The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence was launched in 1991 by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. At the time of publication of this article in October 2023, the Center is no...
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was established by the United Nations in 2014 and is observed annually on July 30. The purpose is to raise awareness and promote and protect the rights of...
The UN General Assembly proclaimed July 15 to be World Youth Skills Day in 2014. Its objective is to “celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.” Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Youth Skills Day has concentrated on recovery efforts that are also...
This year commemorates the 22nd World Refugee Day. Twenty-five years ago, in 1998, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recognized 6.2 million “refugees and persons of concern.”1 World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on June 20, 2001. In 2023, the number of people who are displaced, stateless, seeking...
The new FAWCO Target Project, Awesome Blossoms, is a part of the Safe Spaces community-based organization and aims to expand on growing vegetables using hydroponics in the Mathare slum area of Nairobi. What is impressive is that this project addresses a great number of the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8,
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was held March 6–17 in New York. This was the 67th edition, and its themes were Innovation and Technological Change as well as Education in the Digital Age. I spoke with Alex Vo, FAWCO’s UN Liaison, to learn more about this important event.
Q: Can...
Ending Violence Against Women is a Committee of the Human Rights Team, addressing issues of domestic violence and sex trafficking, as well as other forms of violence against women. The Ending Violence Team was created in April 2008 to address issues of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation in order to increase awareness and empower those women and children affected. Over the years, the Team has put a spotlight on the issues to get people talking about them. We also promote tangible actions that we can all take to help eradicate these forms of violence. When you look at the facts you see that we still have a long way to go.
1 in 3 women has been sexually assaulted in her lifetime;
Rape continues to be used as a weapon during war and conflict;
Globalization and climate change are having the most profound impacts on women and children who are disproportionately displaced and left without options;
Gender-based violence is an affliction that millions of women and children suffer in silence and shame. Many become victimized by those who are supposed to love and protect them.
Please share these three one-page information sheets on issues of Domestic Violence, how you can help victims of Domestic Violence, and global issues of Violence Against Women with your club members.
For a worldwide listing of domestic violence agencies, see the Hot Peaches website.
You'll find a link to the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center (AODVC) website on our homepage under Domestic Violence.
For more information or to get involved, contact the Committee Co-Chairs.
Co-Chair, Global Issues, Tonya Teichert at .
Tonya Teichert (AWC The Taunus)
Co-Chair, Global Issues
Co-Chair, Domestic Violence and AODVC Liaison, Karen Lewis at aodvc@fawco.org.
Karen Lewis (FAUSA)
Co-Chair, Domestic Violence and AODVC Liaison
Women Peace and Security is a committee within the Human Rights Team. Its goal is to raise awareness about violence against women in conflict zones and the role of women in the peace-keeping process.
The theme of women and conflict resonates with the very origins of FAWCO. According to The Red Book, FAWCO: A History 1931-2011:
Caroline Curtis Brown founded FAWCO on the belief that "enlightened women, working cooperatively throughout the world, could do much to help achieve permanent international peace; and that this was especially true of American women living abroad who had acquired special experience in living in foreign lands among foreign people and foreign customs. Their American clubs not only provided a home away from home, she felt, but also served to promote sympathetic awareness of the needs and problems in countries other than the United States." Our founder's words are perhaps even more relevant today than in her own time. In our globally connected world, wars have a real impact on the lives of all of us, even when they occur in a distant land. A peaceful world benefits everyone.