National NOW Times >> Summer 2006  >> Article

NOW Co-Sponsors International Women's Day Delegation to Venezuela

By Olga Vives, Executive Vice President

Olga Vives (seventh from left) and the International Women's Day Delegation.

In March 2006, I had an opportunity to travel to Venezuela with an International Women's Day delegation co-sponsored by NOW, Global Exchange, and the U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration. The purpose of the delegation was to learn about the struggles and gains of Venezuelan women in their efforts to advance their rights using new political and socio-economic models. It was our goal to develop relationships with women's groups working on issues of poverty, violence against women and economic empowerment.

Venezuela has embarked on a path of rebuilding and restructuring the country after a history of governments that were unable to bring equality and economic justice to the Venezuelan people. After electing President Hugo Chavez in 1998, the people of Venezuela have made significant progress toward a more just distribution of wealth; sustaining the country's natural resources, with particular emphasis in the expansion of local economies; making education and health care accessible and available to all; and implementing reforms aimed at bringing women and men into full participation in Venezuelan society.

During our trip, we met with women leaders who were instrumental in the writing and passage of the "Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," ratified in 2000. This constitution is considered a Magna Carta of women's rights and individual rights, as it addresses specifically the social and family rights of every individual and the responsibilities of the government. For example, senior citizens are guaranteed pension and retirement benefits through a social security system that "shall be no less than the urban minimum salary."

Regarding motherhood and fatherhood, the Constitution says that the "State guarantees overall assistance and protection for motherhood, in general, from the moment of conception, throughout the pregnancy, delivery and the puerperal [postpartum] period and guarantees full family planning services." And, regarding women's work, Article 88 states that "The State guarantees the equality and equitable treatment of men and women in the exercise of the right to work. The state recognizes work at home as an economic activity that creates added value and produces social welfare and wealth." Homemakers are entitled to Social Security in accordance with law, and other guarantees include the right to work, the right to housing, education and health care.

On International Women's Day we marched with women and men in celebration of their revolutionary victories. During our stay, we visited with women working in their communities through cooperatives and health centers, creating awareness of their newly acquired civil rights, and working toward a safer environment free of domestic and sexual abuse.

The women of Venezuela are participating in the remaking of their country. As the United States expands its global influence and our government embraces political and economic policies that deeply affect other nations, it is important that we forge ties of solidarity with women abroad who are trying to build a better world for their children and for themselves. We learn from each other’s work on reaching common goals—eradicating poverty, violence against women and children, achieving economic empowerment, and building a more just, peaceful and healthy world.