Women Promoting Labour Rights in Central America

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Saturday, September 28th, 2013
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM

This initiative was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada,
through the development side of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD).
Hosted by VIU Departments of Anthropology and Global Studies, VIUFA Human Rights & International Solidarity Committee, BCCIC, CoDev, and Oxfam Canada.

Biography of JOHANA CAROLINA ARCE, MEC, Nicaragua
Johana Arce first became involved in the Movement of Employed and Unemployed Women �Maria Elena Cuadra� (MEC) as a community organizer in 2005 when she was 16 years old, working for the respect of the rights of maquila (sweatshop) workers in the free trade zones in and around Masaya, Nicaragua.Johana has participated in many training opportunities with MEC including their Leadership Academy and courses on gender, reproductive and sexual rights, and economic literacy. Along with other women leaders in Masaya, Johana helped to organize women�s self-help groups to promote women�s participation in the community and defend women�s human rights.Johana has studied law and is now responsible for MEC�s legal clinic in Managua with a specific focus on their counselling service for women who have suffered from gender violence. Johana is part of the MEC team that led collective consultations to develop and lobby for, several new laws in Nicaragua including the 2012 Law Prohibiting Violence Against Women. Johana is visiting BC to receive the International Award of Leadership on behalf of MEC from the BC Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) at their Annual General Meeting on September 27, 2013. As such, this visit is funded by the Government of Canada, through the development side of Foreign
Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). CoDevelopment Canada has worked in partnership with MEC since its inception in 1994. MEC�s Canadian partners are: BC Government and Service Employees Union (BCGEU); Canadian Association of
Labour Lawyers; Canadian Union of Public Employees - BC (CUPE BC); CUPE National Global Justice Fund; and the United Nurses of Alberta.

Gloria Cer�n, ORMUSA, Organization of Salvadorian Women
Gloria Cer�n is the Coordinator of the Local Development Program at the Organization of Salvadorian Women, a feminist organization in El Salvador working with poor rural and urban women, including maquila workers. Gloria has a Bachelor�s degree in Maternal and Child Health and post graduate education in gender and governance as well as NGO management. For the past few years Gloria has been providing leadership to ORMUSA�s programs in local development and capacity building, training in sexual and reproductive rights and services to survivors of violence.Oxfam has been funding ORMUSA since 2003 mainly in support of the labour rights and violence against women programs and has also provided substantive funding to ORMUSA�s response to humanitarian emergencies.Gloria is actively involved in ORMUSA�s disaster risk reduction program initiatives as well as response to emergencies and natural disasters. In recent years she has continued to develop expertise in policy and advocacy work on women�s rights especially with local authorities and stakeholders at the municipal level.Gloria is also able to speak to ORMUSA�s work promoting labour rights and access to justice for maquila workers in El Salvador. Her commitment to gender equality and empowerment of vulnerable groups at the grassroots level is making a real difference in women�s lives.