World March of Women 2000

World March of Women 2000
MAKING HERSTORY
1995-1996: The idea to organize a World March of Women in the Year 2000 was born
The idea to organize the March was initiated by the Féderation des femmes du Québec following the great success of the 1995 Women’s March Against Poverty in Quebec and the 1996 Women’s March for Bread in Roses in Canada. The 1996 action saw three contingents of 850 women march for ten days to demand economic justice for women. At the end of their walk they were joined by 15,000 protestors; the entire women’s movement, with many other segments of the population, mobilized for the march.
October 16-18,1998, Montreal: an International Prepatory Meeting For the March was held
140 delegates from 65 countries set international demands for the March and created an International Liaison Committee, which included two representatives from Canada. To date the March has been endorsed by 135 countries and 2200 organizations.
The March was therefore born as a Global Project driven by the desire to include the concerns of women in every region of the world.
The Organizational Values and Objectives were decided upon: to demonstrate women’s ongoing determination to change the world by stimulating a vast global movement of grassroots women’s organizations in a Nine Month Activist Project To End Poverty and Violence in Women’s Lives.
The leadership of the March was placed in the hands of women to be shared by representatives of the women’s movement from all regions of the world.
It was decided that the Launch of the Project will be:
•              March 8, 2000 – International Women’s Day
•              it will END ON October 17, 2000 with a World Rally and delivery of support cards to the United Nations.
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Actions are to be organized on three levels:    International, National, and Local
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Women’s groups from around the world who support the March’s overall demands can join the project by sending in membership coupons which are available from:
Féderation des femmes du Québec
110, rue Ste-Therese, bureau 307
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 1 E6
Phone: (514)395-1196
Fax: (514)395-1224
NATIONAL LEVEL:
The CANADIAN WOMEN’S MARCH COMMITTEE was formed in September, 1998 to nationally co-ordinate the organizing of the World March of Women. The Committee represents most of Canada’s national women’s organizations and includes labour, church, students and anti-poverty groups. The committee now has its own web site: www.canada.marchofwomen.org
Send names of contact persons of your organization to:
Canadian Women’s March Committee
203-234 Eglinton Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario M3P 1 K5
Phone: (416)482-4460
Fax: (416)482-1497
Please visit the Féderation des femmes du Québec and the Canadian Womens’ March Committee web sites to learn more about the history of the Women’s March, demands, resources, and how you can participate. Both sites are available in english and french.