‘We hold half of the sky’

‘We hold half of the sky’

Migrante BC at the Int’l Women’s Day Rally:

Juliet Tadeja of Migrante BC reads the statement for IWD

VANCOUVER, B.C.–It was a huge crowd of women, men, and children that stood by the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery for the International Women’s Day rally to celebrate the gains and struggles of women, across borders, classes, sexual orientation and status. The speeches by women from the First Nations, the Downtown Eastside, Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines and by women working and advocating on behalf of women immigrants, refugees, caregivers and temporary foreign workers, political prisoners, battered women, prostitutes, transgendered and lesbian women were inspiring, strong and militant. The Solidarity Notes Labour Choir and musician Jennifer Efting gave the crowd the gift of freedom and solidarity songs. The crowd readily joined in the rhythm of the chanting in between the feisty speeches.

Juliet Revada from Migrante BC took her place among the line up of speakers and reminded everyone that while the persistent struggles of women have won for them their most basic rights to vote, right to fair wages, to maternity leave, to decent working hours, the right to unionize and to organize, it still requires women’s vigilance, organizing and resistance that these rights are not eroded or diminished.

Juliet Revada, who came in through the Live-in Caregiver Program herself, read from the statement of Migrante BC: “Labour migration carries a woman’s face. The demand for cheap labour in the global north pulls in increasing numbers of women who migrate in search of work. Migrant women are most often found working in dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs, with low wages, little or no protection and made to endure discrimination, racism and sexism. In the Philippines, this labour migration is reflected by 4000 men and women who leave my country every day to work abroad. In Canada, we see it in the rising numbers of Filipino caregivers and temporary foreign workers; a result of the Philippine government’s intensified labour export policy. Nevertheless, in the face of great odds, immigrant and migrant women are organizing in their workplaces, communities and neighbourhoods to demand their rights as women, as workers, and as migrants. “

Group photo at the end of the program.

With International Women’s Day coming in the heels of the approved settlement by the BC Supreme Court of the class action suit against the Denny’s Restaurants, Juliet Revada reminded everyone about the strength of the Filipina migrant worker. “ It was a woman, Yna Vergara, “ Juliet emphasized, “who dared to stand up on behalf of over 70 Filipino temporary foreign workers to challenge Denny’s Restaurants, owned by one of the richest families in BC, in the historic class action suit filed by the workers against Denny’s Restaurants.”

“In Toronto”, she continued, “it was the ailing caregiver Juana Tejada, who dared to assert her right to stay and in doing so, improved the situation of the caregivers through what is now known as the “Juana Tejada Law.” The Juana Tejada law freed the caregivers from the requirement of a second medical examination in the application for Canadian landed status.

“Resistance also wears a woman’s face. As resistance continues and grows stronger against patriarchy, capitalist crisis, militarisation, occupation and war, as the women rise up, the violence and repression against women also intensifies. Women become targets of gender-based violence whether on the picket lines, in detention centres, or in their homes.As a political force, women link their struggles with that of the exploited and the oppressed and the people’s movement for genuine change.

In ending, Juliet Revada with a strong voice, declared, “We salute and honour the women, across generations and across borders, who have struggled before us and who continue the fight. We march in solidarity with our sisters as we rise up against patriarchy, capitalist crisis, militarization, and war. We, who hold up half of the sky, are organizing and moving forward. Long live sisterhood and international solidarity! Mabuhay ang Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kababaihan! Long live International Women’s Day!

The Migrante BC Cultural Group members Aileeen Villeta and Inday Maestro also performed their interpretative dance of the “Mga Babaylan” in honour of the women healers, visionaries, warriors and leaders who were vilified and persecuted by the Spanish colonizers but whose spirit is resurrected in the women who continue to rise up in the farms, factories, streets and mountains.

(PRESS RELEASE)