International Women’s Day 2008

“We will make [our visions] real, make [them] our own, make policy, history, peace, make it available, make mischief, a difference, love, the connection, the miracle, ready.  Believe it.  We are the women who will transform the world.”

from A Woman’s Creed by Robin Morgan (1994)

We gather on March 15, 2008 for our 13^th Annual International Women’s Day Celebration.  Inspired by the 1995 U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, this event is designed to celebrate the diversity of Minnesota women and increase understanding and tolerance in our community, to highlight advancements in women’s rights and equality, to encourage activism, and to educate participants about human rights issues that affect girls and women locally, nationally and internationally.  This year we welcome one of the founders of contemporary U.S. feminism and a longtime leader in the international women’s movement, Robin Morgan, who will speak on “Global Feminisms – The Politics of the 21^st Century”.

We also gather to recognize that on September 13, 2007, after 30 years of work by indigenous nations, tribes and communities, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, “affirming that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such…” (Preamble, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples).

The Declaration is composed of 41 articles that proclaim the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, including rights to culture, identity, language, employment, health, and education, among others. It also prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.  Article 22 of the Declaration specifically addresses the rights of indigenous women, calling for particular attention to the rights and special needs of women, and urging States to ensure that indigenous women “enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination.”

Today, we celebrate with our indigenous sisters the long-overdue recognition and respect for their rights to culture and identity and their integrity as peoples, and we encourage all to work toward the full realization of these rights.