Women's Rights are Human Rights

Angela Lucas, Farmer Field School member

Today is Blog Action Day, with a Human Rights theme, and World Food Day.  We appealed to our Bunda project officers, Mona Mapunda and Scolastica Mwema, for a ‘human rights’ story related to their work with Food Security and Farmer Field Schools.  They decided to go with ‘women’s rights’ are ‘human rights’ and shared an example of what should happen when men try to  meddle in women’s personal choices and decisions.  They describe a scenario where a ‘brother-in-law’ was trying to prevent his ‘sister-in-law’ from participating in a Farmer Field School.   

Angela Lucas (pictured above) lives in Sarawe village in Bunda District.  She joined Jitegemee Farmer Field School (FFS) in December 2012 and became a very active member with the goal of learning and practicing new farming techniques and increasing her household food production.  Angela’s brother-in-law, who shall remain anonymous, decided that she had no business being in the FFS group and tried to drive her out by undermining her among the other members.

By this time, Jitegemee FFS group had two specially trained local facilitators, one woman and one man, and all members had participated in CPAR’s human rights and gender equality training.  The members called an emergency group meeting to tackle the issue head-on.  Local FFS facilitator Catherine Jeremiah (pictured below in the group meeting) spoke to the group about Angela’s basic human right to be a group member, and Angela and the other women confidently claimed Angela’s right to be there.   

Local FFS Facilitator Catherine Jeremiah and members at the group meeting

As Angela notes, “misunderstanding and conflict exist in any society but now we have the ability to discuss together and restore peace.” She adds with a smile, “that being said, I have every right to stay in this group and I will never be thrown out.”

This story serves to underscore the importance of human rights education for all.  Human rights are innate and inalienable.  They resonate with people and propel them to take action, as happened with Angela, Catherine and their FFS group. 
 
 “Before our human rights and gender equality training, women had no voice and no control over anything, we were treated like animals.  Now things are changing.”