MADRE Statements

Press Conference on Haiti Reconstruction Featuring Edwidge Danticat and Marie St. Cyr

Posted on: Monday, March 29, 2010

Keywords: Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, Haiti, Latin America and Caribbean, Emergency Relief, Earthquake

As donor nations gather in New York this week for a major conference on reconstruction in Haiti, Haitian women are demanding that their voices be heard in all phases of the deliberation. To amplify their call, a coalition of Haitian and international women's organizations will hold a press conference.

Who:

Edwidge Danticat

Marie St. Cyr

What: Press conference to call for a human rights-based approach to reconstruction. MADRE supports Haitian women's call for policies that reflect the needs of Haiti's poor majority, not the financial interests of donor countries. To read the full text of the women's coalition open letter to donor nations, click here: http://tinyurl.com/yfkseaj

When: Wednesday March 31, 1:15pm - 2:15pm

Where: Boss Rm., 8th Floor, Church Center | 44th Street & 1st Ave, New York, NY

Edwidge Danticat, Haitian writer and activist, said today, "Haitian women have been the backbone of their families and communities, and their strength in the weeks after the earthquake has been formidable. As we work to build back everything we have lost, women’s voices must be at the center of our efforts."

Marie St. Cyr, longtime Haitian human rights advocate and member of MADRE's Board of Directors, said today, "We must ensure that in all rebuilding and reconstruction efforts, women's needs, expertise and contributions are recognized."

Helen Clark, Chair of the UN's Development Group, said in the days after the earthquake, "Gender equality is central to building back better and a gender perspective must be included in our assessment and recovery plans."

MADRE Policy and Communications Director Yifat Susskind said today, "Haitian women have been disproportionately impacted by the earthquake's aftermath, and their leadership is essential now to the rebuilding of their country. Donor nations must not miss the opportunity to partner with Haitian women and to benefit from their expertise."

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