USW Women Want Honduran Coup Regime to Cease Brutalizing Women

Contacts:  Leeann Anderson (412) 562-2282
                Ann Flener (412) 999-0541
                Dan Kovalik (412) 335-6442

(Pittsburgh) – The United Steelworkers (USW) Women of Steel organization continues to seek action by the U.S. government to protect Honduran woman who have been brutalized by officials of the coup regime. Last month the organization asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to intervene for Honduran women in the resistance who are being threatened by acts of sexual and physical violence.

The group today sent a stern reply to letter sent to them by the U.S. State Department’s Ambassador-At-Large for Global Women’s’ Issues, which downplayed the violence and ignores the findings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. 

In the letter they cited an August 21, 2009 report that noted: ‘In the context of the demonstrations and the repression and detentions carried out by police officers and members of the military, women were especially subject to acts of violence and humiliation because of their gender.”

In its letter, the USW Women of Steel also calls for the restoration of democracy in Honduras and the immediate reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya to his rightful position as President.

To view letter: click here.

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