Week 4
This week we have been getting everything ready for the local encounters with local authorities. Each city in which the workshops where held developed a local woman's agenda. What do the women of Cuenca, Ibarra and Portoviejo need in order to develop? These three cities are important and large in the Ecuadorian context. Nonetheless, they are sometimes disregarded because all the attention goes to the country's larger cities: Quito (capital of Ecuador) and Guayaquil (largest port).
Margarita and Dolores will be traveling to Cuenca and Margarita and I to Ibarra and Portoviejo. In order for the encounters to go as planned we have being sending invitations to the highest authorities of each region and each city, we have being working in coordination with the consultants of the project in each location. The delivery of invitations to local authorities and media is of prime importance. The participation of media is relevant because we want other more women to hear about the project but also because once we deliver the agenda we want to hold the authorities accountable. In order to do this, besides extending an invitation to media, we have developed a letter of commitment which we want authorities to sign. Both the agenda and the letter have being designed as tools for the attendant policy makers. With the letter, they can justify their actions and commitment in favor of women and the agenda is a roadmap to follow.
The completion of the systematization of each individual agenda, which is a separate work from the larger National Agenda, is already done. We have already designed, printed and assembled the agendas. Margarita wrote a beautiful opening letter about the relationship between women and the city: "Women transform cities, of course we do since sunrise to sundown we live the city".
Besides the agendas all the logistic of the journeys are settled and next we will start traveling. I am exited for what it's to come since I feel I already know the women.
