UK-based rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide has commended Ladies in White, a non-violent women’s protest movement based in Cuba.
The Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) comprises the wives and other female relatives of dissidents jailed in Cuba. Every Sunday they attend mass dressed in white, a symbol of peace, and then walk silently through the streets of their community. The movement was sparked in 2003 after Cuban authorities ordered a crackdown on dissidents and journalists.
In a statement released on International Women’s Day last Friday, Andrew Johnston, CSW’s advocacy director, commended “the courage of the Ladies in White in standing up for justice and human rights, keeping the spotlight on the prisoners of conscience in Cuba”.
“CSW urges the international community to continue raising human rights concerns with the Cuban government, including the harassment and imprisonment of human rights activists.”
The group has had a troubled history with authorities in Cuba. In 2005, the government banned them from attending a ceremony in France where they were to receive the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament. Last year, one of their members – Caridad Caballero – sought refuge in the US after months of harrassment by authorities. She was also among members of the group imprisoned during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in March last year.