Organized by  the Women's Centre,”Warmi Huasi”, which was founded by Columban Sister Mary Neylon, and the ”Womens Refugee”,  several groups of women and some children took part in a very colorful celebration for International Womens Day on March 8 in Huaycàn, on the outskirts of Lima. The singing of ‘I am a woman striving for dignity and equality’ echoed throughout the barrio as all gathered  on the gravel ground outside ‘Warmi Huasi’.  Under the main banner ‘Women Transforming the World’, women  had come from the outlying  parts of the sandy hill-sides  carrying banners of various  shapes and sizes which read – ‘No to violence, yes to equal rights; ‘the rights of women are human rights’;  ‘Justice and Peace for all’

Since January the preparations had been taking  shape , and so  young and old came ready to  display their crochet or art,  give personal  testimonies or present in song, dance, drama or poetry some aspect  of their struggles and hopes  for a better life for themselves and their neighbours. Dressed in typical dress of  central Peru, the  senior women  from the parish  danced a couple of very lively ‘huaynos’), and  a youth group  gave  an  excellent cultural piece  from the south of the country.  Some Italians and  Irish  brought a European presence , and a beautiful duet in Korean by Columban Sisters Sabina Choi and Sophia Kim really  highlighted the  international flavour.   

As the local Radio Station covered live the Event, it  linked us  in solidarity  with  not only the rest of Peru but with the ‘World March of Women’, an initiative of women  for world justice, and which is already  networking in more than 160 countries throughout the world.
After all the items had been performed, the drinks and ‘bocaditos’ shared, the crowd danced on till after sunset, feeling more determined and energized for the way ahead.