Rape Crisis Centre, P.O. Box 120, Head P.O. Edinburgh, Scotland tel: 031/556 9437
OXFAM, 274 Banbury Road Oxford 0X2 70Z
Oxfam is a non-profit aid agency distributing funds raised within the UK and worlof food, shelter and reasonable conditions of life. Its aim is constructive self-development, prevention rather than cure, long-term benefits and most of all; self-reliance.
In areas where women carry the double-burden of housework- childrearing and food production, Oxfam stresses integration of men into women's activities, education for both sexes, particularly women, and the introduction of simple tools to lighten the women's workload. It makes an effort to avoid the typical male-designed development programmes
Short descriptions (4-6 pages) of projects related to women can be obtained from Oxfam. One of particular interest is "Women's self-reliance movement", Faridpur District, Bangladesh, where women have been trained in diverse activities such as fisheries, silk farming, and doing their own marketing, with literacy classes and a homeopathy clinic being spin-off activities.
Women's Report, the bi-monthly feminist newsletter from the, UK, has a new address: c/o Box 48, Rising Free 182 Upper St. London N1, UK
WR subscriptions: £2 for poor; otherwise minimum £2.50; donation subscriptions £3 or more; institutions £4; overseas subscriptions £5/individuals, £7.50/institutions
Tayside Women's Liberation Newsletter, c/o Lyser 1st cottage, Blebo Mains, Nr. Pitscottie, Fife, Scotland
Current feminist writings from Scotland, as well as news, publications available etc. Appears irregularly. £ 1.50 for 10 issues. Good source of information for finding out what's going on in Scotland.
A.F.F.I.R.M. (Alliance For Fair Images & Representation in the Media)
AFFIRM now holds meetings and can be contacted at: The Women's Arts Alliance 10 Cambridge Terrace '* Mews London N.W.I., UK
The Women's Press, 12 Ellesmere Road, Bow, London, ECS
Recently published three important books : Female Cycles, by Paula Weidegger, a fascinating study on menstruation in all its physical, social and psychological aspects; About Men, by Phyllis Chesler, a historical, psychological and personal study into men-men and women-men relationships, using art and mythology; and A Piece of the Night, by Michele Roberts, a first feminist novel. All highly recommended.
Association of Radical MIdwives Newsletter, 17 Fairfax Road DERBY England, tel: 371471
The Association of Radical Midwives is a group, now widespread in the United Kingdom, of women concerned about the erosion of the role of the midwife and the consequent lack of choice for childbearing women. The Newsletter comes out quarterly (£2.00 per year) as a vehicle to share information, news, issues etc. Gives book and film reviews, lists useful books, addresses etc. and includes sections on midwifery abroad, organisations and technical information. Each issue is put out by a different regional group.
NETHERLANDS
EBAE/ICAE Newsletter, European Bureau of Adult Education - Nieuweweg 4, 3800 AJ AMERSFOORT
Newsletter 5/6 on "Continuing Education for Women" presents an introduction to the educational policies and provisions for continuing education of women in sixteen European countries. Articles discuss courses offered by folk high schools, women's organizations and regular and adult education institutes in the fields of high school qualification, outreach work, re-entry to study and work, vocational training. Women's Studies, citizenship education etc., as well as government support for these programmes. In addition to a bibliography of related documentation since 1975 and lists of organizations working in the field from the respective countries, an agenda of adult education conferences and seminars, with a special focus on women's education, is included. Price: Dfl. 12.50 (Dfl. 9.00 for 5 copies or more), payable
to postal account 3815799.
BERLIN (West)
Archiv und Bibllothek des FFBIZ, Stresemannstr. 40 1000 BERLIN 61
A group of women have been working since 1975 to set up a women's library and archives, which finally opened in March 1978. They collect all material related to women, and hope on the basis of this to open a research, education and information centre for women (that's what FFBIZ stands for). They fund themselves, and so request free subscriptions to all women's publications. Write to address above.
ITALY
European Women's Camp, Comunita d'Agape 10060 Prali (Torino) Italy. Tel : (0121) 8514
The theme for this year's camp is "finding our identity as women". The camp will bring together up to 200 women from Europe to share political and personal experiences. Write for details above.
latin america-caribbean
CARIBBEAN
Caribbean Resource Book, International Women's Tribune Centre 305 E 46 Street New York, New York 10017 USA
Produced jointly with the University of the West Indies and the Women's Bureau of Jamaica, this 234-page resource book includes sections which 1) describe 230 projects focusing on women and development in the 16 Caribbean English-speaking areas; 2) list financial and technical assistance resources; 3) provide a bibliography of women in development in the Caribbean and 4) reproduces the Regional Plan of Action for the English-speaking Caribbean of the United Nations. A loose-leaf format makes this a highly useable tool.
The IWY Tribune Centre also jointly produced a resource book on women in Asia and the Pacific (see ISIS Bulletin No. 9), and will shortly produce one on the South Pacific. All these guides are attractively presented and include many addresses and helpful information, although this tends to be unevaluated - i.e. one cannot tell from the description if the group listed is feminist in clined or not, although listings are sometimes split into governmental and non-governmental.
URUGUAY
Status de la Mujer en el Uruguay (14 pages, 1977) La Mujer y el Desarrollo (16 pages, 1977) Ofelia Machado Bonet Rambia Rca. del Pera 815, Apto. 1101
Montevideo, Uruguay
middle east
Khamsin A journal of revolutionary socialists of the Middle East, c/o Pluto Press Ltd., Unit 10 Spencer Court, 7 Chalcot Road, London NW1 8LH, England (also published in French by editions Maspero)
Khamsin 6 has as its theme "Women in the Arab World", including four good articles on Lebanon, Palestine and Israel and an article entitled simply "Arab women" which gives a good analysis of the influence of Islam. These are well-written and invaluable materials on women in the Middle East. Highly recommended. Khamsin costs £ 2 per copy or £ 6.50 for an annual subscription (4 issues) from Pluto Press. Available in the USA from MERIP, P.O. Box 3122, Columbia Heights Station, Washington DC 20010
north america
USA
Third World Women Speak Out, Perdita Huston Praeger Publishers, 1979 foreward by Arvonne S. Eraser.
The events leading up to this book started with Perdita Huston's sensing the need for development planners to hear directly from the people their efforts were affecting. She wrote a first book Message from the Village from her interviews with women from diverse economic and social backgrounds in Egypt, Sudan, Mexico, Tunisia, Sri Lanka and Kenya. This was a project for the UN Fund for Population Activities and deals mostly with the women's need for family planning. She then decided to publish Third World Women Speak Out, a beautifully human and unstatistical book, from the rest of the material, on women's views of change, development and basic needs.
Our Third World sisters echo the need to change social attitudes that stand in the way of development, particularly the taboos against contraception. They express an overwhelming need to be able to earn money, since so often their hard-earned cash falls into the hands of their husbands. They speak uni universally of undernourished, exhausted bodies from bearing so many children and working such long hard hours often without help. The majority of rural women work day and night to squeeze out enough money for school books for their children (if they are lucky enough to have schools) to save them from the imprisonment of illiteracy.
There is a special message from these women. Perdita tells of a cold, rainy night in Nyeri, where she chose several volunteers to interview privately after a women's meeting. After three hours of interviewing she stepped out to discover the women's group standing in the cold without shoes or coats to wish her farewell. As she moved toward the group they began to sing and dance. Her interpreter explained that they wanted to make her an honorary member of their tribe. " In the midst of the ceremony, a 70 year-old woman - toothless, shoeless and in rags - rushed out of the crowd and took me by the arm. Grinning and shaking her finger in my face she said, with authority : 'Now you go back and tell the women in your place that the women of Nyeri CARE about them'."
Connie Lawrence
Food Monitor, P.O. Box 1975 Garden City, NY 11520 USA
A review which provides information and analysis on food, land and hunger; discusses the obstacles that prevent people from feeding themselves; presents a positive, integrated and realistic view of complex issues; brings together the people, ideas and actions that combine to f o rm a movement fighting to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. The January/February 1979 issue includes a section on women. Subscription $15.00 for 11 issues; foreign rates $20.00.
Women: A Journal of Liberation , 3028 Greenmount Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21218 . U S A
"Encouraged by the growth and spirit of the women's movement. Women: A Journal of Liberation goes into its 6th volume of publication. Since the Journal was started in the Fall of 1969, it has served as an expression of the ideas and creativity of a developing women's consciousness. We feel our magazine fills two purposes: to introduce women to the women's movement, and to further dialogue among women who are working for basic changes in our society. Our thematic format allows for an in-depth exploration of various problems and issues facing us". Highly recommended. Subscriptions: $ 5 per volume US, $ 6 Canada, $ 7 elsewhere, $ 15 institutions, bulk rates available.
Working for Your Life, 55 minute, colour documentary A labour occupational health program film production Directed by Andrea Hricko and Ken Light LOHP Films, University of California, 2521 Channing Way, Berkeley, C a . 94720
Working for your life focuses on the often overlooked hazards faced by women on their jobs. Filmed in over 35 different workplaces, it interweaves interviews with concerned or injured women with footage of numerous women workers actively involved in efforts to make their work environments safer. It is an important film for labour education, union organizers, for the occupational health and safety movement, and for working women everywhere. It is based on the important handbook by Andrea Hrick , Working for Your Life: A Women's Guide to Job Health Hazards, which is a 200- page, loose - leaf book written in nontechnical terms covering facts and figures on women workers, how workplace hazards can cause cancer, genetic effects and birth defects, and case studies on discrimination against women because of hazards. One of the rationales behind these two works (film and book) is " . . . that potential reproductive effects are being cited by many employers as a rationale for keeping fertile women out of the industrial workplace, rather than cleaning it up to insure the health of everyone affected".
The film is still uncompleted due to lack of funds: US$ 16,000 are needed to be able to release the film . Contributions of any size are asked for . Donors of $ 100 will receive a single free film rental; donors of $ 1,000 will be listed as " sponsor " and receive a free sale print of the film . Contact above address.
The Practicing Midwife, 156 Drakes Lane Summertown , Tennessee 38483
A quarterly newsletter on alternative health issues, news and people in the midwifery, primary health care and public health fields. One year's subscription - $ 5.00 - will cover the next four newsletters plus mailing costs. Include $ 3.00 additional for overseas mailing. It's a must for pregnant women.
Funding Resources for Women in Development Projects, Marilyn W. Richards, New TransCentury Foundation, July 1978, from: New TransCentury Foundation Secretariat for Women in Development 1789 Columbi a Road, N.W. 53U Washington, D.C. 20009 USA
The Secretariat for Women in Development describes its major role as " to encourage good development projects which make fuller use of the important resources Third World women have to offer, and more directly meet their needs". This bulletin on funding resources has been produced in an attempt to meet this goal. It includes descriptions of United States private foundations, US Government agencies, US private voluntary organisations and church groups which fund projects, UN agencies based in the US and a brief discussion of multinational corporations. There is extensive description of each foundation or organisation, outlining the areas they are interested in and which kinds of projects they are likely to fund, relative to women in development. Gives key contact people, and suggestions as how to write proposals, as well as whether and how organisations indigenous to developing countries receive grants. An undoubtedly helpful resource to women and women's groups in the Third World seeking funding.
second bulletin of funding sources based outside the United States will be published in the upcoming months.
Network, Washington, D.C. 20005
A religious lobby, working for social justice through legislation. It is a mediator between its members and the US congress. Publishes Network Quarterly on issues the group is involved in such as food and agriculture, policy, employment, health care, prisons, corporations; also on how these relate to women; and a newsletter giving news of the group's activities. Also carries out workshops and seminars. Subscriptions US$ 18.00, $ 23.00 overseas (for Quarterly and newsletter - 10 issues).
International Women's Tribune Center Newsletter, 305 East 46th Street .New York, New York 10017 USA
This newsletter regularly contains information about women, development, food and projects. The first issue of 1979 on appropriate technology for women is especially interesting
New Women's Times, 1357 Monroe Ave. Rochester, New York 14618 USA
A bi-weekly feminist newspaper, principally containing news and events from the US. It is supplemented by 6 regular issues of the Feminist Review, which features 25 pages of reviews of new publications and movies. Includes extensive coverage of women's meetings' resolutions, potentially harmful medicines, local feminist activities and women in history. It is a diverse and complete paper, which includes personal columns. "We're not a women's newspaper, we're a feminist newspaper. But we don't sell feminism". $ 10.00 per year.
Aegis, Magazine on Box 21033 Washington, D.C. 20009 Violence Against Women
"The purpose of Aegis is to aid the efforts of feminists working to end violence against women. To this end, Aegis provides practical information and resources for grassroots organizers, along with promoting a continuing discussion among feminists of the root causes of rape, battering, sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women.
"Aegis is published 6 times yearly by the National Communication Network (NCN), the Feminist Alliance Against Rape (FAAR) and the Alliance Against Sexual Coercion (AASC). FAAR was started by a group of anti-rape activists in Washington, D.C; NCN was created by grassroots shelter workers at the Wisconsin Conference on Battered Women; and the AASC, in Boston, is the first group in the United States to provide services to women who are sexually harassed on their jobs. The three groups united in July 1978 to create
Aegis". Individual subscription, 1 year (6 issues) S 8.75 inside North America, $ 10.00 outside, $ 20.00 and $ 25.00 for institutions
Directory of Feminist Media. Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press 3306 Ross Place, N.W. Washington, DC 20008 USA
Updated and issued each January, this directory lists over 500 women's groups and individuals including: periodicals, presses/ publishers, news services, film groups, art/graphics, theater, bookstores, distributers and other forms of media in the women's liberation movement. Price: US $ 8.00.
NOTICE:
PLEASE SEND ALL ORDERS, PAYMENTS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, EXCHANGES, IFN NOTICES, AND CORRESPONDANCE TO THE ISIS OFFICE IN SWITZERLAND
ISIS BADLY NEEDS A NEW ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER. WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ANY CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF THIS.
THANK YOU !