GABRIELA NETWORK HELD COMMEMORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DAY NATIONWIDE; BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THE PLIGHT OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2008
Jollene Levid, Gabnet Secretary-General
secgen@gabnet.org
Tel: 323-356-4748
December 10 – Gabriela Network chapters in San Diego, Irvine, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, New York and New Jersey closed their
2008 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign as they
commemorated Human Rights Day. Gabnet highlighted the struggles and
victories of women worldwide through art, protest, and
community-building in cities across the United States.
In San Diego and Irvine, CA, Gabnet chapters hosted “Human Writes Day”
events where women writers, poets, musicians and performance artists
exposed the plight of women affected by militarization, trafficking,
and political repression. “We gathered women who exposed the US government’s role in wars overseas and honored women who have given their lives to protect freedom,” said Mona Navarro, coordinator of the Irvine chapter, which convened over 100 people last night.
In Los Angeles, Gabnet hosted “Human Rites Day,” where women performed rituals to commemorate those politically killed or currently harassed by their respective governments. Participants listened to award-winning poet Alison de la Cruz, as well as the music of La Santa Cecilia, before lighting candles to pay tribute to women survivors and fallen activists.
Women in the NY/NJ Gabnet chapter continued their work to collect
Purple Rose pledge cards against trafficking and support for the
Philippine Divorce Bill. They also published their video entitled,
“Burn it Down,” where they call attention to the commodification of
women in the media and the correlation to alarming rates of rape and
assault on women globally.
San Francisco and Berkeley Gabnet women participated in a rally and
vigil at the Oakland Federal Building to draw attention to human
rights issues around the world, including the case of the SF8 and
calling an end to the sex trafficking of women. In the evening, they
co-hosted a town hall meeting with the Bay Area Coalition for Our
Reproductive Rights where discussions that reproductive justice is
essential to women’s human rights took place.
Gabnet marked the end of their 16 Days of Activism Against Gender
Violence campaign yesterday, but recognizes that the rights of women
are inseparable from the rights of humanity. Therefore, the
organization pledged to continue its activism to expose women’s
oppression and recognize women’s contribution to liberation movements,
until victory is achieved.
For more information and reports from each of the Gabnet 16 Days of Activism
Against Gender Violence campaign, please visit www.16daysofgabnet.tumblr.com
GABNET IRVINE
GABNET SF RALLY
LA SANTA CECILIA - LOS ANGELES
LIVE PAINTING - ALFIE - LA
CROWD GATHERED AT IMIX - LA
