Border Women End White House Hunger Strike After 10 Days

The women who gathered in front of the White House and went on a hunger strike to protest the lack of funding and resources provided to border towns in the U.S. have decided to bring their effort to an end after 10 days of deprivation.

The strike, which began on November 8, ended yesterday with a press conference held at noon, right before the women took their first bites of food. The women were hoping to draw attention to the U.S./Mexico border, which has long been the most impoverished sector of the United States. The area has been exploited for it's cheap labor and has suffered from unfavorable international trade agreements, violence due to anti-immigrant sentiment and drug trafficking and unemployment almost three times as high as other regions.

Although President Obama has invested millions in border security, very little funds have been allocated for the local communities. The women won a small victory with their protest; a group of federal officials promised to visit the border to continue the dialogue started by the border women. "You've funded the border wall, now invest in border communities," said Ana Gomez, one of the hunger strikers.

Watch the video created by La Mujer Obrera below or visit lamujerobrera.wordpress.com for more information.