Global Womenʼs Rights: Amnesty International USA Town Hall, Part II
The Domestic Policy Panel discussed “Whatʼs at stake for womenʼs rights in the United States? What will bring the young generation into the feminist rights issues? What are the objectives and goals that should form the centerpiece of the womenʼs rights agenda? What is the importance of womenʼs political participation in the 2012 election and beyond? (more…)
On October fourth I attended an awesome, exciting, optimistic, yet heart wrenching town hall on womenʼs rights. This was not, however, merely a civil rights discussion. It was a powerful look at the whole spectrum of global violence and atrocities against women in every country in the world, with personal stories from Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Afghanistan. It was a comprehensive look at actions taken by women to empower themselves, help their country and advocate for a fair and equal place in their society. It was, above all, an introspective evaluation of the status and challenges of women in the United States and what we can and must do to engage both nationally and globally.
This event was entitled The XX Factor 2012: Town Hall on Womenʼs Rights and was held in Washington D.C. and sponsored by Amnesty International USA. Suzanne Nossel, the first woman Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, greeted the assembly of men and women, young, middle-aged and older, and culturally diverse. Suzanne spoke of the more than 50 years of Amnesty International being “one more voice for human rights” and its ability to reach millions of people in eighty countries to create change.
Did you know that the gender make-up of the Parliament of Rwanda is more than 50% women? After the end of the devastating genocide of 1994, women activists organized to reverse the societal rape patterns and discounting of the value of women. They took a major role in government and brought about changes and enforcement of laws. Beatrice Mukansinga, the founder of Mbwirandumva, an organization aiding women without homes or families, spoke of the challenges to provide counseling, shelter, food and skills for economic self-sufficiency to these women, who often were disabled and always traumatized. She was inspired to help these women post-genocide and now has committed her life to improving their lives.
Jenni Williams lives in Zimbabwe with different circumstances. She is fraught continuously with soldiers telling her that women should go back to the kitchen and should not be uprising. Jenni has been arrested 47 times, and other members of the grassroots organization she founded, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), have been arrested at least half as often. Her organization is a peaceful, non-violent one, giving red roses on Valentineʼs Day. Jenni believes and told us that “the solution is in our hands”. The WOZA women protest, campaign and peacefully demonstrate to formulate community-based solutions and empower women to stand for their rights and freedoms. She believes that ”the power of love can conquer the love of power”. She recognizes that women are risk-takers and “ want a lived reality of freedom”. As pertaining to herself, Jenni wonders when she will have her own space. “ In one place Iʼm too black; in another, I am too white. I need to fight for my rights.” Jenni also mentioned that legal change must be gender-sensitive and include gender-sensitivity training for judges.
In the morning, our speaker from Afghanistan, Hasina Safi, Executive Director of the Afghanistan Education Center and Executive Board Member of Afghan Womenʼs Network, participated at a Congressional Briefing with Congresswoman Donna Edwards from Maryland and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. The Afghanistan contingency presented the need for an action plan to secure Afghan womenʼs rights and protect and advance gains made by these women and girls in education, health, security, employment and other human rights. In the afternoon Hasina described the fine line between what has been accomplished through the new democracy and what can be lost in a moment. The Islam teachings of the Koran, not only allow women to be educated, but actually make education an obligation. There are 96 womenʼs groups with 5000 members working to eradicate violence against women in Afghanistan, providing awareness programs of what is printed in the Koran and advising Islamic women of their rights. The number of women in Parliament is now above 25%. According to Hasin, the Taliban has brought a misrepresentation of the Koran to Afghanistan. This has caused an increase in violence toward women and opposition to gains in womenʼs rights. The teachings of the Taliban have intensified the disparity between males and females with respect to rights. Hasina believes that the grass roots organizations need to be connected with the organizations in the capital to be more effective.
The final woman on this panel charting the Global Womenʼs Rights Agenda was Dr. Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Director, Global Womenʼs Leadership Initiative at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Through her experiences and the data bases, she shared a wealth of information, some of which are paraphrased and listed as follows:
Marlene Adrian, posted October 23, 2012
We are inviting you to become part of history-making! Most of us realize that women have played important roles in community building throughout Nevada’s history. Yet, so many of us continue to bemoan the scarcity of sources available to document this important aspect of history. Thankfully, over the course of the past several decades, scholars of women’s history have carefully gathered evidence of women’s roles and contributions; truly enriching the narrative of Nevada women’s history. But there are too few scholars to uncover and record the vast amounts of our history.
We can all be a part of this venture. I invite all of you to take part in the writing of Nevada women’s history. One doesn’t need a “Ph.D.” after their name or even a college degree to assist in the documentation of women’s lives. Do you know of a woman who is intriguing, fascinating, or perhaps simply tenacious? Sit down with her over a cup of coffee or tea. Turn on a recorder of some type and talk with her. Soon you have a lasting conversation that is a primary historical source and a permanent piece of history.
Perhaps you’ve attended an event with impressive speakers or enthusiastic attendees. Hold up your cell phone for an instant snapshot. Jot down a brief description of the event and email it off to a local women’s organization, community newspaper, or this very virtual center! Do you belong to a women’s organization? Or perhaps possess the photos and papers of an elderly female relative? We have Women’s Archives located at both UNR and UNLV that would welcome such materials.
You may encounter young women who have a real passion and vision for the future. How exciting to record a conversation with them before they’ve become known public figures. Or why not ask your own mothers, aunts, or grandmothers? I’m willing to bet that they have intriguing stories to share about their life’s experiences. Do you use Facebook or have your own Blog? The resources available are endless!
Becoming an historical investigator doesn’t have to be a labor intensive process. If we all just gather and share a few pieces of past women’s history or history in-the-making; we will soon discover that we’ve made an important contribution to the history of women in Nevada.
Resources are available across our state. See the links on this site for contact information. This particular site is dedicated to broadening the interactive communication across our state. Check this site frequently for more tips on the process of writing women’s history. Or click on the “Volunteer” link below if you would be willing to help build a repository of clips on women’s history. So, I encourage all of you, even if it’s just to talk to someone about how to begin – take the step. We cannot wait for others to write our history – we need to begin now!
Dr. Caryll Batt Dziedziak