Embrace ICTs! feminists urged at Bamako WSF

By Brenda Zulu
The women’s movement meeting at the Bamako World Social Forum (WSF) Feminist Dialogue have recognised access to new technologies as one of the strategies, which they need to use to advance themselves as a movement.
Addressing the meeting, Togo-based Femnet board member, Opportune Santos said that there was need to strategise and use information communication technologies (ICTs) to women’s advantage in the movement.
She pointed out that ICTs could help a lot in what women are trying to achieve.
The feminist dialogue has strategiesed to train women and youth in ICTs to make things better.
Traore Oumou Toure, Coordinator of NGO Association of Mali said that Globalisation also brings competition that leads to clear divisions between the rich and poor.
Traore observed that the forum was a place where women could express themselves and that it was an opportunity to bring their ideas in if they have development strategies that are being put forward.
“We have to make sure that women’s rights raise their consciousness in the social forums and must take seriously the matter of using new technologies. We have to advance and learn new skills. No one can develop us if we do not develop ourselves,” said Traore.
She invited all the women and feminists attending the dialogue to take advantage of the new technologies.
Traore highlighted complications arising from lack of schools and access to information.
About 300 women from Africa and the world attended the feminist dialogue.

Bamako march spells out that Another Africa is possible

By Brenda Zulu

Traffic came to a stand still in Mali during the kick off of the Polycentric World Social Forum (WSF) as thousands marched from Bamako’s Independence Avenue through to the stadium called Stade Omini Sports Modibo Keita carrying banners with different solidarity messages spelling out that Another Africa was possible.
The march brought together activist of global and African social movements which are fighting neo liberal systems synonymous with poverty, starvation and violence affecting three quarters of the world population.
The African songs and dance characterised the march with a flavour of solidarity messages and banners in different languages. Traditional masked people where a wonder to look at as they danced and marched while others majestically rode on camels depicting the life of the people in the Sahara desert.
Campaigns Coordinator for Jubilee South Africa, Makaoma Lekalakala was happy to note that 70 percent of the people marching were women.
“I am happy to see that 70 percent of the people marching are women. Even when I can not hear what they are saying, and read what their banners say, I am happy to see the African flavour of their songs as I could dance to them,” said Lekalakala.
She said that African women where the cradle of Africa and was also happy to learn that there would be a woman’s march on the 21st of January, 2006.
In excitement she pointed out that she was happy about the march as it portrayed an African mode in language, music and emotional being.
Awa Coulibaly a street vendor in Mali said she was happy to see and be part of the march. She said she knew this would come to pass as she heard this on radio and television.
Awa was selling fried groundnuts and hoped to make some business as she had just started selling by press time.
Many women said they joined the march to raise voices proclaiming that another world was possible.
The WSF is an event of great importance to African people and offers many opportunities for a collective and democratic expression in the struggles against capitalist hegemony, domination and exploitation of people and their resources.