Border Women to End Hunger Strike after 10 Days

"The Shroud of Invisibility Has Been Ripped Apart"

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released today by La Mujer Obrera:

Eleven women living in the U.S.-Mexico border, the most impoverished region of this nation, launched a hunger strike in front of the White House November 8, 2010, at noon, to call attention to economic conditions in the region and grassroots development efforts led by women's organizations. On Wednesday, November 17, at 11:00 the women will make the final action of the hunger strike, followed by a closing ceremony in front of the White House, leading up to the women's first bites of solid food at noon and a press conference.

The U.S.-Mexico border, poorer still than Appalachia, has been economically abandoned for centuries, most recently as a result of international trade agreements, border security initiatives, anti-immigrant sentiment and the war on drugs. But border women are not victims; they are rebuilding their communities with dignified courage. They are exercising the right to determine their own destiny and work towards the meaningful development of their communities to improve the quality of life of their children and grandchildren.  

The border women, many of them mothers and grandmothers, fasted in front of the White House to call on our country's leaders to acknowledge: that the border region is the most impoverished in the nation; that it parallels Appalachia in its concentrated poverty spread across state lines; and that it warrants meaningful attention by federal agencies and private resources, so that future generations of border residents can enjoy an improved quality of life.

They are calling for development that is led by the community itself, based on family and community needs such as education for youth and adults, culturally appropriate nutrition and health education, local agriculture, and fair trade with our brothers and sisters across the border.

A full press statement from the women will be posted November 17 at noon EST, at: lamujerobrera.wordpress.com

Contact: Rubi Orozco, (915) 203-0022, [email protected], lamujerobrera.wordpress.com

SOURCE La Mujer Obrera