The country of Mauritania in the Sahel of Africa, separating the jungles of sub-Saharan Africa from the Saharan Desert, was the last country to abolish slavery and still 10-20% of the population is enslaved. This is the courageous story of a woman named Marieme who escaped from slavery and now lives in Ohio with her children. It is a truly inspiring story.
This is an opinion peace I found on CNN’s website. Lemmon talks about how the women of Afghanistan are being affected by the recent tragedies that have occurred in the country. She talks about how if the U.S. was to pull out, women would be the first to be subjected to harsh and even more strict guidelines than they are now. They would and are not allowed to go out without a male escort, they wouldn’t be allowed to go to school, and would not be able to work. Lemmon pleads with readers to think about these women and what they go through on a daily basis and how their involvement is needed in the reshaping of Afghanistan. If you want to read more about it, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/15/opinion/lemmon-afghanistan-women/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6
Through looking up information for my Op-ed, I found an organization against female genital mutilation. In 2007, UNFPA and UNICEF joined together to create an organization to end the violence and violations of human rights for girls and women in today’s generations. This program is called “Accelerating Change” and covers 17 different countries. It’s an amazing organization and if you would like to know more their website is: www.unfpa.org/gender/practices1.htm
This article I found on CNN.com just goes to show you how harsh and horrible people can be, even here in the United States. A 15-year-old girl was found starved and sexually abused by her own father, step-mother, and step-brother. If that isn’t one of the worst acts of cruelty, I don’t know what is. If you want to learn more, here it the article link: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/16/justice/wisconsin-child-abuse/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1
During a hearing titled “Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?” on Capitol Hill Thursday, Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York had one simple question about the panel of witnesses. She said, “where are all the women? When I look at this panel, I don’t see one single woman representing the tens of millions of women across the country who want and need insurance coverage for basic, preventative health care services, including family planning,” Maloney continued. Then she repeated: “Where are the women?” Why aren’t more women heard in the government? To learn more the link to the article is: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/16/politics/women-lawmakers-hearing/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
Eastern Congo residents, including men and boys as, well as women, have faced violent rapes for many years by armed rebels who roam the hills and sometimes force chunks of wood and guns into their victims.
In Bukavu, gender violence survivors can enter into a program called the City of Joy for six months which includes: group therapy, dance classes, theater, self-defense, and sex education in order to help them recover from years of violence and abuse that Eastern Congo residents face on a daily basis by armed rebels. The program is run by V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls and was founded by Eve Ensler, the playwright and author of “The Vagina Monologues.” The program was created and developed by women on the ground, and their motivation is to turn these women’s pain into power.
It is an amazing movement by these women and if you would like to learn more, visit their site at: http://drc.vday.org/city-of-joy