PBI-Spanish State hosts events with defenders from Mexico and Kenya in Santander, Reinosa, Torrelavega and Maliaño

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Photo of public forum in Santander by El Faradio.

Peace Brigades International-Spanish State (Estado Español) is hosting a visit by defenders from Mexico and Kenya to Santander, Reinosa, Torrelavega and Maliaño/Camargo, cities in Cantabria, an autonomous province in northern Spain.

(Photo, left to right): Jacinter Agunja (WHRD Toolkit Organizer), Diana Villalobos (Community Technical Consulting/ CONTEC), Florence Mwikali (PBI-Kenya).

The advocacy tour is highlighting the experience of women human rights defenders in Mexico and Kenya, including the struggle for the territory of Indigenous communities of the Sierra Tarahumara and the problem of forced displacement in Mexico and women’s and girls’ rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and gender equality in Kenya.

The advocacy tour is happening within the framework of the initiative ‘Cantabrian municipalities for the defence of human rights’, which forms the Education for Development project financed by the Government of Cantabria.

El Faradio reports: “The closure of schools in Kenya resulted in more pregnancies in girls and violence in the home, while in Mexico armed groups increase their control of territory, according to Kenyan activists Jacinter Agunja and Florence Mwikali in Cantabria, and Diana Villalobos, director of Community Technical Consulting (CONTEC).”

The article adds: “These three activists will hold different public meetings under the name ‘Defending the territory and women’s rights in Latin America and Africa’.”

“After the one held this Tuesday in La Vorágine [a bookstore] in Santander, the other three will be held on Wednesday 19 at 6:30 p.m. at La Casona [a library] in Reinosa, on Thursday 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mauro Muriedas Exhibition Hall in Torrelavega and on Friday 21 at 7:00 p.m. at La Vidriera [a theatre] in Maliaño [Camargo].”

The visit has also included a meeting with Lorena Gutiérrez Fernández, Councilor for Social Dynamization, Immigration and Development Cooperation in Santander.

They also met with Silvia Abascal, General Director of Development Cooperation of the Government of Cantabria.

And they met with the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation.

Next week, PBI-UK and Amnesty International-UK will be hosting a screening of ‘Cruz’ that will include a question-and-answer session with Villalobos Diaz.

The full El Faradio article can be read at: La COVID y la guerra en Ucrania empeoran la situación de las mujeres en Kenia y de los defensores del territorio en México.

Prior to visiting Cantabria, Agunja and Mwikali were in Switzerland.


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