By Remixon Guillaume, Le Nouvelliste, August 4, 2015
Several dozen women participated in a demonstration outside of the Palais National on August 4th in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Holding placards and banners with messages of solidarity and support for Haitian women, the participants criticized President Michel Martelly for recent comments he made about a woman at a campaign rally in the port city of Miragoane on 29 July.
The coordinator of Solidarite Fanm Kore Famn (Support & Solidarity for Women) Fabienne Denis had a clear message for Martelly. “We are in mourning over the President’s comments” she said. “His remarks have psychologically killed the Haitian woman”.
When challenged about the absence of other established feminist organizations in Haiti, Denis said that the demonstrators wanted to give President Martelly a personal and spontaneous message. “We are telling the Head of State that he should formally apologize for his comments and make it clear to the public that expressing these kinds of sentiments is unacceptable for a public figure.”
Christèle Laguerre, coordinator of l’Organisation solidaire des femmes haïtiennes (OSFHA), demanded that Martelly apologize in front of the entire nation. “We demand respect for women across Haiti, who face physical violence on a daily basis”.
The March began in front of the office of the Ministry for Women’s rights and affairs and ended in front of the Palais National.
Translated from French by Travis Ross