Uruguay: Women March in a Multitudinous Manifestation

First Women’s Encounter

With over 1.000 registered, the aperture of the Uruguayan Women’s Meeting was celebrated in the assembly room of the Republic’s University. The event started on Friday the 3rd under the slogan “All voices. All women.”.

The meeting “picks ups the long and rich struggle of women in our country, which had a new momentum due to the events of March 8 when we went on strike and took the streets”, stated the organizers.

“It is also sustained by the mobilization and organizational experiences of our Latin American sisters”, they added.

The Encounter brought together women from different spaces, who organized themselves from horizontality, reflection, self-management and exchange.

All Voices, All Women, “arose with the objective of expressing ourselves through hearing comrades and being heard as well”.

For that, from November 4 to November 5, “women gathered in Exchange Circles and in social, cultural and musical activities”, affirmed the organizers, “in order to rethink ourselves and recognize ourselves in our struggles as Latin American sisters”.

The inauguration in the Assembly Room counted with the presence of Malena Marinic, who made a tribute to the popular Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra, the “Pocoserio Cuartet” and the young Murga “Pelala que va el pan”.

On Sunday, thousands of Uruguayan women marched through the downtown of Montevideo to close the first edition of the Women’s Encounter.

“All voices. All women.”

“Fight along the (female) comrade you like”, the women sang with joy and enthusiasm who despite the social obstacles and political circumstances achieved an exceptional Encounter in regards to the proportions, objectives and reach.

The continental Latin American unity was reflected in the participation of Argentine, Chilean and Brazilian women, as it was promoted by the Encounter.

“Be warned, since the feminist struggle walks through Latin America”, resounded repeatedly in the streets of downtown Montevideo.

Notable heartbreaking shouts filled the women’s manifestation: “Now that we are all present, now that you can see us: Down with patriarchy it will fall, it will fall!”.

The idea that feminism will overcome in all Latin America was made present, as well as the idea that socialism must be feminist or it is nothing at all.

Without doubt the seed of a new path of feminist struggle in Latin America and in Uruguay was planted.

New winds are on their way.

Source: Resumen Latinoamericano-Coberturacolaborativa / The Dawn News / November 5, 2017