The social and cultural association for women Mararía, will turn the conclusions of its 'Volunteering, Social Action and Human Rights' Conference into a political document "that serves to illuminate the public management of Lanzarote in terms of equality".
This was announced by its president, Nieves Rosa Hernández, during the opening ceremony, which the organization has decided to call "the meeting of the reunion". Mararía points out that it does so in allusion "to the semi-presential post-pandemic work of learning, debate and exchange of experiences that structures the feminist call".
The inaugural presentation was given by the Afro-descendant anthropologist Aída Bueno, who proposed the revision of the concept of "dignity" in the necessary search "for social consensus that allows human progress."
"Today there is agreement that people cannot be bought or sold, as was the case in the past; in the same way that we agree that those who suffer material needs cannot trade with their organs, we will try to ensure that the capacity to procreate does not end up becoming a product called a surrogate womb and subject to the law of supply and capitalist demand," said the speaker.
Bueno, who the Association adds is an expert and reference of the Afro-feminist current, recalled that the business of prostitution, trafficking in women or labor exploitation are "the forms of slavery of our time": "Now it happens in the strawberry fields; before they were sugar cane, and even before, cotton", she pointed out.
In this line, Aída Bueno demanded to "banish the Western and white concept of cultural diversity" as an alibi "to maintain differences and encouraged to fight the patriarchal power", in order to avoid the main evils of the century: "participate in indifference."
At the end of the talk, her documentary "Guillermina" was screened, a tribute-denunciation about the reality of wet nurses and black nannies in so many white homes.
Institutional support
The first day of the meeting organized by Mararía was attended by the Deputy Minister of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands, María Dolores Rodríguez; the Councilor for Social Welfare of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Isabel Martín and the Councilor for Social Services of the Arrecife City Council, María Jesús Tovar.
The politicians agreed to highlight "the valuable work of the association, its tireless fight for the rights of women in Lanzarote and the importance of social action in favor of real equality." The vice president of Mararía, Carmen Delia Reyes, acted as moderator.
The conferences and communications will continue throughout Thursday morning. The closing session in the afternoon will be dedicated, according to the Association, "to the work of debate groups on racism, human rights violations in migrant women, the abolition of prostitution and the challenges of human rights in the 2030 agenda".
In addition, Mararía recalls that all the presentations of the meeting "are broadcast by streaming through the Mararía youtube channel", where they will be posted for public consultation.
