“Ma’am, give him the children and there won’t be any trouble. Alright? Do you understand? Just give Mr. Duckworth the children.”–Kentucky State Trooper Elliot
Mother Jailed for Sobbing in Court after Losing Custody to Abusive Father
April 16, 2013 by 25 Comments
Women and Shame: A Silent Killer
October 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When Amy Ferris asked me to contribute an essay to Dancing at the Shame Prom: Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small, I wasn’t sure that I had any shame. Then, when I thought about it, I realized that I did.
Sexual Exploitation of Children: What I’ve Been Through Is Not Who I Am
September 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
ECPAT is a network of organizations and individuals working together to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children around the world. It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
India Grassroots Women’s Groups Prevent Witch Hunts
September 5, 2012 by 1 Comment
Witch hunts are common and sometimes deadly in the tea plantations of Jalpaiguri, India. But a surprising source — small groups of women who meet through a
government loan program — has achieved some success in preventing the longstanding practice, a Michigan State University sociologist found.
Kashmiri women ‘biggest victims of sexual violence in the world’
July 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
“Women of Jammu and Kashmir have paid a hard price for the decades of conflict and strife. Although the state government has not undertaken a study of their present status, independent data collected by international and national women’s organizations show Kashmiri women to be the biggest victims of sexual violence in the world,” they said in the statement
In Papua New Guinea Abusing Women Is “An Accepted Norm”
February 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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).
Memories of my circumcision have haunted me to date
April 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Saturday Nation
Africa
April 15, 2010
File | NATION Nominated Member of Parliament Sophia Abdi Noor was barely eight years old when her mother ‘blessed’ her to undergo the rite of passage that would cleanse her and make her acceptable for marriage according to tradition. The ordeal she underwent and the consequences made her launch a campaign against the female cut.
Officials: Detroit girl taken in standoff doesn’t need meds right now
April 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Detroit Free Press
April 13, 2011
Authorities have determined there is no emergency need for a 13-year-old girl to be on medication, after the girl’s mother was accused of medically neglecting her by not giving her a psychotropic drug.
The girl has been in state custody since Child Protective Services workers showed up to take her, prompting an hours-long standoff between her mother and police.
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
March 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Statistics can Serve to Minimize the Real, Human Pain of Trauma
Releasing the Past
Posted by Paul on Feb 28, 2011
I came across a CNN article recently entitled “PTSD in women may have genetic link”. Early in the article it states, “10% of women and 5% of men develop the condition [of PTSD] sometime in their lives.” It offers no supporting evidence or sources for these numbers. I instantly felt highly suspicious as I see so many traumatized people in my practice as well as so many traumatized, but untreated, people in my life. Such trauma can come from many different sources, including:
