[van-announce] Forum Features Asian Women's Battles for Human Rights, Justice and Liberation

[Grassroots Women]

Grassroots Women Press Release:

For immediate release

October 7th, 2002



Forum Features Asian Women's Battles for Human Rights, Justice and
Liberation


(Vancouver, Canada) – On October 7th, 2002, Harkirat Kaur from South Asian
Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD) and Monica Urrutia from the
Philippine Women Centre of BC (PWC of BC) will share the impacts of
globalization, war and fundamentalism on women in South Asia. The forum,
being held at the SFU Harbour Centre (515 West Hastings) from 7 – 9:30pm, is
the second “Regional Feature Night” and is part of a series of forums being
held in preparation for “Towards our liberation: an International Women’s
Conference Against Imperialist War and Plunder”, scheduled for November 1 –
4, 2002.



Harkirat Kaur is a member of the newly-formed Committee on Women's Issues of
SANSAD, a political organization in the Lower Mainland that works to oppose
policies and practices of national governments and international
institutions that promote economic inequality, social injustice and
militarism. She will speak on the topic of “fundamentalism and its attack on
women” with particular focus on recent events in Gujarat, India.



In February this year, organized, armed gangs attacked Muslim neighborhoods
in the cities and villages of Gujarat. It is estimated that 2000 Muslims
were killed, many of whom were burnt to death. Women were raped and killed.
Over a hundred thousand persons were displaced and turned into refugees in
the preplanned massacre. Kaur will emphasize the impact of these attacks on
women in the hope of building international solidarity and action.



The second speaker of the evening will be Monica Urrutia, a member of the
PWC of BC, a local women's organization and resource center run for and by
Philippine women. The PWC of BC envisions human rights and freedom for all
Philippine women, wherever they may be. Urrutia will focus on the role of
women in the struggle for social and national liberation in the Philippines.
With the violations of the national sovereignty of the Philippines by over
4000 American troops in the “second front in the war on terrorism” the
question of national liberation has a critical importance. Urrutia will
address the history of women's struggle in the Philippines and the current
challenges facing the women's movement both in the Philippines and
internationally.



All are welcome to attend the “Regional Feature Night” on October 7 and the
following feature night on the Middle East, which will be held on October
21. Entrance is by donation and all proceeds will go directly towards
supporting delegates from Third World countries to attend the forthcoming
women’s conference.



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Media Contact: Rachel Rosen, Grassroots Women, 604.215.1905



______________________________________________

"Reclaim the struggle for a renewed
and militant women's movement!"
Grassroots Women
Phone: 604.215.1905
http://grassrootswomen.tripod.com



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