by Karen Castellon, AWC Berlin & Human Rights Team ChairMarch 8 is International Women’s Day. UN Women announced this year’s theme as ‟Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”
In the midst of the global pandemic, women have disproportionately suffered from increased domestic violence as a result of being locked down in their homes around the...
“Guided by empathy borne of my own experience, I gradually began to see the systemic nature of women’s suffering and its impact on all of us. Finally, I began to see the problem as patriarchy and feminism as the antidote.”
This excerpt is from Peter Pruyn’s book, Up: One...
There are still 3+ solid weeks to plan for the 16 Days of Activism to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence.
Now is the time, and the Human Rights Team offers many resources and ideas in a folder here.
Join us, and give voice and empowerment to women and girls and their allies worldwide.
The cause of our time: ending violence against women?
The convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is called the Istanbul Convention. It was agreed to in 2010 and came into force in 2014.
Quick facts about the Istanbul Convention:
The information quoted here was sent via email from ECPAT-USA.
(photo: Eduardo Davad for Pixabay)‟ECPAT-USA is the leading anti-child trafficking organization in the United States, seeking to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children through awareness, advocacy, policy and legislation. ECPAT-USA is a member of ECPAT International, a network of organizations in more than 100 countries with one...
As reported in the June UN Liaison Bulletin, following an urgent debate on racially-inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and violent responses to peaceful protests, the Council mandated the High Commissioner to develop a report on “systemic racism, violations of international human rights law against Africans and people of African descent by law enforcement agencies, especially those incidents...
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.