Mizzima: Participants of "World Mar

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Participants of ?World March of Women? to meet WB and IMF Chiefs today

Washington D.C., October 16, 2000
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

Thousands of women carrying colorful posters, banners and singing songs
of justice participated in the World March of Women yesterday in
Washington D.C., crossing the offices of World Bank, IMF, State
Department and White House, demanding the leaders of the United States,
the United Nations, and its member states and other institutions of
power to work to eliminate violence against women and ensure equality
between women and men. About 3,000 women from more than 90 countries
joined in this global march organized by Canada-based Quebec Federation
of Women and US-based National Organization of Women (NOW).

This world march of women is organized to show the world that supporters
of women?s rights are the overwhelmingly majority. ?This is a march
against the amoral world of finance that preys mercilessly upon entire
populations, leaving them to starve,? said Ms. Francoise David, the
president of the Quebec Federation of Women. ?It is a march against the
Champions of patriarchy, who deny the human, democratic and social
rights of women. It is a march to assert our strength, our solidarity
and our resolve to change the world,? added Ms. David. Representatives
from exiled women organizations from Burma are also participating in
this world march of women.

The campaign for the march was started on March 8, 2000 International
Women?s Day and will culminate tomorrow (October 17), the United Nations
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty when women representing
every participating country will meet at the United Nations in New York
to demand improved programs to eradicate poverty and violence against
women.
The World March of Women will also meet the president of the World Bank
Mr. James Wolfensohn, and the Managing Director of the IMF Mr. Horst
Kohler today and will present their demands. ?We want to make them aware
of, first of all, the impact of their program on women all around the
world. The example started with structural adjustment programs and their
payment of the debt is crippling the Third World countries,? said Ms.
Nancy Burrows from Quebec Federation of Women, spelling out the purpose
of the meeting with IMF and World Bank chiefs.
The World March of Women is demanding the World Bank and the IMF for
transparency and accountability of international financial institutions,
increased financial resources for women, and the end of structural
adjustment programs and their clones. The delegates will also demand the
international financial institutions to cancel the debt of all Third
World countries.

Moreover, the international delegation of women will also meet Secretary
General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan tomorrow in New York,
presenting him over 3 millions postcards signed by women around the
world calling for elimination of poverty and ensure a fair distribution
of the planet?s wealth between rich and poor and between women and men.