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On April 20, 2012, the Spanish government issued a Royal Decree-Act which among other measures restricts the level of health care access for irregular migrants stipulated in the Foreigners Act (Ley de Extranjería). The current Foreigners Act establishes that irregular migrants registered at the municipality are entitled to access health care under the same conditions as nationals of the country. The proposed new legislation would limit access to vital health care services for irregular migrants in Spain to emergency care, maternity and child care only. We oppose the article 3 ter. of Section I of the Royal Decree-Act 16/2012, which denies undocumented migrants the right to access healthcare services. With this Decree-Act, an estimated 150,000 persons will be denied access to all forms of essential preventative and curative health services. Read more...

Next May must be another May

Lilian Halls-French

The streets of the European countries are still echoing the 1st of May claims for fundamental rights and international solidarity. People in Europe face the tragic consequences of ultraliberal choices for their rights, for their lives, for their societies, for the future of their countries. Poverty, unemployment, deregulation, structural precariousness, flexibility on behalf of “competitiveness”, forced labor, fear, uncertainty about future, social exclusion and social violence are the new faces of capitalist oppression. In spite of the increasing resistance of people all over Europe, governments are still caring more for the “anxiety of financial markets” than for the sufferings of the people who elected them. The economic, social and political disaster enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty favours the expansion of populisms and fundamentalisms and leads to a severe backlash for democracy. Read more...

Prof. Ludmilla Kostova



The Arab Spring is often compared to the collapse of East and Central European totalitarian regimes in 1989. The term “revolution” is automatically applied to both. Looking at one such comparison, I was surprised to learn that: Read more...

An online petition to the European Council has been started which you can sign here:

http://www.petitions24.net/soutenir_les_grevistes_de_la_faim_kurdes

Also visit and solidarity messages are welcome:

Cenî - Kurdisches Frauenbüro für Frieden e.V.

Corneliusstr125 - 40215 Düsseldorf

Tel 0211 5989251

Fax 0211 5989253
www.ceni-kurdistan.de

EQUALITY FIRST

 One 8th of March Framed by Our Endless Demand for
Equality between Women and Men 

 Women must finally enter the History! In Europe women are the first victims of a deep economic and political crisis, followed by an increasing intrusion of religion in the political sphere. Persistent violence against women, ongoing marginalization and exclusion in spite of laws and resolutions, lead us to strongly question the western concepts of citizenship and democracy.

In the Arab world women have been shouldering the responsibilities in all uprisings for freedom, human dignity and social justice but they are systematically excluded from the transition political processes that shape the future of their countries.

All over the world violence exercised against women, from verbal humiliation to rape, is perpetuated to control them and to silence their voice. Conservative political regimes, ultra liberal economic systems that are supporting them and male shaped structures of political parties for which women’s rights are never full rank political issues are tightly interconnected to perpetuate women’s subjugation. This oppression has local expressions, but its roots are common, stemming from a patriarchal system based on the domination and control that cuts across our countries and societies.

The need of an international feminist cooperation and reflection is increasing in these times when the global economic conditions, in interplay with a patriarchal security policy, are limiting the women’s scope of action and are aggravating the life conditions of the people. At the same time the globalization creates new opportunities for building up bridges over the borders and reinforcing alliances for a democratic peaceful and secular world, required for women to develop our universal human rights and preserve our freedoms.

Our Feminist Network IFE-EFI represented in 15 countries in Europe, EACPE from Egypt, Association Najdeh and RDFL from Lebanon, ATFD from Tunisia, Women’s Studies Center from Palestine, Arab Women Organisation and Sisterhood is Global Institute from Jordan together have been developing the Equality First campaign. Our diversity is not an obstacle to our cooperation; it is our common wealth.

We call upon the feminist movements to unite around common concerns and values. We call upon the governments and the international institutions to put Gender Equality on the top of their political, social and economic agendas. We call upon the democratic movement to act with the values of gender equality and women’s rights as universal human rights and to support the action of the feminist movement.

The history shows that achieving positive changes for women’s rights always requires the involvement of women’s themselves. However, democracy is a concern for all.

Dignity, social justice and full implementation of women’s rights as universal human rights are a precondition for democracy

8^th of March 2012

Dignity, social justice and full implementation of women’s rights as universal human rights are a precondition for democracy. This understanding lies in the core of the Euro-Med campaign Equality First.

Today, it is more than ever important to raise up and address the international conventions, regional and national tools for gender equality as parts of the same framework promoting women’s rights as universal human rights. The international conventions are a precious tool for protection and promotion of women’s rights, through the values of equality and justice they are based on. We approach international, regional and national mechanisms as parts of one global frame for enhancing gender equality and women's rights.

To read the full text, download the booklet “International Conventions and Istanbul Framework of Action: A Common Frame to Promote and Support Women’s Rights as Universal Human Rights”, published in the frame of the project “Promoting a Common Agenda for Equality between Women and Men through Istanbul Process” funded by the European Union.