I had one of those "aha" moments today while attending a session at the Commission on the Status of Women. The speaker, a gentleman from South Africa, very simply challenged us not to simply talk about "Violence Against Women." He suggested we ought to name the phenomenon what it is, "male violence against women."
When we make that shift, we switch from emphasizing the "woman as victim" to describing the reality for what it is and laying the blame where it needs to be - with the male perpetrators. For too long we have talked about this violence in a vacuum, as though it were something that just happened to women. When we switch to naming it "male violence against women," we proclaim that it didn't "just happen," but rather is the direct result of male behavior. That male violent behavior needs to be addressed. Hopefully, naming it this way will be a first step.
Eileen Reilly, SSND
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Connecting, inspiring, making a difference
"Working toward the enablement of persons and the promotion of human dignity, we contribute to positive systemic change in society."
(You Are Sent, Constitution of the School Sisters of Notre Dame)
It is with hopeful anticipation that I look forward to the annual Commission on the Status of Women meeting at the United Nations. This gathering always presents such promising moments of optimism, of collective passion and action for righting the wrongs of world.
This year’s priority issue for the CSW centers on the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS. So often, when it comes to household, care-giving and unremunerated work, women and children are the ones who disproportionately shoulder these responsibilities and this impacts their opportunities for education and the ability to reach their full potential.
As educators with a world vision, School Sisters of Notre Dame are especially sensitive to the needs of women, children and those who live in poverty, and their participation at the CSW is a public demonstration of one way that the sisters today live their mission.
As we witness the power of so many organizations and individuals working together with a single purpose, it is my hope that we will both inspire and be inspired to make a difference. In this forum, the SSND delegates will share those experiences – what we saw, what we heard, what we did – and connect you to this moment too.
This year’s priority issue for the CSW centers on the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS. So often, when it comes to household, care-giving and unremunerated work, women and children are the ones who disproportionately shoulder these responsibilities and this impacts their opportunities for education and the ability to reach their full potential.
As educators with a world vision, School Sisters of Notre Dame are especially sensitive to the needs of women, children and those who live in poverty, and their participation at the CSW is a public demonstration of one way that the sisters today live their mission.
As we witness the power of so many organizations and individuals working together with a single purpose, it is my hope that we will both inspire and be inspired to make a difference. In this forum, the SSND delegates will share those experiences – what we saw, what we heard, what we did – and connect you to this moment too.
Julie Gilberto-Brady
SSND Communications Coordinator
SSND Communications Coordinator
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
