Women affected by dams mobilizes across the country

During 8 and 9 of March, the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) took the streets in the five regions of Brazil in National Mobilizations. With the women’s protagonism the protests denounced the responsibilities of the mining company – Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton – for the death of 19 people in Mariana and the impact of the high energy household-fees in the daily-life of women.

On Monday, 8, International Day of Fight of Women, three simultaneous actions demanded the punishment for the deaths caused by the Fundão dam’s burst. “We have been mobilized throughout the country marches, actions, vigils and protests to denounce Vale, who is responsible for the social and environmental disaster that occurred in Mariana with the dam burst,” said Alexania Rossato, member of the national coordination of MAB .

The railway of Vale in Belo Oriente (MG) has been blocked for 24 hours by the women affected by dams and the women of the landless workers movement. In addition to charging the punishment of those responsible for the disaster on the Doce River, the main claim of guidelines were access to alternative water, participation in negotiations and full compensation of all damages of the people affected.

Meantime the blockade of Vale’s railroad, women protested at Vale’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. With the support of several popular movements, people affected by dams threw Vale’s mud back, which was collected from the Rio Doce.

In the late afternoon, an unified act brought together more than 2,000 women in the capital city of Minas Gerais state, Belo Horizonte in march to the Vale’s office, the building was also painted with mud, which is also captured along the Doce River Basin.

That same day, in Belo Horizonte, women celebrated the State Policy of the protocol for Rights of People Affected by Dams, at the Legislative Assembly of the State of Minas Gerais.

Regarding the abusive electricity bills several actions took place. In Curitiba (PR), on Tuesday (8), women from various organizations protested in front of Companhia Paranaense de Energia (Copel) against the recent increases in the house-hold energy bills.

“We know how this patriarchal system in which women bear the increases in services. It is the women who pay the bills and also they are extending their workday, if you have to reduce consumption due to the rising of the energy bill, “said the coordinator of MAB in Paraná, Nivea Diogenes.

The same occurred in Altamira (PA), where women affected by Belo Monte Dam protested against abusive prices of electricity bill, due to the privatization of Celpa, energy distributor. There were also protests against the prices charged by the distributor in Belém (PA) and Itaituba (PA).

Piauí:

Hundreds members of MAB occupied the station of water treatment in the capital city of Teresina. Among the main goals of the mobilization, is to demand the suspension of privatization of water, which aims to transfer public assets of the company to the control of private capital, which will increase the house-hold water bill and will turn the water services even more precarious.

Pernambuco:

On Tuesday (8), women affected by dams marched through Santa Maria da Boa Vista (PE) to denounce the high price of energy bills, which mainly impact the lives of women in Brazilian homes. “The Neoenergia Group, European multinational appropriates the wealth of Pernambuco. Women are angry and can not stand it anymore and come to report this violence, “said Marta Rodrigues from MAB.

Ceará:

On Tuesday (8), women affected by dams joined the unified act of Frente Brasil Popular in Fortaleza (CE), to denounce the high energy bills, and to denounce the coup attempt that is underway in Brazil. In addition, they denounced the current economic policy and demanded the expansion of social rights. On Wednesday (9) the people affected by dams occupied the National Department of Works Against Drought (DNOCS), also in the city of Fortaleza (CE). With more than 600 people demanding the government to attend the structuring points for the resettlements at affected communities, such as access to water, land, resettlement and food production.

Rondônia:

300 women affected by dams occupied the energy company Eletronorte, in Porto Velho (RO), to denounce the high electricity bill and report the privatization of energy distribuition.

On Wednesday (9) 350 people affected occupied the supervision of IBAMA (Federal Enviormental Institute), in Porto Velho (RO), to demand the compliance with the environmental conditions of the project and the guarantee of rights denied and violated within the construction of the hydroelectric dams on the Madeira River. Among the guidelines is to suspend the repossession in Nova Mutum Paraná, the social destination of the occupied houses and the guarantee of all rights of the families of Abuna, district to be relocated due to the formation of the Jirau reservoir.

Tocantins:

In Tocantins state five workers were arrested in the International Women’s Day. The police chose to arrest men who were at the demonstration providing solidarity with the struggle of women. The police used as grounds to arrest the men because the “women were in action on the influence of men.”
Women occupied the Ministry of Agriculture in Palmas, Tocantins, to protest the against the MATOPIBA project, which aims to deliver Brazilian land to foreign companies, especially Japanese and Chinese.

Goiás:

About 1,200 small farmers occupied in the early hours of Tuesday (8), the Department of Finance (SEFAZ), in Goiania. The social movements demanded concrete actions to fight violence against women and promoting health through public policies and ensuring specific assistance to small farmers, among other guidelines.

São Paulo:

The fisher and activist Nilce de Souza Magalhães, known as Nicinha, from MAB Rondonia, missing since January 7, was remembered during the unitary Women’s Day protest in São Paulo.

Santa Catarina:

Coordinated by the Womens Peasant Movement (MMC) and participation of the women affected by dams, landless workers and small farmers the women of Santa Catarina state occupied the streets of Chapecó on March 8.

Rio Grande do Sul:

Around 1,200 small farmers of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) and of the People Affected by Dams Movement (MAB) occupied on the morning of Tuesday (8), the regional superintendency building of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA) in Porto Alegre (RS). They claimed for that all women have access to settled public policy, to encourage food production within the agro-ecological model.

On Wednesday (9), MAB and the MST women who were camped in the INCRA-RS also debated the price of electricity. There were numerous reports of women about the difficulties facing the domestic budget to account to pay the electricity bills, often having to cut food expenditure, health or even the school supplies of children.