[Gcap-mujeres] October 17 / 17 de octubre

[ana]

Dear friends,
queridas amigas (espanhol en mensaje aparte),

yesterday was the global day of mobilisation of GCAP and there were several 
activities taking place around the world, in addition to the Stand Up and 
Speak Out. I have received and forwarded to the list information on numerous 
activities sent by colleagues from the FTF from different regions of the 
world. We will later compile, like last year, a summary of all activities 
implemented. 
I can also tell you that the final number of people who stood up was released 
today in a teleconference in which I was also part together with Kumi, Salil 
from the UNMC, Mary Robinson, Minar, Taju from Africa and myself. The final 
number of people who stood up around the world is of 38.7 million, so way 
above the number of last year!
I will be sending you the details of how many people stood up in each region 
as there are some final numbers coming in. 
But let me also share with you our experience here in New York, where Rosa 
and I participated at the commemoration of the 20 years of the "International 
Day for the Eradication of Poverty" at the UN Garden. The activity was 
organised by the ATD Fourth World in coordination with the UN as the General 
Secretary Ban Ki Moon opened the event and the first part of it was the Stand 
Up and Speak Out. So we were all counted!

The General Secretary gave the first speech and Mr. Tommy Paige gave a 
testimony in the name of families living in extreme poverty. This was 
followed by message from the permanent representatives of France and Burkina 
Faso to the United Nations. 
The programme continued with several testimonies, a music performance, the 
handing in of prices to the children who had received prices at 
the "International Children's Art Competition" that this year had as a theme 
the overcoming of poverty. 
I was also one of the speakers and I would like to share with you what I said 
on the occasion:


"I am very happy to be here as co-chair of GCAP and representative of the 
Feminist Task Force to join you incommemorating 20 years since this date was 
instituted.  It is a date though, that we rather be not celebrating, above 
all because there is no reason whatsoever why we, in the 21st Century, still 
face poverty when we live in a world of abundance and full of resources. In 
fact, one of the major problems of our time is that we do not know any more 
what to do with the waste that is being constantly produced as a result of a 
model based exclusively on the idea of constant production and consumption.  
For mainstream society it seems that to be is to consume, citizenship has 
almost become a synonym of consumption. So those out of consumption are also 
denied their rights as citizens. This is an affront to our condition of human 
beings and to the dignity of every person that can only be realized in 
cooperation with others, as part of a community. 
Growing numbers of people around the world feel indignation as a result of 
this situation and are calling on governments and international financial 
institutions to put an end to poverty. As FTF of GCAP we are saying that 
gender equality is a condition to achieve this goal. Why? I can mention just 
some few statistics that show how women are the ones mostly affected by 
poverty:
-	70% of the 1.3 billion living on less than 1USD a day are women
-	65% of the world’s illiterate are women
-	60% of those out of primary school are girls
-	Women earn three quarters of the make wage for the same work
-	Women’s unemployment is 50 to 100% greater than men’s unemployment
But this is not a day to put an emphasis on statistics. It’s a day of hope 
and celebration in the understanding that mobilization of women and men, of 
girls and boys around the world is going to put an end to this situation. And 
those mobilized are putting clear demands to those in positions where 
decisions can be taken. Those demands have to do with the proper 
implementation of social services. We heard testimonies of sisters from 
different parts of the world who cannot send their children to school because 
they have to choose between paying the rent or the school fees. This cannot 
happen. Education is a right to all and it must be guaranteed by States all 
over the world, in poor and in rich countries alike. As Education, so many 
other areas that have to do with the wellbeing of a society have been 
privatized following conditionalities imposed by International Financial 
institutions resulting in an impoverishment of the life conditions of so many 
people. We call on governments to fulfill their duties and guarantee full 
citizenship to all those living in their countries, to relate to other 
governments on an equal basis, without imposing conditions, we call on IFIs 
to serve the interest of the majority of human beings around the world and 
not corporate interests.  We call on the diversity of human beings to be 
recognized, promoted and protected. We call for gender equality in the 
understanding that a society that respects and gives women opportunities for 
empowerment is a society that will be in a better position to overcome 
poverty. 
Congratulation to the ATD Fourth World for organizing this event and we hope 
that the struggle we are embarked upon together will yield fruits and we will 
celebrate next year only the memory of poverty, as we are in a position to 
eradicate it!"