Monday, November 21, 2005

365 Ways to End Violence Against Women

A feminist organiation in Calgary is collecting suggestions about how to end violence against women -- they are looking to collect at least 365. Please give your suggestion and take a look at what others have suggested.

The call for ideas reads:

To mark the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women (November 25), part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the Violence Information & Education Centre and Community & Neighbourhood Services - East Area (City of Calgary) are co-sponsoring My 365 Ways to End Violence Against Women.

November 25 was declared International Day Against Violence Against Women at the first Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean in July 1981. The date was chosen to commemorate the violent assasination of the Mirabal sisters (Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa) on November 25, 1960, by the dictatorship of Tafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The date was officially recognized as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the United Nations in 1999.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence includes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25), World AIDS Day (December 1), the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6) and Internatonal Human Rights Day (December 10).

We are compiling 365 ways that all of us, together, can use to end violence against women.

We invite you to share your ideas below.


(Via an email on the PAR-L list.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Women are the fundamental companions of men. Without women, then men are useless. This idea only tells that women shoulds be treated fairly and be love with sincerity. Any violence committed against women is more than a crime. Any suffering that women take is bound to doom men.

Scott Neigh said...

Thanks, both of you, for your comments. I disagree with some of the things each of you say, but take heart from a shared opposition to violence against women.

I would suggest that there is a lot to learn from queer analyses of gender and sexuality that might lead to conclusions other than essentialized opposition or unescapable compulsion into copmlimentarity between two supposedly ahistorical genders.

And I would urge people not to forget that, whatever else it might be, violence against women is about power and domination -- to really address issues of abuse, we have to address issues of gendered (and racialized and classed and abled) differentials in power at all scales, from individual to social.

May we all one day feel safe walking in the dark.