The renewal of globalization

Debra H. Yatim, Cofounder, Women for Peace and Justice (Peka), Coalition of Indonesian Women for Justice and Democracy, Jakarta

One week before the devastating Oct. 12 Bali blast, some 1,200 women from 105 countries converged in Guadalajara, Mexico, to discuss the appropriateness of the globalization model currently being enacted around the world.

Globalization processes -- often referred to as the free flow of capital, the removal of trade barriers between states and the accompanying technological, cultural and political transformations and exchanges -- have become some of the most significant influences on gender equality throughout the world, said the organizers of the conference, the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID). This was AWID's 9th international forum to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Women's experiences with globalization, some panelists discovered, are extremely complex and diverse, both positive and negative. Just how one is affected by globalization depends on intersecting factors such as class, nationality, race, ability, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, age and education.

Obviously there are some groups of women who have significantly benefited from current global trends through better employment opportunities and autonomy, access to new technologies and increased purchasing power.

Yet, globalization processes have also meant greater insecurity and hardship for many women. Cuts in social services, increased privatization and a flexible labor force are all inherent characteristics of globalization. In Indonesia, the economic downturn has resulted in women being forced to go back to the informal sector in huge numbers, where they encounter low wages, poor working conditions and escalating risks.

Several of the workshops in the conference specifically discussed how deepening disparity and marginalization are creating fertile ground for burgeoning fundamentalist movements -- based on ethnicity, nationality and religion. "Often," said head of the Pakistani organization Women Living Under Muslim Laws Fareed Shaheed Shikat Gah, "these movements have explicit agendas to undermine women's rights."

Other workshops stressed the fact that private companies were increasingly able to patent and profit from indigenous knowledge and life forms, thereby creating a whole new range of ecological, ethical and human rights challenges.

The whole thrust of the conference was to discuss how women could reinvent globalization. Some 40 workshops, discussions, sessions and plenaries were held each day, from Oct. 3 through Oct. 6. Several workshops grappled with fundamental questions such as: If we oppose the current process of globalization, what do we see as alternatives? How are we changing these alternative visions into realities? What have we learned from years of feminist thinking and activism around globalization issues? What are the emerging signs of hope in the face of the powerlessness generated by globalization?

Chusnul Mar'iyah of the Indonesian Electoral Commission was a panelist, as was Caroline Monteiro of the Communication for Women's Rights in Kupang. With Caroline was Syarifah Rahmatillah, from the Mitra Sejati Perempuan Islam NGO in Aceh.

To get to Guadalajara it took a grueling 34-hour plane trip, with a seven-hour stopover in Paris. The AWID forum was held back-to-back with a meeting organized by the Network Women's Program of the Open Societies Institute. Again, many issues were discussed in this event, attended by some 80 women from 35 countries.

Finally, we geared up for the trip back home. So many ideas, so many new connections, so much more to do -- our heads were spinning. In the air, Syarifah and I discussed several aspects of fundamentalism as challenged by Farida Shaheed in her compelling presentation titled Women challenging the new political and military order.

Little did we know that on the ground, Bali was torn asunder with another version of globalization: A horrifying bomb blast killing almost 190 people whose only fault was that they were celebrating Saturday night.

In the past two weeks or so since the conferences in Mexico, I have attended candlelight vigils, Jurnal Perempuan chief editor Gadis Arivia's doctoral promotion defending the voices of 14 women philosophers, practically lost under the din of patriarchy, a festival of experimental "indie cinema" by creative youngsters, and a panel urging a joint commitment against violence and terrorism. Here, Lily Zakiah Munir of Nahdlatlul Ulama reminded the audience that fundamentalism almost always from the outset tries to curtail women's rights to speech and freedom of movement.

Finally, it was then President Megawati Soekarnoputri's turn to go to Mexico, to figure out a version of globalization acceptable to her and to an Indonesia still reeling from the horrific events of Oct. 12. U.S. President George W. Bush had already geared himself to praise Megawati's nascent crackdown on militants this weekend in Mexico, said a report, as the two met on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum there.

The wheel turned more quickly than expected. AWID and all good intentions went out of the door in the face of terrorism. On Oct. 6, women from some 80 countries signed a petition demanding a stop to U.S. military intervention against the Iraqi people. On the other side of the globe, Indonesia is hoping that Washington will beef up a pending program to train the Indonesian military to provide them with skills to crack down on terrorism.

Women to challenge the political and military order? At the end of the day, the "boys with their toys" win yet once again.