Press Release : Hizbut Tahrir To Hold A Women’s Forum Of Female Opinion Makers To Oppose US Imperialism Towards Women In Southeast Asia

 

On the 10th October 2013, the women of Hizb ut Tahrir will gather influential female opinion-makers from across Southeast Asia at an important Women’s Roundtable Discussion in Jakarta, Indonesia, entitled, “Against U.S. Imperialism towards Women in Southeast Asia through the APEC Summit and Free-Market Regimes.” This forum will coincide with the visit of U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry to Bali in October to attend the APEC 2013 Summit which will inevitably bring further capitalist free-market economic policies, agreements, or initiatives that will further strengthen U.S. and Western imperialism and economic subjugation of the region, bringing financial benefits to Western states while further impoverishing and exploiting its people, including millions of women and children. The U.S. and other Western capitalist colonial governments are pursuing clear agendas aimed at gaining control over the lucrative economic prizes of Southeast Asia. The United States in particular, has sought to secure its economic interests in this highly profitable Asian market through APEC, ASEAN, East Asian Summit and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It is imperative that the great dangers of the free-market system promoted by such economic forums and regimes in the region, that has had a crippling impact upon local businesses, economies and hence the lives of ordinary women and children be clearly understood. In Indonesia, the implementation of free-trade agreements through ASEAN and signed by its capitalist government has destroyed thousands of local industries each year which are unable to compete with low-price foreign imports, resulting in increased unemployment and spreading dire poverty amongst the people. This free-trade regime has also forced Muslim countries to implement a labour market system that serves the Capitalists, enabling them to buy labour as cheaply as possible, and devoid of protection and welfare of workers. This has caused millions of women to be exploited as cheap labour, and forced them to work in often dangerous, back-breaking conditions.

In addition, Western capitalist governments and organisations such as the IMF and UN have intensified their campaign of promoting their toxic narrative that increasing women in the workplace is the path to securing economic growth, sustainable development, and improving people’s purchasing power in Southeast Asia and other parts of the Muslim world, such as in Turkey and the Middle East. Through the APEC Women and Economic Forum in early September 2013, they loudly voiced ‘Women as Economic Drivers’. In reality however, this is simply a mass exploitation movement towards women, for instead of alleviating poverty, it will simply add to their systematic economic exploitation as cheap labour by capitalist corporations and governments seeking to increase profits and revenue.

We call the media and women of influence to attend this important women’s forum that will expose the harmful capitalist free-market economic agendas towards women in Southeast Asia and the Muslim world as well as present the Khilafah state which is based upon a purely Islamic constitution as is the only system that offers sound Islamic economic policies and laws to solve the poverty and exploitation facing women in the region.

Notes to Editor: The forum will take place from 9am-1pm (Indonesia time) on Thursday 10th October 2013 at Gren Alia Hotel Cikini, Cikini Raya Street no. 46, Central Jakarta 10330. There will be a press conference at the venue at 12.30pm where male and female journalists will be welcome to attend. However, only female journalists will be permitted to be present in the forum. Please contact [email protected] for inquiries, interviews and to confirm attendance. 

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz
Member of the Central Media Office
of Hizb ut Tahrir