Note from BW of Brazil: I gotta admit, sometimes it’s hard to believe how fast time flies. Just look at a few examples. Do you remember where you were on New Year’s Eve 2017? Well, we’re already more than halfway through the year 2018! For those who remember, it’s already been more than 130 days since Rio councilwoman Marielle Franco was brutally murdered in the streets of Rio. A crime that still hasn’t been solved by the way. Marielle’s memory will probably be heavy on the minds of many black Brazilian today as yet another year has passed since the last International Day of Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Women and the National Day of Tereza de Benguela and the Black Woman. The stereotypes, social inequality and a culture that facilitates the diminishing of life because of skin color are just a few of the reasons why July 25th is a day that should be celebrated.
I cannot guarantee that Franco would not have been murdered in cold blood had she been a white woman, but I can say what statistics make clear. Black women are much more likely to be murdered in Brazil than white women. And when we consider the myriad of ways in which black women are placed at a disadvantage in comparison to their white counterparts, having one day in which we reflect on the value of the parcel of the population that has been robbed of the privileges of enjoying full citizenship in a country in which they have contributed so much, one day is certainly not too much to ask for.
Black woman: a date against racism and sexism
The International Day of Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Women and the National Day of Tereza de Benguela and of the Black Woman are celebrated on July 25
By Mirella Araújo
A date to resist and fight. This is the mark of the Dia Internacional da Mulher Afro Latina-Americana e Caribenha (International Day of Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Women) and of the do Dia Nacional de Tereza de Benguela e da Mulher Negra (National Day of Tereza de Benguela and of Black Women) celebrated on Wednesday (25), but which has a schedule until the end of this month.
“This is a date of denunciation. The mulher negra (black woman) has specific demands and aspirations. Data from the United Nations show that of the 25 countries with the highest rate of violence against black women, 15 are located in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said the coordinator of the GT Racismo (Racism Working Group) of the Ministério Público de Pernambuco (MPPE or Public Ministry of Pernambuco), the prosecutor Maria Bernadete Azevedo.
The Comitê de Mulheres Negras Metropolitanas (CMNMPE or Committee of Black Metropolitan Women of Pernambuco) of the State Secretariat of Women will promote on Tuesday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., in the courtyard of São Pedro, in the District of São José, the Feira da Ancestralidade Negra (1st Black Ancestral Fair). The event will be attended by representatives of civil society organizations of the Committee that works with Afro crafts, recyclable material and others, as well as dissemination of information material and the actions of the Committee for the month of July. “This is a strategic date that comes to reinforce the fight against racism and sexism, giving visibility to this parcel of the female population, to their achievements, as well as the challenges they still have to face due to race and gender discrimination,” pointed out RMR Regional sub-coordinator of the Women’s Secretariat, Fabiana Jansen.
There will also be a dialogue circle on the impacts of racism on the health of black women and offer of services such as blood glucose test, blood pressure measurement, vaccination, distribution of male and female condoms and rapid HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C tests. The mobile mammograph will be parked in the courtyard, offering 80 tokens (40 each shift) for mammography. Women between the ages of 50 and 69 can take the exam, but must bring identification document, SUS card and proof of residence.
Numbers
And why raise this debate? According to the Mapa da Violência 2016 (Map of Violence 2016), the femicide of black women increased by 54% in ten years in Brazil. When it comes to domestic violence, the number of black women corresponds to 58.68%. “When we bring the black woman into the territorial perspective of the Northeast, we can see that there is still a lot of inequality, and the 25th serves to make these patterns visible, so that public health, education and employability policies are seen more carefully,” warns Taisa Silveira, of the Rede de Mulheres de Pernambuco (Women’s Network of Pernambuco). The institution will also promote, on Wednesday (25), the public debate “Mulheres Negras nas Eleições 2018: Movendo Pernambuco e o Brasil” (Black Women in the 2018 Elections: Moving Pernambuco and Brazil), at 6pm, at Sindsep, located at Rua João Fernandes Vieira, 67, in the neighborhood of Boa Vista.
Also on Wednesday, the Comitê de Mulheres Negras (Black Women’s Committee) will contribute to the Festival de Inverno de Garanhuns (FIG or Garanhuns Winter Festival), in the programming of Praça da Palavra, which will be attended by Maria de Fátima Barros, leadership of Quilombo 11 Negras, and Odailta Alves, poetess, writer and public manager.
Source: Folha PE
It seems they are going to address the important issues that are affecting the community. Which is greatly needed I hope those women leave that event in high hopes of getting something establish instead of just addressing the visible problems we tend to talk about each day and nothing gets accomplish and next year we are back discussing the same problems gangs, drugs, unemployment and increase homicide rates etc.