jenny cares 

Fight Violence Against Women on International Women's Day‏
Africa Faith and Justice Network  


AFJN  Despite the tremendous advances celebrated today on International Women's Day, evidence shows that violence against women worldwide is still a daily occurrence with an unconscionable number of victims. The WHO estimates that in some countries, as many as 70 percent of women experience sexual coercion, physical assaults, or other forms of abuse during her lifetime.
Even further, "women and girls are particularly targeted by the use of sexual violence, including as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instill fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilians member of a community or an ethnic group," as stated by the United Nations in security council resolution 1820.  This atrocious tendency has been particularly disturbing in the DRC, where 200,000 cases of sexual abuse have been reported over the past decade, with countless more unreported.
This year's International Women's Day, encourage our [USA] leaders to take action against violence against women worldwide! The International Violence Against Women Act of 2010 (H.R. 4594), introduced in the House and Senate early February 2010, empowers the US government, through its foreign assistance, to pursue effective remedies to violence against women worldwide.
By forming the Office for Global Women's issues within the department of State, calling for ambitious and accountable country-specific programming, and requiring the integrating women's issues into all aspects of US foriegn policy, the passage of this bill will demonstrate to the world that the US doing its part for women. While fighting impunity for acts of sexual violence, H.R 4594 would also direct the US, through its support of local organizations, to empower women in politics, economy, education, human rights promotion, and participation in peacebuilding.
H.R. 4594, represents an window of opportunity for many women worldwide. Tell your representative to co-sponsor today! 
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In Peace,
Rocco, Bahati, and Allison
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Africa Faith and Justice Network
125 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017
202.884.9780 | fax 202.884.9774 | afjn@afjn.org