For Immediate Release
March 29, 2011
Reference: Raquel Redondiez, Chairperson, GABRIELA USA, chair@gabusa.org
GABRIELA-USA Celebrates 2 Year Anniversary and Milestones in Building Filipino Women’s Power
Launch of iVOW Campaign, International Women’s Alliance, and Freedom for Morong 43 Amongst their Successes in 2010
Seattle– On March 26, 2011, five member organizations of Gabriela USA, Samahan ng Kababaihan (SAMAKA) and BABAE San Francisco, Pinay sa Seattle, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) New York and Sisters of Gabriela Awaken (SiGAw) Los Angeles came together to hold their second National Chapter Council meeting to assess their accomplishments in 2010 and plan their advancement for the next year.
National Chapter Council members represented their organizations of Filipino women who consist of mothers, working women, professionals, and students. The National Council reviewed their organizational growth in 2010 and their main campaign IVOW v. VAW (Violence Against Women), which reached and moved hundreds of women in their homes, schools, and communities– to pledge to raise their voices against the the different forms of violence inflicted on women.
On March 29, 2011, GABRIELA-USA across the U.S. celebrates their 2 year anniversary and the successes of the last year which include:
Successful Launch of IVOW vs. VAW (Violence Against Women) in 4 Major Cities in the U.S.
33% growth in membership and formation of SAMAKA- an association of Filipina mothers, elders, and working women
Mobilizing over 50 members and allies to the Montreal International Women’s Conference held in August 2010
Forwarding a truly internationalist perspective in building sisterhood and solidarity across the globe, GABRIELA USA was instrumental in organizing the Montreal International Women’s Conference (MIWC) and the formation of the International Women’s Alliance in Canada and also participated in the International Alliance of Migrants and Refugees activities in Mexico. GABRIELA members throughout the U.S. also joined with other community organizations and alliances in protesting the wrongful detention of the Morong 43 in the Philippines, half of which were women.
In 2011, GABRIELA USA will be launching a national research project on the situation and issues of Filipino women in the US, continuing their IVOW campaign, and focusing on the growth and expansion of their alliance. This summer, GABRIELA-USA will be sending delegates to the First General Assembly of the International Women’s Alliance which will be held in Manila, Philippines. GABRIELA’s next General Assembly will be in March 2012.
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