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Happy Holidays!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that holiday plans are taking shape! This newsletter was supposed to make its way to you sooner but life, as usual, has other plans.
November 25th was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. On that day, I was sitting in an airplane on my way to Vienna. My mind was racing with thoughts, ideas, sentences, and questions. Far more than I have answers to. This past month has been crazy, strange, exciting and terrifying.
As I started to work on the content for the newsletter, I kept getting stuck. I didn't want to give the same information, throwing out statistics and pictures. I wanted to be able to connect. I wanted to find a way to inspire you the same way you have inspired our team by getting involved and taking those first (or additional) steps in being agents of change.
Then, around cruising altitude, I was struck with a bolt of inspiration. Maybe it was the cabin pressure or lack of sleep but it just made sense to me. During the Region 5 conference in Augsburg. Laurie Richardson of AWA Vienna, gave a wonderful presentation and workshop on spreading the word about FAWCO through telling stories. We all found it incredibly inspiring to see how simply telling a story could then be broken down into simple explanations and even actionable items. As I sat there, it occurred to me that this would be a terrific way to, perhaps, make the issues that are so heavy become a bit more relate-able.
So, while there are still some days left in the 16 Days Campaign, I would like to share some stories with you that will hopefully inspire you as much as they have inspired Erica and I.
Don't worry, if you weren't able to hold an event during the 16 Days, you can still get involved. We should all work 365 days to stop violence against women and children so there is a clean slate coming just around the corner.
In the end, by not limiting ourselves to just 16 days in a year, we are not loosing sight of the fact that it doesn't matter what you look like, where you went to school, how much money you have or what car you drive. None of us are immune from what it means to be a girl. A woman.
Tonya Teichert Co-Chair
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AWA Vienna Celebrates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women!
So, I told you before that I was on a plane to Vienna. The trip was initially planned to attend a symposium on Femicide at the UN Vienna. When Laurie and I talked at the conference, we knew we wanted to do something so we decided, since I would be in Austria anyway, that it would be a great opportunity to do something that would engage people even more.
I am very pleased to announce that on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, AWA Vienna hosted the first Austrian pre-screening of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide to their club members. The gracious hostess, Kim Raffaele, opened her home to a small group of AWA Vienna members to watch the book come to life. It was amazing to see a group of women (and a man!) watching the documentary and really grasping the issues with open minds.
People from all places and walks of life watched how gender violence, lack of education and lack of financial independence can have such an impact on the lives of women and children around the world.
After the screening there was open and spirited discussions about the issues which I know helped to fuel the fires within for their book discussion held on November 28th. Having people there that have been to some of the regions of the world discussed in the book and documentary was very enlightening as, to them, these were not such sad images and stories on a screen. They were very real issues with real emotion.
Thank you Laurie, Kim and AWA Vienna for opening your city and homes on such an important day!
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Do You Want to be a Part of the Movement?
The launch of Modern Abolitionist was exhausting and surreal! I was humbled by the support I received from so many people. I must give a special thanks to Carol Tarr Tsaltas (Amsterdam) and Dede Priest (Holland) who drove all the way to Frankfurt to show support! Not only did they spend long time in the car, they were ready to roll up their sleeves to do whatever it took for as long as it took! I usually do not let people in my kitchen but I must say, Carol has some insane skills with caramel and chocolate and Dede is the master of organization, which we desperately needed at 5 a.m.!
Aside from the hands-on help, we were able to decompress after watching the documentary. Sitting in a beautiful theater and seeing, on the big screen, these tragically inspiring stories flashing across the screen, I don't believe that there were any dry eyes. But we came away with a resounding determination to keep the momentum going.
Simply watching the documentary is not enough. You want to be able to take those feelings and figure out how to turn them into action. Having speakers and targeted discussion topics really help to put everything into focus, which makes for better outcomes.
With that said, I am offering to bring the screening to your club!
As I have done in Frankfurt and Vienna (and there will be an encore screening on March 18, 2013 hosted by the AWA Vienna and the American Embassy) and we are working on organizing a screening/discussion in Amsterdam in 2013;
If you want to host a screening and discussion group/panel for your club, send me an email. The movement only stops when we do so let's keep it going!
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Are you Ready to Dance?
February 14, 2013 will mark the 15th anniversary for V-Dayand they are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence.
Did you know that:
ONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.
ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY
but ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION
ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders.
There are events being planned from California to Shanghai and everywhere in between. I encourage all of to encourage your friends, to encourage their friends to encourage their friends to RISE, STRIKE, DANCE on this special birthday.
You can find out more information about One Billion Rising here. While you are there, have a look and check for an event near you. If there is not one listed, then create on of your own! If you are on Facebook, just search for One Billion Rising and you will see the (growing) number of cities that are taking part in this event.
Frankfurt will be rising with a flash mob on February 14 2013.
Munich will be rising on February 14, 2013
Brussells will be rising on February 14, 2013
Spain will be rising on February 14, 2013
New York will be rising on February 14, 2013
Israel will be rising on February 14, 2013
Egypt will be rising on February 14, 2013
People all over the world will be rising on February 14, 2013
Will you be rising on February 14, 2013?
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FAUSA Taks Force Members
FAWCO recently joined the UN Women's (the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) National Committee for United States. Their Annual Walks to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls take place throughout the year in locations across the US. Check out their website www.unwomen-usnc.org/walks for a location near you or organizing your own fundraising walk by contacting |
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AWC Lebanon Reports on their Book Discussion
I'm happy to report that the Lebanon AWC book group chose December 6th to discuss "Half the Sky."
The major reaction was that the book was an eye opener; many didn't realize how bad the situation for women could be, though CNN has introduced news about it in its End Slavery Now Campaign. The situation that stood out the most was women getting fistulas during pregnancy, and then being shunned by their husbands or family due to the smell. (In a previous book group selection "Cutting for Stone," fistulas in Ethiopia were also described.) Other sad points that stood out were the girl who died because her family didn't have enough money for a C-section and the selling of young girls for a price for which a receipt was given.
One lady in our group thought the book was entirely too depressing to discuss.
A couple ladies were really interested in the idea of micro-credit and would like to see if it would be possible to succeed in Lebanon.
Our women's group, together with the Women's League of Beirut, received a letter from an AUB professor asking us to support a professor from the University of Jordan who was fired recently. She had addressed the issue of campus sexual harassment, and her female students then created a video about the sexual harassment they face. The university gave as a reason to fire her that the video was tarnishing the reputation of the university. We will write to Rola Yasmine, the AUB professor, and tell her we're interested in supporting this cause.
Mary Ann Coxson
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AAWE Paris Member Betsey Castleman Damez: Artist and Activist
Betsy Castleman Damez recently exhibited 15 larger than life-size portraits of women, victims of violence, who were seeking aid from France's most famous women's defense organization, Ni Putes, Ni Soumises (Neither Slut Nor Submissive). Bringing an artistic approach to the organization, she paints the women not as victims but as true heroes fighting back. Betsy felt the experience was confidence building for the women who chose to participate and empowering for both herself and her subjects.
Elle Magazine covered Betsy's work in an article last month. You can view these portraits and her other work of art, on her website at http://www.astorcenternyc.com/class-libation-calibration-a-hands-on-cocktail-workshop.ac
Please join us in congratulating Betsy on this outstanding initiative and on your incredible talent. I have a feeling we are going to be hearing a lot more about her amazing work.
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UN Women say "NO" to Violence against Women
UNiTE to End Violence against Women YouTube Channel features a different video that speaks on the issue. UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, is always on the lookout for compelling and insightful videos addressing violence against women to feature in its weekly slot. Have a suggestion? Send the name of the video and YouTube url link directly to .
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ANCOR Reports on their Event!
On November 6, 2012, many people were glued to their television sets to see the outcome of the American presidential elections. In Rotterdam, The Netherlands, there was a small group of women awaiting the outcome of a very different sort - how would Amiyah's story end?
ANCOR, the American Netherlands Club of Rotterdam including our international members, hosted an awareness evening to discuss opportunities to end violence against women. We downloaded information and videos about forced prostitution, which is one of six issues that Half the Sky Movement is striving to mediate. Did you know:
- Overall estimates for children in slavery range from 300,000 to 1.2 million?
- The typical age of entry into the sex trade is 13-14 years old?
- There are more slaves today than at any point in history - as many as 27 million people. 56% are women?
Each issue has a number of advocates supporting mitigation. We listened to Ruchira Gupta, the founder and president of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, a grassroots organization in India working to end sex trafficking by increasing choices for at-risk girls and women. From the website information, we know that there are 2-3 million prostitutes in India; many of whom entered the sex industry unwillingly by being forced into brothels.
Amiyah is a teenager in India who was drugged, kidnapped and forced into prostitution. Our group watched in horror at the re-enactment of her ordeal. Throughout her confession, her face was covered. All we could see was the pain in her brown eyes, which overflowed with tears as she remembered the abuse. Amiyah reported that her brothel owner was female and encouraged the beatings and drug injections when she refused sex. The brothel owner kept her isolated and locked inside a filthy room.
Six weeks after Amiyah's kidnapping, International Justice Mission (IJM) rescuers first infiltrated and then raided the brothel. The brothel owner threatened to punish Amiyah unless she told IJM that she was there according to her father's wishes. Amiyah found the courage to tell the truth. She was rescued. She testified in court and has since been accepted back into her family. But this is not the norm. The website informed us that although 89% of prostitutes want to escape the brothels, at some point, they are overwhelmed by their circumstances and simply submit because they believe that they have no other options (Stockholm Syndrome).
After the film, our women's group discussed what we had seen. For our group, this brought up a heart-breaking discovery that women often play a bigger role than men in pushing their children and forcing other children into prostitution for economic means.
First, we talked about our own heritage in western culture. Just by virtue of where the stork dropped us; we were automatically entitled to more freedom as women than in most parts of the world. We wondered at the cultural differences that empower men to abuse women- first as brothel customers, then as city officials, and even as fathers. Why is it that women in developing countries are shunned for unwillingly submitting to sex and men are seemingly praised for their sex conduct? Studies show that one in five women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
One of our members commented that it is not only third-world and developing countries where women face forced prostitution. We discussed how men kidnap and pimp women in the US and Europe as well. In the US, a women is raped every 90 seconds. That is a sobering thought - especially on the eve of the presidential election in the "land of the free and home of the brave."
Another irony that struck us was that here in Amsterdam, the "red light district" is a tourist attraction. It has a sexy allure to it; with the windows glowing red, the camera flashes blinking white, and the women posing behind the glass panes. The tourists who meander by all seem like a good sort - they are there for excitement and legal sexual transactions - right? The Dutch government sanctions prostitution and we all hear that the women have health insurance. Surely, these women have all made a choice to be prostitutes... or have they? Our group realized that perhaps a high percentage of women who stand in window are not there for because they want to be - they are most likely there because they are behind in rent payments. The room became quiet.
The last advocate that we listened to was Hilary Clinton. She talked about her belief that women not only hold up half the sky, but also "hold up" their communities on the ground. One member shared newspaper articles that she had collected about how women, especially older women as role models, were being educated in jobs that not only provided income but connected people back into communities (internet access & computers in Bangladesh, solar engineers in Africa).
Now that we were aware of this issue of forced prostitution, what could we do? Our first sobering thought was: nothing at all. Then one member broke the silence in the room. She said one word. Education. We all nodded our heads. Going to a large city to find work seems like a fine destination for a village girl to support herself and her family. But the work she finds is usually prostitution based on her lack of knowledge, local language, and lack of skills. What if girls were educated at early ages to better understand sex and health care issues and job opportunities? We all agreed that education was the only change driver in culture - but we were despondent over the length of time it would take for education to overrule the complex cycle of forced prostitution. Then we addressed the significant educational issue of men's role in a culture. We agreed that significant change may only happen when men evolve and women transform.
Our group was feeling powerless to change the cultural model. Then one member spoke out. "I know someone who is doing something. In August 2010, ANCOR member Marilyn Tinsay started SPOSA Child (Save Our Sexually Abused Child) in order to help children in the Philippines get out of abusive environments and into educational environments." And we turned from desolation to inspiration. Some people might think that Amiyah's story has ended because the sky fell on top of her. But it didn't. She had the courage to fight back and understand that The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart. She has a new future under an open sky.
We talked about viable opportunities for us to help end oppression and violence against women worldwide:
- Awareness - you cannot solve a problem unless you are aware of the problem and become part of the resolution. One ANCOR member was on vacation in Burma and visited Sankar Hospital, which was built in 2010. The hospital has ten beds, wooden planks serving as mattresses and offers only basic medical treatment. She made a donation during her trip and once home, started a knitting project to raise money for hospital improvements.
- Microfinance - Half the Sky movement advocate Mary Ellen Iskenderian is President and CEO of Women's World Banking (WWB), the world's largest network of microfinance institutions and banks. Microfinance is the idea that low-income individuals are capable of lifting themselves out of poverty if given access to financial services. One ANCOR member is a micro-ender (Kiva) and has made over 11 small loans to support women and children.
- Education - You can support education through a number of options from monetary donations, to volunteer work, to supporting people and projects dedicated to education. One ANCOR member uses the Global Giving organization to support such projects. She has started giving donations in honor of friends and family to help raise their awareness as well. What better gift to know that 100 books have been donated in your name to a school in a rural African village?
We ended our awareness evening on the edge of hope that we can change the world; that our ANCOR club can touch the sky and make a difference during our life time. Here's how:
- Be aware - browse the website and find out what type of action you can take to make a difference. The Action Packet is a good place to start! http://www.halftheskymovement.org/pages/resources
- Support an ANCOR member cause, SPOSA Child. http://www.sposachild.com/What_is_sposachild.html
- Find out more about Microfinance and help women help themselves. http://www.kiva.org/about
- Find out more about organizations that support grass roots projects and keep you up-to-date on the results of your gifts. http://www.globalgiving.org/
As the FAWCO regional rep and host of this event, I read the book, watched the videos and found it both horrifying and inspiring.
Sorry that there are no pictures of the members (unfortunately, we did not have a big turnout) but the discussion was animated and members went away thinking about the opportunities they could take advantage of to hold up our part of the sky.
Submitted by Mary Adams, FAWCO Rep., ANCOR
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KUDOS!!!!
FAWCO Clubs That Have Taken Action in the 16 Days Campaign
We cannot be more thrilled by the tremendous support you all have shown as we get geared up for the 16 Days Campaign to end gender violence. There have been quite a few different events that our members around the world have organized.
- AWC-Taunus Germany (Modern Abolitionist) Screening of Half The Sky documentary November 3rd
- Vienna book discussion November 28th
- FAUSA member Colgate book discussion November 29th
- AWG Languedoc-Roussillon book club sponsored, club wide discussion group November 30th
- AAWE, Paris December 4th
- ANCOR, the Netherlands, book summary review December 6th
- Dubai book clubs (4) discussion groups
- FAUSA online book club December 10th
- AWC Shanghai Half the Sky discussion December 10th
Thank you all for participating in the FAWCO's Half the Sky event. All of your activities have been registered with the 16 Days Campaign. You can all take great pride in being a part of this wonderfully successful movement. Please send us an email with some pictures or comments about your event so that we can continue to celebrate this fantastic achievement.
We hope that this inspires you to continue planning events and sharing your stories with us! It's never too late to start! If you have something you are planning please let us know so that we can get it into our November newsletter. Send an email to Team and let us know what is happening in your part of the world.
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