GABRIELA USA Joins One Billion Rising to Amplify Voices Against Forced Migration, State Violence and Displacement

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2016

In preparations for the 106th Anniversary of the International Working Women’s Day Celebration and the 3rd National Congress on March 19-20, “ABANTE! (Advance) Women defend the people's democratic rights for our dignity and self determination!”, GABRIELA USA members and allies in New York City, Seattle, the San Francisco/Bay Area, Portland and Los Angeles held successful actions in hubs of Filipino American communities and populous points of urban cities. Actions were intergenerational with immigrant workers, youth and students and community organizations; the uniting call was to end all types of violence against women!

Across the country, chapters of GABRIELA USA gathered and danced with a mission to end violence against women with forced migration, state violence and displacement in particular. Highlighting domestic violence and campaigns of wage theft, trafficking of Filipino teachers, and opposition to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), GABRIELA USA members drew attention to violence that Filipino women and children face, in the U.S. and the Philippines.

From the U.S. to the Philippines to Palestine and throughout the globe, we are witnessing the ever-worsening crisis of a global imperialist system. In the U.S., Filipinos are marching alongside Black people to resist racially targeted police violence on Black people, while police officers are not held accountable for their actions. Meanwhile, displacement of working-class families in urban communities have been rampant despite the overwhelming wealth being funneled into major cities in the U.S. Furthermore, there are increasing deportations of migrant families who seek refuge and a dignified life in the U.S. In the Philippines, the Lumad are resisting plunder of ancestral lands and defending the rights of indigenous children for a culturally relevant education.

As imperialist interests are increasing in its aggression, working-class women and their families have to bear the costs and impacts of a system that profits from the exploitation of the majority. It is our duty to raise the analysis on the issue of violence against women (VAW), expanding beyond VAW as a gender issue, and highlighting the economic, political, and cultural aspects by connecting how imperialism perpetuates and worsens VAW in all its forms.

To register for GABRIELA USA’s national congress, please visit www.abantegabriela.org.

One Billion Rising Pressures Aquino Administration to Address Increased Poverty and Escalation of Violence Against Women

Image credit: A. Umil, Bulatlat.com

Women around the world continue to suffer from great injustice of flawed policies implemented by governments. Many women become victims of abuse as they are deprived of jobs with decent salaries, land they own are grabbed by corporations resulting in dire poverty, and they are forced to leave their countries to seek employment abroad.

On the fourth year of “One Billion Rising,” (OBR) women’s rights activists around the world escalate their call for action, with this year’s theme “OBR: Rise to Revolution.”

The system must change, said playwright and women’s rights activist Eve Ensler, who will join the OBR in the Philippines on Feb. 14. She will also visit communities in Manila and the Haran House of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Davao City where hundreds of Lumad evacuees have sought refuge.

“We see how economic deprivation and inequality is connected to violence against women (VAW). Economic deprivation leads to getting raped, getting sold, getting trafficked. When you don’t give jobs to the women of your own country they are forced to go to other countries where they lose their families, they lose connection with their loved ones, they are exploited and abused by other people,” Eve Ensler said in a press conference on Monday, Feb. 8th.

“Why wouldn’t the government want to protect women workers and women from being exploited by other countries? That is so insane when you start thinking about the government that is supposed to represent the people,” she added.

The OBR is a global campaign to end violence against women and children through dancing action.

“This year’s campaign will escalate the collective actions of activists worldwide, and amplify their call for systematic changes towards ending violence against women and children once and for all,” said OBR global director, Monique Wilson.

Women leaders said this year’s OBR Philippines campaign is a virtual indictment of President Aquino, whose regime was marked by increased poverty, absence of state accountability, which has led to an escalation of violence against women.

“On Aquino’s almost six years in power, more and more women have become vulnerable to various forms of violence and abuse, because of poverty and the still unaddressed culture of impunity. The ‘risings’ thus continue to spread in various Philippine cities to highlight their local issues of VAW,” said Joms Salvador, secretary general of Gabriela Philippines, the lead convenor of the OBR Philippines campaign.

Salvador said in Tacloban for example, after typhoon Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas, extreme poverty coupled with Aquino government’s neglect of the issue of violence for victims led to an increase in prostitution.

Read the rest of the story here.
News story from Bulatlat.com

ONE BILLION RISING: Mobilize and End Violence Against Women This Weekend

Join forces with One Billion Rising to stand up against violence for V-Day at Serramonte Mall in Daly City, California this Saturday, February 13th at 3 PM or Seafood City in Milpitas on Sunday, February 14th at 11 AM. 

Wear Purple and Join us on Friday Oct 9 @ San Francisco City Hall Steps to Rise Against Displacement, Forced Migration and State Violence with Gabriela USA and Rise4Revolution

The Filipina Women's Network commemorates Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Filipino American History Month by speaking out against state violence and oppression with our sisters at GABRIELA and One Billion Rising.

WEAR PURPLE and join us this Friday, October 9th at 4 pm in uniting with women from different communities against all forms of violence that affect women and families at the front steps of San Francisco City Hall. 

GABRIELA USA in partnership with ONE BILLION RISING REVOLUTION present... 
RISE4REVOLUTION: Women Rising Against Displacement, Forced Migration, and State Violence

Every day women are confronted by forms of violence that impact their physical and mental well being.

Women are displaced from the communities they love and/or grew up in. Women are forced to seek jobs outside of their home countries to sustain their families, yet they often find themselves in vulnerable work situations. Women face state violence from law enforcement, military, and para-military forces that violates their human rights.

Social, economic and political systems of violence all contribute to the oppression of women and our families. We DEMAND an END to ALL FORMS of VIOLENCE towards women and our families!

Early this year, over 200 countries gathered to Rise for REVOLUTION, in partnership with One Billion Rising, to change the paradigm, demanded accountability, justice and systematic CHANGE. One Billion Rising’s global coordinators chose the theme of “Revolution” as an escalation of the demand for justice, and to build upon the massive efforts of communities worldwide that also looked at the roots and causes of violence as part of their call for justice.

We will be joined by Monique Wilson, member of GABRIELA Philippines, International Relations for Gabriela Women's Partylist and Global Director of One Billion Rising. Click here to read Monique's bio. 

We call on Filipinos, friends, and our solidarity allies to join us in San Francisco to LISTEN! ACT! and RISE to CALL for STATE ACCOUNTABILITY and JUSTICE! 

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Friday, October 9, 2015 / 4pm / SF City Hall

Commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness month and Filipino History month, Bay Area women will come together to speak out and dance against ALL forms of violence towards women and our families.  

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1662262757323970/


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Saturday, October 10, 2015 | 6 PM - 8 PM |

Bayanihan Community Center, 1010 Mission St.

Women from different communities will share the impact of displacement, forced migration, and state violence on women and our families -- issues that plague ourcommunities from the Bay Area to the Philippines to Palestine & all over the world.

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/592916477513419/

Join Us: One Billion Rising San Francisco City Hall February 12, 2015, Thursday 12noon To 1pm

One Billion Rising flash mob (Photo: Dancing Without Borders)

One Billion Rising for Revolution. Be there. Be counted with 196 countries. 

On Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, leave your work, leave your school, interrupt the day, RISE for revolution, dance, drum, and demand an end to violence against women and girls.

JOIN us at the Rotunda inside San Francisco City Hall at 12Noon to 1:00pm.

BE part of this worldwide Social Action. A Dance Revolution. Shifting the consciousness of the world. Let's rise together with 196 countries. INVITE your friends and everyone who loves you to JOIN us.

• ARRIVE at 11:30am to go through security.
• Receive a complimentary OBR Revolution T-shirt. Free for the first 400.
• Wear red.
• Let us know you're coming - click on JOIN at www.One BillionRisingSF.org
• VOLUNTEER - www.OneBillionRisingSF.org
• Learn the OBR Flash Mob DANCE at www.OneBillionRisingSF.org