~ ARTICLES ~
International Demonstration to End Violence Against Women, on Valentine's Day: by Kate Gallion
On the Valentine's Day Demonstration...
Offensive, Sexist and Ignorant! by Nita and Shaunna, Ultraviolet
Amnesty International calls for passage of the VAWA
Global Solutions joins the call
International Demonstration to End Violence Against Women, on Valentine's Day: by Kate Gallion
 Northside Demonstration
On valentine's day, 2.14.13, women in two hundred countries rallied to the call from play write Eve Ensler (Vagina Monologues) to rise up in dance to protest violence against women. According to NOW Cincinnati's published listing, there were seven local uprising events on Vday.
Read More The University of Cincinnati's Women's Studies event was the largest, followed by a good turnout at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Norwood. The surprising St. Ursula Academy, and Thomas More College events were unexpected and spirited venues. The Thompson House in Newport had an evening of music dedicated to ending violence against women. The Western Tennis and Fitness club hosted Rise and Dance on the tennis courts, followed by lunch. The Northside Women's uprising was flavored by bright pink ski masks in homage to the brave, young Russian women of Pussy Riot- imprisoned in harsh and punitive detention for the offense of speaking pink truth to Putin's power. We used social media- facebook and Twitter to coordinate the Northside Rising, and timed it for 5:00 pm rush hour at the highly visible intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Blue Rock Road. Our goal was to make a joyful drumming noise to gather attention for this global crisis. For some- it was their first public demonstration- but for others, dedicated career social activists- it was a moment to rededicate ourselves to our original feminist mission: full legal gender equality, freedom of choice, and freedom from violence both domestic and institutional. The goal of Vday was global solidarity and awareness of the systemic crisis of violence. The statistics tell the horrifying story: One in three women victimized by rape or abuse in their lifetimes: the shocking one -in- five military women sexually assaulted while in service to our country; the stalemate in the US House of Representatives in refusal to pass the reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); and the decades long refusal of The United States to ratify the UN's 1980 Convention to End Discrimination in all forms against Women- CEDAW. The Rising is a rallying cry , an organizing pivot point and a reminder that the work of feminism is far from over and done. It's a mandate to realize actual fundamental change in the status of women of the world community. Kate Gallion kategallion@gmail.com P.S.
U.S. Activists! Use the momentum of One Billion Rising To Get VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) Passed! February 14th might be over but ONE BILLION RISING has only begun! Now is the time to harness the power of your activism to change the world. Let's start by getting the Senate version of VAWA to the House floor for a vote! We are calling on all of our U.S based activists to RISE for VAWA and we have a simple 2 week plan, with the aim to get VAWA passed by International Women's Day on March 8th. THIS Week: Organize an event in your communities! Your representatives are currently at home and they need to see the support and feel the pressure of their constituents. You can do this event anywhere and the event can be anything: You've already got your dancing shoes on so hold a RISE for VAWA flash mob! Hold a rally in a public space (town square, local mall, town hall etc) and invite local activists to speak about the importance of VAWA and ending violence against women and girls Protest outside of government offices and buildings Hold a concert, open mic night, theatrical production, etc to support VAWA and those working to get it passed Any of these options and more will help highlight the support for VAWA in your community. NEXT Week: Starting on Monday February 25th, your representatives will be back in Washington D.C. We are urging you ALL to flood their telephone lines and email inboxes with messages of support for VAWA. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! RISE for VAWA ACTION CENTER: DOWNLOAD the RISE for VAWA Poster > Don't forget to invite the press! The more support our representatives see for VAWA the greater the chance for success!! Check out our One Billion Rising Media Tips > CONTACT Your Representative! Feminist Majority has made it super simple to contact your representative, just enter your zip code and you're halfway there! CONTACT > Why is VAWA so important? LEARN more > SEND ENERGY & THANKS to VAWA’s friends in Congress, and SEND COURAGE to the Members who are silent so that they can stand up for survivors and victims and vote for VAWA > Kate Gallion kategallion@gmail.com
| Thank You ONE BILLION RISING For Rocking The World To all of our activists, regardless of how you rose THANK YOU for making 14 February 2013 the largest global action in history to end violence against women and girls! “Together on 14 February, we expressed our outrage and joy and our firm global call for a world where women are free and safe and cherished and equal. One Billion Rising brought together coalitions of groups and individuals that have never worked together before and galvanized new supporters and associations and masses of men who were not previously engaged, but now see violence as their issue. It did all of this while putting violence against women to the center of the global discussion. One Billion Rising has broken taboos, lifted the veil of silence, and inspired a radical outpouring of support to reveal the worldwide system of patriarchy, which sustains the violence. One Billion Rising has shown that violence against women is not a national, tribal, ethnic, or religious issue, but a global phenomenon, and that through this worldwide rising and support, survivors can be given the confidence of knowing that violence is not their fault.” – Eve Ensler Today we celebrate these victories, and we hope you do to. Now ask yourself WHAT CAN I DO IMMEDIATELY TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS - and then go out and DO IT! One Billion Rising was always conceived to be a catalyst and a wind rather than a new organization. So use it to fuel your next activities, you can: PLAN local actions for International Women's Day (8 March), STAGE a V-Day benefit in your community, WORK for political action in your community or country like the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) effort in the U.S. SHARE your plans on our Facebook page explaining how you’re carrying the One Billion Rising energy forward in your community. STAGE a V-Day Benefit >
RISE for VAWA >
SHARE your plans > VICTORIES - Brought together people across movements and causes – mobilizing communities such as migrants, women in prison, domestic workers, urban poor, LGBTQI, farm workers, the disabled, and many more.
- Created the opportunity for councils of indigenous women to participate in global problem solving.
- Created global solidarity and strength cutting across borders, races, class, religions, sexual orientation, ages, genders. Reignited solidarity between women's organizations in various countries. Rekindled the ethos of sisterhood amongst women on a global scale.
- Brought to the surface the intersection of issues both causing and affecting violence against women: patriarchy, poverty, corporate greed, environmental plunder, imperialist policies, religion, militarization, interventions of outside countries, immigration, labor export policies, nationalization of industries, political repression.
- Engaged masses on a deeper, more embodied level through dancing, poetry, singing, and art.
- Produced massive media exposure, discourse, and advocacy on violence against women issues. It also created or was the catalyst for the development of millions of women citizen social media journalists telling their own narratives by picking up cameras.
- Created solidarity and safe and free space, through our creativity and numbers, for violated women to tell their stories, many for the first time, and heal their trauma by dancing in public, communal open spaces.
- Inspired millions of men to stand and rise as our allies, deconstructing patriarchy alongside us.
- Galvanized and empowered legislators to generate legislation in support of ending violence against women and girls globally. Created an opportunity for globally linked women’s councils to lobby at all levels of government and UN.
- Increased funding and support for programs and education to end violence and women and girls.
- Made violence against women impossible to ignore and never to be marginalized again. Reminded the world that women united will never be defeated.
- Generated the best collection of worldwide dance videos ever!
READ the Press Release: V-Day’s ONE BILLION RISING is Biggest Global Action EverTo End Violence Against Women and Girls > |
Offensive, Sexist, and Ignorant
From: "Nita and Shaunna, Ultraviolet" <info@weareultraviolet.org> Date: February 20, 2013 2:12:51 PM EST To: "Kate" <kategallion@gmail.com> Subject: Offensive, sexist and ignorant Reply-To: info@weareultraviolet.org | Rep. Duncan (R-TN) just said that "most men can handle [domestic abuse] a little better than a lot of women can." Comments like this are offensive and dangerous, and Rep. Duncan must apologize. Can you sign the petition? Click Here | | Dear Kate, Want to know why the Violence Against Women Act has gone nowhere in Congress? Because Congress is filled with people like Representative John "Jimmy" Duncan, Jr (R-TN).
 Representative Duncan, R., TN Yesterday, during an interview about the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Rep. Duncan said that "like most men, I'm more opposed to violence against women than even violence against men, because most men can handle it a little better than a lot of women can."2 What?!? Abuse is wrong, no matter who the target is. Being protected from a violent partner doesn't make a woman weak. Period. Comments like this promote the very dangerous idea that some people don't need protection, and that those who do are somehow weak. Rep Duncan's comments are offensive, sexist and ignorant and they are disturbingly reminiscent of the attitudes Representatives Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock showed towards women last year with their comments about rape.4 Even worse, Rep. Duncan says he isn't sure whether he'll support reauthorization of VAWA.5 Speaker John Boehner must make sure Rep. Duncan apologizes immediately on the House floor, and then Rep. Duncan must show he's serious about protecting all people from abuse by signing on as a cosponsor of the expanded Violence Against Women Act now. These comments were published in the press late yesterday and a firestorm is beginning to develop. When elected officials say dangerous and offensive things, they must be held accountable--otherwise we'll never make progress on important issues like VAWA. If all of us add our names right now, we can make sure he makes this right--but we need to act quickly. Can you sign the petition? Sign the petition demanding Rep. Duncan apologize and cosponsor VAWA. Rep. Duncan's comments are not just offensive, they're also dangerous. While conservatives in the House continue to block VAWA, shelters, domestic violence hotlines and other key service providers are left to wonder how long they'll be able to keep their doors open.6 Domestic violence is a real problem in this country--three women die each day at the hands of an intimate partner.7 Over the past two decades, this life-saving law has been expanded every time it's come up for renewal. Those expansions have never been controversial until last year when the Tea Party-controlled House blocked it from passing over new protections for the most underserved communities. Now, extremists in the House are continuing to block the bill while countless women's lives are hanging in the balance.8 Here are just a few of the ways that VAWA has helped to curb domestic violence:9 - Strengthened federal penalties for repeat sex offenders and created a federal “rape shield law,” which prevents offenders from using survivors' past sexual conduct against them at trial.
- Trained over 500,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges every year to ensure they understand the realities of domestic and sexual violence.
- Established the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which has answered over 3 million calls and receives over 22,000 calls every month; 92% of callers report that it’s their first call for help.
And the results have been clear--since 1994 when it passed, domestic violence has declined 67%.10 Rep. Duncan's comments show just how out of touch he is with women, and with the reality of domestic violence. Can you sign the petition urging him to apologize, and show that he's serious about protecting all people from abuse by signing on as a cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act? Sign the petition today. Thanks for speaking out, Nita, Shaunna, Kat, and Karin, the UltraViolet team Sources: 1. John Duncan On VAWA: Most Men Can Handle Violence Better Than Most Women, Huffington Post, February 19, 2013 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 4. GOP’s Akin, Mourdock lose Senate elections, Washington Post, November 7, 2012 5. John Duncan On VAWA: Most Men Can Handle Violence Better Than Most Women, Huffington Post, February 19, 2013 6. The Violence Against Women Act is on life support, Washington Post, Jan 25, 2013 7. Each Day 3 Women Die Because of Domestic Violence, National Network to End Domestic Violence 8. Leahy, Crapo Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill To Reauthorize The Landmark Violence Against Women Act, Senator Leahy Press Release, January 22, 2013 The Violence Against Women Act is on life support, Washington Post, Jan 25, 2013 9. "Factsheet: The Violence Against Women Act," The White House, accessed January 24, 2013 10. Ibid.
 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF THE VAWA | |
Congress, we demand justice for all women – not some | | | Dear kate,
Congress turned its back on women last year when it shamefully failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) for the first time since 1994.
The reason? A group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives wanted to deny protections for three communities that face disproportionate levels of violence -- Native American and Alaska Native women, immigrant women and LGBT individuals.
But there is hope. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a strong, inclusive and bipartisan VAWA that will help support all women facing violence and exploitation.
Amnesty is mobilizing an urgent effort to get an identical bill passed in the House. Please donate now and support our work to defend human rights.
The stakes couldn't be higher. - 1 in 3 Native American and Alaska Native women will be raped in her lifetime. When the perpetrator is a non-Native man – as in 86% of cases – a complex maze of jurisdictional issues can delay the judicial process or potentially even allow the perpetrator to escape justice.
- Immigrant women often face higher rates of sexual harassment and domestic abuse – but when it comes to seeking justice, they have few legal rights and little protection from abusers who could exploit their immigration status.
- LGBT violence survivors often face discrimination when attempting to access potentially life-saving social services – discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
An inclusive VAWA would put an end to these injustices . Stand with us and help pressure Congress to put partisan politics aside and protect the rights of all women. Donate now.
Your donation will help mobilize grassroots activists to pressure Congress through phone calls and office visits, educate the public about the current gaps in services that survivors face, and pressure key Representatives to muster the political will to support an inclusive bill.
If you believe in justice for all people – not justice for some – donate now.
Thank you for all that you do to protect human rights.
Cristina Finch
Managing Director, Women's Human Rights Program
Amnesty International USA | | Amnesty is demanding that Congress pass a Violence Against Women Act that protects all women, including Native American and Alaska Native women, immigrant women and LBGT individuals. If you believe in justice for all individuals – not justice for some – donate now. | | | | | |
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We're working hard to grow a movement for a more responsible and cooperative US role in the world. There's plenty to do. Here's what our community has recently been up to: Ending Violence Against Women  We continued our crusade for women's rights by supporting the One Billion Rising movement on Valentine's Day, February 14. These rallies were huge successes! We had nearly a dozen chapter leaders from around the country join us and get out the word asGlobalSolutions.org gathered signatures for our CEDAW petition. The event raised international awareness to end violence against women. As we continue our campaign to End Violence Against Women, we are aiming for 1,000 actions by International Women's Day on March 8th. ... (More, including "The Arms Trade Treaty vs. the NRA"  at http://globalsolutions.org/) |
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