FWD: International Women's Week: Days of Action Against the IMF

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

>>Dear Friends and Activists All,
>>>
>>>Join the the Days of Action Against the IMF (March 7-13).
>>>
>>>Please read on regarding efforts in the U.S. to show how the Department of
>>>Treasury and IMF make policies that are bad for women.  Focusing on cities
>>>that have Federal Reserve Banks (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,
>>>Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, San
>>>Francisco, St. Louis), but not limited to only those, we already have half a
>>>dozen events in the making in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, DC,
>>>New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco -- WE NEED MORE.
>>>
>>>This is a request to each of you to support, organize, and/or join with
>>>others to help make an event happen in your city. By the end of the day I
>>>will post the names and contact numbers of 50 Years Is Enough activists
>>>coordinating with DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) activists to
>>>organize these important actions.
>>>
>>>Please let me know if you want to be listed as an organizer/contact person
>>>in your city.
>>>
>>>We have a sample flyer that folks can modify by putting the details of their
>>>local event -- I will be happy to fax or email it as an attachment.
>>>
>>>In Peace & Solidarity,
>>>
>>>Njoki Njoroge Njehu
>>>Public Outreach Coordinator
>>>202/IMF-BANK
>>>
>>>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>>>
>>>INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S WEEK (MARCH 7-13):
>>>DAYS OF ACTION AGAINST THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
>>>
>>>
>>>When the IMF tells Korea to fire its workers, who is being targeted for
>>>layoffs?
>>>      Women.
>>>When the IMF imposes economic austerity, who is on the front lines dealing
>>>with the social and economic fall-out?
>>>     Women.
>>>When the IMF forces countries to build export industries at the expense of
>>>workers and local production, who is hurt most?
>>>      Women.
>>>When the IMF designs these policies, who is at the table?
>>>       Men.
>>>
>>>The time has come to hold the IMF and the Clinton Administration accountable
>>>for the fact that they exclude women from global economic decision-making
>>>and actively promote economic policies that both exacerbates women's poverty
>>>and increase the exploitation of women.
>>>
>>>Join or organize events for International Women's Week: Days of Action
>>>Against the IMF at the US Treasury Department and Federal Reserve Banks
>>>around the United States.
>>>
>>>Dates: Saturday, March 7 - Friday, March 13, 1998
>>>Time: Check for time at local events
>>>Place: US Treasury Department in Washington, DC (15th and Pennsylvania NW)
>>>
>>>Federal Reserve Banks around the country: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
>>>Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia,
>>>Richmond, San Francisco, St. Louis
>>>
>>>Why the IMF NOW?
>>>
>>>Characterized  as an institution that is more secretive than the CIA, the
>>>IMF has always preferred  to carry out its work behind closed doors, under a
>>>shroud of jargon and obfuscation.
>>>
>>>Two events have catapulted the IMF into the limelight.  The first is its
>>>role in the Asian financial crisis.  Together with the U.S. Treasury, within
>>>a few short months the IMF put together over $100 billion in short-term
>>>loans for South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia.  The terms of the loans,
>>>however, ensure that the poor and middle classes bear the brunt of a crisis
>>>they had no role in creating.  The IMF program is forcing layoffs of
>>>millions of workers, while increasing the taxes workers and the poor pay on
>>>items such as kerosene and cooking fuel, fueling inflation through forced
>>>devaluations, and making credit unaffordable by hiking interest rates.  In
>>>South Korea, the IMF expressly states that the loans can only be used to
>>>bailout foreign -- not domestic – investors.  Economists from across the
>>>political spectrum argue that IMF policies will unnecessarily drive Asia
>>>into a depression.
>>>
>>>The second event is the attempt by the Clinton Administration to use the
>>>Asia crisis as leverage to get Congress to appropriate US$ 18 billion to
>>>expand the power and scope of the IMF, and to provide additional funds for
>>>future bailouts.  In other words, the Clinton Administration wants US
>>>taxpayer dollars to bail out foreign investors, enforce trade policies that
>>>hurt U.S. workers, and impose economic austerity on foreign countries that
>>>causes widespread and unnecessary suffering.
>>>
>>>The primary beneficiaries of the recent bailouts will be banks -- European,
>>>U.S., Japanese banks that made bad loans in Asia, not working families in
>>>those countries, who will be forced to accept harsh austerity.  Women in
>>>Asia will be hard hit.  They, like women workers around the world, are the
>>>lowest paid workers, and are typically concentrated in domestic industries
>>>not eligible for any financial assistance.  Their role as household managers
>>>will be made difficult by increase food and fuel prices, decreased access to
>>>government resources, and drops in personal and family income due to
>layoffs.
>>>
>>>Why International Women's Day?
>>>
>>>One hundred years ago women workers in the US first demonstrated against the
>>>sweatshop  conditions in which they were forced to work. Their struggle is
>>>commemorated each March 8 as International Women's Day.
>>>
>>>In 1998, not only do sweatshops still exist both in the United States and
>>>around the world, but the  economic policies of the Clinton Administration
>>>and the IMF and their refusal to support
>>>labor standards and human rights in borrower countries actually encourage
>>>the development of sweatshops.
>>>
>>>What's our message to Congress and the Clinton Administration?
>>>
>>>Until the U.S. Treasury and the global financial institutions support the
>>>full range of women's economic, cultural, social and human rights, they will
>>>not get the support of women.  We are mobilizing women around the country to
>>>oppose the US$ 18 billion appropriations to the IMF.
>>>
>>>Who Should Join In?
>>>
>>>All people concerned about women's rights, worker's rights and global
>>>economic justice are  invited to organize and/or join the demonstrations
>>>against the bankers who set the policies that block women's equality.
>>>
>>>Organize or become a co-sponsor of the International Women's Week: Days of
>>>Action Against the International Monetary  Fund.
>>>
>>>Join us, Just Say No to Funding for the IMF!