uuwr header

Welcome! The Women and Religion Movement is alive and well in the 21st Century. A grassroots project started by lay leaders in the 1970s as an effort to promote examination of religious roots of sexism and patriarchy within the UUA and beyond, UU Women and Religion officially began as a task force following the unanimously-passed WOMEN AND RELIGION RESOLUTION at the 1977 UUA General Assembly. Although the Task Force was eventually sunsetted, the movement still exists in UU communities that hold Women & Religion programs and gatherings for those who identify as women. It exists at the UU General Assembly, where UUW&R brings our Store to the Exhibit Hall and occasionally hosts a gathering. And it lives in the hearts and lives of people who have been touched by the many changes inspired by this movement.

"We do not want a piece of the pie. It is still a patriarchal pie. We want to change the recipe!" -- Rosemary Matson

Action Item: Sweatshops and CAFTA by Mary Rose Curtis

According to the National Labor Committee, young women in Guatemala toil in illegal sweatshops under abusive conditions at Nicotex, a factory that sews Briggs New York and Lane Bryant clothing.

The United States' Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is undermined by lack of labor rights enforcement and corruption. American women unknowingly purchase clothing made by women who are being exploited.  They work 72 hours weekly with 25 hours of routine overtime.  It takes 10.2 minutes to sew a Briggs New York blouse for which they are paid 19.5 cents.

These women are trapped in extreme poverty, earning 76 cents to $1.15 an hour. They're cheated out of health and maternity care, for which they are forced to pay even though it's guaranteed under Guatemalan law.

There is no corporate code of conduct. The Nicotex sweatshop is just another example of how the CAFTA agreement has failed to enforce even Guatemala's minimum labor laws.

Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators by calling 202/225-3121 for the House and 202/225-3121 for the Senate.

Donate!

You may make a donation to UU Women and Religion here. We are a 501(c)3 organization. Please select the quantity of $10 increments you would like to donate.

10.00