An interview with Chris Crowstaff
"Women and 'women's values' need to be fully integrated into society, at every level. There has been a great deal of progress over the last hundred years; but this is comparatively recent history."
WHY DO YOU THINK WOMEN'S ISSUES NEED TO BE TOP OF THE GLOBAL AGENDA?
We will not have a healthy world until we have healthy societies.
- Women and girls represent over half the population of the world.
- Abuse of women and girls is common throughout the world, in developed, developing and under-developed countries.
- Most victims of domestic violence are women and children.
- Most war victims are women and children.
- Most refugees are women and children.
- Most victims of sex trafficking are women and girls
- Most illiterate adults are women
- Most of the world’s poor are women.
I see this as symptomatic of world values. Can we be surprised that the world is in a crisis, so long as such attitudes persist?
The World Health Organisation defines health as: "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.”
We will not have healthy societies until we have balanced societies – where women and men partake equally at all levels.
There has been a great deal of progress over the last hundred years; but this is comparatively recent history. There is no room for complacency.
There is still a very long way to go before women, and ‘women’s values’ are fully integrated into society.
Women are still left out of most decision-making processes.
Abused women are not empowered women.
Empowered women take part equally in society, locally and globally.
Safe World video 'Why' ~ with backing music by Shannon Smy
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH?
- Up to 70 percent of women experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime.
- At least 32% of children, mostly girls, experience some form of child sexual abuse One in five women will become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
- Over 130 million and girls are have had their genitals cut to reduce their libido and increase ‘fidelity’.
These statistics are not specific to underdeveloped countries, war-zones and post-conflict regions. The shocking statistics relate to the majority of countries in the world, including the developed world.
By their own agreement and admission, governments are not doing enough. Over recent decades, governments have acknowledged all of the above.
Member States have met together countless times to develop United Nations resolutions, platforms for action and plans for implementation relating to violence against women and girls, and gender equality.
Yet, to date, shamefully little has been implemented.
WHAT COULD GOVERNMENTS DO TO HELP?
Governments do not need do duplicate work which is already being done, very effectively, by the voluntary sector. Governments simply need to cooperate with, and support, those already doing the work, as agreed 16 years ago in the UN Resolution to Eliminate Violence Against Women.
There are countless excellent organisations and groups throughout the world which already have very effective structures in place – dealing with every aspect of abuse, from prevention to providing ongoing support for victims and survivors.
These existing organisations need help in order to considerably increase their capacity and outreach.
Time and again, funding for women’s organisations is cut. In a recession this is often the first resource to go, while abuse of women increases!
In order to resolve the global crisis, governments need to channel resources towards effective women’s organisations & groups which are working to empower women and girls.
I believe that recognising women’s issues as the number 1 concern, in terms of funding and resources, will help resolve major global issues such as poverty, sickness, conflict, climate change and also population increase.
WHY IS YOUR CAMPAIGN CALLED THE 2011 CAMPAIGN?
International Women’s Day was one of the very first awareness days. It began when very few women had voting rights, nearly four decades before international law recognised a woman’s right to vote.
In 1910, at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for the demands of women.
The very first International Women’s Day was in March 1911 and its popularity exceeded all expectations.
In 1913, as part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day. The following year, in March, women throughout Europe held rallies to protest the war and to express solidarity with their sisters. Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make Women’s Day an official holiday in the Soviet Union.
International Women’s Day then started to be viewed as part of a Socialist & Marxist Movement. Support for it waned for several decades in the more capitalist parts of the world.
However, in 1975, the United Nations formally recognised International Women’s Day and it is now an official holiday in many countries.
In 2005, the British Trades Union Congress overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for International Women’s Day to be designated a public holiday in the United Kingdom. Though this still seems far off happening, with Women’s Day still barely acknowledged by the British media.
2011 is a highly significant year in the history of women, representing a hundred years of the women’s movement and major achievements and progress.
Hence, our campaign to unite forces in promoting women’s empowerment is called 2011 Campaign - helping to make 2011 the Year of the Woman.
There is still a very long way to go before women, and ‘women’s values’ are fully integrated into society
The 2011 Campaign
Women & The UN
"Women bear and care for our children.
In much of the world, they plant the crops that feed us.
They weave the fabric of our societies...
Violence against women destroys health and perpetuates poverty."
UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon.
Comments
Firstly, congratulations on being the very first person to add a comment on our new website.
Working together is EXACTLY the purpose of Safe World and so your interest also makes the team here very excited :)
Chris, our co-founder, will be writing to you personally to discuss the ways forward.
Please forgive her if it takes a day or 2, as she has been working flat out helping to get the website finished and has a lot to catch up with!
Kindest regards
The Safe World Team