The World March of Women to launch Global Charter for Humanity

Accra, March 4, GNA - The World March of Women, a global feminist action network, would on Tuesday, which is International Women's day, launch the Women's Global Charter for Humanity in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazilian women would hold a march on that day and would be joined by women from Quebec, where the March was initiated, and delegates from Cameroon, Congo and Burkina Faso, where the relay of the Charter will end on October 17.

A statement from the organisers received by the Ghana News Agency said Burkina Faso was chosen because it is one of the poorest countries on the planet.


Further, violence against women takes many different forms there, as in addition to rape and domestic violence, women suffer forced marriage, early marriage, levirate, and genital mutilation. The Network is made up of 5,500 women's groups from 163 countries and territories. The World March of Women is struggling for an end to poverty and violence against women.


Delegates of the World March of Women gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, adopted the Charter on December 10 last year.


The Women's Global Charter for Humanity is a proposal to build a world where exploitation, oppression, intolerance and exclusion no longer exist and where integrity, diversity and the rights and freedoms of all are respected.

It contains 31 affirmations describing the principles essential to the construction of such a world. These affirmations are based on five values: equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. The statement said from March 8 till October 17, women of the World March were organizing a Relay to pass the Charter around the world. It said the Relay would last till October 17, 2005, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.


During the Relay, women would hold public education and information activities about the Charter, challenge their elected representatives and question public opinion.


It said women would also create a quilt reflecting the values contained in the Charter. The patchwork quilt would be gradually pieced together as the Charter is passed from country to country throughout the world.


The statement said on October 17, 2005, at noon, local time, women around the world will carry out 24 hours of feminist solidarity actions.