|
| 03 May 2008 - 11:35 | admin
URL: www.feministpeacenetwork.org
|
new feministpeacenetwork boletin
www.feministpeacenetwork.org
|
|
| 03 May 2008 - 11:24 | Colectivo ContraNaturas
agendajoven_ddsr@yahoo.es
|
¡Sólo falta una semana. Qué esperas, inscríbete y
participa! Tercer Encuentro Metropolitano de Jóvenes por
los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos - DDSR "El Impacto
de las Políticas Económicas en la Sexualidad de los y
las Jóvenes"
Estimados
amigos y amigas Por tercer año consecutivo, las organizaciones juveniles que integramos el Espacio Agenda Joven en DDSR, el CMP Flora Tristán y la Campaña por la Convención en DDSR, convocamos al Encuentro Metropolitano de Jóvenes en DDSR. Los encuentros metropolitanos que venimos
impulsando desde el 2005, tienen como objetivo constituirse en
espacios de reflexión, debate y fortalecimiento político
de las organizaciones juveniles que llevan a cabo acciones por la
defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos o incorporan en
sus planes de trabajo la situación de la salud sexual y reproductiva de los y las jóvenes. Para esta tercera
versión decidimos abordar el impacto de las políticas
económicas en la sexualidad de los y las jóvenes, pues
consideramos que es de suma importancia identificar las
relaciones que existen entre el ejercicio de nuestra sexualidad
y el llamado "crecimiento económico". Además de reconocer
las implicancias que estas medidas económicas globales y
locales, tendrán sobre nuestra salud sexual y reproductiva.
Por ello, te invitamos a participar en el Tercer Encuentro
Metropolitano de Jóvenes por los DDSR. Dìa:Sábado
10 de mayo Hora: De 09am a 06pm. Lugar: Local del CMP Flora
Tristàn (Parque Hernàn Velarde Nro 42, altura de la Cdra
2 de la Av Petit Thouars).
¡¡Entonces qué esperas!!
¡¡Inscríbete y participa!! Inscripciones: Para que
puedas inscribirte, envíanos un correo a
agendajoven_ddsr@yahoo.es
<http://es. f231.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=agenda joven_ddsr@yah
oo.es> con la siguiente información: -Nombres completos
-Nombre de tu organización (si la tienes). -Edad.
-Dirección exacta. -Números telefónicos. -Correo
electrónico de un amigo o amiga a quien podemos invitar.
Recuerda, las inscripciones se cierran el 07 de mayo a las
6pm...inscríbete ya!! _____________________________________
E ste evento se organiza gracias al apoyo de Cooperación
Belga, Movimiento Manuela Ramos y la Comisiòn Europea
|
|
| 03 May 2008 - 11:08 | feministpeacenetwork
URL: www.feministpeacenetwork.org
|
Guatemalan Congress Approves Law Against Femicide
From LatinaAmerica Press”
“On April 5, 16-year-old Carmen del Rosario Aguirre and her friend Yesenia Adaly Pérez Arévalo, 17, went to the local market of La Parroquia. Both girls came from the village of Rincón de la Peña, in the municipality of Palencia, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Guatemala City.
Six hours later the two girls had failed to return home and their families began to worry. “We hadn’t heard any news from them so we began to call them. Carmen didn’t pick up the phone until 5:30 p.m. I was scared when I heard her voice because she said that she didn’t know what had happened and that they were with two men,” says Yesenia Adaly’s sister, Evelyn.
Fearing the worst, the two girls’ families and neighbors began a frantic search, combing streets and nearby woodlands. The following day, the bodies of the two teenagers were found in a ditch in the nearby village of Canalitos. Carmen and Yesenia Adaly had been raped and shot in the face. The police believe they were abducted, drugged, raped and murdered after they refused to have sex with the two men.
Common scenario
Stories like these have become commonplace in Guatemala, dubbed “a killer’s paradise” where 590 women were murdered in 2007 alone. The same weekend that Carmen and Yesenia Adaly were abducted and killed, five women were murdered in different parts of the country and so far this year 113 women have been brutally slain.
While the family members of Carmen and Yesenia Adaly mourned the teenagers’ deaths, around 200 people bearing banners that read “So what are you doing to stop the violence?” held a demonstration outside Guatemala City’s cathedral urging Congress to approve the Law Against Femicide and Other Forms of Violence Against Women.”
On April 9, amid intense lobbying from women’s groups and human rights organizations, Congress finally approved the law. The new law establishes 25-50 year prison sentences for gender-based crimes, three- to 10-year sentences for physical and psychological abuse and two- to eight-year sentences for “economic violence”, which includes denying women the right to work or denying them access to property.
The law was approved by 112 out of 158 members of Congress amid jubilant cries from demonstrators who had assembled outside Parliament bearing banners and white cardboard coffins as a sign of mourning for the hundreds of women who have been brutally killed in Guatemala.
After the law was approved, Congressman Pedro Palma Lau, a former guerrilla combatant and member of the ruling National Unity of Hope party (UNE), said: “The law pays homage to all the Guatemalan women who have been martyrs and victims of violence.”
Women’s rights activists have welcomed the approval of the law. According to Lorena Robles, of Sector de Mujeres, an umbrella organization that brings together more than 20 different women’s groups that campaign for a wide range of issues including femicide, domestic violence, access to contraception and discrimination in the workplace, the law was approved in a rare show of unity among Guatemala’s 19 congresswomen, who set aside ideological differences to campaign for a law that will benefit all Guatemalan women regardless of their economic or ethnic background.
Overall, women’s rights activists are satisfied with the new law and regard it as an important step towards eradicating gender discrimination, misogyny and violence against women. “We now have a legal framework that we can use to defend our rights. The new law is a starting point for our struggle,” says Fabiola Ortiz, of the National Coordinator for the Prevention of Domestic and Gender Based Violence, or CONAPREVI, an organization that brings together various government agencies and civil society groups working to eradicate violence against women.”
|
|
| 02 May 2008 - 10:14 | Helen Chen
hchen@cliniclegal.org
URL: clinic.kintera.org/ovw
|
“EFFECTIVELY ASSISTING BATTERED IMMIGRANTS FROM THE LEGAL ADVOCATE’S PERSPECTIVE”
Presented by the
U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, in partnership with Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.
July 15-17, 2008
W New Orleans Hotel
333 Poydras Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
This three day training is geared towards non-lawyer legal advocates who will be or are currently working with immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. The first two days of the training will discuss best practices on how to effectively work with clients and collaborate with other organizations and agencies, as well as, provide an overview of the different types of immigration relief available under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The last day of the training will offer guidance on how to apply for Recognition and Accreditation with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
The training is from Tuesday, July 15 through Thursday, July 17, 2008. Participants will be required to attend the first two days of the training. Attendance for the last day of the training on BIA Recognition and Accreditation is optional.
This training is open to OVW grantees and grant partners from the Legal Assistance for Victims grant program. Grantees from other OVW grant programs, including OVW Technical Assistance providers, must check with their OVW Program Specialist regarding using OVW Training/Travel funds to attend this training. Please note that this training is open solely for non-lawyer legal advocates. Registration is limited to 35 participants. Up to two participants from the same organization/agency are permitted to register. If there are more than two participants from the same organization/agency interested in attending, we will put them on the waiting list and contact them if there are spaces available.
Please note that if you are unable to attend this training, the next training is tentatively scheduled in Fall 2008.
WHEN: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 15-17, 2008 (Thursday is optional)
** The training will end around 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16. For those staying for the Thursday training, it will end around 4:00-4:30 p.m.
WHERE: W New Orleans Hotel
333 Poydras Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: 504-525-9444
Reservations: 1-877-WHOTELS
For reservations, please contact the hotel. Please make sure to mention you are with the “Catholic Legal Immigration Network” to secure the federal hotel per diem rate of $99/night.
Last day to reserve hotel room is June 23, 2007 – reserve your room early!
REGISTRATION: Please register online at http://clinic.kintera.org/ovw
The registration deadline for this training is June 23, 2007.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Helen Chen
Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc.
Tel: 202-756-5545; Fax: 202-635-2649
Email: hchen@cliniclegal.org; Website: www.cliniclegal.org
|
|
| 30 Apr 2008 - 23:02 | Erika
erkbecerra@aol.com
|
Hola!
* Tengo una amiga que sufre violencia fisica horrible , quiero ayudarla y no se como hacerlo porque ella tiene mucho temor y no quiere hacer ninguna denuncia puesto que no esta legalmete en este Pais , aparte del temor de a sus 2 ninas de 1 y 3 yrs ,cuando yo me entere de su problema fue pura casualidad puesto que ella faltaba mucho al trabajo, un dia le pregunte que si le pasaba algo , ella no soporto mas y rompio el silencio cuando me describio la clase de abuso que ella sufria yo no pense que fuera tan grande hasta que un dia falto al trabajo por mas de una semana ,entonces yo pregunte si alguien sabia que habia pasado con ella me dijeron que habia tenido un accidente automovilistico,
pregunte su direccion y la fui a buscar sin imaginarme con lo que me iba a encontrar,no podia ni siquiera verla a los ojos puesto que ella tenia aproximadamente 8 o 7 meses de embarazo y so cara estaba totalmente golpeada no presisamente por un accidente sino porque su marido la habia
golpeado,inmediatamente le ofreci mi ayuda la acompane a la policia para denunciarlo y ella no quiso ni bajarse del auto estaba aterrorizada y en la estacion de policia me dijeron que yo no podia hacer nada ,y ella decidio retirarse de mi amistad, hoy 30 de Abril acabo de recibir una y era ella , tiene 2 dias durmiendo en el auto con sus dos pequenas el individuo la sigue golpeando al igual que su nina Angie de solo 3 yrs,no se en donde vive lo unico que tengo es su numero de telefono yo le dije que iba a buscar algun refugio para que la ayudaran como se debe pero mi sorpresa en que a los lugares que he llamado no consigo ninguna orientacion , o estan lejos se que ella esta en Anaheim o bien no hablan nuestro idioma o simplemente se limitan a decirme lo siento pero ella es quien tiene que llamar , agradeceria si realmente alguien pudiera ayudarla de verdad.
|
|
| 30 Apr 2008 - 10:28 | admin
|
More Than Half of FLDS Girls Pregnant
Monday, Apr. 28, 2008 Article
Time
(SAN ANTONIO) — More than half the teen girls taken from a polygamist compound in west Texas have children or are pregnant, state officials said Monday.
A total of 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are in state custody after a raid 3 1/2 weeks ago at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Of those girls, 31 either have children or are pregnant, said Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar. Two of those are pregnant now, he said; it was unclear whether either of those two already have children.
"It shows you a pretty distinct pattern, that it was pretty pervasive," he said.
State officials took custody of all 463 children at the ranch controlled by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, saying a pattern of teen girls forced into underage "spiritual" marriages and sex with much older men created an unsafe environment for the sect's children.
Under Texas law, children under the age of 17 generally cannot consent to sex with an adult. A girl can get married with parental permission at 16, but none of these girls is believed to have a legal marriage under state law.
A call seeking comment from FLDS spokesman Rod Parker was not immediately returned. Church officials have denied that any children were abused at the ranch and say the state's actions are a form of religious persecution.
Civil-liberties groups and lawyers for the children have criticized the state for sweeping all the children, from nursing infants to teen boys, into foster care when only teen girls are alleged to have been sexually abused.
No one has been charged since the raid, which was prompted by a series of calls to a domestic abuse hotline, purportedly from a 16-year-old forced into a marriage recognized only by the sect with a man three times her age. That girl has not been found and authorities are investigating whether the call was a hoax.
On Monday, CPS also revised its total count of children in state custody to 463, up one from Friday. Azar said the change resulted from finally getting the children out of the San Angelo Coliseum and into foster facilities around the state, where they were able to get a more accurate count.
Of those 463 children, 250 are girls and 213 are boys.
The sect, which broke from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints more than a century ago, believes polygamy brings glorification in heaven. Its leader, Warren Jeffs, is revered as a prophet. Jeffs was convicted last year in Utah of forcing a 14-year-old girl into marriage with an older cousin.
|
|
| 30 Apr 2008 - 09:26 | Coordinadora Estudiantil
ceddhperu@yahoo.com.mx
URL: www.red.org.pe
|
Caso escándalo sobre pornografía infantil en Colegio Raimondi
Escolares, padres de familia y profesores deben ser capacitados sobre temas sexuales. La prevención no es un juego, es una necesidad
Miembros de la RCPI - Perú informaron ayer que"el avance de las tecnologías de información y comunicaciones (Internet, Celulares 3G, Reproductores MP4, perfiles públicos, mensajería instantánea, etc.), el mal manejo de estas tecnologías por parte de usuarios menores de edad, el acceso rápido y sin restricciones que tienen estos usuarios a material pornográfico y violento, la falta de información seria, adecuada y oportuna sobre temas sexuales y el desconocimiento por parte de los padres de familia y profesores sobre la magnitud de los riesgos que encierran el uso incorrecto de la tecnología actual, son elementos que generan casos como el ocurrido en el Colegio italiano Antonio Raimondi".
"En estos últimos días, la sociedad peruana ha sido sorprendida con la noticia publicada por el diario Perú 21, en la que se da a conocer un presunto caso de abuso sexual a una menor de 15 años por parte de sus compañeros, lo que habría sucedido en pleno centro educativo del colegio particular italiano Antonio Raimondi. Según lo que hemos podido conocer, todo se inició porque una vecina de la menor abusada la habría reconocido como parte de un vídeo de carácter sexual, propalado vía Internet, lo que originó que diera aviso a la madre de la menor, quien luego puso la denuncia respectiva" indicó Dimitri Senmache Artola, presidente de la RCPI - Perú. "Ello sin duda es sólo una muestra del problema creciente en toda la región" informó el representante.
La Red Peruana contra la Pornografía Infantil ha venido recibiendo información que casos similares ya han sucedido en otros centros educativos, pero no han sido denunciados o, en todo caso, han sido llevados con mucha privacidad por parte de los padres de las víctimas y de los directivos de los Centros de Educación. "Actualmente sabemos que existen casos similares en colegios particulares muy conocidos y de gran renombre, donde chicas menores de edad han sido grabadas, mediante celulares con cámara (tecnología 3G), por debajo de la falda, en baños del colegio o en el propio salón de clase, mientras se encontraban besando y tocándose con su enamorado, y luego estos vídeos han sido subidos a páginas Web o han sido enviados a otros celulares vía tecnología bluetooth o mensajería MMS. Del mismo modo, se han utilizado correos electrónicos y perfiles públicos (MySpace, Hi5 o Blogger) para difamar a menores y amenazarlos con publicar ciertas fotos o vídeos comprometedores, casi siempre conseguidos sin autorización ni conocimiento de la víctima." informó Senmache Artola.
Caso Naty. Una escolar chilena
En el 2007, la RCPI - Perú denunció, a la Policía de Investigaciones de Chile, a la Procuraduría General de la República de Méjico y a los administradores del Portal TuTV, el caso de una menor de edad chilena, de nombre Naty, quien había sido grabada por sus compañeros, mediante un celular con cámara, en un parque público donde ella realizaba sexo oral con otro joven. Este vídeo había sido colocado en diversos portales de Internet, entre ellos el portal TuTV. Felizmente dicho caso fue atendido con prontitud y los vídeos relacionados a este caso fueron sacados del portal. Ello sin embargo demostró que problemas como la pornografía infantil, el abuso sexual a menores y el peligro que corren estos frente al avance tecnológico no sólo iba en aumento sino que encontraban nuevas formas y métodos para ser ejecutados.
¿qué hacer?
"Frente a todo este problema, los padres de familia y los directores de los centros educativos de enseñanza escolar aún no comprenden la seriedad y la magnitud del problemna y del riesgo que corren sus menores hijos. Esto podemos decirlo en razón de que nosotros como institución hemos ofrecido nuestro servicio gratuito de charlas a escolares, profesores y padres de familia sobre aspectos relacionados al abuso y explotación sexual y los riesgos y amenazas existentes al mal utilizar las tecnologías de información y comunicaciones, y sin embargo, muchos de estos centros nos han respondido negativamente, otros nos informaron que son los padres quienes se oponen a que se les hable de sexo a sus hijos y otros ni siquiera se han dado el tiempo ni la molestia de contestar." remarcó el presidente de la RCPI - Perú.
"Si los padres no entienden la seriedad del riesgo que corren sus hijos y los centros educativos no abren sus puertas a la prevención, desgraciadamente seguiremos expectando casos como el del colegio Antonio Reimondi, casos que pueden irse complicando aún más si no se toman las medidas preventivas." finalizó el representante de la RCPI - Perú, asociación civil que durante el año 2007 realizó más de 55 charlas a centros escolares sobre prevención contra la pornografía infantil y la explotación sexual de menores.
La RCPI - Perú hizo también un llamado al Ministerio de Educación y al Ministerio de la Mujer a sumar esfuerzos en campañas de prevención.
Nota: Si alguna entidad educativa escolar está interesada en recibir una charla o taller de prevención, puede escribir a: red@red.org.pe
---------------------- ------------------------------------
Ár ea de Comunicaciones
RCPI - Perú
www.red.org.pe
Mayores informes al: 4459084 / 97200215 o al correo red@red.org.pe
|
|
| 29 Apr 2008 - 10:44 | Daptnhe Cuevas y Marusia López, DF
|
ACCIONE URGENTE
México: Violaciones a los derechos humanos de las mujeres del pueblo
Triqui
Nuevamente las mujeres indígenas mexicanas están siendo objeto de
violaciones a sus derechos humanos. En el marco de un conflicto que ha confrontado y dividido al pueblo Triqui, en los últimos dos años hemos
podido conocer numerosos casos de violación, secuestro y asesinato de mujeres triqui que han quedado en la impunidad. En este contexto la vida, la seguridad y la integridad de las mujeres están en riesgo.
Es por ello que les estamos solicitando su firma, para exigir al gobierno mexicano y al propio pueblo Triqui, que detenga la violencia en la zona y
garantice las condiciones de seguridad y bienestar que las mujeres necesitan. En estos momentos la solidaridad nacional e internacional es urgente para apoyar el diálogo entre los grupos en conflicto y frenar esta
escalada de violencia que tanto está afectando a las mujeres.
Las firmas se recibirán hasta el miércoles 30 de abril de 2008 a las 12 pm.
Favor de especificar si firman como organización o de manera personal.
Saludos. Daptnhe Cuevas y Marusia López
México D.F., a 22 de abril de 2008.
________________
A las autoridades mexicanas
Al pueblo Triqui
------------------------------
Organizaciones, académicas, legisladoras y activistas feministas del mundo manifestamos nuestro total repudio por la creciente violencia contra las mujeres del pueblo indígena Triqui, ubicado en el occidente del estado de
Oaxaca.
Sabemos que Oaxaca es uno de los estados de la República con los más altos índices de violencia contra las mujeres. Según datos oficiales, ocupa el primer lugar de prevalencia de violencia sexual y es la entidad con el mayor número de casos de violencia feminicida.
El pueblo Triqui ha luchado históricamente por el derecho de los pueblos indígenas a la autodeterminación; sin embargo, desde hace varias décadas
vive un conflicto social que ha derivado en una división interna.
En este contexto, las mujeres han sido las principales víctimas del
conflicto. A la histórica violencia doméstica y la exclusión de las
mujeres triquis en la toma de decisiones, se suman decenas de casos de violación, amenazas, lesiones, secuestros y expulsión provocados principalmente por los grupos en pugna, pero en los que también se han visto involucrados caciques y efectivos del Ejército, sin que las autoridades federales y locales hagan algo por impedirlo.
En los últimos años dos casos han conmovido a la opinión pública, tanto por su gravedad, como por la falta de voluntad para resolverlos de las autoridades y los grupos en conflicto. El primero es la desaparición el 5 de julio de 2007 de las hermanas Virginia y Daniela Ortiz Ramírez, la primera de 20 años y profesora bilingüe de educación primaria y la segunda
de 14 años; hasta la fecha las jóvenes no han sido encontradas y nadie ha sido aprehendido como responsable de su secuestro. El segundo es el asesinato el 7 de abril de 2008 de Felícitas Martínez y Teresa Bautista de 21 y 24 años, quienes trabajaban en la estación de radio comunitaria "La
voz que rompe el silencio".
Frente a esta preocupante situación que pone en riesgo la integridad y la
vida de las mujeres indígenas, hacemos un llamado urgente:
• A las autoridades mexicanas a que implementen las acciones necesarias para detener la violencia contra las mujeres en las comunidades Triquis y
atender los reclamos de justicia y seguridad de los familiares de Virginia y Daniela Ortiz Ramírez y de Felícitas Martínez y Teresa Bautista,
absteniéndose de medidas que puedan acrecentar la violencia, como sería la militarización de la zona.
• Al pueblo Triqui para que condene toda violencia contra las mujeres de
sus comunidades y emprenda el camino del diálogo y la construcción de acuerdos entre los grupos en conflicto, reconociendo la voz y las demandas
de las mujeres.
La violencia contra las mujeres debilita la democracia y limita el
desarrollo de las naciones y los pueblos. Es responsabilidad de toda la sociedad erradicarla y avanzar en la construcción de un mundo basado en el pleno ejercicio de los derechos humanos.
Atentamente (siguen firmas)
_____________________________ ____________________
|
|
| 29 Apr 2008 - 10:31 | La Comisión Huairou
info@huairou.org
URL: www.huairou.org/assets/download/safety_q . . .
|
Encuesta Internacional sobre la Seguridad de las Mujeres
Como el primer paso en el desarrollo de una Campaña Global Sobre la Seguridad de Mujeres, la Comisión Huairou trabajó con el programa de la
ONU-Hábitat Ciudades Seguras para realizar una encuesta global del trabajo continuo y prácticas exitosas que organizaciones y instituciones,
gubernamentales y no-gubernamentales, han desarrollado para responder a la
falta de seguridad para mujeres en sus comunidades. La encuesta es liderada por redes miembros de la Comisión Huairou, Mujeres en Ciudades Internacional
y la Red Mujeres y Hábitat y resultados iniciales han sido compilados en un reporte borrador y han sido compartido a través de un taller en que se presentó lecciones aprendidas, prácticas mejores y metodologías usadas por ONGs, organizaciones comunitarias, academia y gobiernos para destacar asuntos de la seguridad de mujeres en ciudades durante la Conferencia sobre el Estado de la Seguridad en Las Ciudades del Mundo 2007 en Monterrey, México del 1 al 5 de octubre, 2007.
Los primeros resultados generaron mucha emoción y también algunos huecos claros. Así que necesitamos su ayuda! Por favor, baja la encuesta debajo y
completa la información sobre el trabajo que su organización o institución lleva a cabo para mejorar la seguridad en su comunidad. Una base de datos
será generada de su respuesta y esperamos expandir a estimular el diálogo sobre una gama grande de asuntos que mujeres manejan en sus comunidades.
Júntense con nosotras y participen!
Si usted conoce otras organizaciones que también trabajen en temas relacionados a la seguridad de las mujeres le solicitamos que por favor comparta esta información con nosotras para reenviarles la presente encuesta.
Dé clic aquí para ver versión borrador del informe
<http://www.huairou.org/assets/ download/draft_safety_assessment_span.pd f>
Dé clic aquí para ver el cuestionario
<http://www.huairou.org/as sets/download/safety_questionnaire_es.do c>
La Comisión Huairou
249 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA
E:info@huairou.org <mailto:E%3Ainfo@huairou.org>
T:718-388 -8915; F:718-388-0285
|
|
| 29 Apr 2008 - 10:12 | Lynette Dumble
URL: www.global-sisterhood-network.org/conten . . .
| Barbaric 'honour killings' become the weapon to subjugate women in Iraq
The Independent ~~ London ~~ Monday April 28 2008
Murder of a girl who became infatuated with a British soldier
highlights a disturbing new trend
By Terri Judd
At first glance Shawbo Ali Rauf appears to be slumbering on the grass, her pale brown curls framing her face, her summer skirt spread about her. But the awkward position of her limbs and the splattered blood reveal the true horror of the scene.
The 19-year-old Iraqi was, according to her father, murdered by her own in-laws, who took her to a picnic area in Dokan and shot her seven times. Her crime was to have an unknown number on her mobile phone.
Her "honour killing" is just one in a grotesque series emerging from
Iraq, where activists speak of a "genocide" against women in the name of religion.
In the latest such case, it was reported yesterday that a 17-year-old
girl, Rand Abdel-Qader, was stabbed to death last month by her father for becoming infatuated with a British soldier serving in southern Iraq.
In Basra alone, police acknowledge that 15 women a month are murdered for breaching Islamic dress codes. Campaigners insist it is a conservative figure.
Violence against women is rampant, rising every day with the power of the militias. Beheadings, rapes, beatings, suicides through
self-immolation, genital mutilation, trafficking and child abuse
masquerading as marriage of girls as young as nine are all on the increase.
Du'a Khalil Aswad, 17, from Nineveh, was executed by stoning in front of mob of 2,000 men for falling in love with a boy outside her Yazidi tribe. Mobile phone images of her broken body transmitted on the
internet led to sectarian violence, international outrage and calls
for reform. Her father, Khalil Aswad, speaking one year after her
death in April last year, has revealed that none of those responsible
had been prosecuted and his family remained "outcasts" in their own tribe.
"My daughter did nothing wrong," he said. "She fell in love with a
Muslim and there is nothing wrong with that. I couldn't protect her
because I got threats from my brother, the whole tribe. They insisted they were gong to kill us all, not only Du'a, if she was not killed.
She was mutilated, her body dumped like rubbish.
"I want those who committed this act to be punished but so far they
have not, they are free. Honour killing is murder. This is a barbaric act."
Despite the outrage, recent calls by the Kurdish MP Narmin Osman to
outlaw honour killings have been blocked by funndamentalists. "Honour
killings are not actually a crime in the eyes of the government," said
Houzan Mahmoud, who has had a fatwa on her head since raising a
petition against the introduction of sharia law in Kurdistan. "If
before there was one dictator persecuting people, now almost everyone is persecuting women.
"In the past five years it is has got [much] worse. It is difficult to
described how terrible it is, how badly we have been pushed back to
the dark ages. Women are being beheaded for taking their veil off.
Self immolation is rising women are left with no choice. There is no
government body or institution to provide any sort of support. Sharia
law is being used to underpin government rule, denying women their most basic human rights."
In August last year, the body of 11-year-old Sara Jaffar Nimat was
found in Khanaqin, Kurdistan, after she had been stoned and burnt to
death. Earlier this month, two brothers and a sister were kidnapped from their home near Kirkuk by gunmen in police uniforms. The brothers
were beaten to death and the woman left in a critical condition after being informed that she must obey the rules of an "Islamic state". One week ago, a journalist, Begard Huseein, was murdered in her home in Arbil, northern Iraq. Her husband, Mohammed Mustafa, stabbed her because she was in love with another man, according to local reports.
The stoning death of Ms Aswad led to the establishment of an Internal
Ministry unit in Kurdistan to combat violence against women. It
reported that last year in Sulaymaniyah, a city of 1 million people, there were 407 reported offences, beheadings, beatings, deaths through "family problems", and threats of honour killings. Rape is not included as most women are too fearful to report it for fear of
retribution. Nevertheless, police in Karbala recently revealed 25
reports of rape.
The new Iraqi constitution, according to Mrs Mahmoud, is a mass of confusing contradictions. While it states that men and women are equal under law it also decrees that sharia law which considers one male witness worth two females must be observed. The days when women could hold down key jobs or enjoy any freedom of movement are long gone. The fundamentalists have sent out too many chilling messages. In
Mosul two years ago, eight women were beheaded in a terror campaign.
"It was really, really horrifying," said Mrs Mahmoud. "Honour killings
and murder are widespread. Thousands [of people] ... have become victims of murder, violence and rape all backed by laws, tribal
customs and religious rules. We urge the international community, the government to condemn this barbaric practice, and help the women of Iraq."
|
|
| 29 Apr 2008 - 09:43 | Sonya
Sonya.Frymyer@ocfl.net
URL: www.petitiononline.com/mariapet
|
This petition is for someone very special that I know....she is a victim of domestic violence that did do the brave action of reporting her abuse and going through the proper steps as were suggested by domestic violence departments and having a state advocate to assist with her case just to be told by her advocate that her case was closed down by the Florida State Attorney's office because of "lack of evidence." Pictures of her bruises and scars just were not evidence enough I guess.... What is worse...the abuser was not arrested after this report even though the abuser has a prior arrest record of battery by another victim... According to Florida state laws, the abuser should have been arrested and tried as a felon with this 2nd offense. Now, the abuser is out there waiting for our daughters, granddaughters, or other women in our lives... The victims are unaware of his past when he meets them. Just another "nice" guy.
Signing this petition will make a difference....your names can remain anonymous to protect your privacy. ... please pass on to your cohorts, friends, and family so that we can put an end to domestic violence...
Thank you for your help and time...
http://www.petitiononline.com/mariapet
Sonya Calhoun Frymyer, RN
|
|
| 28 Apr 2008 - 11:54 | Juli Ana Grant
JAGrant@courtinnovation.org
URL: www.courtinnovation.org
|
NY LAW JOURNAL
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
p. 2, col. 3
P E R S P E C T I V E
New Tool in Fight Against Domestic Violence
BY LIBERTY ALDRICH
The end of 2007 brought the news that New York City is experiencing its lowest crime rate in 40 years, and the lowest of any major American city. While the numbers are down in all of the major categories - murder, rape, assault, robbery - there is at least one type of crime that has proven resistant to the general trend: misdemeanor domestic violence.
In 2007, the New York City Criminal Court heard 20,421 misdemeanor cases involving intimate partners. In 1998, the first year that domestic violence statistics were kept, there were 19,422 such cases. While not a significant increase, these numbers run counter to the overall reductions in crime fiver the past decade.
If the criminal justice system has failed to curb domestic violence offences, it is not for lack of effort. Criminal justice agencies have been working assiduously to reduce domestic violence in recent years. Thanks in no small part to the urging of women's groups and victim advocates, the New York Police Department implemented mandatory arrest policies for all domestic violence incidents in the 1990s. Prosecutors have also pursued "no drop" policies in these cases.
To be fair, this intensive focus on domestic violence, along with community-based prevention and education efforts, has made a difference. Felony level crime is down, as are domestic violence-related homicides. But for some reason the number of misdemeanor cases continues to inch up.
Misdemeanor domestic violence cases pose a particular challenge for criminal justice agencies. In the majority of these cases, the physical damage (if not the emotional damage) could be described as relatively minor. Many victims are reluctant to pursue the charges, often for good reason.
Unfortunately, we know that in some cases, minor domestic violence incidents quickly escalate to more serious injuries. The challenge this poses to the judges and prosecutors on the front lines of the justice system is clear: how can they determine which misdemeanor offenders are likely to re-offend and which are not?
Unfortunately, criminal court judges and prosecutors tend to operate in an information vacuum. Each day, they confront enormous caseloads, making rapid-fire decisions without a great deal of information at their disposal. In. this environment, it is enormously difficult to make nuanced decisions about which individual offenders pose the greatest risk to their partners.
In New York City, as in other places, many offenders found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence are sentenced to attend batterer intervention programs. Judges and victims depend on these programs, which generally consist of 90 minute classes spread over 26 weeks, to convince domestic violence offenders to change their ways.
But what do these programs really accomplish? Unfortunately, not as much as we might hope. The Center for Court innovation recently concluded a random assignment study (the gold standard of social science research) in the Bronx that documented that batterer programs do not reduce future violence. Our study found that offenders assigned to batterer programs were re-arrested at the same rate as offenders who were linked to no program at all. Three other recent studies across the country have shown similar results. While far from universal, there is a growing consensus among researchers that batterer programs cannot be relied upon to rehabilitate domestic violence offenders.
Yet the courts continue to use batterer programs, often with the active support of victims. Is this a case of the legal system being out of step with empirical research? Not necessarily. Batterer programs may not have therapeutic value in terms of changing the behavior of offenders, but they may still have a use as a predictor of future violence. Put simply, judges can learn a lot by watching which offenders fail to complete batterer programs. Research indicates that the offenders who don't complete batterer programs are more likely to re-offend. Thus, batterer programs could be used as the proverbial canary in the coal mine, a risk assessment tool to help judges identify those offenders who pose the greatest risk to victims.
If courts focused on ensuring that offenders who do not complete batterer programs are held accountable for that failure, we might truly make a dent in the rate of intimate partner crime.
Thankfully, there are signs that this is starting to happen. The court system has moved to strengthen the response to non-compliance, ensuring that judges respond quickly when offenders fail to attend batterer programs. With any luck, this new emphasis on improving accountability will not only help improve the safety of individual victims, it will also make a citywide impact, bringing misdemeanor domestic violence offending in line with the remarkable reductions we have seen in other categories of crime.
Liberty Aldrich oversees domestic violence programs for the Center for Court Innovation, a public-private partnership that seeks to help courts reduce crime, aid victims and promote public trust in justice.
Juli Ana Grant
Center for Court Innovation
520 8th Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, New York 10018
p. 212.373.1694
c. 917-209-6136
f. 212.397.0985
JAGrant@courtinnovation.or g
JAGrant@courts.state.ny.us
www.court innovation.org
|
|
