We recognize that humankind has not woven the web of life; we are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. Whatever befalls the earth befalls also the family of the earth.

      We are concerned about the wounds and bleeding sores on the naked body of the earth: the famine; the poverty; the children born into hunger and disease; the destruction of forests and fertile lands; the chemical and nuclear accidents; the wars and death in so many parts of the world.

      It is our belief that man's dominion over nature parallels the subjugation of women in many societies, denying them sovereignty over their lives and bodies. Until all societies truly value women and the environment, their joint degradation will continue.

      Women's views on economic justice, human rights, reproduction and the achievement of peace must be heard at local, national, and international forums, wherever policies are made that could affect the future life on earth. Partnership among all peoples is essential for the survival of the planet.

      If we are to have a common future, we must commit ourselves to preserve the natural wealth of our earth for future generations.

      As women we accept our responsibility and declare our intention to:

      Link with others - young and old, women and men, people of all races, religions, culture and political beliefs - in a common concern for global survival;

      Be aware in our private, public, and working lives of actions we can take to safeguard our food, fresh water, clean air, and quality of life;

      Make women's collective experiences and value judgments equal to the experiences and value judgments of men when policies are made that affect our future and future generations;

      Expose the connections between environmental degradation, greed, uncontrolled militarism and technology devoid of human values. Insist that human and ecological values take absolute precedence when decisions are made in national affairs;

      Change government, economic and social policies to protect the well-being of the most vulnerable among us and to end poverty and inequality;

      Work to dismantle nuclear and conventional weapons, built trust among peoples and nations, and use all available international institutions and networks to achieve common security for the family of the earth.

Women's Foreign Policy Council

Taken from Joan Hoff's _Law Gender and Injustice: A Legal History of US Women_, NYU Press, 1991

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