Around the world, people are thinking about women's issues from an international perspective today, November 25, designated by the U.N. as as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Indeed, today kicks off sixteen days of activism on this issue.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence (25 November – 10 December) is an annual campaign that is symbolic of the global women’s movement and end-violence networks. Its starting day, 25 November, is observed each year to honour the Mirabal sisters, three political activists from the Dominican Republic who were assassinated on the same date in 1961. The end of the 16 Days is marked by 10 December, International Human Rights Day.
If you want to do something about today's significance, remember this is the first day of
16 days of activism. Hit the button for more information from the Center for Women's Global Leadership, based at Rutgers University and a partner with the U.N.
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For those who are spending time obsessing about Senator Clinton allegedly adding too much drama to the Obama administration - another latently sexist turn of phrase (women create "drama", men bring "charisma") - take note. Entirely apart from Senator Clinton's experience in the Senate and as First Lady, she has taken an active role in women's affairs at the international level by working with and even serving as honorary co-chair (along with Senator Kay Bailey and former Senator Nancy Kassenbaum) - of at least one NGO that takes an internationalist perspective: Vital Voices.
"The nonprofit Vital Voices Global Partnership grew out of the U.S. government's successful Vital Voices Democracy Initiative. The Vital Voices Democracy Initiative was established in 1997 by then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright after the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing to promote the advancement of women as a U.S. foreign policy goal."
Being an honorary chair of an organization does not usually translate into much day to day operational work. The significance, for the present moment, of highlighting Senator Clinton's role Vital Voices, an organization which arose in part because of her famous speech in Beijing, during which she declared that women's rights are human rights, is to illuminate (especially for those who seem to be missing the point) Senator Clinton's recognition around the world as international leader. Not a bad (although certainly a rather dramatic) starting point for a Secretary of State.
Learn more about Vital Voices.
Thanks for the information. It's such short notice that it would be hard to "do" anything to promote this elimination of violence against women- but I'd like to see some actions in the future. Maybe through New Agenda?
Posted by: bluelady | November 25, 2008 at 06:38 PM