Women’s International Solidarity Affair in the Philippines (WISAP) for 1998
[Organized by GABRIELA]

"Building Women’s Unity and Solidarity Against Globalization"

INFORMATION

I. BACKGROUND OF WISAP

The Women’s International Solidarity Affair in the Philippines (WISAP) is a gathering of women from different countries organized by GABRIELA with the aim of building and strengthening bridges of solidarity and sisterhood among women working for change. Through workshops, conferences and cultural sharing, WISAP aims to facilitate linkages and promote solidarity actions on global issues that affect women.

The idea of WISAP evolved from the experiences gathered and lessons learned by GABRIELA in its Second Congress in March 1985 and in the Non-Governmental Organizations Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in July 1985 which GABRIELA attended. These experiences induced GABRIELA to organize an international gathering to sustain the solidarity linkage established in the past conferences.

The WISAP serves to actualize the lessons learned from these two events: "The issues that beset people have a global dimension and the specific concerns of women are worldwide phenomena. Inevitably, women who are nationalists and women liberationists must also be internationalists".

In 1986, the first WISAP was held with the theme, "Sisterhood and International Solidarity for Militant Struggle". Since then, GABRIELA has sponsored five more WISAPs:

1987       "In the Post-Marcos Era ... United with the Filipino Women for Peace, Liberation and National Determination"
1988   "Women for Peace Based on Justice, for Disarmament and Self-Determination"
1989   "Towards Greater Concern and Commitment for the Protection of Women’s Human Rights"
1991   "The Culture of Foreign Domination: Women’s Issues, Alternatives and Initiatives"
1994   "Gaining Ground, Building Strength: Advancing Grassroots Women’s Struggles for Liberation"

The past WISAPs have effectively provided women of different countries a venue to share experiences with Filipino women as they struggle for equality and liberation. These conferences have also helped in facilitating the launching of international solidarity among women’s groups in issues of common concern.

II. THEME: "Building Women’s Unity and Solidarity Against Globalization"

WISAP ’98 shall consolidate the efforts initiated by GABRIELA in 1995 when it brought out the issue of globalization and its effect on women in various workshops and activities at the United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing and when it sponsored a workshop on Women and Globalization which was held in November, 1996 as a counterpoint to the 4th APEC Leaders’ Summit in the Philippines.

The women participants to the 1996 workshop aptly described the common conclusion: that imperialist globalization is causing the further displacement, commodification and modern-day slavery of women. In all cases, globalization as embodied in the structural adjustment program of each country was found responsible for the displacement of agricultural workers due to massive land-use conversion and crop conversion; the reduction of factory and service workers to virtual slavery due to the promotion of cheap, repressed and flexible labor; and the resultant unemployment and underemployment which in turn force women to migrate. Migrant women become more vulnerable to exploitation, violence and prostitution. Worse, even children are victims of globalization: indirectly as social disintegration occurs to the family, and directly as they become fodder for child labor and child prostitution.

The rejection of globalization through the united and sustained action of all oppressed and exploited peoples was agreed upon by the participants.

The joint participation of GABRIELA, migrant Filipino women and women’s solidarity groups and individuals from the developed and Asian countries in WISAP will facilitate the emergence of a unified viewpoint on globalization. Resolutions and a common action plan will ensure a coordinated campaign against the effects and root causes of globalization.

III. OBJECTIVES / COMPONENTS

In general, WISAP ‘98 is designed to build women’s unity and solidarity against globalization, with the GABRIELA international solidarity network as the nucleus and base.

WISAP ’98 therefore aims:

  1. to strengthen the GABRIELA’s advocacy work and international solidarity network by renewing and expanding GABRIELA’s ties with individuals and women’s groups in the developed countries;

  2. to tap the latent strength of migrant Filipino women by awakening and involving them in the struggle against globalization;

  3. to learn how the current financial crises in Asia is affecting women; and

  4. to draw a common and sustainable campaign plan for international women’s action against globalization.

WISAP ‘98 is designed as both a venue for discussing and strategizing on issues of common concern and for concrete learnings on aspects of women’s movement building through:

  1. Participation in the August 13 Philippine independence Centennial Activity. August 13 marks the day in 1898 when Andres Bonifacio, founder of the secret Filipino anti-colonialist movement called Katipunan, launched the armed revolution against Spain. The day will be commemorated with marches, rallies, speeches and cultural activities.

  2. Pre-conference Exposure Visits to GABRIELA member organizations in the different regions. This will include onsite sharings and fora/assemblies for mutual sharings of experiences to enable the participation of a bigger number of local women. Exposures will last for four (4) days and will focus on specific strategies that include the following: (a) Various approaches to organizing women; (b) Women education and research; (c) Public information; (d) Managing campaigns and protest actions; and (e) Planning and managing international campaigns.

  3. Three (3) day Conference Proper. The Conference proper will include plenary discussion, simultaneous workshops, film-showings and cultural activities. Speakers from different countries will be invited to help ensure a balanced representation of Filipino women migrant workers, foreign women individuals and solidarity groups and local women.

    4. The first day will focus on inputs and discussions on women workers, migrant women and the global sex trade. The impact of the current currency crisis on the women of Asia will be studied.

    The second and third days will be spent on the drafting and finalization of resolutions and a plan of action.
  4. Post-Conference activities will include a Press Conference to present conference resolutions, an evaluation of the activities, and the publication of the WISAP proceedings.

IV. ACTIVITIES

The Conference Proper which will be held from August 12 to 22, 1998 will observe the following schedule:

1. Arrival / Orientation - August 12

2. Centennial Celebration Activity - August 13

3. Regional Exposure - August 14-17

4. Arrival from Exposure - August 18

5. Conference Proper - August 19-21

6. Departure - August 22.

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