When I was a girl, I had a pen pal in New Delhi. I hadn’t thought about her in years, until today when I read A Letter from New Delhi in The Washington Post. The author poignantly describes how a young female college student in New Delhi, Avantika Shukla, must carefully consider every moment of [...]
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Let’s Seize This Month To Prevent Human Trafficking
As the first US anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to prevention, we are particularly gratified by the President’s focus on prevention in his proclamation of January as “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.” Founded in 1999 – before the US passed the first anti-trafficking legislation in late 2000, Prevent Human Trafficking (PHT) just celebrated [...]
Notre Dame Football Players Rape Cover-up – What’s in the News and What Isn’t
Januaryu 7th, 2013/ Updated Version, January 9th, 2013 Thanks to extensive media coverage, almost everyone in the country knows that Notre Dame lost their championship football game to Alabama. But despite last year’s coverage on CBS, MSNBC and the Washington Post, few Americans are aware of Notre Dame’s cover-up of rapes by Notre Dame football players. Why is the football [...]
“Special” Protections for “Special” Women: Why the Violence Against Women Act Expired
Nobody warned me. When I started to “come out” as a feminist activist – not just talking with friends, but sharing articles on Facebook, writing extensively about women’s rights, and participating in advocacy movements – nobody warned me. Nobody warned me that friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, and sometimes total strangers who’d come across my [...]
Syria: Rape, Honor, and Quiet Collusion
Warning: This post contains graphic depictions of sexualized violence. Lauren Wolfe, director of the Women Under Siege Project which documents the incidence of rape in war and militarized zones, this week posted an opinion piece, End Culture of Rape in 2013. As she knows better than most, this is easier said then done. The [...]
Anne Hathaway & One Billion Rising Inspiration For 2013
Who inspires me? I could answer this question at the moment with Anne Hathaway. Of course this might just be the Les Mis high talking, but I did feel inspired by her remarkable performance in film that as Fantine. If you haven’t seen the film yet, and are not a musical theatre nerd; Fantine is [...]
“Put Women’s Safety First”: Why the House Must Reauthorize VAWA Now
I used to volunteer at a domestic violence hotline. I spoke with women scared for their lives and for the lives of their children. They were hurt, angry and confused. Some needed legal counseling or refuge from an abusive partner. Others just needed someone to listen. If it hadn’t been for the Violence Against Women [...]
Dog Abuser liked less than Woman Abuser
As an unabashed Pittsburgh Steelers fan living deep in enemy territory going on a decade now, I’m used to getting insufferable emails, Facebook posts, and tweets from friends who are unfortunately, New England Patriots fans. I still love my misguided friends despite this complete lapse in judgement. When I opened my email last week from one [...]
The Gift of Safety and Security
The YWCA USA is thanking those Senators and Representatives who have supported extending tax cuts for the middle class. Join us and thank your Congressman or Congresswoman – send a letter, tag them in a Facebook holiday card, or send them a Tweet. This holiday season, I’m wishing for Congress to pass a bi-partisan Violence [...]
Kasandra Perkins: When Domestic Violence Grabs the Headlines
Reporters buzzed this weekend with news about the murder−suicide committed by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher. Before killing himself at the Chiefs’ practice facility, he shot Kasandra Perkins, his 22-year-old girlfriend, nine times in their home. The couple’s three-month old daughter and Belcher’s mother were in the house at the time of the shooting. Much of the ensuing [...]