Ecumenical Women Leading the Charge

Today I met some wonderful sisters from all over the world through the group Ecumenical Women. Ecumenical Women is an international coalition of church denominations and organizations, which have status with the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations.  The mission of this group, of which I feel very honored to be a member, trains and empowers individuals and various expanding network to advocate for gender equality at the United Nations. The work that this coalition has done is phenomenal.

                                                                              

                                                                       

However, we continue to sound the alarm, push the envelope, press the issues for individuals, who are marginalized or in the words of great theologian Howard Thurman those who feel disenfranchised, to have a voice and a choice.  We realize that there is so much work to be done.

                                                       

                                                                

“Our faith tradition teaches us that every human being is created in the image of God!” And, because we are created in that image, no one should be subjected to acts of violence that attempt to dampen or minimize who God has created each of us to be.

Today

we worshipped,

we prayed

we sang,

we marched

we called names of sisters experiencing violent acts

we listened,

we  hugged,

we laughed

and some of us cried

BUT we ALL  pledged to fight.

                                                 

The commonality between my sister from New Zeland, a sister from Ireland  and a sister from Keyna is that we ALL have  a passion to be a voice for the voiceless and bring awareness and advocacy to women and girls who are experiencing violence in their lives.

Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women     

We were honored to have Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women to give us a message of hope. She emphasized that "globally, 7 out of 10 women will suffer some kind of violence in their lifetime." She emphasized that there are 4 P’s to ending violence against women

PREVENTION

PROTECTION

PROVISION OF SERVICES

PERSECUTION of the PERPETRATORS

We discussed the recommendations and the draft that will be presented to the UNCSW57 (United Nations 57^th Commission on the Status of Women.

The discussions were intense, enlightening and informative.

Our discussions revolved around three primary recommendations:

·      Cultural, structural and economic violence are underlying factors that must be addressed

·      Education is a vital part of the change process, especially societal change.    Education must incorporate men and boys alongside women and girls

·      We must pay particular attention to the needs of rural and minority populations and improve their access to resources and services

After our discussion, we all participated in a silent march from 52nd street to 44th street to the United Nations Chapel. We held up the names of women who have experienced or are experiencing violence in their lives. 

                                                                                                          

The closing worship was spiritually powerful.  The worship team presented  I the story of the Daughter of Japheth which provided us with a clear understanding of how violence is pervasive in our faith traditions and our world.

The Gathering

I used to love to look at the TV show, "Highlander" starring the actor Adrian Paul. Paul played, the main character on the show, "Duncan MacCleod".... Duncan was an immortal and his quest was to rid the world of evil. All of the immortals would come to the gathering at specific times because "there could be only one"... one immortal that is. Duncan had an unorthodox way of eliminating the evil immortals  by cutting off their heads. I would love to watch the battle scenes as he would cut the head of his evil opponent with a sword, because that is the only way you can kill an immortal. This character would attempt to do good in spite of the evil that existed in the world.


As we, Presbyterian Women, gathered together last night for our orientation.

 I felt God's presence as I listened to stories, gave hugs, and attempted to grasp 

all the great work that has been done concerning women's issues. It was indeed a

 "Gathering" but not to cut off each other's heads, but to cut off the head of evil surrounding the abuse of that some women experience around the world.

Many of the women that I met last night left behind husbands, children, family members, jobs, and school to be here at the United Nations for two weeks .They are mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts, neighbors and friends. They, like me, feel a call by God to bring attention to the evils that women who are battered and abused experience on a daily basis.  Many women and girls who experience abuse suffer physically, sexually and psychologically. Abuse in any form should not be tolerated!!!!


But, it so easy to tell as sister, friend, neighbor or colleague to walk away when they are being abused. However, some women do not have anywhere to go to feel safe. I became acutely aware last night that a married woman in some parts of India do not have the right to stay in her home after her husband dies. IF, her son does not take her into his home.... she has to stay in the streets. Imagine, being a senior citizen subjected to living out in the streets, begging for food because you have no where to go. 

I also listened to women who are working with eradicating human trafficking in the world. At my table we discussed the evils of Human Trafficking that exist around the world and in the United States. I saw this flyer and was filled with disgust:

Human Trafficking = Modern Slavery

Your smart phone....    

Your t-shirt................

Your computer.........

Your cup of coffee....

The tomato on your sandwich. 

All of these could come from slave labor

I listened to these issues and I listened to many, many stories of women who have been on "the battlefield" fighting for the rights of women, children and men. I was elated to find out that Presbyterians have had a visible witness in the UN community since the United Nations was chartered in 1945. The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations equips and inspires Presbyterians for global discipleship following Jesus and advocates for peace and justice. And, Presbyterian Women have been leading the fight to eradicate all forms of violence, discrimination and anything that is detrimental to the progress of all people, especially women. As we continue to gather please keep us in prayer and those who experience violence daily. We must STOP ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE. I feel PEACE is a better option, don't you?

Thoughts of Laetitia

Today I am on a plane in route to New York City, I was selected to be a delegate to the 57th Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. The theme this year: The Elimination and Prevention of All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls.  Am I excited???? "Excited" is an understatement, I can not adequately put into words the joy I am feeling and yet; while on this  plane, I am thinking about the critical reason why I am here. 

As I looked out the window of my plane into the morning clouds, I began to think about the countless women and girls who may be experiencing abuse in that moment. I became emotional. Here, I was sitting in the comfort of a plane being asked if I wanted coffee, juice or a cookie and there are sisters representing all the shades of the rainbow around the world fighting for their very lives. You may say to yourself, Tish lighten up...is it that bad? Perhaps, it is not bad for you and certainly not for me. But there are an infinite number of courageous individuals who experience violence on a daily basis. They live in constant fear; however, they continue to press on for their children and themselves. Some have been wronged by the judicial system and some have never had the opportunity to give a voice to their personal story. 

Women like, Marissa D. Alexander who are in prison for defending herself and her children from her abusive husband. She faces a minimum of 20 years, though she hurt NO ONE. After being abused and beat while she was pregnant she fired a warning shot and this shot put her behind bars even though no one was hurt. 

The National Institute of Justice, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence:

·      Estimates range from 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend to 3 million women who are physically abused by their husband or boyfriend per year.

·       Women accounted for 85% of the victims of intimate partner violence, men for approximately 15%.

·      Nearly three out of four (74%) of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.

·      Forty percent of girls age 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.

·      One in five (21%) women reported she had been raped or physically or sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

·      One in 12 women and one in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime, for an average duration of almost two years

·      In a national survey of American families, 50% of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.

·      Between 600,000 and 6 million women are victims of domestic violence each year, and between 100,000 and 6 million men, depending on the type of survey used to obtain the data.

Please be in prayer with all who are attending the 57th Commission on the Status of Women at the UN. We will be addressing these issues and many many more. 

It is imperative that we address the violence that is pervasive in our world. You can help by contacting your state representatives to encourage them to continue to pass amendments to assist our mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins and friends. Together we can stop this violence and truly become a peace filled world.