Tag Archives: 16 Days of Activism

The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest – The “16 For 16” 2013 Edition

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News-Coffee9-150x150Welcome to the special 16 for 16 edition of The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest, for the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence!

In the Arab world where old fashion attitudes die hard, women’s rights are frequently violated even in places where governments are relatively progressive on social issues . Sexual harassment is so rife that almost every woman in Egypt has experienced it, according to a United Nations (UN) report released earlier this year. In Saudi Arabia, they must cover themselves in public, cannot drive cars and must remain under male ‘guardianship.’

In the United Kingdom, members of parliament launched a major inquiry why female genital mutilation to ‘get to the truth’ about why no-one has been convicted three decades after it was made illegal . Home Affairs Select Committee is to challenge ministers and the police over why charges have never been brought against ‘cutters’ or families who arrange the surgery.

Every contribution matters. If you have any news you’d like to share about violence against women, please email The Pixel Project at info@thepixelproject.net. If you prefer to receive up-to-the-minute news concerning violence against women, follow us on Twitter. It’s time to stop violence against women together.

Researched and compiled by Karina Tayag and edited by Carol Olson.
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16 General News Stories reporting on Violence Against Women 

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16 News Stories reporting on Domestic Violence

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16 News Stories reporting on Sexual Assault and Rape 

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16 News Stories reporting on Sex and Human Trafficking

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16 News Stories reporting on Female Genital Mutilation

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16 News Stories reporting on Forced Marriage and Honour Killing

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16 News Stories reporting on VAW Activism

16 Ways The Men Can Help Stop Online Violence Against Women

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Social Media Logotype BackgroundWith the rise of social media and smartphones in the last decade or so, Facebooking, tweeting, pinning, blogging, and vlogging have become a default part of many people’s professional, personal and social lives. Communities are no longer limited to face-to-face interactions, but also flourish online in the form of Facebook pages, Twitter followers, YouTube subscribers and blogger networks.

Through these online communities, the Internet has become a conduit for the free-flow of ideas, opinions, thoughts, beliefs and values. As online communities become more ubiquitous and entrenched in our lives, the boundaries have long-ago blurred between our offline behaviour and online conduct and in many cases, the Internet acts to amplify anti-social, criminal and bigoted behaviour because of the anonymity it gives to participants and commentators who frequently engage in hurtful behaviour with impunity.

In the case of Violence Against Women (VAW), the Internet and social media has given misogyny an incredibly visible platform with almost no controls in place to check their behaviour towards women and girls online. As Laura Bates, the founder of The Everyday Sexism Project, says:

The internet is a fertile breeding ground for misogyny – you only have to look at the murky bottom waters of Reddit and 4Chan to see the true extent to which it allows violent attitudes towards women to proliferate. But, crucially, it also provides a conduit that enables many who hold those views to attack and abuse women and girls, from what they rightly perceive to be an incredibly secure position.

Indeed, from Anita Sarkeesian to the Steubenville rape case, cyber VAW has been on the rise over the past decade, with the most recent high-profile case being the horrendous Twitter attacks on feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez after her success in getting the Bank of England to include a woman on a UK currency note.

Anti-VAW activists and nonprofits and online women’s rights communities are now fighting back with campaigns aimed at getting social media networks, governments and law enforcement agencies to take cyber VAW seriously and to take action to prevent and stop it. As with all aspects of stopping VAW, support of men and boys is crucial to this fight and in this “16 for 16” article, we present 16 ways in which men can help stop cyber VAW

Introduction by Regina Yau; Written by Rashad Brathwaite and Regina Yau; Edited by Jerica Nonell and Regina Yau.

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Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #1: Acknowledge the violence. There are 3 important ways in which men need to effectively acknowledge cyber violence against women. The first step is to be aware of and accept the fact that it definitely exists. The second step is to acknowledge that in the rough-and-tumble on online interaction, women and girls face a different, more extreme, and more insidious kind of backlash than men including a disproportionate number of threats of physical violence, name-calling, reputation assasination, death threats, sexual assault threats and rape threats. The third step is to publicly recognise cyber VAW when it happens and to intervene.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #2: Educate yourself. The first step towards effective online bystander intervention is developing the ability to recognise the signs and manifestations of cyber VAW within online communities. These run the gamut from rape joke Facebook pages to mass misogynistic trolling in the comments section of opinion pieces written by women. Check out online resources that provide information online online bullying and cyber VAW, including What Men Can Do. Knowing what cyber VAW looks like will enable you to take timely action to intervene to stop the violence.

tnc_logoMen Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #3: Educate the next generation. One of the most effective ways of helping stop cyber VAW is to educate the next generation of boys and youth about the issue and to equip them to deal with it. For example: That’s Not Cool is a public education campaign that raises awareness about teen dating violence by sharing examples of unhealthy, controlling, and abusive behavior. The campaign teaches youth risk factors for “textual harassment,” “pic pressure,” and other signs of unhealthy relationship behavior. “That’s Not Cool” also provides resources and information on ways to intervene if a young person has a friend, family member, or acquaintance who is being verbally, emotionally, or sexually harassed via technology.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #4: Educate your peers. When engaging online with your male peers, friends and co-workers, look for opportunities to steer the conversation towards discussing why cyber VAW is not acceptable. These opportunities can include talking to them when you see them exhibit disrespectful or bullying behaviour towards women and girls in the online community; or when discussing high profile cases of male celebrities committing VAW. You can also invite your male peers to join you on liking anti-VAW Facebook pages, following anti-VAW Twitter accounts and participating in online discussions about the importance of stopping VAW.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #5: Lead by example. Make sure that your website, blog, social media profiles, and behaviour in forums, comments sections and chatrooms are free from any form of misogynistic behaviour including mansplaining, dismissing women’s opinions, sharing tasteless VAW jokes that blame the victim, sexist name-calling, putting up pictures extolling the ‘virtues’ of the rape and battery of women etc. Be self-aware about your own behaviour and treat women and girls as equals when engaging in online discussions or interactions with them. Step up to intervene when you see cyber VAW happening.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #6: Make Amends When You Make a Mistake. As an ally, you will make mistakes. Anything new that is being internalised has a learning curve, and learning to question societal norms certainly is no exception. Being an ally involves constantly learning and re-learning, constantly questioning your own attitudes and language. If you find that a view you hold or a post that you have shared is problematic, apologise. If you are called out on problematic behaviour, listen. Do not become defensive or feel as if you are being attacked when called out – it is the only way that you can learn and change.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #7: Call ’em out! People who perpetuate cyber VAW need to be called out on their behaviour IMMEDIATELY because many aggressors and trolls are empowered by the silence of bystanders and the protection of online anonymity. Make sure that they know that what they are doing is wrong. Even if you are the only voice saying so, your intervention may get them to reconsider their behaviour. Even if the the perpetrator declares that he means no harm, it is important to disrupt incidences of cyber VAW while it is happening by.publicly and calmly pointing out that cyber VAW has hurtful consequences for the victim, and reflects badly on the perpetrator.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #8: Be Specific. When you engage cyber VAW perpetrator about their behaviour, be specific about the exact behaviour that you are addressing, be it name-calling, victim-blaming, death threats, or rape threats. Having to defend their specific behaviour and tactic may cause some attackers to rethink what they are saying to try and having to think through their actions could trigger a change in their attitudes towards women online. Ask them questions you would like them to ask themselves: Would you issue this threat if it was a man expressing the same opinion?

Safety in NumbersMen Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #9: Safety in numbers. When attempting to call out the behaviour of a group of cyber VAW perpetrators or any other type of cyber bullies, form a group yourself. Talk privately to other members of the forum, page or community about what is happening and get their support to back each other up when facing down aggressive and misogynistic groups. Similarly, when you see someone courageously taking a cyber VAW perpetrator to task, chime in. This action has 3 effects: it lets the person know that someone else agrees with them; it signals to the victim that the community will not stand for the treatment she is receiving; and it lets the perpetrator(s) know that more than one person is calling out their behaviour.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #10: Use that button! Most social media sites have policies against bullying and hate language by allowing for comments, threads, and users to be flagged as offensive. If engaging the cyber VAW perpetrator is impossible either because he repeats his behaviour or you are facing an entire community that actively commits cyber VAW, use the reporting tools that most social media networks set up to enable communities to report hate language and bullying to get the perpetrator removed for repeat offenses.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #11: Reach Out. If you witness cyber VAW, remember to reach out to the target of the attack after you have intervened to stop the perpetrator. Provide support and engage with her to develop the best course of action. Find out how she wants to handle the situation and how she would like you to help. Online communities can easily make someone feel isolated when they are being attacked, so your outreach will help her to realise that there are people in the community who will not stand for cyber VAW and sexism and who are willing to step in to help.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #12: Take it offline. If reporting cyber VAW to social media network administrators, forum moderators or website owners do not yield any action and the cyber VAW continues to escalate, begin documenting the violence with screencaps and contact an agency, nonprofit or grassroots campaign specialising in stopping cyber VAW and cyber bullying with the evidence. They will be able to assist you or advice you regarding the next steps with taking action to hold the perpetrators or the site accountable for their actions. In certain cases of cyber VAW that can be localised to a country or city, report the case to the relevant authorities such as the police. With governments and law enforcement agencies in many countries such as Canada, the UK and The Philippines starting to recognise cyber VAW as a crime, there are now increasing avenues to getting help to stop cyber VAW.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #13: Create safe spaces. Whether you are a blogger, website owner, forum moderator, Facebook page administrator or are responsible for any online community, make sure you work with your fellow moderators/administrators to have a zero tolerance approach to cyber VAW and cyber bullying of any form. Make sure you are upfront with your policy on acceptable behaviour. Many major websites do this by stating on top of their comments sections or “about” sections of their websites and profile pages that while everyone is welcome, they will not tolerate bigoted, sexist, violent or disrespectful behaviour of any sort and they enforce it by moderating comments and banning those who violate their rules.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #14: Size does not matter.  If an organisation, celebrity or company makes misogynistic, violent, and hateful remarks towards women and girls online, or refuses to moderate cyber VAW on their show, website and social media channels, organise or join a campaign that hits them where it hurts – their profits. This approach has been done successfully several times. The latest example is that of the #FacebookRape campaign organised by Laura Bates (founder of The Everyday Sexism Project), Jaclyn Friedman (Women, Action, and the Media) and Soraya Chemaly a prominent feminist writer. In summer 2013, they and over 100 anti-Violence Against Women organisations (including The Pixel Project) mounted the #FBrape campaign to get companies to withdraw advertising from Facebook until Facebook agreed to take cyber VAW on their social network seriously.

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #15: Share Your Knowledge.  One of the greatest features of the internet and social media is its ability to spread information at a rapid pace. As an ally, you have the opportunity to spread the knowledge that you gain to people who are not necessarily looking for the same information. Make your awareness viral! When you find a good article or video that puts online violence in perspective, tweet it, blog about it, share it!

Men Helping Stop Cyber VAW – Tip #16: Be a virtual volunteer. Online anti-VAW nonprofits and organisations, such as The Pixel Project, are always looking for more people to get involved in the movement to end VAW. Whether you decide to volunteer with an online support service for survivors of VAW, or with a non-profit that specifically fights cyber VAW and cyber bullying, adding your voice to their ranks and allows for more information to be published faster, reaching more people. If for no other reason, your experiences and your insights are unique and valuable.

16 Ways to Stop Domestic Violence in Your Community

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stop domestic violenceThe World Health Organisation (WHO)’s latest report on Violence Against Women that was released in June 2013 indicated that in some regions of the world, over 35% of women suffer from partner violence.  With these staggering numbers, it is a very real possibility that every one of us knows a woman is facing (or has faced) domestic violence.

The intervention of neighbours and the wider community is one of the keys to stopping the violence. This starter list provides 16 tips for preventing and intervening to stop Domestic Violence in your community and/or neighbourhood. We have divided the list into 2 sections – one for the wider community and one for individuals. If you have any other suggestions and tips, please do share them in the comments section.

Introduction by Regina Yau; Written by Rashad Brathwaite and Regina Yau; Edited by Jerica Nonell and Regina Yau.

“Stop Domestic Violence” graphic by Sebastian Smith.

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For The Wider Community

IMG_9492Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #1: Know the signs. The first step to action is to familiarise individuals and the community with the possible signs and indicators of domestic violence. These signs can vary and do not always come with physical symptoms because domestic violence is not just limited to physical attacks such as beatings. It includes many forms of abusive behaviour enacted to control the victim in a myriad of ways including emotional abuse, verbal abuse and economic abuse. Domestic violence also affects every level and demograhic in society, so there is no typical victim despite the stereotypes. Someone who may not appear to be a victim of domestic violence may well be suffering in silence and it is important to recognise the signs if this is the case.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #2: Get your community educated! A good start to eradicating Domestic Violence from your community or neighbourhood is to start educating as many people as possible about Domestic Violence, its impact and how to intervene safely. This can be done in collaboration with your local Domestic Violence shelter or women’s organisation or police community outreach officers who can work with the community, local schools and local companies to organise and implement talks, townhall meetings and other group sessions to talk about this issue.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #3: Get your community organised! There is safety and influence in numbers when intervening to stop an abuser or making your community a place where Domestic Violence will not be tolerated. So just as many neighbourhoods have neighbourhood watch to stop crime, start organising a network of folks who will commit to intervene in Domestic Violence situations, help victims leave their abusers safely and provide a communal support structure for survivors.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #4: Boost your community support network with technology! If you have a smart phone and the victim has a smart phone, consider downloading a safety app for women, many of which have been designed to automatically alert your support network if you are in danger. If the victim does not have a smart phone, consider pooling money with a few friends and neighbours to get her one and pre-load it with a safety app that is connected to all your phones so you can become a de facto support net for her. Free safety apps currently available include the award-winning Circle of 6 and the iAMDEFENDER app which you can download here.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #5: Stopping the violence is good for business. Domestic Violence has cost economies and companies millions of dollars in lost time, medical care, productivity etc. In the U.S., the cost of Domestic Violence to the economy is estimated at $8.3 billion a year. If you are a business owner or a senior member of a company (e.g. a director, board member, senior manager), be pro-active in getting educated about how to intervene if you suspect or know that your employee or staff member is facing Domestic Violence because it will have a knock-on effect on your company. Implement HR policies that makes provisions for the potential impact of Domestic Violence. For example, the National Bank of Australia is currently offering paid Domestic Violence leave because the economic freedom from remaining in paid work is regarded as vital in helping victims escape violent relationships.

For Individuals

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #6: Ring the bell. If you are the neighbour of a family experiencing Domestic Violence, please take the time to ring their bell when you hear a violent situation happening. You could use the old neighbourly approach of asking to borrow a cup of sugar or some milk as an excuse. If you feel that it could get dangerous, bring another person with you so there will be more than one witness. Check out what this guy did in a PSA by our partner, Bell Bajao:

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #7: Bring a back-up. Intervening with Domestic Violence situations can be dangerous especially if the abuser has a weapon (e.g. a gun) and is intoxicated by drink or drugs. If you are unable to get help from the local shelter or police, make sure to bring another friend or family member along with you when you respond to the victim/survivor’s call in person.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #8:  BE the back-up. If your neighbour, friend, co-worker, classmate, mother, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, niece or cousin is facing Domestic Violence at home, let them know that you will be willing to be a witness or to intervene on their behalf while you are around. Also let them know that they are welcome to take refuge in your home should they need somewhere to go.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #9: Make the call, NOW. If the situation is beyond simple neighbourly intervention (e.g. the abuser has a gun and uses it during the abuse), call the police or your local emergency services (such as 911 in the U.S.) IMMEDIATELY. Provide critical information, such as location, names, contact number, and whether or not you wish the remain anonymous. Do NOT intervene personally in this scenario as it will be too dangerous to do so.

Be-Friends-with-Someone-Emotionally-Unable-to-Be-an-Equally-Supportive-Friend-Step-9Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #10: Listen to empower. If a victim of domestic violence reaches out to you, listen. Let her know that you believe her and do not judge her choices. Victims often feel completely isolated and are often belittled by their partner; it is important to enable her to feel safe when confiding in you because eventually, she may well be able to gather enough courage to tell you exactly what is happening and to ask for help. This intervention tip may be particularly useful for hairdressers, nurses, human resource department personnel and anyone working in professions that involve having to listen to clients, customers and co-workers as part of the job.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #11: Be on standby If you suspect your friend, co-worker, staff, or family member of suffering from Domestic Violence, offer to be on standby for her text or call for emergencies. Have your phone on and fully charged at all times and keep it on you. If you have a car and need to intervene immediately, make sure that the gas/petrol tank is full so you can get in and drive to get the victim/survivor immediately if need be.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #12: Have an intervention plan. Work out a plan to get an intervention operation in action – have the following numbers on standby for your use:

  • The national Domestic Violence helpline (if your country has it)
  • The local Domestic Violence shelter helpline wherever the victim/survivor is located.
  • The local police wherever the victim/survivor is located.

Make sure to contact all of these agencies immediately should you receive an urgent SOS from the victim/survivor or if you hear or witness the violence begin and escalate (and in many cases, it may escalate incredibly quickly).

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #13: Provide some relief. If you know a Domestic Violence victim/survivor who is being kept at home without relief, do a random act of kindness for her: Offer to babysit the children for a few hours while the abuser is out so she can have a breather; Offer to pick up groceries for her on your grocery run. Every small gesture helps provide relieve and also build the victim’s confidence in eventually reaching out to you for help (or accepting your help).

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #14: Check in regularly. If you fear for your friend, co-worker, classmate, or family member’s life, call or text her once a day at a random time to see if she is all right. If it’s your neighbour, keep an eye out on the house and your ears pricked for any signs or sounds of violence.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #15: Be a resource. Help her find the assistance she needs, whether it is legal information, local domestic violence programmes, or finding a safe place through a battered women’s shelter. The greatest danger women face in these situations is often the actual process of leaving, so finding a safe place may be key. Knowing this information beforehand may be helpful, but assisting her in the research and even making phone calls for her will also help speed things up.

Domestic Violence Intervention Tip #16: Document! Document! Document! Document any incidents that you witness. Take note of dates, times, injuries, and any other observations. Your ongoing documentation can help bolster a victim’s courage and credibility when they are finally willing to pursue legal action against their partner.

16 Memorable Stories of Standing Up Against Street Harassment 2013

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BraveHeartHawaii group - Anti-Street Harassment Week 4.7.13We are proud today to share the third annual blog list of 16 memorable stories of women dealing with street harassment which has been kindly compiled by Holly Kearl, Founder of Stop Street Harassment and one of our 16 Female Role Models of 2010.

Almost 100% of women and girls experience street harassment in their lifetimes ranging from the uncomfortable to the downright dangerous. Holly receives many stories of women fighting back against street harassment by themselves or with the help of friends, family and bystanders which is shared on the Stop Street Harassment website and Facebook page to help raise awareness of this particular type of violence against women as well as provide inspiration and ideas for everyone on making public places and spaces safe ones for women.

This list provides a starting point for all to learn about and discuss the impact of street harassment. We hope it’ll inspire you to take action.

It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.

– Regina Yau, Founder and President, The Pixel Project

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Empowering Response #1:  When a man began openly staring at EM’s friend’s breasts, she said really loudly to him as they passed him on the New Jersey street, “You should look where you’re going or you might fall.” He looked at her and she repeated, “Look where you’re walking.” Her friend laughed and he looked embarrassed.

HannahPrice-Story2-ImageViaBuzzFeedEmpowering Response #2: Photographer and Yale School of Art MFA student Hannah Price made international news this year with her series of stunning photos of the men who harassed her on the streets of Philadelphia, turning the lens and attention on them instead of her.

Empowering Response #3: Phillip in San Francisco, California, observed a man harassing every woman in the area. A few construction workers suggested the man stop, but he didn’t. So Philip got in his space and began making remarks about that man’s body and returned his misogyny. He said the harasser took off, almost running, while the construction workers high-fived Philip!

Empowering Response #4: Penelope lives in Sydney, Australia, and when construction for a new apartment building began next to where she lived, the constant harassment by the workers made her feel ill. She tried lots of tactics to avoid harassment but finally, she wrote a letter to the development company. It worked. She said, “I was stopped by the foreman and he politely let me know that he spoke to the men and have them stop the harassment and that if it happens again to seek him out or contact the company again.”

Empowering Response #5: Nayana was walking down a very busy road in Delhi, India. Suddenly, she felt a man “feeling up her front” with his hand. She said she was shocked! When she saw him smirking because he felt he was going to get away it, she grabbed hold of his collar and screamed at the top of her voice, “Police! Police! Help!” People gathered around her to help. The police arrived and she reported him. He ended up spending the night in jail.

Empowering Response #6: A woman was at the Metro in Virginia when she saw two guards harassing another woman. That woman cringed and walked quickly away. One of the guards then told the woman who observed it, “Let me see a SMILE on that pretty face.” She made eye contact and told him firmly, “Mind your business.” He giggled nervously and shut up.

Empowering Response #7: One day Irem was riding a city bus with her sister in Izmir, Turkey. A man would not stop staring at them. She stared back to try to make him feel uncomfortable and stop, but he just kept staring. So then Irem stood up and said to him, “Do you know us from somewhere else because you’ve been looking at us for ten minutes.” She said he was very embarrassed and that the other passengers, especially the women, laughed at him. He looked down at the floor for the rest of the ride.

Empowering Response #8: Emily pulled up beside a pickup truck at a traffic light in Sarasota, Florida. Her windows were rolled down and the two men in the truck whistled at her, laughing. She turned off her radio, turned to them and said, “You know, it’s really offensive when men whistle at a woman like she’s an animal. I don’t appreciate that. What you’re doing is called street harassment and it is unacceptable.” The driver apologized saying, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll stop tonight.”

Empowering Response #9: A woman was harassed by a man in an SUV while she wanted to cross the street in Minnesota, and then he drove away before she could respond, she wrote an open letter to him in the “Missed Connections” section of Craigstlist.com. Her amazing letter was shared all over the Internet and it ended with this good advice: “If you really find a woman beautiful, don’t choose the juvenile selfish route that makes her feel weird and you look like an asshole. Just take a deep breath, commit the image to memory, and get on with your life. Or, if it’s really that great of an ass that you can’t possibly survive without commenting on it, post about it on CL missed connections after the fact and let her decide what to do about it.”

SarahStoryEmpowering Response #10: Sarah was visiting a friend in Buffalo, New York. As she walked through a parking garage to meet her friend, two men sitting in a truck rolled down their windows and shouted inappropriate sexual remarks at her. She turned around and walked up to the window, looked them both in the eye and calmly said, “I just wanted to let you know it is really rude to shout at someone like that, and most women do not appreciate it.” They apologized to her and said they were just trying to be nice and say hi. She told them how that behavior can be perceived as threatening. She says she “walked away feeling so positive and empowered, and I hope what I said had some impact on those men and their future behavior.”

Empowering Response #11: Robyn lives in Portland, Oregon. She was walking home from the grocery store with her seven-year-old stepson and her infant daughter when a man slowed down in his car to talk to her through his window. She felt hesitant to confront him with her kids there.  Instead of driving away, the man followed and then paced his car alongside her and her kids. “How are you doing?” he asked. She stopped and said, “I’d be a whole lot better if you weren’t doing this.” He said, “I understand,” and drove away.

Empowering Response #12: A woman in Harrogate, UK, was harassed in the morning by a fundraiser. It bothered her all day that he’d done this and when she went home that evening, she confronted him. She wrote, “He turned out to be a very nice guy who was very apologetic- he hadn’t realised how intimidating his behaviour was and was glad that I had gone back to speak to him. Being the older brother of 4 sisters he was keen to express his abhorrence of men that harass women. I was pleasantly surprised at his attitude- he was happy to listen and learn. It gave me hope!

Empowering Response #13: Each time Maria’s sister walked from the bus stop to her home in Colombia, a man across the street yelled sexual comments at her. His harassment upset her a lot. Maria was worried that since the man knew where she and her sister lived, it could be unsafe for her to talk to him, so she talked to her sister’s boyfriend and he said we would talk to him. The boyfriend asked the man to please show respect for the women walking on the streets and to consider their safety. His admonition worked and the man never harassed Maria’s sister again.

EndSH_Flier4 photo credit Julie and Amy MastrineEmpowering Response #14:  Christine was at a nightclub with a friend in Maynooth, Ireland, when a man groped her friend’s breast, then smiled as he walked away. Her friend froze in shock, but Christine “saw red.” She ran after him, matched his pace, and then reached around and grabbed his balls. She said, “He doubled over and I held on as I leaned in and spoke directly into his ear: ‘It’s not so nice when someone touches you without your permission, is it?’” She said she walked away and when she turned back, he looked very confused and uncomfortable.

Empowering Response #15: When D was street harassed by two different men in a short distance, she said, “No!” loudly to them each. A woman nearby saw both interactions and said, “Thank god for you!” and said something about how more people need to speak up against this. “I have to,” I said. “It [street harassment] is ridiculous.” D wrote, “I didn’t get a chance to thank her for supporting me in standing up against harassment. Usually when people see me standing up to harassers they either ignore it, think it’s funny, or tell me that I bring this stuff upon myself for taking harassment too seriously. So when I do encounter people who support standing up against street harassment, it feels great to know that there are people who think that this is a problem.”

Empowering Response #16: Fern was dressed up for an interview when two men on the street commented about her looks. She ignored them and one of them yelled, “What, you can say thank you?” She felt angry that a man expected her to thank him for his unsolicited and unwanted comments and asked him, “Why do I need to thank you? Did you do me a favor? Did you help me?” He was surprised and told her not to be uptight. She said, “I didn’t ask you to look at me. In fact, I wish you wouldn’t.” She then left.

The Pixel Project Selection 2013 – 16 Notable Activists and Nonprofits You Should Follow on Twitter

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Twitter with MegaphoneTwitter is one of the tools of the social media age that allows you to engage, connect and learn more at the click of a button. If you are thinking about joining in with women’s human rights campaigning in these #16days of activism (and beyond!), Twitter is a good place to start. You can read fresh articles, “listen” in on conversations on #vaw, and find out about a myriad of non-profit organisations and activists that are striving to make the world a better place for women and girls.

Want to know what your favourite anti-Violence Against Women organisations are up to? Then delve into the Twittersphere and find out in real time! Twitter allows us to find out about the latest campaigns, events and news going on in the movement. All you have to do is log on and tune in…

Today, we bring to you our second annual list of 16 organisations and activists that have found a way of making the Twittersphere work in their favour. Their tweets are informative, exciting, and think faster than the Internet can update. In other words: perfect examples of how social media can be a powerful tool for anyone who wants to join the fight towards gender equality.

Introduction by Angelique Mulholland with updates by Regina Yau; Twitter list compiled by Jerica Nonell; Curated and edited by Carol Olson and Regina Yau.

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Twitter Follow Recommendation 1: Ann-Marie Wilson (@AM28toomany)

ann-marie wilsonAnn-Marie Wilson is the founder of an amazing organisation that fights Female Genital Mutilation called 28 Too Many. This organisation researches ways to enable local organisations throughout the African diaspora and allow them to fight to end the practice of FGM by providing them with tools and knowledge. Ann-Marie Wilson’s twitter is her personal account, which chronicles 28 Too Many’s events, as well as her thoughts and input on events around the world. She is endlessly fascinating and is unrelenting in her fight against FGM.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 2: Bell Bajao (@bell_bajao)

Bell BajaoBell Bajao, which means ‘Ring The Bell’ in Hindi, is an India-based anti-Violence Against Women campaign by Breakthrough – an international human rights organisation using the power of popular culture, media, leadership development and community education to combat violence against women. Bell Bajao started as series of trend-setting PSAs teaching audiences how to intervene to stop domestic violence by ringing the bell. Currently, they are campaigning to get 1 million men to pledge to stop violence against women in their communities. Bell Bajao’s Twitter account is lively with plenty of news about their campaigns and the latest updates on anti-Violence Against Women initiatives in India. They also jointly run a monthly Tweet-a-thon with The Pixel Project which has created hashtags such as #CyberVAW that has trended worldwide.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 3: Elisabeth Corey (@BeatingTrauma)

elisabeth coreyElisabeth Corey is a human trafficking and abuse survivor who uses technology to help other survivors in their path to recovery. Corey is rather new to the field of human trafficking advocacy but her voice is fresh and new. Her Twitter documents both her own path towards recovery and resources that are available to other survivors. Many of her tweets, which are linked to her blog, deal directly with the healing process and how to handle PTSD and disassociation. She gives a raw look into the world of recovery, which is needed in a society where many people do not understand how PTSD can affect a person. She highlights the positive of her recovery and the discoveries that she comes across through her own journey.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 4: EVAW Coalition (@EVAWhd)

end violence against womenEnd Violence Against Women (EVAW) Coalition is an organisation that works to end violence towards women throughout England and beyond. They provide information about VAW in all facets – FGM, trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual violence. One of their recent campaigns is asking women and artists to fight back against sexist and racist music videos called Rewind Reframe. Their Twitter stream is a constant update on this campaign and others, highlighting artists that involve themselves in their work. Currently, it consists mostly of Rewind Reframe and which videos need to be rethought. You can easily join the campaign and let them know which videos you think showcase women, especially women of color, in a negative spotlight.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 5: FORWARD UK (@forwarduk)

forwardukThe Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development, aka FORWARD UK, is a British organisation that works towards helping African women and girls to end FGM and child marriage. The organisation is nearly 30 years old and focuses on both African communities and the UK to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights. Many are unaware that practices such as FGM exist outside of African countries, but organisations such as FORWARD UK make sure to address the issue throughout all of the African diaspora. Their work throughout the UK and Africa saves lives and they have found the perfect way to incorporate such important messages through social media and make it effective.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 6: Girls Not Brides (@girlsnotbrides)

girls not bridesGirls Not Bride fights child marriage by working with NGOs around the world. By joining the communities around the world that practice child marriage, activists and those effected by child marriage are joined together and their voices can become stronger, louder. Girls Not Brides’ Twitter account provides constant updates on the statistics of child marriage, as well as resources for child brides. Their goal is to not only end child marriage, but to also take care of current child brides. Girls Not Brides is an inspiring organisation, even when their words must fit within a 140-word character limit.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 7: Ima Matul (@imahope4freedom)

ima matulIma Matul uses her personal encounter with human trafficking to help others that are in a similar position. Her Twitter stream provides insight into her activist work as well as suggest resources that survivors need to heal and grow. She works with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking’s Survivor leadership and advocacy programme by speaking at conferences across the United States of America. In 2011, she began coordinating the National Survivor Network, which provides survivors support, as well as ways to become an advocate for change. Her advocacy work was recognised in 2012 by President Obama and the Clinton Global Initiative in regards to their own efforts end modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 8: Leymah Gbowee (@leymahrgbowee)

leymah gboweeLeymah Gbowee is an African women’s right advocate who founded the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa and was the 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate. Gbowee’s NGO provides equal access and development opportunities to Liberians. Just ten minutes of following Gbowee’s Twitter stream is more than enough time to understand completely how she has achieved all that she has. She writes beautifully and will make you want to jump out from behind your desk and join the movement. Follow her on Twitter and get inspired to start your very own grassroots revolution!

Twitter Follow Recommendation 9: MARD (@MardOfficial)

mardMen Against Rape and Discrimination is an organisation ran and founded by actor and director Farhan Akhtar. MARD has received most of its acclaim through the social media spheres, especially Twitter, making it a guaranteed great resource for information about its anti-Violence Against Women work. The organisation works with men to change their perspectives regarding their attitudes and behaviors towards women. The MARD Twitter account is often seen trending whenever a story about rape or discrimination becomes global news.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 10: Minh Dang (@minhspeakstruth)

minh dangMinh Dang previously worked as the Executive Director for Jada Pinkett Smith’s anti-human trafficking campaign, Don’t Sell Bodies. She is recognised for her work with DSB as one of fifteen Asian American/Pacific Islander women by the White House earlier in 2013. She is currently an independent consultant and speaker on issues of human trafficking. Dang’s Twitter account is a great resource for those who wish to keep up with developments in stopping human trafficking in the modern world. She knows the topic like the back of her hand and spreads her knowledge in a very accessible way via Twitter. Dang still works closely with DSB and many of their events are highlighted throughout her tweets.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 11: NO MORE (@NOMOREorg)

no moreNO MORE is a brand-new celebrity-driven campaign fighting against domestic violence and sexual assault. Their goal is to create a symbol that provides unity for those affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, one which can be displayed during high-profile media coverage or through one-on-one situations. NO MORE wants to end the stigma and silence surrounding these violent acts. Their most recognised PSAs involve the cast from Law and Order: Special Victims Unite and play during televised events, such as NASCAR. NO MORE’s Twitter will keep you up-to-date on the progress of their PSA campaign and how to get involved with their campaign.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 12: Say No UNiTE to End Violence against Women (@SayNo_UNiTE)

say no“Say No – UNiTE to End Violence against Women” is a major campaign that the UN create to spur global action to stop violence against women. Run by UN Women, the Say No – UNiTE campaign uses its unique platform to spread the word about advocacy efforts from around the world, both offline and on. Their Twitter account retweets from various global organisations about the work that they are doing. They promote the achievements of others and open up new opportunities for people around the world. Following Say No – UNiTE on Twitter is a must if you wish to keep up with what’s happening globally to stop violence against women. Say NO – UNiTE is also a partner of The Pixel Project.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 13: The SOLD Project (@thesoldproject)

the sold projectThe SOLD Project is an organisation that provides scholarships for at-risk children throughout Thailand. They focus on the issues of human trafficking, child prostitution, and sexual exploitation by recognising the key contributing factors, such as poverty and lack of education. They are very active on Twitter and is a great way to stay informed on the Thailand’s changing atmosphere of human trafficking. Through their Twitter account, The SOLD Project provides followers with a wealth of knowledge about human trafficking, including statistics and updates on films on the subject.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 14: White Ribbon (@whiteribbon)

White Ribbon CA logoWhite Ribbon is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity.  They work to examine the root causes of gender-based violence and create a cultural shift that helps bring us to a future without violence. Their Twitter account is a useful resource for anyone who wishes to keep tabs on how men are helping to stop violence against women and girls as they use it to share news about their campaigns as well as news from White Ribbon participants, ambassadors and movements around the world. The White Ribbon campaign is a partner of The Pixel Project.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 15: Women Under Siege (@WomenUndrSiege)

women under siegeWomen Under Siege is a journalism project by the Women’s Media Center to investigate how sexual violence is used as a weapon during conflict and war. Though many people know that rape is weaponised to subjugate entire communities and countries, it is not a topic that can be talked about easily. We know it is there but the stories are not always easy to reach. Through their Twitter account, Women Under Siege gives these stories and the facts and figures behind them a high profile platform to help raise awareness about the atrocities and motivate the global audience to do something about them.

Twitter Follow Recommendation 16: Women’s Voices Now (@WomensVoicesNow)

womens voices nowWomen’s Voices Now is an organisation put together to empower Muslim women by promoting free expression. They are working to make women’s voices heard as they speak out against inequalities and violence. An interesting aspect of this organisation is that it uses and hosts films regarding the topics that they are passionate about, and was even able to start hosting film festivals in the United States. Their Twitter account brings these voices directly to you. Follow their tweets and click their links, and you will never feel far away from making the world a better, more tolerant place.

16 Ideas for Educating Kids about Violence Against Women and Being Non-Violent

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Running Girl and Dove

With violence against women and girls being one of the biggest and most entrenched human rights issues in the world, many anti-violence activists, educators and charities see the next generation as our best hope for bringing an end to gender-based violence. This is because if we can inculcate today’s children and teenagers with a firm belief in gender equality and non-violence, we would be able to begin gradually changing mindsets and cultural beliefs as the old cultural guards pass away and the next generation takes over.

The importance of actively educating children and teenagers about violence against women is also of paramount important because in today’s increasingly interconnected world where kids can get online with simple a tap on their smartphones, they are likely to become increasingly exposed to violence and misogyny beyond their own communities. Therefore, it is critical that parents, guardians, mentors and teachers to begin educating children about non-violence, gender equality and violence against women and girls as soon as possible.

In this “16 For 16” article, we present 16 suggestions and tips that adults can use for teaching children and teenagers about gender equality, non-violent behaviour and the issue of violence against women and girls.

Introduction by Regina Yau; Compiled and written by Rashad Brathwaite and Regina Yau; Edited by Carol Olson and Regina Yau.

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VAW Education Tip #1 – Get YOURSELF Educated! The first step for parents and adults must is to become aware about the issue of violence against women and girls and how it impacts individuals, families and communities. There are lots of resources online, including The Pixel Project, which can provide basic information about violence against women. Once you know the basics, you will be better prepared to set up conversations about the issue, and identify and stop potentially violent and/or misogynistic behaviour displayed by your child.

Teacher and GirlVAW Education Tip #2 – Develop Open Lines of Communication. Enable children to feel comfortable coming to you with any question or issue. Make sure they know that you will listen to them and that their voice matters. Children who feel that they are taken seriously by a parent or mentor are less likely to run away from their own questions and more likely to listen to the advice passed down to them. By keeping yourself approachable, you are more likely to be able to guide them towards making the right decisions and taking the right actions when faced with issues and experiences like bullying and sexism which are related to and/or may lead to violence against women later on in life.

VAW Education Tip #3 – Books! Books! Books!. The books that children read in school and at home are easily accessible materials that can be used to teach important lessons. Use stories to teach values such as gender equality, kindness, non-violence, and respecting others. For younger children, select books that give examples of kind, non-violent behaviour while showing the consequences of violent behaviour like bullying. For older children and teenagers, go to the library or bookshop together to pick out books that promote healthy respectful behaviour as well as female characters who break the usual “princess” or “damsel in distress” mode. Think Katniss Everdeen, forget Bella Swan. If you are unable to find anything that matches what you want to teach or talk about, write your own!

VAW Education Tip #4 – Positive Reinforcement.  Compliment and reward kids when they display positive, non-violent and non-sexist behaviour when solving problems and interacting with other people. In addition, simply pointing out and punishing violent or aggressive behaviour such as bullying will not help them understand why their behaviour is unacceptable. A better approach would be to show them why it is negative and to be ready to provide ready alternatives of positive behaviour that they can easily remember and use. Keeping calm and listening to the child or teenager while teaching them to handle may also help transform a potentially stressful disciplinary situation into a learning opportunity about non-violence and respect in relationships and towards women and girls.

VAW Education Tip #5 – Boundaries are good!  Establishing boundaries for your children about what is or is not acceptable is part and parcel of teaching them about healthy problem solving, healthy relationships and non-violent conflict resolution. If you see your child engaging in violent behaviour, imposing a “time out” or other non-violent modes of discipline can help teach your child about peaceful means for resolving interpersonal problems and conflicts. Once they are able to recognise and respect boundaries, be it their own or other people’s, then they will be better able to understand the importance of consent in relationships and where to draw the line with aggressive or anti-social behaviour towards others.

Kids Under A TreeVAW Education Tip #6 –  It Takes A Village. Parents are seldom the only adult influencers in a child’s world which will eventually include some or all of the following adults: teachers, tutors, coaches, mentors, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins, guardians. So don’t just focus on your particular relationship with your child or teenage. Remember the importance of building an active network of peers by making sure you keep communication lines open with the other adults in their world and work together with them to stand united in educating the kids about the importance of non-violence and of helping to stop violence against women.

VAW Education Tip #7 – Be A Good Sport! Many schools and other organisations focused on children and teenagers use sports as a way to help their charges channel their energies in a constructive way. Sports can help kids focus by giving them a goal to work towards while teaching team about team work and fair play. It is also a safety valve for letting off steam and aggression in a contained and controlled environment. Done right, sports can help children address and control aggressive tendencies, while learning good sportsmanship including fair play, accepting failure gracefully, and striving for success without hurting others.

VAW Education Tip #8 – Act It Out! Drama class or getting involved in plays can provide an outlet for children and teenagers to focus and learn about the issue of violence against women through storytelling and acting. If you are a parent and you know that there is a school production of a play that addresses issues related to violence against women and gender inequality, encourage your child or teenager to take part. If you are a drama teacher at a middle school or high school, make a conscious decision to select a play or musical that provide opportunities for your students to explore and talk about violence against women.

VAW Education Tip #9 – Share Stories. Share personal stories of difficult encounters and experiences to help drive home points you wish to make about violence against women and related topics such as bullying and sexism. Being minors with limited life experience, many children and teenagers are unable to connect the abstract idea of VAW with their own lives, and it is the role of the parents, mentor, teacher or coach to help them make the connection. You might not have experienced VAW in your life, but with 1 in 3 women worldwide experiencing gender-based violence in their lifetimes, whether it is domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, street harassment etc, chances are you may know someone who survived the violence who might be willing to talk to your child or students; Or you may have witnessed the violence yourself.

Grandmother and KidsVAW Education Tip  #10 – YouTube Is Your Friend! When used correctly, the internet can be a great resource for children and teenagers to learn about violence against women and its related issues. For example, here is a short film made specifically for children on the topic of domestic violence. So when you come across a video public service announcement or a particular clip on YouTube which can help kick off discussions about violence against women either at home or at school, use it. For teachers, mentors, coaches and other educators, it may also be particularly useful to create YouTube playlists of videos that you can use to kickstart the conversation with the children and teenagers in your class, team or counseling sessions.

VAW Education Tip #11 – Watch And Discuss.  Apart from YouTube videos, another resource for educating kids about violence against women and non-violent behaviour could be watching and discussing a movie, a documentary or an episode of a TV show with domestic violence, rape or other forms of violence against women as a storyline or theme. Get the post-movie discussion and brainstorming going by asking questions that get the kids to think about the issue, why violence against women is wrong, and how they can help to stop the violence. As movies featuring violence against women can be too graphic for younger or more squeamish children, try documentaries such as “Half The Sky”  that discuss solutions to violence against women.

VAW Education Tip #12 – Monitor Their Pop Culture Intake. In today’s celebrity-driven internet era, it is essential to use incidences in popular culture as teachable moments to address the issue of Violence Against Women with children and teenagers. The media and the celebrities they promote do not always provide positive role models for children. Therefore, it is the role of parents, guardians, mentors, teachers and coaches to address this issue. If you see the children under your care begin to internalise negative ideals due to the influence of media and celebrities, take action to sit down and engage them in conversations about what they have seen and to help them contextualise it in a healthy way. For example: When Chris Brown beat up Rihanna, it made the headlines and because both artistes have a huge fan base of teenagers and young adults, it was an incident that most kids would know about. So conversations about why domestic or dating violence is unacceptable could be built on discussing that piece of news.

Teachable MomentVAW Education Tip #13 – Teachable Moments Are Gold. Be on alert to possible teachable moments that could come any time, anywhere. Teachable moments about violence against women can come in any shape or size. It could be your child coming home from school and telling you about how s/he heard one child call another a violently sexist term such as “bitch”. You can turn that into a teachable moment but transforming it into an opportunity to talk to him/her about how name-calling is not just wrong, but name calling using misogynistic terms is a form of violence against women.

VAW Education Tip #14 – Preparation Is Everything. Talk to your children, students or teenagers you mentor about dating and relationships before they enter into the dating world. Tell them about what they can expect from a healthy relationship including mutual respect, being accepted for who they are, and  Let them know what abusive relationships could look like, including common red flag signs that indicate that they may be dating an abuser and/or are in an abusive relationship. By helping them set a healthy minimum standard for their relationships, you will be preparing them to identify relationships and potential life partners that are respectful, loving and non-violent.

VAW Education Tip #15 – Make Healthy Relationships for YOURSELF a Priority. Most people form their ideas about relationships from a very young age as they observe their parents’ relationship. For many people, their adult relationships and choices of life partner often echo their parents’ relationship. This is one of the ways in which domestic violence can trickle down over several generations through boys who grow up thinking that hitting a woman is normal and girls who grow up expecting to face violence as part of a ‘normal’ relationship. So one of the best ways to break – or never start – the cycle of abusive relationships for the next generation is to be mindful of your own relationships and how you interact with your life partner and other peers in your life.

VAW Education Tip #16 – Finally and Most Important of All… Be A Role Model.  Role modelling is one of the most effective ways of influencing children and teenagers because they usually learn and internalise life lessons by patterning their own behaviour and beliefs after their parents, teachers, mentors and other influential adults in their lives. Your reaction to anger, frustration and conflict when interacting with other people may well become a behavioral template for your children or the children you teach/mentor/coach. So be self-aware of and thoughtful about your own conduct towards yourself and others and set yourself the same standards of non-violence, respect and acceptance that you wish to teach the children and teenagers in your life.

The Pixel Project Selection 2013: 16 Films About Violence Against Women

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Film-Reel-225x300 (1)The Pixel Project’s annual selection of films, documentaries and television shows that raise awareness about violence against women has been a fixture in our annual “16 For 16” campaign from the very beginning. We firmly believe that the “Show, Not Tell” principle is one of the most powerful ways to create a connection between the movement to end violence against women and the person on the street who might not have even given this human rights issue a thought before. Film and television are some of the best tools that activists and educators have at their disposal to shape and galvanise public opinion and action to prevent and stop violence against women (VAW) in their communities remains strong.

This year, our selection entirely comprises VAW documentaries of all lengths, shapes and sizes. The VAW topics they tackle show just how wide-ranging and entrenched VAW is in communities and cultures across the world – honour killing, female genital mutilation and rape are some of the prominent topics highlighted. India, in particular, takes the spotlight after the horrifying rape and murder of university student Jyoti Singh Pandey in Delhi.

We hope that this year’s diverse selection will provide a thought-provoking range of resources to help you kick start discussions about VAW that break the wall of silence and taboo in your community.

It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.

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Selection Number 1: Eden: American Sex Trade

“Eden” is based on the harrowing true story of sex trafficking survivor, Eden, a young Korean-American girl, who was abducted near her home and forced into prostitution by a domestic human and drug trafficking ring. Throughout the two years she is held, Eden reluctantly ensures her own survival by carving out power and influence within the very organization that has imprisoned her.

Selection Number 2: FGM in the UK

“FGM in the UK” is The Pixel Project’s first mini documentary and focuses on the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the UK. The documentary features Integrate Bristol, an anti-FGM group and is aimed at raising awareness about what FGM is, how this form of Violence Against Women is being tackled in the UK and ideas for preventing, detecting and stopping FGM in the country.

Selection Number 3: FGM – The Film The Changed the Law in Kurdistan

Two filmmakers spent almost a decade reporting the greatest taboo subject in Kurdish society: female genital mutilation. Nabaz Ahmed and Shara Amin persuaded people to talk about the effects of FGM and the film they made helped get the practice outlawed in 2011. And in the last few years the number of girls being mutilated in Kurdistan has fallen by over 60%. The story of their decade-long fight against FGM has been made into a documentary by the Guardian and BBC Arabic. (Summary courtesy of The Guardian)

Selection Number 4: Fighting the Silence: Sexual Violence against Women in the Congo

Fighting the Silence (2007) is a documentary made by Ilse and Femke van Velzen to tell the story of ordinary Congolese women and men who are struggling to change their society: one that prefers to blame victims rather than prosecute rapists. Rape survivors and their families speak out openly about the suffering they endured because their culture considers women second class citizens and rape as a taboo. They give voice to thousands of other survivors and their families who have chosen to hide their grief and remain silent for fear of being rejected by their families and community.

Selection Number 5: India: A Dangerous Place To Be A Women

Following the brutal Delhi Gang Rape, 28-year-old British Asian Radha Bedi travels to India to uncover the reality of life for young women there. Whilst filming the documentary, she met many brave young girls and women willing to share their personal experiences of harassment and violence and discovers that it all boils down to the fact that they were born female.

 Selection Number 6: In the Name of the Family: Honor Killings in North America

Schoolgirl Aqsa Parvez, sisters Amina and Sarah Said, and college student Fauzia Muhammad were all North American teenagers—and victims of premeditated, murderous attacks by male family members. Only Muhammad survived. Emmy® winner Shelley Saywell examines each case in depth in this riveting investigation of “honor killings” of girls in Muslim immigrant families. Not sanctioned by Islam, the brutalization and violence against young women for defying male authority derives from ancient tribal notions of honour and family shame. (Summary courtesy of Women Make Movies)

Selection Number 7: Invoking Justice

In Southern India, family disputes are settled by Jamaats—all male bodies which apply Islamic Sharia law to cases without allowing women to be present, even to defend themselves. Recognizing this fundamental inequity, a group of women in 2004 established a women’s Jamaat, which soon became a network of 12,000 members spread over 12 districts. Despite enormous resistance, they have been able to settle more than 8,000 cases to date, ranging from divorce to wife beating to brutal murders and more. Award-winning filmmaker Deepa Dhanraj (SOMETHING LIKE A WAR) follows several cases, shining a light on how the women’s Jamaat has acquired power through both communal education and the leaders’ persistent, tenacious and compassionate investigation of the crimes. (Summary courtesy of Women Make Movies)

Selection Number 8: Justice For Sale

“Justice For Sale” follows the young, courageous Congolese human rights lawyer Claudine Tsongo who refuses to accept that justice is indeed “For Sale” in her country. When she investigates the case of a soldier convicted of rape, she becomes convinced his trial was unfair and uncovers a system where the basic principles of law are ignored—and when the system fails, everyone becomes a victim. The documentary not only provides a glimpse into the failings of the Congolese judicial system but also raises questions about the role of the international community and non-governmental organizations in reforming it. Does their financial support cause justice to be for sale? And who pays the price? (Summary courtesy of Women Make Movies)

Selection Number 9: Pink Saris

This powerful documentary by Kim Longinetto chronicles the story of Sampat Pal and how she went from an abused underaged bride and daughter-in-law to the founder and leader of the Pink Saris (the Gulabi Gang) – a grassroots movement of women in Uttar Pradesh determined to mete out justice to the men and families who abuse, batter, torment and murder them with impunity.

Selection Number 10: Power and Control: Domestic Violence In America

“Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America” is a documentary about domestic abuse in the U.S. context and offers a probing and intimate exploration of the troubling persistence of violence against women in America. The 2008/2009 economic crisis has contributed to a sharp increase in domestic violence around the country.

Selection Number 11: Quest For Honour

“Quest For Honour” investigates the still prevalent practice of honor killing in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. The alarming rise in the heinous act of men killing daughters, sisters and wives who threaten “family honor,” endangers tens of thousands of women in Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and adjoining countries. The Women’s Media Center of Suleymaniyah, Iraq, has joined forces with Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to end this practice. (Adapted from a summary by Women Make Movies)

Selection Number 12: Rape In The Fields

“Rape In The Fields” is a documentary by PBS about the hidden reality of rape, sexual harassment and violence faced by many immigrant women in the U.S. agricultural industry, especially illegal immigrants eking out a living on farms.

Selection Number 13: Sarabah

Rapper, singer and activist, Sister Fa is a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), she tackles the issue by starting a grassroots campaign, “Education Without Excision,” which uses her music as a vehicle to bring her message about ending FGM to communities still plagued by it. “Sarabah” follows Sister Fa on her challenging journey, where she speaks out and sings out to all generations in affected communities to bring about change.

Selection Number 14: Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman

“Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman” tells the haunting story of the more than 350 kidnapped, raped and murdered young women of Juárez, Mexico. Visually poetic, yet unflinching in its gaze, this compelling investigation unravels the layers of complicity that have allowed for the brutal murders of women living along the Mexico-U.S. border. In the midst of Juárez’s international mystique and high profile job market, there exists a murky history of grossly underreported human rights abuses and violence against women. The climate of violence and impunity continues to grow, and the murders of women continue to this day. (Summary courtesy of Women Make Movies)

Selection Number 15: The Burning Times

This short documentary, funded by the National Film Board of Canada, looks at the witch-hunts that swept through Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake, and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film advances the theory that widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times.

Selection Number 16: Violence Against Women in Haiti: The Enemy Within

In this short documentary by UNIFEM (now UN Women) that is narrated by internationally renowned TV journalist Daljit Dhaliwal, this 21st Century short documentary goes deep into Haiti’s makeshift camps to expose acts of violence and sexual assaults women, especially young girls, have encountered since the country’s devastating earthquake in January left 1.5 million homeless. While measures are being taken by, for instance, the Haitian National Police, UN police and UN Women, to curb such type of violence, this video underscores what has yet to be done to ensure the safety of women and girls as Haiti continues to build itself back from the ground up.

Transcript: http://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/unia1253.pdf

The Pixel Project Selection 2013 – 16 Notable Facebook Pages by Anti-Violence Against Women Organisations

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Foto-FacebookFacebook quickly became one of the most used social networking sites.  It has grown from a gossip site to include cause- focused advocacy and global issues as part of its information sharing. Participants have shared, weighed in, debated, and joined virtual hands around the world to address a multitude of difficult human rights issues such as violence against women.  On Facebook, everyone becomes an activist and adds their voice to keep the subject – be it public rapes, female genital mutilation, or domestic violence – at the forefront of people’s minds with a simple click and share.

News stories, events, and opinions now go viral on sites like Facebook before they reach television.  Social networking has replaced the TV news show as a means to spread information happening not only in our communities, but around the world, linking what seemed like disparate and isolated acts of violence into a human rights issue that happens in every society and effects everyone.  On Facebook, hundreds of thousands of people share their opinion and demand action.  The power of Facebook seems to be limitless as one share equals 12 shares, which turns into 24, then 48, until over 100 people have seen and shared a piece of information, news link, or picture.

In this article, we highlight 16 anti-violence against women Facebook pages that are unique in their message and their delivery. This is our second annual list of recommended Facebook pages and we have selected them because they make an effort to temper humour with information, offer a significant way for their readers to help, and make those in the fight feel more powerful and part of something greater. They present a unique perspective on a global issue. So pick and choose a couple to ‘like’, or better yet – ‘like’ them all and get informed and take action.

Introduction by Michelle Cahill with updates by Regina Yau; 2013 list research and compiled by Jennifer Gallienne; Curated and Edited by Regina Yau and Carol Olson.

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Recommended Facebook Page #1: Abuse No More – Global

abusenormoreAbuse No More is a public page of a network of closed Facebook groups designed to offer private and safe spaces for survivors to talk, share, and get support from one another. As part of their mission to help survivors of domestic violence heal and rebuild their lives, their public page offers a variety of positive quotes that help keep spirits buoyant. Like this page if you feel in need of a lift and domestic violence survivors who need a safe space to talk can directly request for admission to the closed support groups.

Recommended Facebook Page #2: Blank Noise – India

240_17216359533_6924_n (1)Blank Noise is led and run completely by volunteers. A core team of volunteers from across geographical locations and age groups work with the collective. Blank Noise seeks to trigger public dialogue on the issue of street sexual harassment. Fifty percent of Blank Noise members are male and are referred to as Blank Noise Guys. Blank Noise works towards an attitudinal shift towards ‘eve-teasing’ and involves the public to take collective responsibility of the issue. Their Facebook page is one of the best ones out there for those who wish to keep up with news about women’s rights and violence against women in India.

Recommended Facebook Page #3: Catalyst Foundation – Vietnam

34113_131455520216469_3151165_nCatalyst Foundation helps build communities in Vietnam to fight human trafficking. There is no simple option to stop trafficking. Catalyst Foundation believes there is only a holistic approach to ending this tragedy. Through education and community development, Catalyst works to give these communities and its daughters hope. Their Facebook page is a reflection of this and anyone interested in how the fight to stop human trafficking in Vietnam should follow them to get the latest news about their campaigns as well as more general news about the issue from a Vietnam perspective.

Recommended Facebook Page #4: Draw the line campaign – Canada

528705_434454069915980_1327101798_n‘Draw The Line’ is an interactive campaign that aims to engage Ontarians in a dialogue about sexual violence. The campaign challenges common myths about sexual violence and equips bystanders with information on how to intervene safely and effectively. It is ‘Draw the Line’s hope to educate about how to spot sexual violence and empower users to make a difference. The news mix on their Facebook page a slanted towards reporting on and educating young people in their teens and twenties about the subject of consent and why learning to recognise whether consent is given is one of the keys to stopping sexual assault and rape.

Recommended Facebook Page #5: Free The Slaves – global

1467463_662949593726741_1795916166_nFree the Slaves liberate slaves around the world and help survivors of slavery rebuild their lives. They research real world solutions to eradicate slavery forever, and fight the systems that allow slavery to exist in the first place. This organisation uses world class research and compelling stories from the front lines of slavery to convince the powerful and the powerless that we can end slavery. For those who are particularly interested in the issue of slavery, their page offers a great introduction to the cause for first-timers as they share a good mix of articles that put slavery into its historical context as well as human interest stories focused on activists and survivors.

Recommended Facebook Page #6: Global Network of Women Peacebuilders – Global

13293_119001241462231_4267292_nThe Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, a program partner of the International Civil society Action network (ICAN), is a coalition of women’s groups and other civil society organisations from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America that are directly involved in advocacy and action for the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 (1888, 1889) on Women, Peace and Security at the local, national, regional, and international levels. They work to bridge the “gap between policy discussions and implementation and action on the ground on women, peace and security issues.” Their Facebook page swings between sharing news of the major activities and campaigns undertaken by their partners and members, and key Violence Against Women news in countries like Egypt and Afghanistan where women suffer some of the highest levels of gender-based violence in the world.

Recommended Facebook Page #7: Gotstared.at – Global

521820_625939720753972_1305007175_nGS.A is a counter-culture movement that raises awareness on social issues of violence, gender, and discrimination, and believes in the power of the internet to reach out. What began as an outlet to vent frustrations has now taken shape as an extensive movement through social networks online. Their Facebook page shares a wide range of anti-Violence Against Women news as well as a mix of feminist memes as well as videos that provoke discussion and thought not just about violence against women but gender inequality as a whole.

Recommended Facebook Page #8: Haitianwomennetwork.org – Haiti

haitianwomenHaitian Women Network is an advocacy group whose sole purpose is to campaign against abuse of young girls and women in Haiti, as well as to promote equality and dignity. On their Facebook page, they focus on sharing news about Haitian women’s rights, the progress in the rebuilding of Haiti after the earthquake, as well as news links about key violence against women issues and events from around the world.

Recommended Facebook Page #9 – New Light Kolkata – India

New LightNew Light is a non-profit community project based in Kalighat, Kolata, on of the oldest red light districts of the city.  Urmi Basu founded the organisation in 2000 to provide a variety of services and support for children, girls and women in the Kalighat community who are victims of trafficking, prostitution and other needs of women and girls. The New Light Facebook page provides updates about their work and campaigns, providing an insight about how working on the ground to help survivors of sex trafficking and forced prostitution is like in India.

Recommended Facebook Page #10: No More.org – USA

no moreNO MORE is a movement centered on a powerful new symbol that brings together all people who want to end domestic violence and sexual assault. Like the peace sign, the yellow “support our troops” ribbon, the red AIDS ribbon, or the pink breast cancer ribbon, the goal of the NO MORE symbol is to help spark a national dialogue and move the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault higher on the public’s agenda. Their Facebook page features coverage on high profile celebrities supporting their cause through PSAs, quotes and speaking out publicly about domestic violence.

Recommended Facebook Page #11: Project Unbreakable – Global

418277_376923302326591_2098750611_nThe mission of Project Unbreakable is to increase awareness of the issues surrounding sexual assault and encourage the act of healing through art. Since the project’s conception in October 2011, it has featured over two thousand images of sexual assault survivors holding posters with quotes from their attackers. Project Unbreakable has been featured media outlets such as Glamour, TIME, The Huffington Post, and The Guardian. Unbreakable’s Facebook and Tumblr pages have thousands of photos from users of all races and ages and genders.

Recommended Facebook Page #12: Safe Dehli Campaign – India

39178_136190593088227_3163083_nThe Safe Delhi Campaign aims to mobilise people in the city to act and make a change. This campaign believes that women and girls have a right to live a life free from violence and fear, and that all of us have a role to play in making this a reality. This campaign focuses on strategies to create safer environments for women and girls, and ways of getting different groups of people in the city involved. On their Facebook page, they share news links, videos and informational graphics about safety apps for women and girls, urban planning for the safety of women and girls, as well as selected news about efforts by major anti-VAW organisations such as UN Women.

Recommended Facebook Page #13: The Invisible War – US 

TheInvisibleWarFBProfilePicThe Invisible War, directed and produced by Oscar and Emmy-nominated Kirby Dick and Emmy-nominated Amy Ziering, is a searing expose of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences. Their Facebook page provides up-to-date information about media coverage and statistics of sexual assault in the military.

Recommended Facebook Page #14: The Pixel Project – Global

PixelProjectFacebookThe Pixel Project is a global, totally volunteer-based initiative with volunteers spread across the world. Their goal is to stimulate the fight against gender violence through volunteering, men’s involvement and fundraising. Its completely virtual platform encourages one to step outside the box and see what is happening all over the world, all while encouraging participation in what is happening at home. The Pixel Project’s Facebook page shares information from all over the globe, encourages thoughtful discussion and keeps their followers up to date on what’s happening in the fight against gender violence.

Recommended Facebook Page #15: UltraViolet – USA

66846_462267770509938_2074753454_nUltraViolet is a new and rapidly growing community of women and men across the U.S. mobilised to fight sexism and expand women’s rights, from politics and government to media and pop culture. UltraViolet works on a range of issues, including health care, economic security, violence, and reproductive rights. Their Facebook page, though U.S.-centric, reflects their mission very well as they share news and information about a wide range of issues including domestic violence against women and sexism in politics and the workplace.

Recommended Facebook Page #16: White Ribbon Campaign – Pakistan

557494_364314376940563_687138729_nThe concept of men working to end violence against women is not only novel in Pakistan, but internationally as well. It is challenging, keeping in view the social and religious context of the culture. The aim behind WRCP is to instill in men that masculinity does not lie in using power against women. Rather, it lies in channeling this power for building a better future for the society. Their Facebook page is focused on sharing news of their campaigns and projects in Pakistan, and they try to keep things upbeat with a smattering of positive quote pictures popping up fairly regularly.

Standing Up To Stop Violence Against Women – 16 Anti-Violence Against Women Male Role Models 2013

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header-malerolemodels-2013Violence Against Women has always been perceived as a “women’s issue” because of the focus on the institutionalised and normalised violence specifically faced by women and girls in cultures and communities worldwide. When most people think about charities, nonprofits, social enterprises, activists, grassroots leaders and celebrities who work to end VAW, they automatically think about women because women are the focus, and therefore the most visible voices and faces, of the anti-VAW movement.

In recent years however, this paradigm is slowly shifting to recognise that while men constitute the majority of the perpetrators of VAW, they are also key allies to stopping the violence. VAW may have always been seen as a “women’s issue” but it is a human rights issue which impacts everyone in the community regardless of gender. When good non-violent men stand up to say NO to VAW and to take action to prevent, intervene and stop the violent conduct of their male peers, they become internal agents of change through role modelling positive male behaviour as an antidote to the toxic masculinity that drives the patriarchal social structures that create and maintain gender inequality.

At The Pixel Project, one of the major tenets of our vision and mission is to get men and boys on board the movement to end VAW. In line with that mission, we have always worked with men on our campaigns and projects, be they our YouTube Music Ambassador, AHMIR, the mystery Celebrity Male Role Models who gave their time and energy to take part in our upcoming Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign; or the male volunteers who have contributed to getting our campaigns off the ground.

In recognition of the tremendous work that genuine male allies have done as members of the anti-VAW movement and movement for gender equality, we are proud to present our first annual list of 16 male role models that working worldwide to help end VAW.

It truly is time to stop violence against women. Together.

Note: Information for all role model profiles is sourced via online research and is based on one or more news sources or articles. The main articles/reports from which these profiles have been sourced can be directly accessed via the hyperlinked titles. Please do click through to learn more about these male allies.

Written by Jerica Nonell and Regina Yau; Curated and edited by Regina Yau and Carol Olson.

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Anti-VAW Role Model 1: Patrick Stewart – United Kingdom

patrick stewartThough best known for his role in Star Trek, Patrick Stewart is now equally well-known for his activism to stop violence against women. Stewart has repeatedly spoken out publicly about his traumatic childhood watching his mother suffer from domestic violence and the consequences it had on him as a child and later, as an adult man. Stewarts powerful speeches and statements about the importance of speaking out to stop violence against women and children, as well as pointing out the importance of helping abusers reform, have gone viral. He believes that it is impossible for domestic violence to disappear without everyone lending their voices to the cause. Since 2007, Stewart has worked with Refuge, a registered UK charity that provides legal and psychological support to women and children that are survivors of domestic violence. The charity supports more than 1,000 domestic violence survivors.

Anti-VAW Role Model 2: Fahran Akhtar – India

farhan akhtarFahran Akhtar is an active actor, writer, producer, director, and activist from Mumbai, India.  He is best known for his 2001 film, “Dil Chahta Hai.” In March of 2013, Akhtar publicly joined the fight for gender equality by creating a social campaign known as Men Against Rape and Discrimination, or MARD. This organisation works to change the minds and behavior of men, in hopes to instill respect towards women and make a profound and lasting change to the society in which we live. Ahktar was moved to begin this campaign after learning about a deadly sexual assault on a female lawyer in Mumbai, and has promoted this campaign through Twitter, as well as during move premieres. Through his efforts, any notable men have joined the cause, including actor Mahesh Babu and cricket player Sachin Tandulkar.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 3: Dr. Denis Mukwege – Democratic Republic of Congo

Denis MukwegeDoctor Denis Mukwege Mukengere is the founder of the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Unlike other hospitals around the world, Panzi Hospital is renowned for its treatment of women with severe gynecological problems, especially when related to sexual violence. Since Panzi’s inception in 1998, he continues to work as the medical director. He has been awarded many accolades for his work, included UN Human Rights Prize in 2008 and African of the Year in 2009. Alongside his work at the hospital, Dr. Mukwege has spoken with the United Nations General Assembly about the rights of women and sexual violence, and raises awareness via in his travels in Eastern DRC.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 4: Joshua Bailey – United States of America

Joshua BaileyJoshua Bailey is the co-founder & CEO of The Gray Haven, a non-profit organisation that provides hope and restoration to victims of human trafficking through comprehensive services. Based in Richmond, Virginia, The Gray Haven is the first organisation in Virginia to provide holistic aftercare services and a supportive community specifically for victims of human trafficking. Bailey guest lectures at universities and provides technical assistance and training for professionals in law enforcement, healthcare, mental health, and social services, as well as speaking in churches and other venues about the issue of human trafficking and modern day slavery.

Anti-VAW Role Model 5: Nazir Afzal – United Kingdom

Nazir AfzalIn 2001, Nazir Afzal became England’s first Muslim chief prosecutor, a position that allows him the status of the United Kingdom’s most senior Muslim lawyer. Afzal’s most famous case involved prosecuting one of Princess Diana’s stalkers, but his passion lies with cases involving honour killings and forced marriage, especially when the cases involve minority women. He set up a national hotline to help women and girls that are at risk of forced marriage – one in which the United States hopes to duplicate. Currently, he is working to make forced marriage a punishable crime. One of Afzal’s largest successes involves prosecuting nine men for raping and trafficking girls, charging the men with a variety of sentences, ranging from 12 to 19 years in prison.

Anti-VAW Role Model 6: Kalyan Shrestha – Nepal

KalyanShresthaKalyan Shrestha began his career in 1977 as a Judicial Officer in Nepal, working his way towards becoming the first Executive Director of National Judicial Academy in 2004. As of 2005, he became a Supreme Court Justice, a role in which he occupies today. His work in the Supreme Court revolves around improving his country with pronouncements surrounding human rights, gender justice, and juvenile justice, to name a few. Shrestha’s many accomplishments include maintaining the privacy of specialised cases, as well as removing discriminatory legal provisions. His work within the Supreme Court has immensely improved the atmosphere surrounding Nepal and will leave a lasting impression on those that follow in his footsteps.

Anti-VAW Role Model 7: Todd Minerson – Canada

ToddMinersonTodd Minerson is the Executive Director of the White Ribbon Campaign, the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women in their communities. Minerson has spent the last 14 years working to get men on board the cause to end violence against women and to educate boys about gender equality. The work that he does include delivering workshops on engaging men in ending violence against women for the UN, as well as working with governments and agencies in Brazil, Austria, Turkey, Cape Verde, and Sri Lanka. He was also one of the co-chairs of the Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality in Rio de Janeiro.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 8: Pham Anh Khoa – Vietnam

Pham Anh KhoaPham Anh Khoa is a Vietnamese rock star who uses his fame and talents for the betterment of society. Unlike many other artistes, Khoa doesn’t write songs that degrade and demean the women in his life. Instead, his songs contain messages of healthy relationships. His passion for gender equality is not limited to just his music. He actively speaks out against gender-based violence as the Goodwill Ambassador for the Soul Nation campaign which seeks to prevent violence against women. As the campaign’s celebrity spokesperson, he attends interviews on the campaign’s behalf and performing at concerts that promote their message of gender equality. More recently, Khoa has participated in a UN Women event for youth clubs called Da Nang Youth Union.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 9: Emmanuel Ochora – Uganda

EmmanuelOchoraEmmanuel Ochora is a Ugandan male ally focused working to address women’s reproductive health problems and gender-based violence. He co-founded a youth-led NGO by the name of Gulu Youth for Action (GYFA) that works to increases awareness regarding the aforementioned causes and supports girls’ education by working with health and education officials within the government. HIV/AIDS programmes that focus on gender equality and youth are coordinated through GYFA and Ochora. A unique aspect of GYFA is that it doesn’t solely use its resources for policy changes and behind-the-scene duties, but expands its reach by involving youth with education and drama. By providing an artistic outlet for youth, GYFA has the ability to reach and engage more youth – especially boys, a demographic that needs to be reached in order to achieve gender equality.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 10: Lieutenant General David Morrison – Australia

David-MorrisonAustralia’s Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, is a White Ribbon campaign ambassador who is instrumental in getting the Australian army working with the White Ribbon campaign to educate Australian men in the armed forces about gender equality and men’s role in stopping violence against women. In a partnership agreement between White Ribbon and Army, Lieutenant General Morrison has agreed to Duntroon and the Army Recruit Training Centre participating in the White Ribbon workplace accreditation pilot project. When it was discovered that some soldiers were going online to distribute offensive and abusive materials about women in the Australian army, he went on public record on YouTube, stating that women are respected, equal and integral members of the Australian army and “if you don’t like it, then get out!”

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 11: Tura Lewai – Fiji

TuralewaiTura Lewai is a Fujian advocate who works with young people to work towards gender equality. Lewai works as the Gender and Arts Officer for the Foundation of the South Pacific People International, in which he engages men and boys to end gender violence. Lewai started a programme known as “Stepping Stones” to find the link between gender inequality and HIV, as well as how to educate young people and split the statistic. “Stepping Stones” uses theatre and music to communicate key messages about stopping  violence against women to local communities as part of kickstarting changes in behavior and attitudes surrounding sexual violence. Aside from running “Stepping Stones”, Lewai also promotes ending violence against women throughout other countries in the Pacific.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 12: David Schwimmer – United States of America

david schwimmerDavid Schwimmer, the actor best known for his role as Ross Geller in the TV show, “Friends”, is a director and board member for a California-based nonprofit called The Rape Foundation, which works with victims of date and child rape. His work with the Foundation includes pushing for legislation to ban drugs that are commonly used in date rape, such as Rohypnol and GHB. The work that he did with the Rape Foundation inspired him to direct the movie “Trust” about the dangers of the online predators who groom underaged girls for sexual abuse. In 2011, Schwimmer screened “Trust” with Children 1st on World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and Violence against Children.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 13: Adisa Jelani Andwele – Barbados

Adisa Jelani AndweleAdisa Jelani Andwele is a Barbadian-born New Yorker who spreads his message of gender equality and anti-violence against women through his poems and music. Andwele is a Spokesperson on Peace and Poverty Eradication for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, a UN Women Partner for Peace for the Caribbean, and works with the Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign by promoting Caribbean artists. Outside of working with all of these amazing organisations, Andwele has set up humanitarian projects throughout the Caribbean and West Africa.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 14: Joachim Ostertag – Canada

Joachim_Ostertag--homeJoachim Ostertag is the brain’s behind the activist campaign Change the Cycle. The work of this organisation is to bicycle across Canada to speak to men of all walks of life about changing their views on gender. By visiting these communities and seeing where the disconnect lies, Ostertag is able to communicate and dissolve the sexist beliefs that many of these men hold. When he finds the communities themselves to be lacking in resources, he raises funds for better services that will allow equality to begin to take form. Ostertag believes that, despite the sexist beliefs perpetuated by pop culture, men want change. They long for a society where they have healthier relationships with the women in their lives, as well as with each other.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 15: Dragan Bozanic – Serbia

Dragan Bozanic PhotoDragan Bozanic works for the Provincial Secretariat for Economy, Employment, and Gender Equality of the Serbian government as an advisor to help government institutions improve their responses to violence against women. In the last four years, he has coordinated, together with his colleagues, the implementation of the Strategy for Protection Against Domestic Violence and Other Forms of Gender-Based Violence in Vojvodina. The focus of his work is capacity building of line institutions to deliver integrated and efficient responses to violence against women, as well as raising awareness on the unacceptability of violence. Bozanic also works within local communities to strengthen ties and understand their own gender inequality issues.

Anti-VAW Male Role Model 16: Alan Morrison – United Kingdom and Bangladesh

alan morrisonBritish consul Alan Morrison splits his time between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh, fighting the deep-rooted institution of forced marriage. Morrison stays in contact with law enforcement and schools of all ages in order to be contacted with information regarding missing British-born Bangladeshi girls that may have been stranded in Bangladesh. His job is to locate and speak to every missing girl to give them the opportunity to leave with him. For the girls who choose to do so, Morrison provides them with complete protection during their flight home and afterwards, helps them reclaim their lives in the UK, to return to education, and have a future that means something to them.

The Pixel Project Selection 2013: 16 Songs About Violence Against Women (and Staying Strong and Positive)

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Girl Playing Piano 1As part of our ongoing efforts to celebrate and amplify the power of music to educate, enlighten and help with the social change needed to stop Violence Against Women (VAW), The Pixel Project presents our 2013 selection of 16 songs about or related to VAW and women’s empowerment. While there have always been songs that are very explicit about domestic violence, sexual violence and other forms of VAW, we have selected a mix of songs about VAW and songs that empower women because it is crucial to get a balance between the reality of violence and the message of hope for survival and healing.

This year, our selection includes a diverse range of artistes and musical styles – from feel-good anthems to haunting ballads to foot-stomping dance singles. Some of this year’s songs have been written and performed for anti-VAW nonprofits and movements, others are bona fide hit songs that have brought positive and empowering music for women to the attention of global audience.

Without further ado, here are this year’s selection of 16 songs presented in alphabetical order. We hope they inspire and move you as much as they have inspired and moved us.

Compiled by a Pixel Project Volunteer; Curated and edited by Regina Yau and Carol Olson
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Song Number 1: Brave Sara- Bareilles

Bareilles discussed this song in many interviews, revealing that she thinks “there’s so much honor and integrity and beauty in being able to be who you are, [and] it’s important to be brave because by doing that you also give others permission to do the same”

Song Number 2: Break the Chain/One Billion Rising Song- Tena Clark

Break the Chain was the One Billion Rising theme song heard around the world. Many people from around the world danced and created flash mobs out of this song while participating in One Billion Rising events.

Song Number 3: Eagle when she flies – Dolly Parton

In this 1991 song, Country Music legend Dolly Parton sings this uplifting song about the strength of women when facing adversity in their lives, as well as the various important roles the women have in the family and community.

Song Number 4: Freedom Song- Jason Mraz

In 2010, Jason traveled to Ghana to accompany Free the Slaves on a child slavery rescue mission. To his surprise, he was greeted by 20 former child slaves singing the Freedom Song. Jason’s tearful account of meeting slavery survivors was captured in the FTS video “The Journey of The Freedom Song . He also sang this song at at MTV Exit’s unprecedented anti-trafficking concert in Myanmar.

Song Number 5: Good Woman Down- Mary J. Blige

Mary J Blige shares her experiences and challenges and urges women not to give up on life. She also speaks of abusive relationships and urges women to realize they deserve better. She hopes that this song will be a remedy for other’s going through what she had to go through and encourages them to breakthrough.

Song Number 6: Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston

The late, great Whitney Houston, a survivor of domestic violence herself, came to prominence in the 1980s with a flurry of best-selling hits that became evergreen Pop anthems. One of them is “Greatest Love Of All” – a song with an enduring message about learning to love yourself as part of self-empowerment which became one of her signature songs.

Song Number 7: I’m Okay – Christina Aguilera

In this powerful and beautiful ballad, global Pop superstar Christina Aguilera sings about surviving her childhood with her abusive father. Parts of this song may be triggering for some survivors of domestic violence.

Song Number 8: Little Black Sandals- Sia

Sia sings about freedom and strength to listen to your heart and obey it. This song is about an abusive relationship and deciding to leave it.

Song Number 9: Little Things – One Direction

Written by fast-rising singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, this song is sung from the point of view of a husband/partner/boyfriend telling his wife/partner/girlfriend that he loves everything about her, even what she sees as her faults. A great positive anthem encouraging women and girls to love themselves.

Song Number 10: Nobody Ever Told You – Carrie Underwood

This breezy engaging melody is a self empowerment song. Carrie said of the song “People need to hear compliments more,” she says of the song’s life-affirming lyric. “People need to hear ‘I love you’ more. People need to hear ‘You are beautiful’ more.”

Song Number 11: Perfect- P!nk

P!nk’s hit song urges us to change the negative dialogue about ourselves that we can have in a world that can be very challenging and difficult. This song is believing in ourselves and allowing other to believe in ourselves as well.

Song Number 12: Roar – Katy Perry

Kary’s song represents overcoming the complex struggles of an abusive relationship and championing herself. She is fighting to take her life back from her abuser and has had enough of the abuse and realises she deserves so much more.

Song Number 13: Tere Bina – Avina Shah

Tere Bina is a positive song all about girl power. It tells the story of a young girl who finally decides to walk away from a really violent and abusive relationship. Her aim for this song is to create awareness about Domestic Violence and all proceeds from the single were donated to West London based charity the Southall Black Sisters.

Song Number 14: The Thing About Love – Alicia Keys

This song is about the many emotions of love and that it can be a very painful experience. However, Alicia reminds that healthy love is out there for everyone and those loving relationships can be incredibly healing and supportive.

Song Number 15: Skyscraper- Demi Lovato

Musically, “Skyscraper” is a ballad and the lyrics speak of staying strong and believing in oneself. Lovato wrote this song during a time in her life facing her own personal struggles and this has become an empowerment anthem that has virally spread throughout YouTube as people worldwide recorded their covers of this song.

Song Number 16: You Are Royalty To Me – Ellis

Modern Folk singer-songwriter Ellis wrote this poignant song in tribute to her grandmother who helped raise her and build her confidence during her growing-up years. In her music video, she features pictures from fans and listeners with their grandmothers.