The Greatest Story Never Told
The U.S. has struggled to make progress in the way the criminal-justice system addresses violence against women and girls. Only in the last 40 years have laws and systems been put in place to prohibit a victim’s prior sexual activity from being entered into evidence, to eliminate the requirement that there be a corroborating witness to a rape, and to create procedures to collect physical evidence from victims.
Indonesia is preparing to ban the mini-skirt under its tough anti-pornography laws ‘because they make men do things’.
The Muslim country’s powerful religious affairs minister said that one of the considerations in its review of what could be considered pornographic would be ‘when someone wears a skirt above the knee’.
This current of white-hot rage has to come as a surprise to some of you, because we tend to think “sexism” is being dismissive toward women, or paying them lower salaries — we don’t think of it as frenzied “burn the witch!” hatred
For too long women have stood alone. When it comes to violence against women, too many of us still think it’s “just” a women’s issue. In particular, it is about time MPs took this seriously. Here’s why.
Sexual and physical violence at the hands of a man affects a staggering 45% of women in England and Wales sometime in their lives. That’s one-quarter of British voters. Voters. People who give our politicians their jobs.
The shocking case of a young woman allegedly gang-raped, dumped in a ditch and set on fire by two sons of ex-government officials has sparked mass protests across Ukraine.
Naked campaigners led protests over the sloppy nature of the police investigation and the perceived leniency with which the suspects have been treated.
The highlands women of Papua New Guinea (PNG) experience the most frequent and severe forms of violence, according to two studies. The violence is linked to extreme cultural traditions that discriminate against women and girls, such as polygamy, forced marriages, sorcery, witch-hunting and extra-judicial killings. But at least one woman is fighting back in Papua New Guinea. Lilly Be’Soer, who was once a victim of tribal conflict and has been in a polygamous marriage, founded Voice for Change, a women’s rights non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Lloyd traces how a difficult childhood led to a hair-raising journey that encompassed risk, recruitment, and violent abuse–to breaking free from sexual exploitation…and ultimately healing. She now is a top activist in the anti-trafficking movement.
In the carpeted, curtained splendor of a National Harbor hotel ballroom, a Nigerian social worker described the life of the abused women in her village, how they work and fish and trade at the market, “but the men take all the money from them.”
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BARRY GOLDSTEIN, is an attorney, teacher, author and advocate for women abused by their partner (and too often the courts). Goldstein practiced law in New York State for 30 years. He served on the board of directors of the local battered women’s shelter for 14 years including four years as chairperson. An ever larger part of his law practice involved representing victims of domestic violence as many dv agencies and women’s advocates recommended him to their clients. Few other attorneys had the experience with domestic violence or the willingness to handle cases on a pro bono or reduced fee basis. For the past ten years, Goldstein has worked with the Community Change Project of the Volunteer Counseling Service teaching domestic violence classes for men convicted of abusing their partners.
Grasping the power of social media—along with the need to decisively move forward—playwright, activist, and feminist Eve Ensler has revitalized the terrain with her announcement on February 14 outlining the launch of the ONE BILLION WOMEN initiative. The yearlong action will culminate on February 14th, 2013, the fifteenth anniversary of V-Day. The goal is to have one billion women and men “dancing, striking, rising” across borders to demonstrate their demand to end the global violence against women.
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