Standing with women in the fight for global gender justice
March 8th, International Women’s Day, is a moment to remember that the fight for women’s rights continues. True gender equity and a life free of gender-based violence are still aspirations for many women in Canada and around the world.
Lately, we are often being reminded that access to education, decent employment, pay equity, and healthcare reproductive choices for women cannot be taken for granted, and why campaigns and efforts to ensure women’s rights are protected must be a priority.
Increasing rates of intimate partner violence and femicide are deeply concerning. Moreover, United Nations officials have often pointed that “Global poverty has a woman’s face,” with 1 of every 10 women in the world living in extreme poverty, struggling to meet basic needs and disproportionately carrying the burden of unpaid care work.
The Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) recognizes the importance of ensuring women’s concerns and perspectives are considered and included in all the initiatives we support. For close to 40 years, we have built alliances with progressive movements and organizations at home and abroad that have been at the forefront of fighting for women’s rights.
From Afro-Colombian women leading the charge against systemic racism and the effects of armed conflict, to Bangladeshi garment workers risking their safety to demand fair wages and safe working conditions, and dedicated women survivors of the Liberian civil war playing a pivotal role in the country’s transition to peace, the SHF is proud to accompany and recognize women activists who have dedicated their lives to building a more just and equitable world for all.
Miyela Riascos, Colombia
Miyela is an Afro-Colombian community leader and peace educator dedicated to defending rights to land and public services as human rights. She was one of the key organizers of a unique civil society-led “civic strike” movement which took the streets of the city of Buenaventura in 2017 following decades of systemic marginalization and racism. Following 22 days of mobilization, an agreement was reached between the protesters and the Colombian government to improve public services, including better funding for schools and access to drinking water, and support economic development beneficial to the poor. Today, Miyela and her organization, SHF partner Aribi Socio-Environmental Foundation, support the people of Buenaventura in its efforts to hold the Colombian authorities accountable to their promises.
Kalpona Akter, Bangladesh
Kalpona is a former child worker in garment factories in Bangladesh who became a prominent labour rights defender. Now the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS), Kalpona has championed fair wages, safe factories, and union rights for fellow garment sector workers. Her advocacy highlights the plight of women, who make up a large part of Bangladesh’s garment workforce, exposing how poverty-level wages undermine their hopes for economic empowerment. Together with BCWS, USW and the Canadian Labour Congress filed a joint complaint to the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) against retailer Mark’s and its parent company Canadian Tire. One of the first complaints to be submitted to this mechanism, it alleged that the company acted in contravention of international human rights principles by paying workers in its supplier factories less than a living wage.
Alice Howard, Liberia
Alice is the dedicated assistant supervisor of Camp for Peace vocational school, a long-time SHF supported project. Alice works in rural communities in Liberia, West Africa, with limited resources but a passionate commitment to uplifting young people. Camp for Peace offers courses in agriculture, construction trades, tailoring and weaving for local youth in the region, which is still rebuilding from the Liberian civil war, which women like Alice played a crucial role in helping to bring an end to in 2003. At Camp for Peace, single mothers can enroll and participate in the school, childcare being provided on-site, enabling the full participation of more women.
The Steelworkers Humanity Fund celebrates and acknowledges the vital leadership of women who are driving social change and championing women’s rights movements globally.
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