Women End Hunger Strike; Announce Future Project

EL PASO, TX – A group of women from La Mujer Obrera finished a week long hunger strike Monday.

The strike was organized by La Mujer Obrera to call attention to the problems of poverty and hiring discrimination in El Paso.

Monday, the group held a ceremonyto honorworkers as part of the wrapup to the hunger strike.

Last week, the women toldABC-7 they werenot just pointing out problems – they were working to solve them.

Their plan includes the proposed “Plaza Mayachen” – a comprehensive and sustainable model of development and a Mexican Heritage Oasis in the Sun City, they say.

The plaza would be a 27 acre site in south-central El Paso on which their goals and models would be developed. It would offer women on both sides of the border an opportunity to sell goods and would include a media center along with a market to teach women basic technological and business skills, they add.

“We were able to bring the community together, and it gave us an opportunity to talk to them and present our proposed plan, and to get their support and understanding,” stated Hilda Villegas, with the group.

Officials with the group tell ABC-7they have a five year plan that would allow them to open Plaza Mayachen in 2012. However, they mustfirst must prove to the city that their plan will work. The group already secured private funding and is in the process of applying for more grants.

Currently, they are constructing a pilot store in south el paso to demonstrate the activities that would take place atthe plaza.