WOMEN SAY NO WAR

INVEST IN CARING NOT KILLING

On International Women's Day women in over 70 countries will participate in the Global Women's Strike, taking action against the war in Iraq and the killing economic priorities to pay for it.

In LONDON, the Iraqi Women's Association and other Iraqi refugees will join women, children and men in a MARCH from PARLIAMENT SQ to the US EMBASSY, the home of weapons of mass destruction and the biggest war lords, who now rule Britain and want to rule the world. Speakout, music by women of famous SONGLINES INTERNATIONAL CHOIR, and others. ASSEMBLE Parliament Square 11.30am; SPEAKOUT Grosvenor Sq. 2pm of those who are deprived to pay for war and military budgets: single mothers, pensioners, fire service employees and low-paid workers in other caring jobs, women with disabilities, veterans and their families, students, refugees and asylum seekers from Western-backed wars and dictatorships, immigrant women working as prostitutes to send money home... Noon stoppage: women will take 15 minutes off at 12 noon and send a No War email/letter to Tony Blair and MPs. For more information and up-to-the minute news contact: 020-7482 2496 or 07939 609 802 or 07956 316 899; email womenstrike8m@server101.com Or visit our website (leaflets in over 40 languages) womenstrike8m.server101.com. Also available: a 40-second webcast nd 27 minute video of Strike 2001 on VHS (English, Spanish subtitles). Stars supporting the Strike so far include Ed Asner, Dave Clennon and Danny Glover, as well as Ron Kovic, Vietnam vet on whom the movie ‘Born on the 4th of July' was based, will join the Strike rally in Los Angeles. John Arden, distinguished playwright joins the demonstration at Shannon airport In Ireland. Spanish pop star Amparo Sanchez, voice of Amparanoia, will participate in Barcelona. >>>> INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS <<<< * ARGENTINA Housewives Trade Union (SAC) & the Inter-neighbourhood Women's Network demonstrating in the central Plaza of the Soldier in Santa Fe. Road blockade with planks symbolizing womens empty tables and home-baked bread to show what womens work has produced on which survival depends in the economic crisis. * BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA The Government's International Women's Day event has endorsed the Global Women's Strike * Guyana Three-hour strike from unwaged housework and family care, asking men to support by doing the housework and childcare instead. A march will bring together women of Afro-, Indo-, Amerindian and mixed race Guyanese women to protest the racist war in Iraq and racial violence at home. * Ireland Caravan from Galway to Shannon airport, stopping in Ennis to hold speakouts and pick up participants. Women have been camping at this civilian airport to prevent its use for refuelling and restocking US military planes bound for war, which is illegal since the constitution declares Ireland a neutral country. So far three airlines have pulled out for security reasons! * Macedonia The Union of Women`s Organisation of Macedonia (UWOM), made up of 64 independent organizations with members of various ethnic, national, and religious groups, will demonstrate in the square in Veles to show support for the people who face ecological catastrophe a lead factory has caused children to be born with physical disabilities and many others to have health problems. * Niger Action pour Femmes Handicappés, an organisation of women with disabilities will hold a march protesting that womens work is undervalued and unpaid in food, and demanding access to drinkable water, wheelchairs, etc, and to protest that development programmes, far from benefiting women, have sometimes made their situation worse. * PERU Domestic Workers Centre (CCTH) co-ordinating activities in Lima with huge participation of domestic workers and other grassroots sectors. Indigenous Aymara Womens Centre Pacha Aru will march, and rural Aymara and Quechua women will travel to a gathering in the capital of the province of Puno. * Spain Press conference, speakout and performances throughout the day in the central plaza of Barcelona. Free child care from 12 noon to 10 pm provided by the city council. * Uganda Kaabong Womens Group (KWG), which holds a strike each year, is mobilizing in villages throughout the region, and the KWG Drama Group is putting on free plays, exhibitions, concerts, songs and crafts work. They say, War, War, War, we have suffered all types of Wars, not even a decade elapses without wars. Innocent hungry women and children killed, pregnant women and innocent babies... In Uganda more weapons are being bought for modernization instead of essentials. We do work endlessly caring for families, bearing children on empty stomachs. Drought has caused a lot of suffering especially to breastfeeding mothers, the aged, the disabled and infants, and instead money which would have made our life easier is put on the military budget... Last year, their Strike won some free healthcare for everyone in the country. * UNITED STATES Events in Fort Wayne (Indiana), Los Angeles, Northampton (Massachusetts), Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), San Francisco, Salt Lake City (Utah), Washington DC, Western Massachusetts, Yellow Springs (Ohio). >>>> Counting the cost of war: <<<< our survival is not their economic priority, so our survival work is invisible. Women are the first carers, for people and for the planet. We do 2/3 of the world's work, mostly unwaged caring work. We are the backbone of anti-war activism according to every poll, even more women than men oppose war. We and our children pay most for war and weapons. We are 70% of victims of armed conflict, 80% of refugees and displaced people. 1.5m infants die from malnutrition each year the money pours into the military instead. 500,000 children have died in Iraq as a result of sanctions. Everywhere women struggle to make up for the suffering & devastation, and for the loss of benefits, healthcare, education, pensions... cut or privatised to pay for war. 900+ billion spent on military budgets worldwide = 4 million a week on UK bombing of Iraq = 3.5+ billion put aside by the UK for all-out war. Yet there's no money to pipe clean water or for food security = No money for breastfeeding mothers & infants = No money for single mothers, disability benefits, pensioners, students = No money for asylum seekers who flee rape & other torture imposed by Western-supported dictators = No money for decent pay for fire service workers, teachers, hospital staff. >>>> Women ask: Why is war the priority for which we must all do without? <<<< Challenging killing priorities Women fire service workers have estimated that it would cost £200 million to meet the FBU demand to increase pay to 30,000 - the same as buys eight F16 fighter planes. A local community centre facing closure needs 150,000 - the same amount as keeps a Tornado bomber in the air for six hours. Putting a price on our neglected needs and demands challenges the killing priorities which see $900+ billion spent on military budgets worldwide, when $80bn would rid the whole world of the worst poverty. £25bn + UK's annual defence budget excluding subsidies to the arms industry and the cost of war against Iraq which is estimated will cost the UK up to £30bn. Other countries participating in the Global Womens Strike so far: Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago. Men's support and participation welcome: Payday, a network of men is co-ordinating GWS support of men internationally contact 020-7209 4761; email ; website title and address www.paydaynet.org