JASS’ 5th annual One Day, One Voice regional campaign in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence kicks off from Nov. 25 – Dec. 10. For 16 days, thousands of women from Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and the Philippines will spotlight the campaign’s global theme, “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All” through art performances, media events, peace marches, dialogues, bazaars, and film screenings.
Every year, One Day, One Voice mobilizes hundreds of women—anchored in women’s lives, organizing and grounded movements—across countries, issues, ages, identities, and constituencies around shared goals and demands. Since its founding in 2011, One Day, One Voice has engaged 12,896 people, including 5,158 men.
This year’s One Day, One Voice (ODOV) theme, “Our Rights, Our Resources, Our Life”, JASS will spotlight the courageous ways women are defending their rights on resources—e.g. land, water, food) and social services like education—against governments, private firms and corporate interests. In many Southeast Asian countries, the rights of women—mostly indigenous and rural poor women—are being ignored or abused in favour of private and corporate interests.
Women who speak out face politically-motivated and unwarranted arrests based on false or malicious charges. One example of these cases include the case of peasant activist and environment defender Eva Bande of Indonesia, who was jailed in 2014 and was accused of destroying property. Likewise with Cambodian land rights activist Kong Chantha, who was arrested and detained while leading a street protest but was ridiculously charged with traffic obstruction. Both were eventually given presidential and royal pardons, respectively, because of the strong pressure from local and international movements for their release.
Women also receive repeated threats and harassment from the police, military, and even fundamentalist forces. Our allies and key partners are facing intense surveillance and some are even slapped with trumped up charges to silence or derail their work. In worst cases, women get killed for their activism, as in the case of the Philippines, now touted as one of the most dangerous places in the world for environmental or land defenders, wherein there have been 28 recorded cases of extra-judicial killings of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) from July 2010 to August 2015.
Women’s solidarity actions for 2015 ODOV are kicking off on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25) and culminating on International Human Rights Day (December 10). This year, women activists will mobilize thousands in dialogues, demonstrations, marches, and cultural performances and action across the region.
For 16 Days, JASS Southeast Asia is profiling women leaders and the importance of collective power by speaking out to end violence against women defenders, sexual violence, and tolerance for daily gender-based violence in homes, organizations and on the streets. JASS is also highlighting women-led responses to address this gender violence in communities. Some of our key partners in the region such as Cambodian Young Women’s Empowerment Network (CYWEN) and Center for Women’s Resources Philippines will produce e-posters, which will be shared and featured in JASS Southeast Asia’s social media platforms. These e-posters will depict the situation, issues, and call of Southeast Asian women.
Follow us on JASS Southeast Asia’s Facebook and Twitter to share the messages, blogs, infographics, videos and more, which are generated by JASS and our many allies around the region, as we organize discussion groups and street actions in six countries of Southeast Asia – Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines.
On the One Day, One Voice and 16 Days of Activism we invite you to SUPPORT US, STAND WITH US, AND JOIN US in calling for upholding women’s resource rights through this year’s ODOV theme “Our Resources, Our Rights, Our Life.”
#1Day1Voice #16Days #WomenCrossLines #WHRD
