CONVOCATION 27 MARCH 2011: SUPPORT OF THE WOMEN OF NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

On the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the first March 8th, International Day of Women, and 62 years since the declaration of Human Rights, Women in Black of Madrid support and want to draw attention to the work for their rights carried out by women through organizations or individually in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. We recognize with them that these rights are universal and not a new sort of cultural colonialism of the West.

We believe that throughout history women in any place, of any ethnicity or religion have suffered violence, subjugation and invisibility, and because of that we can create solidarity networks. We do not forget the special vulnerability of those who live in situations of conflict or war.

We denounce the European Union and the government of Spain which, in their cooperative relationships with some of the countries in the aforementioned regions, have demanded laws regarding equality of gender that have not been fulfilled. The UE and the government of Spain were aware of and accepted this deceit.*In Tunis, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco… women have participated actively in the mobilizations. But now they fear that the parties that oppose their rights will take over the revolution, that consideration of their rights will be discarded or postponed, and in the interest of stability in those countries, the International Community gives its consent.

The women ask that we support and disseminate what they want and need:

· Security, equality, democracy, freedom of expression…

· Secular state: separation of State and religion because the religions in power have been instruments of control and subordination of women

· That laws not be permitted that intimidate or punish women for exercising their right to sexuality.

During the recent mobilizations, there have been aggressions against women that cannot remain in impunity: In Tunis, rapes by men of the regime that has been overthrown; attacks against women and female children in Bahrain. We ask for an investigation of these facts, justice and reparation.

Before these mobilizations, we knew nothing about the women in Libya. We fear for the harm the women and the civilian population may have suffered during the bombardments against them ordered by Ghadaffi. We ask for an investigation of the possible rape of the women.

Likewise, we ask for an investigation and sanctions regarding the rape of the Saharan women by Moroccan police in the Camp of Dignity in El Ayun in 2010.

We denounce:

· The sorrowful situation of the Palestinian women imprisoned in Israeli jails, who suffer total violation of their rights, including the right to visits from family. When they are freed, they are discriminated against by the Palestinian society just for being women.

· The application of sharia law against the women in the Kurdistan area of Iraq.

We condemn the violence with which Ghadaffi has responded to the revindications of his people, violence which has led to a civil war. We declare our total opposition to international military intervention in Libya, as it will lead to more grief and destruction of the civilian population. We oppose the idea that a military response is the only solution to the conflict. Likewise, we condemn the repression of the social mobilizations in Bahrain and the Saudi military intervention there.

We ask the government and all our citizens to not put our economic and political interests and our own well-being before humanitarian aid to the women and all the civilian populations of these countries. Our international relations should be conditioned by respect for Human Rights.