Idealists at the International Institute

A remarkable group of 26 labour leaders from 15 Latin American countries met at the International Institute in summer, 1996. They were 25 women and one man - a representative of the garment union, whose members are mainly women. This was the fourth course of its kind dedicated to the issue of working women in labour organizations and cooperative development held at the Histadrut's (Israel's General Federation of Labour) International Institute.

The lists of participants in former courses include many active leaders from labour organizations and women holding high office in relevant fields. Igal Szir, Director of the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Institute, recalls with affection many Latin American leaders who have passed through the Institute's classrooms, such as Dr. Ruth Moreno, a congressperson from Ecuador, author of the Ecuadorian Law for Protection of the Woman. It is easy to be impressed by the extraordinary selection of leaders, of fighters and, to use an out-of-fashion term - of idealists gathered at the Institute.

Is Israeli experience relevant?

Is Israel a good place to learn how to improve the condition of Latin American working women? Mara Delgado, Vice President of the Teachers' Union of Cuenca, of Colombia, thinks that Israeli experience is very relevant. Her reasons are rather unexpected, however.

"Israel is the cradle of Christianity and in Latin America we are all Christians and Catholics. Here, we are in touch with our sacred history and are deeply moved by being here. Moreover, this is a society with an ongoing struggle for women's rights. Paradoxically for an economically-developed country, Israel, of all places, is the one society where you can find conservative sectors which oppose equal rights and opportunities for women. Organizational solutions developed by Israeli women in the face of such active and open opposition are a valuable model for us and we can learn much from your experience.

"We see that the Israeli woman is conquering spaces, most importantly, in political life. In Latin America we have also achieved increasing degrees of participation and influence, and it should be emphasized that our advances are taking place - not by coincidence - within a process of democratization of the Latin American continent."

Fiol D'Aliza Feliz, an articulate and courageous union leader from the Dominican Republic: "The subject matter of the course, labour leadership and cooperation, is familiar to us and, for that matter, to most persons involved in union work in Latin America. The issues we are facing in our own countries and the issues Israeli working women are dealing with are, in fact, the same. They are issues born from the human condition and from our shared Judeo-Christian background."

"It is enlightening for us to learn what is being done in our field in Israel and to develop interrelations between what we are doing in our own countries and what is being done here. Woman leaders have a great responsibility here in Israel as we also have in our countries, and building bridges of mutual understanding and establishment of interrelations, of links, should strengthen us all. We are all going through similar processes and have much in common."

In Israel, the participants learned about the main organizations dedicated to the improvement of the working woman's condition. The largest, with 700,000 members, is Na'amat, the women's division within the Histadrut. Na'amat has become a model not only for Israel but at an international level, pioneering work to advance womankind in the Middle East, fighting for their rights within the traditionalist Jewish, Arab and Druze sectors of Israeli society. Na'amat offers services to the working woman without distinctions of class, race, ethnic or religious identity or political affiliation - including medical and legal assistance, prevention of violence within the family, advancement of micro-enterprises established and managed by women, literacy campaigns and, in general, gives voice - politically if necessary - to the worries and hopes of the working woman, in order to protect her rights and improve her social and economical situation.

"One feature we do not have in Latin America, which exerts such a powerful impact on the Israeli woman, is religion which affects family laws directly and status such as marriage, divorce, children, etc. In Latin America, separation of the State and the Church has been total now for 150 years, and therefore we do not come across this situation usually."

Patricia Pinto Q., Coordinator of the Advocacy of Human Rights (Procuradora de los Derechos Humanos) and in charge of Women Rights, of Guatemala, added: "We Latin people are Christians and believers in the Bible such that we do not comprehend any form of discrimination which has its foundations in biblical reference. However, we are able to understand this situation and we respect the Israeli woman with her struggle for equal rights.

"In Latin America, laws and legal systems are more enlightened and liberal than their Israeli counterparts, but it should be acknowledged that most of this is 'letra muerta' - dead letter, empty words. Human rights, and not only the rights of the woman, are easily trampled down by dictators. Only democracies actually try to enforce human - and specifically women's - rights. Only in democratic regimes may Latin American women hope to achieve their rights. We are all for democracy."

Human rights before labour rights

"Working women, before workers, are human beings," continued Patricia Pinto Q. "In my country, Guatemala, we are emerging from 30 years of violent internal conflict, with hundreds of thousands directly involved. Therefore, the issue of human rights is still very relevant. The Human Rights Advocacy is an institution established to advance implementation of existing laws, and it enjoys full autonomy and freedom of action. My main task is to protect the rights of the woman, of the home, of the children. We have excellent laws in Guatemala, but we found it necessary to establish this institution in order to actively extend to the people access to legal information and to the judicial apparatus. Our mandate commands us to bring the Guatemalan woman into the nation's mainstream."

Networking

"It is most important that we women establish links among ourselves, create networks and connections, which will serve as support systems - they will strengthen us in our labour organization work as well as in any other field of activity," Patricia Pinto Q. emphasized.

"The course opened new perspectives to us, a wider range of possibilities, of a comprehensive network of mutual support. All women are sisters with shared experiences, even if we are from different and far away countries."

"In the Dominican Republic," added Fiol D'Aliza Feliz, "we maintain lively discussions about the place of the woman within the labour movement. We have been advancing and attaining some very responsible positions as union leaders, general secretaries and so on. In this sense, connections with international organizations are of great importance, as they provide allies and support, enhancing our legitimacy within our own environment and country. In addition, international connections are potential sources of resources, including financial support for emerging trade associations and for project implementation.

"The position of women in my country, the Dominican Republic, has improved. Nonetheless, I can firmly state that there is still much discrimination in government and in the labour movement, too."

Head of the Family

"In the Dominican Republic, no fewer women than men head families and shoulder the responsibility of supporting a family. Women frequently work in the informal sector of the economy or in the 'maquila,' the factories established in free-trade zones which produce for products exported to the United States. Many of the 'maquila' entrepreneurs have never heard of workers' rights."

"Yo no tengo pelos en la lengua" ("I have no hairs on the tongue" - a Spanish expression meaning blunt talk), said Fiol D'Aliza Feliz, "and I can say that the condition of the workers in the maquilas violates basic human rights. The working woman has no health insurance, no social benefits, no legal protection. Girls under 15 work more than 12 hours a day in subhuman conditions.

"Female workers have many health complaints, but we have no means to establish what is really happening. We suspect that synthetic materials or chemical products employed by the maquila, the nonexistence of protective measures, may be factors in their health conditions but, I repeat, we have no actual proof." In 1995, a United Nations report confirmed widespread abuse in the maquila factories. "Moral support from international organizations is critical to any labour struggle in my country. The fact is that we succeed mostly when we have outside backing.

"As worker representatives, we know what is happening on the shop floor and we can mediate the relationship with management. Government is mostly behind us. But the overall context is difficult. Free-zones and tax-concessions are, in fact, government initiatives. Foreign entrepreneurs are courted and invited to come to the Dominican Republic. Moreover, we are not the only country to offer such incentives. Other Caribbean and Central American countries compete with us in attracting maquila capital and technologies. Governments want to develop their countries and create employment. In essence, we know that we can expect little actual government help in protecting the working woman.

"Once the limitations of our governments are understood, we realize the cardinality of international connections. The ILO (International Labour Organization) has been active in the Dominican Republic since 1987, as is the UITA (International Union of Workers of the Food Industry). The Israeli Histadrut has been in Latin America now for many years. In our countries, these organizations make a difference."

A House (partly) Made in Israel

"In our activities with Latin American working women," said Mara Delgado, from Colombia, "we deal with four main issues: gender, the woman in labour unions, differentiation of woman's work, and the woman in the national and world arena.

"We maintain that neither gender is superior but that they are different. Both genders are able to overcome the dictates of biology. It is society that has assigned different working roles to men and women, as a function of gender and not of capacity. Many of us have internalized these differences and are unaware of the outside imposition which there really is. We have to 'concientizar' (develop the awareness of) Latin American women.

"Like the 'compañeras' before me, I too like to speak bluntly: We have to do away with the patriarchal system. We shall create a new model, of equality and justice.

"Regarding our work in Colombia, we are carrying out six projects: The first, 'House of the Working Woman - Head of Family.' This project seeks alternative employment opportunities for women, including non-traditional trades and occupations. The project is directed to help unemployed women and women trying to make a living in the informal sector of the economy.

"The idea of the House was conceived by Roco Jess Pineda," she explained. "She participated in a course in Israel in 1994 and the House was her Final Project." The concept was not conceived in the course, but the process of its elaboration in detail with the coaching of the Institute instructors, its presentation in front of the participants, its discussion in a friendly but objective environment, all these worked as an incentive for its implementation. "Today, the project has a place, an address, a building in the city of Bogot. It was lucky that Roco came to this course in Israel.

"A second project trains female labour leaders. It covers a wide range of topics such as historical development, social questions, union practice. In addition, we are carrying out two educational and two research projects, dealing with the situation of the Colombian working woman and her integration within the organized labour movement."

Fashion show at the International Institute

The subjects discussed with Shalom Magazine's reporter were serious enough, but immediately after the interview, the participants ran back to their rooms and returned, lighthearted, colourfully dressed in the national costumes of each country. Gay Latin music filled the International Institute's cafeteria and a Latin master of ceremonies took the floor. Suddenly, we were no longer in the Land of Israel discussing bitter social struggles but at a "fiesta" - an unplanned party with a "desfile de modas" (fashion show) and display of authentic Latin music and dance. Panam, Paraguay, Colombia and many countries of the continent were represented in a spontaneous explosion of colour, music and friendship.