International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women
November 17
First observed in 2000, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is an opportunity for governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to raise public awareness of violence against women. Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. According to UNITE to End Violence Against Women (A 2008 campaign launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon), “violence can include physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse, and it cuts across boundaries of age, race, culture, wealth and geography. It takes place in the home, on the streets, in schools, the workplace, in farm fields, refugee camps, during conflicts and crises. It has many manifestations — from the most universally prevalent forms of domestic and sexual violence, to harmful practices, abuse during pregnancy, so-called honor killings and other types of femicide."
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, states, “Violence against women is a form of discrimination and a violation of human rights. It causes untold misery, cutting short lives and leaving countless women living in pain and fear in every country in the world. It harms families across the generations, impoverishes communities and reinforces other forms of violence throughout societies. Violence against women stops them from fulfilling their potential, restricts economic growth and undermines development. It can only be eliminated, therefore, by addressing discrimination, promoting women’s equality and empowerment, and ensuring that women’s human rights are fulfilled.”
Facts
- Up to 70 percent of women and girls will be
beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime.
- Among women aged between 15 and 44, acts of
violence cause more death and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic
accidents and war combined.
- Women and girls comprise 80 percent of the
estimated 800,000 people trafficked annually, with the majority (79 percent)
trafficked for sexual exploitation.
- Over 60 million girls worldwide are child
brides, married before the age of 18, primarily in
- Domestic violence alone cost approximately
US$1.16 billion in
Reflections/Actions:
- Make a list of what I know about women and
the violence they suffer on the local level, in my state, in my country,
around the world. Where is the gap in knowledge? What can I do to educate
myself with regard to this gap?
- For teachers: Include activities to raise
awareness and promote prevention of violence against women and girls in
your curriculum.
Read Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into - Sign the global call for action
to tell governments around the world that you want them to make ending
violence against women and girls a top priority.
- Pray daily for women and young girls
throughout the world.
- Other resources for education include: The Polaris Project website, dedicated to human trafficking, the UN Database on Violence Against Women, UN End Violence Against Women and Girls, and the SCN Family website (Global Ministries tab at top and previous "Action Alerts" tab on the right side)
As the SCN General Assembly comes upon us, it is time to locate the brochure explaining the strategic plan for the Office of Global Ministries that was circulated in July 2010. The brochure is available here. The foci included ministering to those on the margins, walking gently on Earth, and being prophetic and living radically. I invite each member of the SCN Family to locate this, reflect upon the success of your action plan, and then consider where the SCN Family may need to direct themselves in the next five years. Additionally, individuals are invited to reflect upon the GA 2008 Directives, the SCN corporate statements (under Global Ministries tab see corporate statements on right) and the SCN Mission Statement.
Reflections/Actions:
- Locate the brochure describing the three foci
and potential actions including your own.
- What was successful? What empowered success?
- How have I been intentional in educating
myself and others, helping to change attitudes, broadening my experiences,
sharing resources, and taking deeper actions?
- In what areas might the SCN Family need to
focus on over the next five years?
- Share your responses with faith groups, the Office of Global Ministries, and the congregation as part of your preparation the 2013 SCN General Assembly with regard to systemic change.
Please use your right to vote on November 6 unless you have voted prior to this date.
In mid to late September, Congress passed a six month FY 2013 continuing resolution that would expire on March 27, 2013. According to the most recent Coalition on Human Needs newsletter, the legislation “contains no controversial policy riders or funding levels that differ significantly from current levels. It does contain extra funds for modernizing nuclear weapons, for cybersecurity work done by the Department of Homeland Security, for fighting wildfires, and for addressing a backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs.” The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) was also extended as it was set to expire September 30.
Remaining after the elections are the sequestration cuts (set to take effect January 1, 2013), the federal unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless (expires December 31) and the farm bill. Those out of labor for at least 27 weeks make up about 40 percent of the unemployed. Terminating these benefits would increase the number of individuals living in poverty in
The Budget Control Act put into place last year would force action on across the board spending cuts of 8.9 % to all areas including the Pentagon that would take effect January 1. Preserved is Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP and a few other safety net programs. Additionally, the Bush-era tax cuts expire on December 31 among a few other tax incentives. These other tax incentives include the payroll tax holiday and annually renewable tax incentives. Failure to prevent these cuts and tax increases is what is known as the “fiscal cliff” or "fiscal slope" being spoken of in the media. Economists are divided about the benefits of this event. What is key is that safety net providers will NOT lose funding on January 1.
Farm bill programs expired on September 30 with a 2012 Farm Bill still looming after the elections. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will continue to operate without interruption as it was included in the FY 2013 6-month continuing resolution that was passed the end of September. According to the Coalition on Human Needs most recent newsletter, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program is also protected.
Farmers must have access to the government role in planning for next year’s crop. Failure to act by December 31 will place crop subsidies back to the 1940 farm bill level. The major disagreement lies in how much savings over ten years the House and Senate are able to make. According to the Coalition on Human Needs most recent newsletter, The House is looking for $16 billion in cuts to SNAP while the Senate is seeking $4.5 billion in cuts to SNAP. Additionally, the House is looking to save $35 billion over 10 years while the Senate is seeking to save $23 billion over that same time period.
The Veteran's Employment Bill was shelved before the election recess. According to a September 19, article in Stars and Stripes, one in four Veterans is unemployed. The bill would have allowed President Obama to create veterans jobs corps, spending $1 billion on programs and grants to put former service members to work as police officers, emergency response personnel and park rangers. The chance that this bill appears after the elections is slim as there are many pieces of legislation in need of attention.
Actions:
- When legislators return after Election Day,
thousands of signatures will be passed on to legislators telling Congress
we need a 2012 Farm Bill that invests in the future of healthy farms, food
and people; protects our precious air, soil, water and reforms farm
subsidies and levels the playing field. Join in solidarity here.
- Watch for other ways to take action on the above issues at the SCN Family Website under the Global Ministries Tab at top of page (Weekly Justice Highlights).
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