Bread New Mexico Blog: GIving Out Candy Bars at UNM on International Women's Day

New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps observed International Women's Day on Friday, March 8, by giving out candy bars at the University of New Mexico's Smith Plaza and talking to students, faculty and staff about the Behind the Brands campaign.

This effort brings attention to the manner in which the largest food companies in the world treat women.

The New Mexico Oxfam Action Volunteers later took their awareness campaign to the Nob Hill shopping area of Albuquerque.

Here is the text of a petition that candy recipients were asked to sign:

Dear Mars, Mondelez and Nestle:

The women who grow and pick your cocoa deserve better - better pay, fairer treatment, opportunities for training, the chance to own the land they work, and more. Thousands of women farmers and their families are going hungry, but you can change that. As one of the world's leading buyers of cocoa, your policies can make a huge difference to their lives.

Here's what you can do to help the women in your cocoa supply chain:

Look: You must 'know and show' that women are treated fairly by assessing and reporting on the condition of women in cocoa supply chains.

Listen: You must listen and respond to the demands of women in cocoa supply chains and make public commitments to ensuring women's rights and opportunities.

Act: You must take concrete steps and influence others to redress gender inequities in cocoa supply chains.

As a consumer and an Oxfam supporter, I'm urging you to act now. You're one of the world's biggest food and beverage companies, and you have a responsibility to the women who grow your ingredients.

Sincerely,