Editorial

Dear Friends of Ecovillages Worldwide,

“Ecovillages Empowering Women” is the theme of this GEN Newsletter.
The situation of women worldwide still can make us cry when we think of it. Cry for joy at the courage, strength and determination of women to live life in love and peace. Cry with the shared pain of the many situations that still prevent women and children from living such a life.

Although mothers in the “Two-Thirds-World” have to be strong to raise their children, often in the most difficult situations, they still play the weakest part in patriarchical societies. Poverty, social injustice, climate change, wars always impact upon them the hardest, as they are the ones who cannot go away – in contrast to the men – who often just leave when the pressure becomes too much.

In Western countries, women still struggle for justice; even when the official legislation is behind them, social customs are often different, and ignorance and sexism reaches into all the small situations in everyday life.

In this newsletter we present many women from different continents doing their work, empowering other women, and being empowered by their communities. We will also hear about some of the challenges we still have to face to create a just and humane society. And, of course, we have articles about many other different topics as well.

We had so many articles about birth giving, that I decided to not publish them now but to have another newsletter especially on the topic of giving birth: both physically and symbolically.

We wish you good reading. Please share this GEN newsletter widely! The rich experiences represented here are an empowering gift, and should be made available for many more people worldwide.

Leila Dregger, Editor
Kosha Anja Joubert, President GEN International
Jenefer Marquis, Editor