On the 8th of March 2014, the International Women’s Day (IWD) will be celebrated worldwide. Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment (WEAVE)Foundation has been working for more than twenty years, empowering refugee and displaced women and children from Burma as well as disadvantaged Hill-tribe women in Northern Thai villages.Through education, economic opportunities and other support, more women were encouraged and have taken leadership roles, benefitting their families and communities.
Each year, WEAVE, in collaboration with its partners in the refugee camps and Thai villages across the Thai-Burma border, conducts awareness campaign activities during the celebration of IWD. Last year, WEAVE has incorporated a parallel campaign to End Violence Against Women, Girls and Children – the 1 Billion Rising. The event was very successful in involving both the youth and the women within the community to participate on an impressively large scale, to raise issues about gender inequality and to show Efforts to assist women in challenging these practices.
Since the early 1900 this day has been a day to commemorate women’s struggles and accomplishments and to recognize women’s progress, in terms of equality on an economical political and social level.This is also a day of vindication, to shed light on the challenges that still exist and need to be faced, and also to bring the ongoing issues regarding women’s rights, into the international agenda.This makes it an opportunity to evaluate the position of women around the world and to demand not only the States but their communities to comply with the international agreements related to women’s rights issues and how they are accountable for advancements and setbacks, within issues concerning gender equality. This year, WEAVE hopes to achieve this within the Burmese refugee camps and Thai villages in Mae Hong Son and Tak Provinces in, Thailand.
This year, WEAVE will be acting under the theme: “Recognize, Respect Our Rights, Inspiring Changes in Women’s Live,All together: ONE BILLION RISING”. With this theme, WEAVE hopes to raise awareness regarding women’s rights. They will do this a number of ways: Firstly by pointing out the women’s efforts and achievements within the refugee camps, particularly highlighting the impact fair trade has had, in terms of generating safe income and improving the economical rights of the women.Secondly they will also offer the chance for women to take a stand and call for justice, against the violence and abuse of women. In order to achieve their goals WEAVE are running a programme with activities aiming for both the empowerment of the women and putting a stop to any future abuse against women.
The International women’s day at Mae Hong Son and Tak Provinces will be an event producing a strong and powerful position against discrimination, any violence against girls and women, and gender inequality. It will also be an event that demands better social justice for women and better rights. In addition WEAVE Foundation will use the event to celebrate the remarkable milestones that the women have overcome within these refugee camps.
Posted by: Harry Mcilroy (Journalist) and Maria Diaz Ezquerro (Gender specialist)
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