International Woman's Day

TO ALL PEACE-LOVING AMERICAN PEOPLE!

We, Ethiopian-American women, who are residing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, are holding this candlelight vigil, in commemoration of Women’s day (March 8), to show our solidarity with women in Ethiopia. While women around the world are celebrating the progress they have made in peace, equality and development, Ethiopian women are struggling for their basic human rights under a dictatorial regime that has been extremely brutal since the May 15th parliamentary elections.

Since June 2005, peaceful demonstrators who opposed the result of the May 15th elections are being killed indiscriminately. Women, children, as young as 10 years old, and the elderly are among the victims.  Opposition political leaders, journalists and civic organization leaders are imprisoned.  Thousands of young people are arrested and are being tortured in prisons that are in deplorable conditions

We are appealing to all peace-loving American people to call your congressional representatives, council members, and the US Department of State and urge them to review the US foreign policy toward Ethiopia.  We request the United States government to

• Assist in the release of all political prisoners in Ethiopia without any preconditions;
• urge the government to respect the human rights of its citizens and uphold the rule.

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EWPDHA is a non-profit and non-partisan Ethiopian women’s organization established in Washington, DC in 1991.  You may contact us at ewpd@ewpd.info