MELBOURNE WOMEN SAY: NO MORE FEMICIDES IN JUAREZ CITY MEXICO!

MELBOURNE WOMEN SAY: NO MORE FEMICIDES IN JUAREZ CITY MEXICO!

Melbourne women plan to meet at Trade Hall next Thursday 13th March against femicide, as part of a global initiative to raise awareness about the continuing violence and brutality against women in Juarez City, Mexico, and elsewhere.

Artivism, a group of Mexican artists and activists, has called on women around the world to use their creativity to draw public attention to the unsolved rape, mutilation and murder of hundreds of women workers from the maquiladoras or sweatshops that now populate US-Mexican border towns such as Juarez. Most of the victims are young women, between 12 and 22 years of age. Amnesty International documented 370 unsolved murders between 1993 and 2005. ‘Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C.’ (Civil Association for the Return Home of Our Daughters) was set up in 2001 to pressure the Mexican government to intervene and protect the women of Juarez.

This CONVOCATORIA or call is the latest in a decade-long effort to draw international attention to extreme anti-woman violence in Mexico. In 2006, high-profile Hollywood actors Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas lent support to the cause by appearing in Bordertown, Gregory Nava’s movie about femicide in Juarez. Women in USA, Argentina, Canada, Spain and Australia have now joined the campaign.

Sydney Action For Juarez (SAfJ)
SAfJ was formed in December 2009 to raise awareness amongst the Australian public of the plight of the women of Juarez, and to encourage wide participation in artistic, media and political advocacy activities that draw global attention and seek solutions to the problem of femicide. SAfJ also seeks to fundraise and send monies to support the dead women’s families, through the organization, ‘Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C.

We REMEMBER the victims of the violence. We DENOUNCE the Mexican Government’s inaction, incompetence and cover-ups that allow the violence to continue. We DEMAND the perpetrators be brought to justice. We EXPRESS our solidarity with the Mexican women who have organised, held marches, planted pink crosses in the killing fields and who continue the struggle for an end to the violence and impunity.

Please come to meeting:
Victoria Trades Hall Basement
Victoria Parade entrance,
Corner Lygon Street & Victoria Parade
North Carlton,
Bring Food To Share

Thursday 11th March 2010 6.30pm.

Authorised by: Melbourne Action For Juarez, Lasnet, Melbourne Anarchia Femmes