Human Trafficking happens all around the world, yet many are unaware of this type of modern day slavery. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month and Canada has launched an anti-trafficking ad campaign to encourage its citizens to take off their blind folds and open their eyes.
"Most are women and children and their cases often go unnoticed and unreported due to threats from offenders, language barriers or mistrust of authorities.” –Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
Crime Partners has collaborated with both Public Safety Canada and the Royal Canadian Mountain Police’s Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, for their Blue Blindfold campaign in the form of print ads, televised commercials and informational brochures, exposing the reality of this horrific crime to the light of day.
In theBlue Blindfoldcampaign, which has also been used in the UK, ordinary people are featured engaged in everyday activities while blinded to the human trafficking victims around them. So many of us live our lives overlooking this issue. If we educate ourselves to the signs of human trafficking, we can bring awareness, save lives, and prevent this egregious crime. We encourage you all to remove your blindfolds, take a look around you and scream NO to human trafficking.
Visithttp://www.blueblindfold.co.uk/to find out more about the campaign and follow us on Twitter @womenwotw1 to see all of our latest updates about human trafficking.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Women of the World has embarked upon a journey of purpose and passion in 2010. We have combined hundreds of admirable, influential women and supportive men in a myriad of events and relevant topics. We have formed relationships with like-minded organizations, built confidence and support, and emphasized the importance of speaking in a unified voice to raise awareness of the need to prevent violence against women.
Where do we go in 2011? We go the way suggested by Emerson, “…Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” We will continue to advocate for the rights of women, and this always begins at the grass roots level. We must inspire each other to identify and promote a new generation of socially responsible women. Never let adversity break you. It is a learning experience that will make you stronger in the future.
I am so grateful for your support locally and globally. The call to action is now. You have enhanced the vision of what is possible and support Women of the World as an organization that is based on purpose and passion and champions the truth that safe, healthy, educated women influence prosperity.
A place where survivors of sexual assault and abuse can heal and mobilize the community toward action to end sexual violence.
In August 1981, the Advisory Board and Coordinating Council of Lake County Health Department formed a Rape Victim Advocacy Task Force to study the need for rape victim advocacy services in Lake County. Original Task Force members represented agencies, both public and private, which were involved or potentially interested in providing services to rape victims. The Task Force began meeting in January 1982 and concluded its needs assessment one year later. Their findings documented that current services to rape victims in Lake County were inadequate and fragmented.
Joe Howard, Director of Development, has taken programs to a higher level, encouraging & advocating for programs that educate men.
10 Things Men Can Do To Prevent Gender Violence
·Approach gender violence as a MEN'S issue involving men of all ages and socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. View men not only as perpetrators or possible offenders, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers.
·If a brother, friend, classmate, or teammate is abusing his female partner -- or is disrespectful or abusive to girls and women in general -- don't look the other way. If you feel comfortable doing so, try to talk to him about it. Urge him to seek help. Or if you don't know what to do, consult a friend, a parent, a professor, or a counselor. DON'T REMAIN SILENT.
·Have the courage to look inward. Question your own attitudes. Don't be defensive when something you do or say ends up hurting someone else. Try hard to understand how your own attitudes and actions might inadvertently perpetuate sexism and violence, and work toward changing them.
·If you suspect that a woman close to you is being abused or has been sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help.
·If you are emotionally, psychologically, physically, or sexually abusive to women, or have been in the past, seek professional help NOW.
·Be an ally to women who are working to end all forms of gender violence. Support the work of campus-based women's centers. Attend "Take Back the Night" rallies and other public events. Raise money for community-based rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters. If you belong to a team or fraternity, or another student group, organize a fundraiser.
·Recognize and speak out against homophobia and gay-bashing. Discrimination and violence against lesbians and gays are wrong in and of themselves. This abuse also has direct links to sexism (e.g. the sexual orientation of men who speak out against sexism is often questioned, a conscious or unconscious strategy intended to silence them. This is a key reason few men do speak out).
·Attend programs; take courses, watch films, and read articles and books about multicultural masculinities, gender inequality, and the root causes of gender violence. Educate yourself and others about how larger social forces affect the conflicts between individual men and women.
·Don't fund sexism. Refuse to purchase any magazine, rent any video, subscribe to any Web site, or buy any music that portrays girls or women in a sexually degrading or abusive manner. Protest sexism in the media.
·Mentor and teach young boys about how to be men in ways that don't involve degrading or abusing girls and women. Volunteer to work with gender violence prevention programs, including anti-sexist men's programs. Lead by example.
Zacharias Center's services are free and are available to all survivors regardless of race, gender, language, ability, sexual orientation, or religion.
Zacharias Center seeks to be an active presence in the community to speak up in support of and in partnership with all survivors of sexual violence. Zacharias Center provides services to the community at large and to other professionals and service providers to enhance the understanding of the impact of sexual violence on everyone.
Zacharias's constantly growing services presently include: 24-hour hotline; 24-hour medical and legal advocacy; individual and group counseling for survivors and their loved ones; training of professionals who work with victims (i.e., police, emergency room personnel, court services staff); children's counseling program; Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program in both Spanish and English throughout the Lake County School System; and community education which includes sexual assault awareness, risk reduction, and information on incest. They have expanded their service and outreach to the Spanish-speaking community with bicultural and bilingual staff members in the Community Education, Advocacy, and Clinical programs. Today, 16 full-time and 2 part-time employees along with 75-150 active volunteers staff Zacharias Center.
Remember, sexual assault hurts everyone, not just the victim.
Between Friends is a nonprofit agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse.
In 1986, Between Friends was founded by volunteers from the National Council of Jewish Women and the North Shore Junior League of Evanston as a small grantmaking body dedicated to raising funds for local domestic violence programs. The clear disparity between the growing numbers of domestic violence victims needing help and the limited programs available to assist them prompted Friends to expand its effort in 1991 to include direct crisis intervention services for individuals and families.
Today, Between Friends' comprehensive programs and services include a toll-free Crisis Line (800-603-HELP), counseling for victims and their children, court advocacy, and prevention and education efforts, including healthcare education and our extensive teen dating violence prevention program, REACH (Relationship Education: A Choice for Hope). Each year, we work with thousands of individuals through these programs, all offered free of charge. Friends' offices are located in Rogers Park, on Chicago's north side.
Between Friends provides a safe, violence-free, supportive, self-help environment for women and children in crisis. Between Friends' counselors support women in making their own decisions and choices, rather than making choices for them. Between Friends helps victims and children to recognize that their experience is shared and that the problem of domestic violence is social and political.
Know that abuse is a crime.
·Physical Abuse is any forceful or violent physical behavior.
·Sexual Abuse is any non-consenting sexual act or behavior.
·Verbal or Emotional Abuse includes hurting another person's feeling by saying cruel, unfair comments or by name-calling.
·Psychological Abuse is a threat to do bodily harm to a partner, child, family member, friends, pets or one's self (suicide). Psychological abuse involves hurt, anger, fear and degradation. Psychological abuse can render you emotionally insecure about your own self worth and can make you helpless to escape further physical, sexual and/or psychological abuse.
·Economic Abuse includes controlling an intimate partner’s access to money through behaviors such as preventing a partner from going to work or causing a woman to lose her job.
If you feel that you or someone you know may be in an abusive relationship, read more about the signs of abuse.
Click here to learn about the programs and services we provide.
“When I started playing Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit a decade ago, my eyes were opened to the silenced epidemics of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse in this country. It wasn't just in the scripts for the show, but in the many emails I received from viewers disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time.
I felt a great responsibility to these brave men and women and wanted them to know that they had been heard and that they could have hope. I studied the subject, trained to become a crisis counselor, and used my visibility as an actress to become an advocate. The result was the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing support and encouragement for survivors.
When people are abused and assaulted, it is like the doors to their souls slam shut. The goal of Joyful Heart is to let the light, and the life, back in--to banish the darkness and let the healing begin."
- Mariska Hargitay, President and Founder, Joyful Heart Foundation
The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.
Joyful Heart is not a crisis center and does not provide emergency services including: crisis intervention, counseling, housing, legal or financial assistance. We are able, however, to connect you to information and resources where these services are available. We encourage you to take the next step and contact the appropriate resource.
A closing thought from Mariska:
“It is my wish that you live the healthiest, most fulfilled lives you can, in full acknowledgement and awareness of the demands of your calling. May you find ways, in the midst of your mission to serve and protect others, to do the same for yourselves.”
With admiration and gratitude,
www.joyfulheartfoundation.org
Me and Ro supportsThe Joyful Heart Foundation through a customized piece of jewelry reflecting the beliefs and ideals of Robin Renzi, founder and CEO. Her art is inspired by human need to adorn and communicate through jewelry. She created the FEARLESSNESS pendant, which serves as a reminder that embracing fearlessness inspires one to approach life with an open heart and to be strong in the face of adversity. 100% of the proceeds from this pendant go directly to The Joyful Heart Foundation.
On January 12th, the worst earthquake in 200 years struck Haiti, which changed the lives of hundreds of children forever. The United Fund for UNICEF continues to save kids with numerous acts of donations.
“She never did tell me her name or her age. She just told me that when the earthquake struck her home in Haiti, she thought it was God teaching her to fly. In fact, her world had been shattered, and her family was gone.”- UNICEF
The facts:
22,000 kids who died every day from a preventable cause
Every 6 seconds, a child died from malnutrition
Every day, 400 children died from measles
UNICEF is dedicated to changing these statistics because this largest humanitarian organization believes the number of children who died every day from a preventable cause should be ZERO. How is this accomplished?
Education – In the aftermath of war or natural disaster, children often feel safest in a classroom. UNICEF developed the School-in-a-Box kit so that a classroom could be set up anywhere to restore a sense of normalcy and help break the cycle of poverty.
Emergency relief – Children are often separated from their families in the chaos after a disaster. UNICEF sets up child protection centers to provide these kids with a safe environment, clean water, shelter and help in finding their lost loved ones.
Safe drinking water – When children are thirsty, it doesn't matter if a river is clouded and polluted, they'll drink from it. UNICEF's simple solutions like clean water tablets make it safe for children to drink when they are thirsty – anywhere, anytime.
Every day of every year, UNICEF uses these proven, low-cost methods to save kids in need. Due to UNICEF’s efforts, the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from 13 million in 1990 to 8 million in 2010.
There is no reason why a child should die from a cause that has long been solved in the developed world.
No other organization has saved more children's lives than UNICEF.
Philanthropy comes in all sizes: donate now to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Every donation is 100% tax-deductible. Your 100% tax-deductible gift will support the best child survival and protection team on the planet:
“So when life hands you a lemon, you can either toss it aside and wait for an apple or you can take life as it has come to you and make a glass of lemonade to share with others through the positive light and influences that you emit” -Jill Eisnaugle
An estimated 40,000 people with HIV live in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Valentina, an HIV-positive resident, was only 34 years old when she realized that she needed help. With the help of MAMA+, a Russian non-governmental organization Doctors to Children with the support of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, Valencia was able to overcome her struggle.
She was a soon to be mother who had contracted HIV a few years earlier from her late drug-abusing husband. Valentina suffered from financial issues, depression and was concerned for the life of her unborn child. With the efforts of MAMA+, which strives to provide medical and social services to HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers, her life improved. When her daughter was born, she was pleased to learn that the baby had not contracted HIV.
Soon after, Valentina experienced yet, another obstacle. After giving birth, Valentina’s new partner became very violent. “The worst thing was that our little daughter was constantly exposed to danger, living between two fires,” she recalls.
She turned to MAMA+ once again for assistance, and was soon able to move to the programs Halfway House for Women with Children in Difficult Life Situations. This helped her regain control of her life. “With psychological support from MAMA+, I could become emotionally more stable. My daughter became much quieter and more sociable," she says.
Valentina began building a new future for herself and her daughter. She is a courageous women who, today, lives on her own with her daughter and works as an assistant nurse at a hospice for people living with HIV. In addition, she counsels other HIV-positive women and makes home visits to HIV-affected families to offer advice and material support.
Women of the World is a global organization committed to developing strategic relationships that foster economic opportunities, encourage thought leadership and elevate awareness about the issue of violence against women.
Women of the World is a non-profit organization based on purpose and passion, championing the truth that safe, healthy, educated women influence prosperity.
Act locally and think globally to effect change.
