The National Women's History Project has a simple statement in their literature: "History looks different when the contributions of women are included." Last week in Atlanta, a powerful convening took place where women shaping the global outlook for women everywhere spent a day with women in Atlanta concerned about a range of civil and human rights violations from pay inequity to violence against women. This gathering, the "Womenetics Global Women's Initiative: The Ripple Effect," took the National Women's History Project sentiment a step further, and revealed, in the form of engaging, accomplished activists, that women can and are directly contributing to solutions in a range of troubled societies, including our own. Their work provides a road map and access point for anyone hand-wringing on the sidelines.
I was proud to represent the National Center for Civil and Human Rights at this event, and found the women to be diverse exemplars of the type of engagement we need to bring justice and equity to our world.
If you believe that education and public policy -- systemic broad-based change -- is the answer to the world's problems, take inspiration from Ambassador Swanee Hunt. Born into a wealthy family, Hunt has put her money where her heart is by committing to a life of philanthropy, infusing needed funds into movements where she is most passionate. Swanee has committed $7.5 million, over a 10 year period, to fund Demand Abolition. Based on the fact, if there were no buyers, the selling of human beings for sex would not exist, Demand Abolition is focused on ending sex slavery by combating the demand for illegal commercial sex in the United States. In educating individuals on rampant modern-day slavery in the United States in the buying of girls, women and boys for sex, holding law enforcement accountable for arresting the men who are the purchasers of sex, urging businesses to institute a no-tolerance policy for employees who provide sex-related entertainment perks for clients, and asking media to show the real harm to women and girls caused by traffickers and buyers, Demand Abolition is focused on catalyzing social change that reflects the dignity of all people.
When the everyday struggle for safety and basic human rights overwhelms you, draw courage from Marisela Morales Ibanez. As the Attorney General of Mexico, Ibanez faces death every day while prosecuting criminals involved in Mexico's complex, multi-national drug trade. She is on the front lines of restoring order and the rule of law to a nation on the brink. As the first woman to hold this prestigious post in Mexico, she is charged with mounting cases against organized crime and drug cartels that are using violent intimidation techniques such as kidnapping, mass murder, assassination of public figures and bribery to secure their position. She built her reputation as a state prosecutor willing to root out corruption in her own department, and for prioritizing and prosecuting cold cases in which the victims were poor women in the Mexican countryside.
If you think that a small gesture makes a big difference, and transforming individual women's lives is the most sustainable way to heal the effects of human rights violations, meet Andree Simon. She is the President & COO of Women for Women International. Her organization operates under the simple premise that women in a position to give can sponsor a woman recovering from violence, war, degradation, trafficking, and hosts of other traumas, and over the course of a year, change her life. Her organization has charted a path for human rights education, income security, healthcare and personal safety for individual women in eight of the world's most desperate regions. Named one of DC's 40 under 40 International Development Leaders, Simon is using small amounts of philanthropic dollars to create big change in parts of the world others easily ignore.
These woman stand in the face of obstacles and affirm that social change begins with women. Women bear the brunt of human rights abuses in the world, and as mothers, that suffering impedes the next generation. For every one of the women highlighted above, there are millions of others who are at work in their communities, advancing economic justice, insuring access to education, providing healthcare, fighting for gender equity and ending exploitation and violence in the home and society. As citizens of a global community, we each have a responsibility to step in and join with them. How will you use your power and resources to create a just and equitable world?
Instead, there were just lots of talking points from feminist literature, such as:
"where women shaping the global outlook for women"
"concerned about a range of civil and human rights violations from pay inequity to violence against women."
"that women can and are directly contributing to solutions in a range of troubled societies'
"found the women to be diverse exemplars of the type of engagement we need to bring justice and equity to our world."
'In educating individuals on rampant modern-day slavery in the United States in the buying of girls, women and boys for sex"
Etc.
The harm caused to victims of trafficking should be blamed on prohibition. If it were legalized women would be safer but we fear the moral consequence on society. In the end our desire to control sex is what creates the black market that feeds organized crime.
Among these broad efforts focusing on the welfare of boys is critical. Too often their issues are ignored feeding the dysfunction that women seek to protect other women against. We have to stop dividing against ourselves on these issues. Attacking men won't solve women's problems, but helping both men and women will.
I was hoping a piece on the history of women would be more than the stories of a few modern activist.To say the least it's misleading. The stories of average women from the distant past would be more compelling.
The beatings by johns and pimps is not because prostitution is illegal. The beatings, drugging, killing by johns and pimps comes from the mentality that these young girls are not human and these males (not men) are ENTITLED to use these young girls and women as they please. If these young girls and women were volunteers, there'd be no reason for pimps to beat them for trying to leave or "escape". If they were volunteers, there'd be no anger, beatings, rapes and murders by johns who are offended and enraged at the fact that these girls clearly do not want to be used by these males. Volunteers don't try to escape. Volunteers don't need to be drugged. Volunteers don't experience PTSD and need counseling or protective custody once they've escaped the life. And here's another tip....volunteers don't need to be paid....they volunteer because they want to do it.
I think you might consider seeking more education and more information... and possibly putting the face of your own daughter, niece, sister or mother on these young girls and women and see if you think any of them are open to volunteering to be prostituted by someone who beats, drugs, rapes and might possibly kill them.
Just a suggestion.
Pimps are bad people and our socieites view of women has nothing to do with their behavior. They are engaging in socially unacceptable behavior, and other than being illegal it reperesnets the antithesis towards how men view women in general. Even if you go back to the old days the last thing a man would want is for his daughter to be a prostitute or at the mercy of a pimp.
Feminst and their man hating attitude are always trying to blame all males and society for what a few bad people choose to do as if we ever embraced these people as positive contributors to society. Outside of insecure rappers bragging about being a bad A$$ P.I.M.P we don't see anyone else celebrating those vile creatures. Of course these are the same rappers who brag about shooting men and selling drugs all the time.
I know there are exploited people in this world, but framing it as a sexism issue is just wrong. Blaming men in general is also wrong.
"Success was measured by how long Quintero could keep them away from the pimps. The more time spent in group homes or with supportive relatives, the better the odds that they wouldn't sprint back to the streets. And maybe they could be persuaded to testify against the men who corrupted them, who demanded money and sex and sometimes the honorific "Daddy." "
Don't get me wrong these pimps are evil and these girls are victims of abuse. The full complexity of this dynamic is more than a matter of demand. Trying to cut off demand is the worst way to deal with a prohibition issue. It's the suppliers you need to take down that includes the girls and the pimps. It would seem keeping these girls detained longer might be a good way to break the cycle.
Sadly whenever you drop the supply the price goes up and attract even worse people out to exploit these girls. I do feel for the kids, but the adults have to make some adult choices and take themselves off the streets. They may be victims of past abuse but we can't fix that for them or keep them from chasing easy money doing what they know.