As IFSW Social Workers from the Latin America and the Caribbean Region we want to JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL DEMONSTRATION on the 8th of March, and we call upon all Social Work professional organisations of other IFSW country members, to promote and take part in the activities and marches organised to claim JUSTICE, SAFETY, EQUALITY AND RECOGNITION towards more than the 50% of the human population of this planet: WOMEN.
Women keep on being the victims of patterns derived from PATRIARCHAL, CAPITALIST AND COLONIALIST POWERS. A system that exploits, tortures, violates, kills, objectifies, ignores and continues on deciding on the bodies and lives of women. We, the Social Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean Region want to raise our voices and claim together with other millions of women: WE WANT OUR WOMEN WELL, WE WANT OUR WOMEN ALIVE!
On the 8th of March, the Social Workers do not want gifts, we do not want flowers, we not want cards: we WANT you to join us in our fight for a fairer and humane world. A world, where women can travel peacefully and fearless through our cities, where they can feel safe at home and also a world where women are recognised as social and political subjects and respected workers. Sexism, indifference, ignorance and silence KILLS. This is the reason why we have to double our effort and commitment as Social Workers to support women. A profession often savaged precisely because the majority are female women.
We DEMAND that national governments, the Judicial system, legislators and civil servants who all are representatives of the powers of the State, to take actions towards the effective design of public policies with a gender perspective; to allocate adequate budget for required training; to develop specific legislation that will ensure, promote and respect the rights of women in the whole region.
The 8th of MARCH THE SOCIAL WORKERS ARE GOING OUT TO THE STREETS TO SUPPORT THE DEFENSE OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN, We would like to recall the words of José Martí “The rights are taken, you will not ask for them; the rights are uprooted, not begged for!!”
Dr. Silvana Martinez – IFSW President Latin American and Caribbean
&
Dr. Larry Alicea Rodríguez
IFSW Vice-President Latin American and Caribbean Region