Newsletter 11, March 2022
Feminists and Social Movements Demonstrated this M8 against Sexist Violence
Laura Cano
On March 8, International Day of Working Women, feminist organizations and social movements in Venezuela raised their voices against sexist violence. Caracas, Barquisimeto, Valencia, Cumaná, San Félix and Mérida were some of the cities where the voices of struggle took to the streets.
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In Caracas, under the motto #EstamosJuntas (We Are Together), individuals and collectives of the feminist movement converged on Parque Carabobo Square, in front of the main headquarters of the Public Prosecutor's Office, the institution charged with receiving complaints of gender violence in the country.
It was a plural and diverse convergence in which the World March of Women participated through the Tinta Violeta, Las yerbateras and Calistenía Cultural collectives, organizations of the Network of Collectives La Araña Feminista. In addition to individuals as emblematic as Juanita Rodríguez or Yurbin Aguilar, founders of the Network and feminist militants since the 80s (in the twentieth century). In this demonstration, the organization Tinta Violeta delivered the Communiqué "For the eradication of a patriarchal culture in the Justice System", in which they denounce the institutional violence and sexist practices exercised by the personnel of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (the responsible institution) against women, girls and adolescents, survivors of violence. |
#EstamosJuntas – We are together against violences
The convergence also included artistic expressions that, with different approaches, denounced sexism. Calistenia Cultural and Brigada Feminista Latinoamérica in their “We are Together” performance exposed the various expressions of sexism in women's lives and called for a public healing. Mujer Tambor, a collective that teaches and militates through Afro-Venezuelan percussion, participated with its slogans and demands for the protagonism of women in culture, especially in Afro culture. Closing the cultural political space, Niyireé Baptista presented a performance that mixed, from improvisation, her experience accompanying women who decide to have an abortion, her work as a researcher and poet with religious expressions that underpin rape culture. Throughout the rally, slogans were heard and banners and struggles were shared, not only from feminists but also from allied organizations such as the Movimiento de Pobladorxs (Dwellers’ Movement) or the Comité de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores Presxs (Imprisoned Workers’ Committee). The event ended with the Estamos Juntas assembly.
Simultaneously and a few blocks from Parque Carabobo, the institutional and partisan forces of the Revolution met, which, as part of the activities of the PSUV Congress, included the commemoration of M8 with a march to the Miraflores palace. The march went through Parque Carabobo and, in coming together, the activities showed both the contradictions and the coincidences between the various expressions of feminism and women's organizations in Venezuela.
Also that day in the city of Mérida, FALDAS-R, Cepaz, Somos, Centro LGBTIQ, Observatorio de Derechos Humanos ULA, Liga Merideña Contra el Sida, ULA Mujer, and student groups gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice and delivered a letter outlining the failures and shortcomings of the agencies receiving complaints. The action resulted in an agreement for a series of meetings and dialogue tables with the competent authorities. Then they marched to Bolivar Square where they held a cultural demonstration.
In the Nueva Lucha community in Barquisimeto, state of Lara, the Women's Movement for Life and community organizations demanded justice for Wilmary Escobar, social activist and victim of femicide. On this day, Movimiento Mujeres Por la Vida issued a statement ratifying its commitment to the defense of the country's sovereignty, but also that of our bodies and the right to a life with dignity and free from violence. Thus, in the context of M8, they said enough to wage precarity, the increase in maternal mortality, the criminalization of abortion and, of course, sexist violence that, to date, has killed more than 220 women and girls and adolescents in Venezuela, according to Utopix.
In Valencia, state of Carabobo, the Colectivo Mujer Género Rebelde (MUGER) made two murals with the messages “Sexist violence leaves marks, not seeing them leaves femicides”, and “If violence is reported (/denounced), all women can be safer”, calling for raised consciousness, through this urban art, and making visible that sexism is a public health problem that affects the whole of society. This activity had the participation of the Colectivo Alexis Vive, and the milicianas, comuneras and comuneros of Comuna El Panal 2021.
In Cumaná, in the state of Sucre, since 7 March, compañeras from Tinta Violeta handed out flyers with information on gender-based violence and on M8 they enjoyed a concert with women from the grassroots.
In the community of Victoria, San Félix, in the state of Bolívar, young and adult women belonging to health and agriculture sectors participated in a talk to commemorate the date and made a banner with the slogan: “Together in our struggle”. With this activity the Centro de Formación de Guayana joins for the first time in a combative and popular March 8.
Simultaneously and a few blocks from Parque Carabobo, the institutional and partisan forces of the Revolution met, which, as part of the activities of the PSUV Congress, included the commemoration of M8 with a march to the Miraflores palace. The march went through Parque Carabobo and, in coming together, the activities showed both the contradictions and the coincidences between the various expressions of feminism and women's organizations in Venezuela.
Also that day in the city of Mérida, FALDAS-R, Cepaz, Somos, Centro LGBTIQ, Observatorio de Derechos Humanos ULA, Liga Merideña Contra el Sida, ULA Mujer, and student groups gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice and delivered a letter outlining the failures and shortcomings of the agencies receiving complaints. The action resulted in an agreement for a series of meetings and dialogue tables with the competent authorities. Then they marched to Bolivar Square where they held a cultural demonstration.
In the Nueva Lucha community in Barquisimeto, state of Lara, the Women's Movement for Life and community organizations demanded justice for Wilmary Escobar, social activist and victim of femicide. On this day, Movimiento Mujeres Por la Vida issued a statement ratifying its commitment to the defense of the country's sovereignty, but also that of our bodies and the right to a life with dignity and free from violence. Thus, in the context of M8, they said enough to wage precarity, the increase in maternal mortality, the criminalization of abortion and, of course, sexist violence that, to date, has killed more than 220 women and girls and adolescents in Venezuela, according to Utopix.
In Valencia, state of Carabobo, the Colectivo Mujer Género Rebelde (MUGER) made two murals with the messages “Sexist violence leaves marks, not seeing them leaves femicides”, and “If violence is reported (/denounced), all women can be safer”, calling for raised consciousness, through this urban art, and making visible that sexism is a public health problem that affects the whole of society. This activity had the participation of the Colectivo Alexis Vive, and the milicianas, comuneras and comuneros of Comuna El Panal 2021.
In Cumaná, in the state of Sucre, since 7 March, compañeras from Tinta Violeta handed out flyers with information on gender-based violence and on M8 they enjoyed a concert with women from the grassroots.
In the community of Victoria, San Félix, in the state of Bolívar, young and adult women belonging to health and agriculture sectors participated in a talk to commemorate the date and made a banner with the slogan: “Together in our struggle”. With this activity the Centro de Formación de Guayana joins for the first time in a combative and popular March 8.
