International Women’s Day is celebrated in the Women’s prison in Santiago de Chile

March 7th, Santiago de Chile

The International Women’s Day has been celebrated in Chile, since the year 1936, by the Movement for Chilean Women’s Emancipation (MEMCH), although the date, March 8th, had already been decreed since the 1920s.

The history of March 8th is mingled in situations and deed that show a rather complex scenario, full of distinguished happenings, such as World War 2, the Russian Revolution, the struggle for women’s suffrage and the growing feminine worker’s movement in Europe, United Status and Latin America.

The origins of the International Women’s Day are linked to the socialist parties in the United Status or Europe, and to the North American Socialist Party in particular, once since 1908, they had instituted reflection and action session called Women’s Day. The first one took place in May 3rd, 1908, in the Garrick theater in Chicago, aiming to start a campaign for women’s suffrage and against sexual slavery.

The International Women’s Day came as a means to advertise women’s right to vote, defend the women’s worker’s rights and support anti-war demonstrations.

In a solidarity act toward the women deprived of their freedom, AMISRAEL volunteers went to the “Centro Penitenciario Femenino de Santiago” (Women’s prison of Santiago), by an invitation from the Gendarmerie of Chile. They actively participated at the celebrations of the International Women’s Day, delivering words of peace to the 250 inmates who are in a process of social rehabilitation.

The Justice Minister, Mr. Carlos Maldonado Curtis; the sub-secretary of Justice, Mr. Jorge Frei; the director of the Gendarmerie, Mr. Alejandro Jiménez Mardones and Amisrael volunteers together with their local delegate in Chile, Mr. Hernán Patricio Lara, all attended the ceremony.

AMISRAEL brought along some special guests, such as the Mariachis Tecalitlan, who are agents of peace. Other musical groups also took part in the celebrations such as the singers Juana de la Fe and María Ximena Pereira and the comedian Paúl Vásquez, aka “el Flaco”, who has won national prizes, such as the “Antorcha de Oro en el Festival de Viña del Mar”.

The volunteers from AMISRAEL gave flowers, cards and candies as gifts to the inmates, encouraging them to join the work in favor of the society the Agents of Peace have been developing around the world.

Text: Héctor de la Paz
Edition: Gabriela Lara
English Version: Patrícia Mamede

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