URGENT APPEAL: FREE Hedda Calderon!

We, the International Women’s Alliance, join the call to #FreeHeldaCalderon, and strongly condemn the Philippine government under Rodrigo Duterte for attacking women human rights defenders.

We support Gabriela’s and Gabriela Women’s Party’s urgent appeal for Hedda’s immediate release.

Please sign the petition below!

GABRIELA Alliance of Women and Gabriela Women’s Party strongly condemn the illegal arrest and detention of Hedda Calderon, social worker, and a staunch activist for women’s rights for more than 2 decades. She was former Deputy Secretary General of GABRIELA and currently a consultant of Gabriela Women’s Party. She is also President of the Board of Lila Pilipina, an organization advocating for the rights and welfare of World War II comfort women. She was arrested with four others in Laguna last October 15, 2018.

We call for her immediate release, as there is no case filed against her.

We strongly condemn the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for insinuating that those arrested were terrorists to justify the Red October plot that they concocted.

We call on all women and human rights defenders to demand the Philippine government to free Hedda and stop the attacks against human rights defenders in the Philippines. Send solidarity to women in the Philippines and sign the petition here.