September Response

Economic Justice For All
September 1998

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"And Economic Justice for All" by David Schilling

Sent on behalf of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a New York City-based justice organization of which the Women’s Division is founder and member, this author traveled to Indonesia, China and Vietnam on a fact-finding trip. He talked with workers about conditions they face in footwear factories. He explores economic justice for women working in these factories, the hard realities of economic globalization, and ways of creating a just economy.

"NAFTA’s Empty Promises" by Celia Rodriguez

Implementation of the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) on January 1, 1994 has put 10,000 people out of work in El Paso, Texas, which sits on the Texas-Mexico border. These workers have lost their jobs as manufacturers fled the town in search of Mexican labor, who earn one-tenth of the U.S. minimum wage. This article is the story of one of these workers, 97% of whom are women.

"Juggling Life: In Nicaragua’s Free-Trade Zone" by Ellen Sherby

This is the story of Maria, a 49-year-old mother of six who works a triple shift -- balancing job, work at home, and union leadership. She works in one of 21 maquiladoras -- garment-assembly plants-- in Nicaragua’s free trade zone making brand name clothing for below-living wages and in unhealthy conditions. Following the story, there are ideas for what you can do to create a more economically just environment.

"Minimum Wage Workers: Living on the Edge" by Herschel Lee Johnson

This article looks at life in the United States when you earn the minimum wage. It explores the history, the political game of minimum wage, reports that offer differing views from the government’s, and the decline of purchasing power.

"Cheap Labor, Costly Jeans" by Mary Beth Coudal

This article is about lay-offs and sweatshop abuses of Levi Strauss and Company, which led to the formation of Women’s Division-supported Fuerza Unida, which means Power United. The group’s mission is to empower women, particularly women of color, and has sought compensation for workers through the legal system, boycotts, hunger strikes and demonstrations. It looks at the on-going work of this organization, the company’s departure from the U.S., and the demands for economic justice from Fuerza Unida.

"Nicaraguan Women: Learning Together, Working Together, Succeeding Together" by Paul Jeffrey

Martha Zamora had spent her life scavenging in a sprawling garbage dump in Nicaragua to find scraps she could sell to recyclers. Now, she owns her own small business, thanks to a loam from the Nicaraguan Council of Evangelical Churches (CEPAD). She buys bottles from other scavengers, cleans them and resells them to bottling plants for a profit. She will never be rich, but she can now send her children to school, buy food and needed supplies, and she has a new sense of dignity. This article looks at microcredit and how it helps women like Martha Zamora.

"Microcredit: Sustaining Women Worldwide" by Mary Beth Coudal

This article looks at the beginnings of microcredit programs in countries like Uganda and how the Women’s Division supports these programs. Microenterprise can provide a sustainable lifestyle for women and their families. The article looks at the transformation of women’s lives, the opportunities, and the new skills.

"Shared Interest: Women’s Division Reinvests in South Africa" by Brenda L. Webber

United Methodist Women is helping to pry open the doors of South Africa’s financial institution once reserved for the privileged minority. The abolishment of apartheid brought political freedom in the country, but did not guarantee economic futures. Now, the Women’s Division, who helped pioneer the concept of socially-responsible investment as corporate responsibility and sponsored resolutions against apartheid, is now leading the course for reinvestment in South Africa. This article explores the path the Women’s Division has taken to rescind restrictions on investments in South Africa and help the black population build sustainable living, get housing and employment, and open bank doors.

"Economic Development: Choctaw-Style" by Woody Woodrick

This article looks at the shift from agriculture to industrial and commercial development for the Mississippi Band of Choctaws, which has become a model for other American Indian tribes. Today, the Choctaws control business enterprises that bring in $152 million in revenues annually and whose unemployment rate is just 3 percent. It also looks at their approach to economic development and the work and dialogues of the Native American Economic Development Task Force, their goals, and their objectives.

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