The Center for Women’s Resources send you all our warmest greetings for this Yuletide Season! Together, let’s take collective action to meet the challenges of 2025!
Solidarity
#ClemencyForMaryJane!
The Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) welcomes the announcement that Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina migrant worker who has unjustly spent 14 years on death row in Indonesia, will finally be coming home following an agreement between the Philippine government and Indonesian authorities. Although this is a significant step toward ending the years of suffering and injustice that she has endured, CWR joins rights groups’ appeal to President Marcos Jr. to grant her full and absolute clemency.
Mary Jane Veloso’s case is a tragic example of how vulnerable migrant workers—especially women—can fall victim to human trafficking and unfair legal processes. Authorities arrested Mary Jane Veloso in 2010 upon her arrival in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after finding heroin hidden in the lining of a suitcase her recruiters had provided. Convicted of illegally importing drugs, she has been on death row after enduring a series of unfair trials.
Prior to her arrest, Mary Jane worked as a domestic helper in Dubai to support her two young children. After an attempted sexual assault, she fled the country, returning home jobless and penniless. Despite the trauma, she decided to work as a maid in Malaysia. However, her recruiter instructed her to travel to Indonesia, where she received a suitcase filled with illegal drugs, as there were no jobs available in Malaysia.
Mary Jane’s case highlights the harsh realities faced by many Filipinos, particularly women, who are driven by economic hardship to work abroad—only to fall victim to human trafficking and endure inhumane working conditions. The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) surged to 2.16 million in 2023, with women making up the majority, often subjected to precarious labor conditions.
We stand in solidarity with Mary Jane and all migrant workers and their families. Mary Jane’s execution was stayed in 2015 due to strong local and international pressure as well as the steadfast demands of the Philippine and Indonesian movements. While her return is a victory, the fight for her absolute clemency and protection of all migrant workers continues.
We call on the Philippine government to take immediate and concrete steps to ensure the safety and well-being of all Filipinos working overseas and, more importantly, to address the root causes of migration! #
Community leaders, young women, student leaders stand with Palestine
Stand with the Palestinian resistance for freedom and self-determination! Long live international solidarity!
On the occasion marking one year of Al-Aqsa resistance, the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) stands in unwavering solidarity with the women and people of Palestine. The ongoing genocide and violence perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces, enabled by the material and political support of imperialist powers—particularly the United States—must stop.
To date, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority of whom are women and children. The occupation has not only robbed lives and futures but has also sought to quell the resistance of the Palestinian people that spans decades. Today, we recognize the immense courage and resilience of those who resist, including women and children, who continue to fight for liberation and justice despite being targeted by Israeli violence.
Today, we reaffirm our commitment. Let us nurture and expand our collective solidarity and actively support the Palestinian resistance and aspirations for freedom and self-determination. Long live the Palestinian resistance! Long live international solidarity! #