FILIPINA SISTERS UNITE! NATIONAL CONFERENCE EXTENDS PHILIPPINE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT TO THE U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2007
Valerie Francisco, Secretary General, Filipinas for Rights and
Empowerment (FiRE), fire.nyc@gmail.com
Marisa Mariano, Chair, babae, San Francisco, info@babaesf.org
Joanne Alcantara, Chair, Pinay sa Seattle, pinayinfo@gmail.com
FILIPINA SISTERS UNITE!
NATIONAL CONFERENCE EXTENDS PHILIPPINE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT TO THE U.S.
Seattle, WA---On November 2, 2007, babae of San Francisco, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) of New York, and Pinay sa Seattle convened in a national conference entitled "Filipina Sisters Unite" and established a national organizing committee towards the formation of the first U.S. based chapter of GABRIELA, an alliance of over 250 women's mass organizations in the Philippines.
It has been a banner year with the international condemnation against the Arroyo regime. The need for Filipina women's organizing is needed more than ever to respond to the worsening human rights crisis in the Philippines. Since Arroyo has come into power in 2001, close to 900 political activists have been killed, and over 90 of those are women. Hundreds more are missing and continue to face harassment and repression by the military and police forces.
As an extension of the progressive movement of Filipina women in the Philippines, Filipinas in the U.S. will continue to expose the U.S.-Arroyo regime while addressing the needs of Filipinas locally. All Filipinas in the U.S. who are concerned for the rights and welfare of Filipinas in the Philippines, the U.S., and in the diaspora are invited to get involved in future campaigns and organizing projects.
In an effort to diligently push forth the militancy and fervor of Filipina women's organizing in the U.S. several projects and campaigns were planned over the course of the year such as nationally coordinated campaigns on the issue of political repression, addressing issues and concerns faced by Filipinas locally through a Women and Wellness campaign, and PINAY Stories--a project to collect and document the experiences and stories of Pinay in the U.S.
The organizing committee is also gearing up to launch a national speaking tour for Emmi de Jesus, Secretary General of GABRIELA in Spring 2008. Following her tour, the committee will coordinate exposure trips to the Philippines for the summer of 2008 in an effort to bridge the gap between women in the Philippines and in the US. The exposure trip will also bring to light the harsh conditions faced by the women in the Philippines through integrations with the various sectors including the urban poor, peasant women, indigenous and women workers.
FiRE, babae and Pinay sa Seattle are member organizations of BAYAN-USA, an alliance of progressive Filipino groups in the U.S. representing groups of students, scholars, women, workers, and youth. As the only international chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Philippines), BAYAN-USA serves as an information bureau for the national democratic movement of the Philippines and as a campaign center for anti-imperialist Filipinos in the U.S. who are committed to undoing over 500 years of colonial rule and to bringing freedom and justice to the people of the Philippines.
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