Millennials, Women, and Impact: Spark News Digest

Next gen donors, a girl’s battle at home, and contraceptive prowess. This is your Spark News Digest.

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PHILANTHROPY: Next Generation Donors And Their Plan For Greater Impact

Next generation donors, Gen Xers and Millennials are shaking up the state of philanthropy. A new report on our understudied generation states that next generation donors  ”perceive their parents and grandparents as driven by obligation, recognition, and tradition, [and] they see themselves as driven by strategy and impact.” Once criticized for being cynical and entitled, next generation donors are proving their worth by pushing philanthropic strategy to be more effective.

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INTERNATIONAL: Girl Soldiers Face Tougher Battle On Return To Civilian Life

40% of child soldiers around the world are girls, and while programs are in place to help soldiers reintegrate into society, these programs are not addressing the needs of girl soldiers. This articles discusses the alarmingly low enrollment rate of girls into disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) programs.

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EDUCATION: Women – The World’s Best Investment

Who runs the world…GIRLS! Although research links the success of women with increased GDP,  women in developing nations face limited access to education and economic advancement. Programs’s like Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement) help narrow this gap by teaching women factory workers in developing countries technical and life skills.

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INTERNATIONAL: Justice Is Blind, But Not In The Case of Gender Violence

Famous South African paralympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder of his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. Similar to the gang-rape in India, this case has rightly attracted massive public attention and may be a catalyst for fighting violence against women in South Africa.

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GLOBAL: Sexularism and The Female Body

Should there be compromises in contraceptive governess? In her opinion piece, feminine theorist, Zillah Eisentein discusses the blurred lines between public and private; political and religion; church and state; and secular and religious divides and what we can do as a worldwide community to stand for a women’s rights to her own body.

Read the full story 

In solidarity we trust. Spark News Digest

Maternal Mortality in Malawi & Texas,  Tabloids & the Men who Write Them, and a Flash Mob for LOVE. This is your Spark News Digest.

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GLOBAL: The ‘One Billion Rising’ on the Streets of Delhi

In almost 200 countries around the world, people took to the streets on Valentine’s Day to rise and dance. These flash mobs are part of One Billion Rising, a campaign initiated by Eve Ensler, author of “The Vagina Monologues” to end violence against women. The mob message resonated in India which is still reeling from a highly publicized gang rape. Hundreds of men and women took the streets of Delhi to demand a JUST love grounded in equality for all.

Delhi Rising Promotional Video:

Read the full story 

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GLOBAL: Searching for Gender Equality

A new study found that mobilizing grassroots women’s groups may have the most long-term impact on policies to eradicate violence against women around the world.

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GLOBAL: Boys: The Trouble with Female Celebrity Profiles and the Men Who Write Them.

The sex, the fantasy, the minimization, the disillusionment. This opinion piece illustrates the inherent sexism male writers continue to use to portray female celebrities in glossy magazines.

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GLOBAL: Malawi’s Leader Makes Safe Childbirth Her Mission

In Malawi, 1 out of 36 women are at risk for maternal mortality. The country’s new president, Joyce Banda,  is out to change that horrifying ratio. Banda has a plan to sensitize Malawi’s 20,000 village chiefs, the country’s power brokers, to the dangers of childbirth, while still respecting tribal traditions.

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NATIONAL: Pregnant? Watch Your Risks In Great Texas State

When one think’s of maternal mortality rates, Texas is not the first place that comes to mind. No place in the US should be the first place that comes to mind. However, Gov. Perry’s budget cutting support for Texas’s women’s health services coincides with a shocking increase in maternal mortality rate in the Lone Star state.

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Spark News Digest

Spark is a learning community. We learn by doing and educate our peers on issues impacting women around the world. Practicing what we preach, we will be posting relevant news articles for your mind-expanding pleasure. Read, learn, discuss, share.

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An Acehnese woman straddles on a motorbike in Lhokseumawe in Indonesia, Monday, Jan. 7, 2013. / AP

GLOBAL: Women’s Rights Hit Roadblock in Indonesia

In Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province, women are being shunned for being…women. The Islamist government has voiced that because of the “curves of a women’s body,” female passengers cannot straddle motorbikes as it’s too alluring. Religious-based regulations like this are happening in many regions in the world and in some places, getting worse.

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LOCAL: We must reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act

It happened. Congress failed to reissue the Violence Against Women Act before it expired last year. Congresswomen Glen Moore talks about the disappointment of  letting a bill as important as this fall to the wayside and the less-than-urgent  timing Congress has used to reauthorize it.

Read the full story and watch the video

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GLOBAL: The Internationalization of Women Issues

“Women issues are world issues,” Michelle Bachelet, the executive director of U.N. Women and former president of Chile, said recently. “Today there is greater awareness than ever before that women’s full participation is essential for peace, democracy and sustainable development.” The globalization of women’s issues continues to be on the rise. Hopefully, this will continue to penetrate into leadership positions and change the landscape of decision making around the world.

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GLOBAL: Lawyer in India Gang-Rape Case says Victim to Blame

The latest in the India gang-rape case shares the point of view of one of the lawyers defending the three men who are charged with the rape and murder of a 23-year-old women riding a bus in New Delhi at night. He states that “until today, I have not seen a single incident or example of rape with a respected lady…even an underworld don would not like to touch a girl with respect.” Will the international lens on this case force India to strengthen its laws on rape and protection of women?

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LOCAL: What Linda Lovelace’s Story Does and Doesn’t Say about Porn Today

Linda Lovelace’s story is about to hit Sundance with Lovelace, played by Amanda Seyfried. The film has potential to kickstart some serious conversations about rape culture and sexual consent. The question remains, will the conversation help or hinder a new understanding about women and sexual consent?

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Calling for WOZA

Photo Credit: Sokwanele-Zimbabwe

On Wednesday, May 18^th, six WOZA members were arrested for a peaceful protest in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. They have been accused of painting messages on the road—messages that read- “power to poor people,” “no lengthy load shedding” and “prepaid meters now!”

For the last five years, WOZA members employed an organizing strategy to end price gouging and corruption by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC). Extended blackouts and overbilling greatly impact the quality of life of Zimbabweans.

WOZA fears that these six members are being tortured. Their fear is merited. In March 2011, fourteen WOZA members were tortured while in custody. This morning these six women were denied food and access to their lawyers.

WOZA has asked us for help. They would like us to call the Western Commonage police station +263 9 403996 and request to speak with Assistant Inspector Purazeni, the officer-in-charge. The Standard Time difference is GMT +2 hours. When you speak with him ask him to abide by international standards of detention. WOZA has also suggested that we call the Law and Order Department at +263 9 72515 and implore their protection of the basic human rights of these activists.

When Jenni Williams, the co-founder of WOZA, spoke to Spark earlier this year, she told us that flooding the police station with calls is one of the few strategies that can protect her members from certain beatings and torture. A clogged phone line becomes a nuisance and the police release their detainees with greater expediency to avoid the hassle.

Please join Spark in being a nuisance. Tell us how your calls are going and we will continue to provide updates.

Let’s speak up for the women of WOZA.

Good Advice?

By SHANNON FARLEY, Spark Executive Director

Early this morning I received a call from a college student in Alabama. For her safety, I will call her Ana. She is spearheading an effort to bring her fellow students to Savannah, Georgia in June to participate in a SlutWalk. SlutWalk was founded earlier this year in Toronto after a local police officer told a crowd of students at Osgoode Hall Law School, “I’m not supposed to say this [but to prevent being sexually assaulted] avoid dressing like sluts.” Two months later, over 3,000 outraged young people took to the streets to protest victim-blaming rhetoric and policies. Since April, Slutwalks have been organized all over the world. This response to sexual violence is resonating with a large community of young people. It is also controversial.

Photo Credit: Pamela Westoby

Ana wasn’t calling about the controversy. She was calling for advice. The Savannah SlutWalk has been postponed—possibly indefinitely—because the young women organizing the event received death threats for their participation. Ana called Spark because she and her fellow organizers still planned to protest and wanted to know how to go about it.

I advised against it. I told Ana that her safety and that of her peers was paramount. If the organizers believed that there was a credible threat, there probably was and it is not worth the sacrifice. I suggested that Ana organize a service day at local rape crisis centers and women’s shelters. She and her peers should pamphlet campus, informing students about SlutWalk, the death threats and their non-violent response. I told her that the threat of violence should not stop the political action but it should shift the strategy. I hung up the phone feeling pretty good.

Then, I got a Google alert about Freedom Riders, a documentary featuring the students who fought to desegregate bus lines in the Southeastern,United States in the summer of 1961. It is premièring tonight on PBS. It is a stunning film—a story that is not well known that happened not long ago. 400 courageous and tenacious young people were vilified, tortured and imprisoned for sitting on a bus. One of the arcs of the film chronicles civil rights leaders begging the students to postpone the second phase of the rides. Robert F. Kennedy sent his staffer John Seigenthaler to convince the riders that certain martyrdom would not achieve racial equality. The students rode the bus anyway. The Freedom Riders were fed up. They would not permit the injustice of Jim Crow to continue. So, they rode the bus. 400 young people changed the face of the country for the better.

This morning I told Ana to think of herself first and the cause second. There is plenty of important work to be done to stop violence against women that won’t compromise her safety. I believe the advice I gave Ana was good, but I don’t know if it was right.

What do you think?

Moms Fighting Back

By SARAH MIERS, Spark Fellow

At last month’s speaker series, we were honored to host Jenni Williams from the women’s activist group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).  With a membership of over 75 thousand women and men, the organization works to empower Zimbabweans across the country to stand up for their rights with non-violent activism.

Through a moderated discussion with KQED’s Stephanie Martin, Jenni explained how WOZA members spread the word of upcoming protests by walking miles from one town to the next. She explained how each protester understood that their participation would likely lead to incarceration. It was shocking to hear Jenni calmly explain how these women were trained to prepare for their peaceful protests…

Here are some of WOZA’s tips:

• Be conscious about what you wear: they will be your only clothes for a week or so in jail. Make sure to wear a sweater or jacket as it will be your blanket. It is also provides extra padding if you are beaten.
• Make sure to bring sanitary supplies, especially toilet paper. There is no toilet paper in jail. And it can double as a pillow when wrapped in your jacket.
• For mothers, make sure to prepare meals in advance and secure childcare. You cannot be certain on how long you will be away.
• When you are beaten or arrested, be prepared to look at your aggressor in the face and tell him your name. It will remind him that your are a human.

While these problems may seem far away, we face related issues here at home. Just like WOZA members need to prepare for potentially long-term childcare for their absence in jail, Spark grantee Center for Young Women’s Development in San Francisco works to secure rights for incarcerated mothers, as one-third of women in San Francisco’s juvenile justice system are pregnant or parenting.

By advocating for their “Incarcerated Young Mother’s Bill of Rights” (below), the Center addresses current laws that restrict women from visiting their children and wearing shackles during visits. They also recently co-authored the Anti-Shackling Bill (Assembly Bill AB 1900) that would require state-wide improvements for restraining pregnant women during transport, as “nearly two-thirds of county jails shackle pregnant women in ways that could cause miscarriage or other serious injuries”.

Spark supports women advocating for their rights. This Mother’s Day we stand in solidarity with moms from Zimbabwe to San Francisco.

INCARCERATED YOUNG MOTHER’S BILL OF RIGHTS We have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We have the right to be mothers and not be discriminated against because of our age, and status of offense. We have the right to regular check-ups and proper prenatal care and nutrition. We have the right to have somebody with us while we’re having our babies. We have the right to not be handcuffs and shackled during labor. We have the right to recovery in the hospital after birth. We have the right to see, touch, and speak with our children. We have the right to be informed about our children’s well-being and safety. We have the right to have support and advocacy while incarcerated and the right to know our rights as parents. We have the right to have access to information and education, such as prenatal and parenting classes, so that we can be the best parents we can be. For more information on the Incarcerated Young Mother’s Bill of Rights please contact LeaJay Harper at leajay@cywd.org or 415.703.8800 ext. 212.

Water is a Women’s Issue…in California

BY SARAH MIERS, Spark Fellow

Last Tuesday was World Water Day. For me, it was a much-needed reminder of the scarcity of our fresh water resources.

What’s in your water? The clear water from East Orosi is more contaminated than the murky water on the right from Ducor. (Photo by Erin Lubin)

Around the world, women in our roles as caregivers are disproportionately impacted by scarcity and contamination. Because the task of providing safe water is often delegated to women, the time and effort devoted to collecting water steals away from potential time spent on education, childcare and self-development.

But I live in California. I sort of assumed that I wouldn’t have to worry about the availability and quality of fresh water here in the Bay Area. After some further prodding it seems this isn’t necessarily the case…Fitting enough, this year’s theme for World Water Day is urban water management- a theme that definitely resonates with me here in California.

Take a look at the following facts on CA water management issues:

• California’s water systems are designed to serve 16 million residents, yet in practice it is pushed to serve nearly 40 million.
• Each year, California loses 10% of its water resources due to outdated infrastructure.
• California’s Delta is a key resource for 25 million people (including us in the Bay Area) and 2.5 million acres of our farmland. Experts estimate that a 6.5 earthquake, a likely possibility here in CA, could substantially damage the Delta, flood the surrounding farmland and allow outside salt water to contaminate its fresh water reserves.
• Here in San Francisco, residents of Bayview Hunter’s Point are exposed to seriously contaminated water – it is reported to have “ten times as many contaminated water dischargers on a per capita basis as the rest of San Francisco.”
• A new study shows that up to 1.3 million residents in the San Joaquin Valley, or 35% of the Valley’s population, are at risk of drinking tap water contaminated with nitrates from agricultural fertilization- the health effects are serious and sometimes fatal.

Spark grantee Community Water Center addresses such problems in the San Joaquin Valley. The Community Water Center works with women leaders within these communities with limited access to fresh groundwater resources, advocates for better water management practices and works to improve the quality of existing water reserves in the Valley.

I hope this post gives you some fresh insight on the water issues we face today. Water is our most precious resource- we all rely on it, and we can’t forget how scarce it is.

Egypt Update: Women’s Rights After The Revolution

BY SARAH MIERS, Spark Fellow

As the protests made headline news, we hoped that they would bode well for women involved in the revolution. So far this is not the case. Women are being excluded from an important and exciting moment in shaping Egypt’s future—drafting the country’s new constitution.

Image: © Ramy Raoof

The news took me by surprise. Women’s strong participation in Egypt’s protests against the Mubarak government alluded to a certain degree of political equality. Yet just weeks later, nearly 300 women marching in Tahrir Square on International Women’s Day were beaten and sexually assaulted by a mob. This incident highlights the crucial importance of protecting women’s rights in Egypt, and the recent exclusion of women in the drafting a new constitution underlines the magnitude of this issue.

These recent events may hinder the ongoing progress towards improving women’s political rights in the country. Back in 1957 Egypt became the first Arab country to elect a woman to parliament. In 2010, the Mubarak government secured 64 parliament seats for women. With the omission of women’s input in drafting the new constitution and the harassment of marchers supporting women’s rights and equality, I fear that women’s rights might be jeopardized in the post-revolutionary Egypt. Of particular concern is maintaining the 64 seats in parliament. Since this legislation was enacted under President Mubarak, it is unclear whether or not the new constitution will preserve this right.

In a region where women’s rights are restricted, the broader implications of these political events are very important. While I watch the future of Egypt unfold, I hope that women are able to preserve their existing political presence and continue to fight for equal rights.

Not Just Another Sunday

On January 9^th, Southern Sudanese will vote on whether to secede from the North and form a new country.  This vote was promised in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005, which ended a devastating 22-year civil war that claimed more than two million lives.  Additionally, citizens in the disputed boarder region of Abyei—which is rich in oil reserves—will vote to join either the North or South if secession succeeds.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described the situation in the Sudan as a “ticking time bomb”.  There is concern within the international human rights community that Southern Sudan is ripe for mass killings and possible genocide.

Spark does not have grantees in the Sudan, but we partner with organizations that do.  Women for Women International has programs on the ground in Southern Sudan.  Here is what they have to say:

What does the referendum mean for the people of Sudan?

The referendum process has already been fraught with threats of violence and renewed conflict as North and South remain suspicious of one another, fearing that the other side is trying to derail the process

Tension between the two regions is expected, as the referendum has several substantial implications:

• Mass Displacement — If the South votes for separation—which observers believe it will—both sides must come to agreement about how to treat northern Sudanese living in the south and vice versa, as well as the country’s nomadic groups who travel between the two regions. It is estimated that about 1.5 million southern Sudanese live in the north—all of whom have been threatened with expulsion if the south votes for independence.
• Oil Crisis — South Sudan is rich in oil; it is estimated that more than 70 percent of the country’s oil reserves and production take place there. However, the oil pipeline that carries the oil to port runs through North Sudan. Oil revenue makes up 98 percent of the government’s budget in South Sudan and 60 percent of Khartoum’s budget. A vote for secession would mean further negotiations on how to define oil production and revenue sharing between the two countries.
• Fear of Violence — If the vote is seen as unfair, forced or is unpopular with militia groups, there is a major concern that violence could erupt between the two countries, resulting in a return to civil war.

Why is the referendum important?

In addition to fulfilling the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the vote is a democratic means of conflict resolution that will allow southern Sudanese to feel their voices are heard without the destruction, loss and violence of civil war. A peaceful and credible election would be a necessary and important symbol of the possibility for true peace following decades of violence and fear. For the women of Sudan, the vote means an important opportunity to make their voices heard as to the direction of their country and the chance to continue rebuilding their lives and communities in a peaceful environment.

What you can do?

1) Pay Attention

Attention is a powerful agent for change. Below are a few well-respected groups monitoring the elections.  Add them to your Google alerts and RSS feeds.

• The Carter Center Blog
• The Enough Project
• Save Darfur

2)      Speak Out

Spark provides advocacy support for our partners working in the region. We need volunteers to write letters. If you are interested in volunteering, email me – Shannon@sparksf.org

3)      Map It

If you have ever lived in Southern Sudan, The Satellite Sentinel in partnership with Google is looking for volunteers to aid in mapping the region.  Accurate maps will help the international human rights community monitor the situation in Southern Sudan.

 

Photojournalism or war-porn?

On August 8^th, Time magazine ran a controversial cover photo of a disfigured Afghan woman accompanied by the headline ”What Happens If We Leave Afghanistan.” (Cover and abridged article can be found here.)  The editor of Time, Rick Stengel, explains that the image, headline and story are intended to lend emotional truth and insight into the lives of women in Afghanistan.  He claims the piece is a neutral attempt to further the debate and is not intended to express a position on the US involvement in Afghanistan.  For the critical reader interested in furthering the rights of women, these portrayals are misleading and need to be questioned.