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Press
Release # 9
June 30. San
Juan, Puerto Rico. Women's Press Team /RIF-FIRE (Alejandra
Fosado)
Translated by Claudia Anfossi
After a series of discussions which began on June 28,
the Women's Caucus reached a consensus about
their final declaration which they presented on Wednesday during
the 33rd Session of the Economic Commission for Latin
American and the Caribbean (CEPAL).
In the 3 minutes that were allowed, the women,
represented by
Margaret Gill of the Caribbean Feminist Research and
Action (CAFRA), declared themselves to be
against discrimination in all forms, and advocated the eradication of
poverty and the right of development
Likewise, they declared that health is an basic right of all people, as
is the freedom and responsibility to decide the number
and timing of children borne by women, as well as the
right to reproductive information, education and
contraceptive methods.
The Women's Caucus also recognized that under different social,
cultural and political systems, different family types
should have the right of protection and support.
Within the proposals made by young women
of the caucus and which were supported by the other women in the group, the protection and promotion of rights of teenagers to
reproductive education, information and
assistance were emphasized. “These services support the right of
teenagers to privacy, confidentiality, respect and
consent based on accurate information.”
The proposal of indigenous women at CEPAL was affirmed by the
Women's Caucus, which called for the recognition and
support of States to their identity, culture and
interests, as well as the right to participate fully in
the economic, political and social life of their
countries.
The
women of the caucus declared that in countries in which
abortion is not against the law, health systems have
to train and equip health personnel and take other
measures to ensure that abortions take place under safe
and sanitary conditions and also are accessible for all.
Likewise, the Women's Caucus declared that every person has the right to
an education that is oriented towards the full
development of human resources, human dignity and human
potential, giving special attention to women and girls.
The women of the caucus assured the audience that their declaration
is not the result of a feminist seminar demanding the
legalization of abortion, nor a dream of women who awoke
in a poor neighborhood, nor a lesbian
women´s manifesto for sexual rights, but is based on the Program of
Action of Cairo from 1994, which was designed and signed
by governments from around the world and then reaffirmed
in Puerto España and Santiago.
“These are the agreements that we want to see
implemented in one of the most inequitable regions in
the world, where the dominant economic model keeps generating foreign
debts calculated in the millions and millions dollars at
the expense of those who are excluded, discounted, discriminated
against and silenced, of which the
immense majority are women," noted Gill.
As a result, the Women's Caucus reaffirmed the Program of Action of
Cairo and the agreements that are designed to strengthen human rights,
justice and the well-being of all citizens.
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