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2005: UN Year of Micro Credit . . . Press release . . .
The Women’s Development Bank of Venezuela
on tour in Europe
As President Hugo Chavez accuses the US government of plotting to
assassinate him, two Venezuelan women who are central to the changes he is
introducing will be in Europe speaking about their work.
NORA CASTAÑEDA president of Venezuela’s Women’s Development Bank (Banmujer)
and ANGELICA ALVAREZ Banmujer’s promoter co-ordinator in Bolivar state.
To arrange an interview contact Didi Rossi or Nina Lopez of the Global Women
’s Strike, organisers of the tour: 020-7482 2496 or email womenstrike8m@server101.com
Public Meeting:
CREATING A CARING ECONOMY
Monday 14 March, 8pm
London School of Economics,
New Theatre, E171, East Building, Houghton Street, London WC2
Introduced by: Richard Gott, author of “In the Shadow of the Liberator” and
“Cuba: A new history”
Chaired by: Selma James, co-ordinator of the Global Women’s Strike
Hosted by: LSE Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! Society
UK tour sponsors so far: Latin America Bureau; NATFHE (University and College Lecturers' Union); South London Cuba Solidarity Campaign; Sheffield
Cuba Solidarity, Peace and Human Rights Trust; David Raby (Institute of
Latin American Studies, University of Liverpool),
It is little known outside of Venezuela that the movement led by President
Chavez, the popular elected military man, is a women’s revolution. Women
are the majority, as both users and service providers, in all government
social programmes to tackle poverty – literacy, education, health, water,
housing, land rights.
The US government has accused President Chavez of totalitarianism because he
refuses to privatize oil, putting it in the hands of US corporations. Behind this refusal are economic priorities diametrically opposed to those
of the would-be US assassins: “The economy must be at the service of human
beings, not human beings at the service of the economy. And since 70% of
those who live in conditions of poverty are women, economic change must start with women,” explains Nora Castañeda, head of the Women’s Development
Bank (Banmujer).
“Micro credit is an excuse to empower women. We want to create an economy
based on co-operation and mutual support, a caring economy. We women won our
rights in the constitution. We won Article 88, which recognizes that housewives create added value and must be compensated with social security.
And Article 14 of the Land Act which prioritises women headed households in
the distribution of land.”
Nora Castañeda, an economist at the Central University of Venezuela for over
30 years, was appointed by President Chávez to head Banmujer in response to
women’s demands. Of African and Indigenous descent, and daughter of a low-income single mother, Ms Castañeda is a remarkable spokeswoman for a
movement spearheaded by women.
Angélica Alvarez, Banmujer’s promoter co-ordinator, is originally from Chile
and fled to Venezuela after the 1973 military coup against President Allende. She provides crucial support and direction to the users’
autonomous organisation – the Red Popular de Usuarias.
For times of meetings in other cities, venues and videos, “Venezuela - A
21st Century Revolution” and “Enter the oil workers”, both featuring Ms.
Castañeda: womenstrike8m@server101.com and www.globalwomenstrike.net Tel:
020-7482 2496
The Strike videos give visibility to the different sectors in this revolution, and how grassroots leadership, starting with women and people of
colour, works in practice. A new video “Talking of power” will be premiered
on the tour.
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