March 14th

FF-WPR talked with Tzazna Miranda Leal from the Migrant Women’s Coordinating Body and their recent event “Celebrating Women’s Resistance”, organized on the eve of IWD. The group is a coalition of a number of organization who would like to bring to the forefront issues affecting women living without status and the gendered and impacts of racist immigration practices and policies. Tzezna talked about migrant women working in the agricultural sector. She described the threat of violence against these women (especially sexual violence) as well as the lack of access to information about thir rights and healthcare amongst others. These women often can`t access a physician without the consent of their boss. Tzezna pointed out that the mainstream feminist movements had become a lot less politicized in her view. The struggles of migrant women needed to be incorporated into the struggles of all working women. The event Celebrating Women`s Resistance featured many performers,including the CUPE Freeedom Singers directed by Faith Nolan.

For more information or if you would like to get involved with the Migrant Women`s Coordinating Body, contact justicia4migrantworkers.com.

We also spoke with Professor Bellegarde-Smith about the role of women in the Haitian Revolution. His book Haiti: The Breached Citadel is one of the few works where the pivotal role of women in the Haitian Revolution (as in any other social movement) is documented. He pointed out that after the Haitian Revolution and it is men who write its history. He also talked about the practice of Vodou and contested its mainstream demonization in Hollywood and mainstream media. He pointed out that Haiti is 60% Catholic, 40% protestant and 100% Vodou. He talks about embracing Vodou as a valid and valued part of Haitian life and culture.

Professor Bellegarde-Smith is Haitian and is a houngan asogwe, an initiate and priest of Vodou. His doctorate is in the fields of International politics, Latin American history and Comparative Politics. He teaches courses on Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa in the Department of Afrocology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has written extensively on issues of Haitian cultural and national identity, Haitian social thought and philosophy and the Vodou religion.