|
Dear John,
|
|
In recognition of International Women’s Day, I am proud of the progress our movement has made in the 25 years since I traveled with friends and colleagues to Beijing, for the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. It was electrifying to be surrounded by 25,000 women activists, all committed to advancing the rights of women and girls around the world.
|
|
By declaring, “Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights” Hillary Rodham Clinton connected the impact that violence has in limiting the ability of women and girls to realize those universal rights. “It is a violation of human rights when a leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 14 to 44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes by their own relatives," she said.
|
|
For those of us in the global movement to end gender-based violence, it was deeply gratifying to see this connection featured so prominently in Beijing. We know that violence is a primary interruptor that prevents girls and women from realizing their educational, economic and human potential.
|
|
The Beijing conference became the launchpad for a global campaign to demand accountability, action and change. As we commemorate the 25th anniversary, we are more determined than ever to make the deep and transformative change the world needs to end violence against women and girls, and to support girls in realizing their potential through education.
|
|
Here is an action plan for March to advance those goals:
|
- Share this post in support of the bipartisan #KeepingGirlsInSchoolAct, and urge your Senator to vote in favor of the Keeping Girls in School Act of 2019, calling on the U.S. government to address barriers to girls’ education worldwide through smart investments and coordination between U.S. government agencies.
- Ask your member of Congress to support the Safe from the Start Act. In humanitarian emergencies such as conflict or natural disaster, an estimated one in five refugee or displaced women have experienced sexual violence, a likely underestimation given the barriers associated with disclosure. We can do more to protect these women from additional trauma.
|
|
Beijing showed us the power that comes from coming together to celebrate and support the work of our sisters around the world.
|
|
There is so much more for us to do, and in the spirit of International Women’s Day, let’s get to it!
|
|
With respect and optimism,
|
