“We salute the historical struggles of organized women in the fields and cities, for rights and dignified life; who nurture peoples, collective memory and resistances around the world”~ La Via Campesina’s Call to Action issued on 26 February 2022.
Through acts of denunciation, activism, education and rebellion, the women of La Via Campesina and around the world commemorated International Working Women’s Day on March 8, 2022. With the motto: Sowing Food Sovereignty and Solidarity, We Harvest Rights and a Dignified life! hundreds of decentralized actions were carried out in the territories.
Outstanding symbolic actions were carried out by organizations in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and countries around the world such as Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Honduras, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, where rural and city women mobilized and denounced exploitation and oppression under capitalist patriarchy.
In India, women farmer leaders from Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha held an assembly where they highlighted the rural debt crisis and its disproportionate impact on women and children. Talking about the problems faced by the peasant woman within the agrarian crisis, Anasuyamma, a senior female farmer leader in Ramanagaram, said, “If an employee dies, his wife is given pension, PF and KGID on the basis of compassion. Similarly, the government should take action to ensure that the name of the wife married to a farmer joins the family farm.” A farmer from Davanagere, Sarojamma of Tadvanam, said, “I have gained financial strength by producing and selling 36 varieties of agricultural products. The Department of Agriculture has made a memorable cooperation. By selling organic and byproducts in agriculture, the farmer gets the power to lend to someone else without getting into debt.”
In Sri Lanka, a demonstration was held on March 12 to highlight the urgent need to guarantee female plantation workers land rights.
Women leaders also held demonstrations in Nepal’s capital, highlighting women farmers’ central role in ensuring Food Sovereignty. Nepal is one of the few countries in the world where Food Sovereignty has constitutional recognition.
