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The Pixel Project Selection 2018: 16 Films About Violence Against Women

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In this age of Netflix, YouTube, and Vimeo, the visual mediums of film and television are particularly effective mediums for teaching and learning. This is why, for the past 6 years, The Pixel Project has been publishing lists of powerful films, documentaries and television shows that seek to inform and educate the public about the worldwide scourge of violence against women, its various forms, and what everyone can do to stop and prevent it.

This is the 7th year that The Pixel Project has curated a selection of powerful and thought-provoking films, documentaries and television shows that depict violence against women and girls (VAWG) in its various forms. This year, we have a more diverse selection than usual in two ways:

  • Geographically, our 2018 selection spans Asia, Europe and the Americas, depicting women and girls from different walks of life, dealing with different situations, but all with one thing in common – the violence they have or are experiencing in their lives.
  • Format-wise, we have included not just powerful documentaries but also recommendations for TV series, specific TV episodes, and also feature films that tackle the issue of VAW. Even if they are fictional, stories matter because they shape our culture and mindsets.

We hope that these films will inspire you to learn more about the various forms of violence against women and become a catalyst for change in your own communities. To learn more about each documentary, film, or TV series, click on the hyperlinked title of each selection.

Introduction by Anushia Kandasivam and Regina Yau. Written and compiled by Anushia Kandasivam with additional selections by Regina Yau.

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Selection Number 1: A Safe Distance (1986)

This short documentary looks at some innovative approaches to providing services and accommodation to battered women in rural, northern and Native Canadian communities. Though an old film, it is still a rare look at domestic violence in these communities. The film also focuses on a safe house within a Native community Reserve that is built and run by women to stand as a reminder that the Reserve will not tolerate violence against women.

A Safe Distance, Tina Horne, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Selection Number 2: Audrie & Daisy (2016)

“The words of our enemies aren’t as awful as the silence of our friends.” This American documentary, release on Netflix in 2016, is about the rape of two underage girls in two different towns at two different times, and the common ripple effect on families, friends, schools and communities when they each find out that their sexual assaults have been caught on camera. Besides being a story of sexual assault, this film takes a hard look at American teenagers and their communities in the world of social media bullying.

Selection Number 3: Big Little Lies (2017- )

A darkly comedic drama series about three emotionally troubled women who become embroiled in a murder investigation, this series also touches on violence in the home between parents and at school between children. It explores how children learn or are taught to see threatening behaviour as a prank or all in good fun and how even the most violent behaviour can seem innocuous if it is treated as normal.

Selection Number 4: Call the Midwife (2012 – )

An unexpectedly feminist and socially conscious BBC period drama, Call the Midwife is about a group of nurse midwives working in London in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Now in its 7th season, its episodes have dealt with issues of domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies, poverty, prostitution, sexual violence and even female genital mutilation.

Selection Number 5: Greenshaw’s Folly – Agatha Christie’s Marple, Season 6, Episode 2 (2013)

The UK’s ITV network has long been renowned for their pitch perfect adaptations of Agatha Christie’s seminal detective series into multiple seasons comprising well-produced movie-length episodes. In this adaptation of Greenshaw’s Folly, one of the Miss Marple mysteries, the producers updated the storyline to include domestic violence – specifically showing Miss Marple helping a young woman and her son flee their abusive husband and father. This gets intertwined with the central mystery in various ways but the most gratifying outcome of all is that the abuser eventually gets nabbed when he attempts to abduct his wife and son.

Selection Number 6: Finding Home (2014)

A documentary about human trafficking, this film follows three young Cambodian women who were trafficked when they were in their early teens, and now live in a safe house, telling their unique stories. It shows the complexities and difficulties of learning how to deal with horrific abuse and the struggle girls and young women in conservative societies face in overcoming their trauma and building a future for themselves.

Finding Home Trailer from Flying Treasure on Vimeo.

Selection Number 7: I Can Speak (2017)

A South Korean comedy-drama film about an elderly woman who seems constantly dissatisfied with the world around her and the unlikely friendship she strikes with a young man who teaches her English. This takes an unexpected twist when her teacher finds out the real reason she wants to learn English. This film is also an exploration and discussion of the topic of Korean ‘comfort women’ during World War II, and the importance of speaking and telling your story of survival.

Selection Number 8: I, Tonya (2017)

A biographical film about Olympian figure skater Tonya Harding, based on extensive research and interviews with Harding herself, her mother, ex-husband and others, this film depicts Harding’s life from the time she was a child, her difficult journey to the Olympics, her controversial involvement in the shocking physical attack on rival figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, and the aftermath of that life-changing incident. The film sheds stark light on Harding’s life behind-the-scenes and the cycles of abuse she experienced – an abusive mother leads her to an abusive husband – and subtly explores how prevalent abuse can shape the world-view of anyone, even a celebrated athlete.

Selection Number 9: Namrata (2009)

In this very short documentary – only 9 minutes – Namrata Gill tells the story of how as a very young woman, she married a man and moved to Canada, and after 6 years finds the courage to leave her abusive husband and start a surprising new career. Even in this short film, the audience learns about the isolation of an abusive relationship in a foreign country and the importance of community support.

Namrata, Shazia Javed, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Selection Number 10: Roll Red Roll (2018)

This documentary by Nancy Schwartzman tackles the ubiquity and horror of rape culture in the U.S. by chronicling the Steubenville Ohio case – the notorious 2012 case of the high school sexual assault of a teenage girl by the star players of a Steubenville, Ohio, football team that became known internationally. The film, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and documents the case in such a powerful fashion that your feelings of outrage will persist long after the movie is over.

Selection Number 11: Secret Superstar (2017)

This Bollywood drama is on the surface a whimsical tale of a schoolgirl whose biggest dream is to be a singing superstar. Underneath that is an exploration of how domestic violence, and patriarchal and societal norms, combined with an inability to break through the ceiling of a lower socio-economic class keep women and girls from getting an education and achieving their dreams, and perpetuate cycles of violence within families and societies. But it does also show how allies, both male and female, can help to break the cycle.

Selection Number 12: Slut Or Nut: Diary of a Rape Trial (2018)

Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial is an Indiegogo crowdfunded documentary film which is an eye-opener about what happens in Canada when a victim reports their rape. The documentary goes through rape survivor Mandi Gray’s story as a device to walk the viewer through what it is like to report rape or sexual assault, do a rape kit, and stand as a witness in the trial of the assaulter. It also offers viewers who are victims and survivors useful information on alternate routes to find justice and comfort after a sexual assault. Director Kelly Showker is herself a sexual assault survivor.

Selection Number 13: The Apology (2016)

This documentary is about three former ‘comfort women’ who were among the 200,000 girls and women kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Army during World War II. The film follows three women from South Korea, China and the Philippines, now in their twilight years, as they break decades of silence and tell about how their past shaped them and continues to impact their lives. Whether they are seeking a formal apology from the Japanese government or finding the courage to tell the truth to their families, the film depicts their incredible resolve to live as survivors.

Selection Number 14: The Testimony (2015)

In 2012, after the M23 rebellion drove the Congolese Army out of the eastern city of Goma, the retreating army systematically raped hundreds of civilian women in the town of Minova. This short documentary is about the Minova Trial, the largest rape tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the fifty-six women who testified while being covered by a black veil to protect their identities.

Selection Number 15: Three Girls (2017)

This three-part BBC miniseries is a dramatised version of events surrounding the Rochdale child sex abuse ring that involved 9 men trafficking underage girls in England. The story is told from the viewpoint of three of the victims, showing how they were groomed and focusing on how the authorities failed to investigate allegations of rape because the victims were perceived as unreliable witnesses before lobbying by certain investigators resulted in the case being reopened and the eventual convictions of the perpetrators.

Selection Number 16: Veronica Mars (2004-2006)

A mainstay of the early 2000s, Veronica Mars is a noir mystery drama TV series about its eponymous teen private investigator. While Veronica solves various mysteries throughout the series, a main story arc is her investigating and dealing with the aftermath of her own drugging and rape at a high school party. While not physically strong like her predecessor Buffy, Veronica is whip-smart and powerful in other ways. Somewhat before its time, this series explores how she rises above being ostracised, mocked and not believed, to being a survivor and fighting for justice.

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All pictures used are Creative Commons images (from top to bottom):

The Pixel Project Selection 2018: 16 Books About Violence Against Women

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Far from being merely a source of entertainment, storytelling frames reinforce and transmit culture and beliefs. More than that, stories have the power to fire the imagination and inspire new thoughts and ideas and thus to shape – or reshape – the perspective of individuals, communities and cultures about everything from tradition to gender.

In recognition of the power of storytelling to inspire change, The Pixel Project has put together our third annual selection of 16 books that depict violence against women and girls. Some of these stories are popular genre fiction while others are well-received non-fiction. Nevertheless, all of them will educate the reader in some way about gender-based violence, rape culture, sexism, and misogyny. The books and book series in this list have been selected from a wide range of genres including fantasy, crime/mystery, science fiction, and autobiography.

This year, our fiction selection are books led by female protagonists who have experienced VAW and whose stories show the aftermath of the violence on their lives and how they cope with it. For the first time, we also include a number of romance series and novels as acknowledgement of how romance has evolved to actively address issues of consent and violence against women.

Our non-fiction selection shows a common trend of depicting entrenched and pervasive violence against women and sexism in the diverse societies and worlds that they portray while offering threads of hope as people and characters fight for and maintain a world where women and girls are free from abuse.

This list is by no means complete as there are hundreds of books out there that deal with violence against women in its various forms. However, we hope that these 16 books and series will be a starting point for you, as they have for others over the years, to push for change in your community and culture.

Introduction by Anushia Kandasivam and Regina Yau; Written and compiled by Anushia Kandasivam and Regina Yau

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Book Selection #1: Asking for It (2016) by Louise O’Neill

Narrated by 18-year-old Emma O’Donovan, who was raped after a party, this novel explores how a person can become objectified in a world ruled by social media and where misogynistic rape culture is the norm. An unusual and visceral story in that the protagonist herself is unlikeable with unlikeable friends and it does not hold back on portraying how vile the online world can become, it skillfully chronicles the physical and psychological effects of being violated, feeling voiceless and descending into depression. It also asks important questions about rape culture, sexism and social media abuse.

Book Selection #2:​ A Thousand Splendid Suns (2008) by Khaled Hosseini

The second novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini after his debut The Kite Runner, this story is primarily about female relationships, set against a backdrop of a patriarchal society, domestic violence and war. The story follows Mariam and Laila, born a generation apart but brought together by circumstance that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other. It tracks the strong bond they form as they struggle to live with an abusive husband and the ever-increasing danger and hardship of living in Kabul, and how the love, strength and self-sacrifice of women are often the key to survival.

Book Selection #3: Desert Flower (1998) by Waris Dirie and Catherine Miller

Born to a nomadic family in the Somali desert, Waris Dirie was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) at the age of five. This autobiography details her difficult childhood in a harsh land, where she had to contend with oppressive patriarchal norms and sexual abuse, to an arduous journey to London where she worked as a housemaid, and then her remarkable transformation into an internationally acclaimed fashion model and human rights ambassador. In her book, Dirie speaks openly about living with the effects of FGM and frankly about why the practice must be stopped. Experiencing the everyday life of a survivor through her own words makes this a worthy read.

Book Selection #4: I Am Vidya: A Transgender’s Journey (2013) by Living Smile Vidya

A compelling autobiography of a transgender woman’s journey to find and live her true identity, this book is also a unique insight into the duality of conservative Indian society and its rich cultural history. Vidya chronicles her journey from being born a boy, realising her true nature, being an outcast from her family and society, suffering the indignities and violence forced upon transgender people and her eventual claiming of her true self.

 

Book Selection #5: Lake Silence (2018) by Anne Bishop

In her latest book set in the bestselling urban fantasy series of The Others, Anne Bishop makes her lead protagonist Vicki DeVine, a divorced woman who left her abusive husband to carve out a new life for herself as the proprietor and caretaker of a rustic resort that she inherited via her divorce settlement. Bishop presents a nuanced, sensitive, and compassionate portrait of a survivor navigating through PTSD and other fallouts from her abusive marriage while also solving a murder mystery involving her abusive ex. Not your usual urban fantasy or mystery fare. And the best part? The abuser gets his comeuppance in the most satisfying way.

Book Selection #6: Mommy’s Black Eye (2009) by William George Bentrim, illustrated by Christi Schofield

Domestic violence exists everywhere. Often, children may not actually witness the violence but see the aftermath, such as their mother’s black eye. Aimed at younger children who have not been exposed to the topic of domestic violence before, this book glosses over some of the bigger issues of domestic violence but explains what it is and attempts to help them understand what is going on in their lives. It concludes open-ended with discussion of counselling and potential healing as a family.

Book Selection #7: Practical Magic (2003) by Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic is one of #1 New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman’s most famous (and cherished) books. The story centers around the Owens family of witches who have, for more than two hundred years, been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Even more insidious is the curse that an ancestor laid on them that decreed that no Owens woman would ever find true love… and if she did, that relationship would end with her lover’s death. Among other feminist themes, the book focuses on Sally and Gillian Owens who attempt to escape the Owens curse, but end up having to deal with Gillian’s malicious and abusive boyfriend. Hoffman handles the subject of domestic violence very deftly through the eyes of both sisters – showing Sally’s unwavering support of Gillian despite their differences and how both of them cope with the fallout from the abuser’s actions and accidental murder.

Books Selection #8: ​Rape: A Love Story (2004) by Joyce Carol Oates

Beginning with an account of the gang rape of female protagonist Teena Maguire, which left her near dead, and which was witnessed by her young daughter, this story is a condemnation of misogyny, skillfully tackled by author Joyce Carol Oates, who also wrote When We Were the Mulvaneys. Oates spares none of her characters – Teena is shown to be both good and flawed, there are no doubts about who the attackers are and they are named and described contemptuously. This is an extraordinary exploration of the aftermath and myriad consequences a horrible crime can have on individuals and whole communities.

Book Selection #9: Room (2011) by Emma Donoghue

This story is perhaps better known through the award-winning 2015 film adaptation, but the novel is well worth the read. Told through the eyes of curious, bright 5-year-old Jack as he explores the only world he knows – the tiny Room where he was born after his mother was imprisoned by the man who kidnapped her as a teenager – the story is really about how Jack and his mother cope with their captivity, slowly learn to live in the outside world again and deal with their trauma, how other people react to them, and the complex feelings of happiness and grief that they and their family go through.

Book Selection #10: Set The Night On Fire (2016) by Jennifer Bernard

Jennifer Bernard is a Romance author who is well-known for her books starring firemen as the lead male love interest. While this may lead many people to regard her books as typical wish-fulfillment fare for straight female readers, Bernard’s books are a cut above many others in the crowded field of Contemporary Romance because she is very adept at handling the issue of consent. In Set The Night On Fire, the first book in her Jupiter Point series, she handles the issue of rape and victim-blaming with insight and a strong message about believing victims and holding rapists accountable.

Book Selection #11: ​Simply Irresistible (2017) by Jill Shalvis

#1 New York Times bestselling contemporary romance author Jill Shalvis is renowned for her humour and ability to portray emotions authentically, particularly in her female characters, as they go through the ups and downs of building relationships with the men in their lives. In Simply Irresistible, the first book in her Lucky Harbour series, Shalvis takes on the issue of intimate partner violence and how its effects ripple through the lives of the protagonist, her sisters, and her love interest. Shalvis’ approach is less on-the-nose than many of the other selections in this list so it may be a good option for introducing the issue to a fellow romance reader who may not have thought about it previously.

Book Selection #12: The Alpha and Omega series (2008 – ) by Patricia Briggs

The Alpha and Omega series is Patricia Briggs’ spin-off companion series to her celebrated Mercy Thompson Urban Fantasy series. Anna Latham, the lead female protagonist, is a survivor of prolonged abuse (including rape) by the deranged and power-hungry alpha of a werewolf pack which tried to force her Omega wolf into servitude to them. In the first book of the series (Cry Wolf), we see Briggs very adroitly explore and show the psychological effects of rape and abuse on victims, the damage caused by bystanders who would rather turn a blind eye, and the monumental struggle that survivors face in learning to trust and relax around others.

Book Selection #13: The In Death series (1995 – ) by J.D. Robb

J.D. Robb is the pen name that #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts uses for her long-running and very popular near-future In Death series which features Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her criminal mastermind-turned-legitimate-business-tycoon husband Roarke. Eve survived vicious childhood sexual abuse by her father to go on to be one of the toughest officers in New York City and the go-to detective for difficult cases involving the full spectrum of crimes involving violence against women and children. Throughout this very long series, Robb/Roberts gives readers a clear and unflinching look at the lifelong effects of sexual abuse via Eve’s development as a character. The striking thing is that while Eve’s experience certainly drives her fight for justice, she does not let it rule her life and she does this with the help of her friends, co-workers, and husband – a clear message that it takes a village to help with the healing.

Book Selection #14:​ The Kitty Norville series (2005 – 2015) by Carrie Vaughn

New York Times bestselling Fantasy author Carrie Vaughn is best-known for her Kitty Norville series featuring the rise of Kitty Norville, a female werewolf and late-night radio talk show host for the supernatural, from an abused subordinate to a major power in her own right. The entire first book in the series (Kitty and The Midnight Hour) is a searing depiction of domestic abuse including coercive control tactics that the corrupt Alpha male of Kitty’s pack uses on her and other females – essentially dictating their lives as well as raping them when he feels like it. As the series progresses, Kitty goes on to leave the pack, try to help another subordinate female wolf leave, and eventually wrest control of the pack from him. Also notable is Kitty’s eventual choice of romantic partner, which sees her essentially opt to have a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and equality.

Book Selection #15: The Night Child (2018) by Anna Quinn

A psychological tale about a school teacher who starts seeing terrifying visions of a child, The Night Child starts as something of a thriller but as protagonist Nora Brown seeks medical help, she soon discovers that the apparition may be related to repressed childhood trauma. A debut novel by Anna Quinn, this story examines how the impact of childhood trauma lasts into adulthood. As a lot of the story unfolds in the therapist’s office, the fragility and strength of the mind and the importance of mental health for survivors is a strong theme. This novel may be emotionally challenging to read but it does offer hope in the form of the protagonist’s resilience and determination to save herself.

Book Selection #16: When I Hit You or, A Portrait of the Author as a Young Wife (2018) by Meena Kandasamy

Based on the author’s own experience of marriage, this first-person narrative tells the story of a newly-wed writer experiencing rapid social isolation and extreme violence at her husband’s hands. The narrator, a middle-class and educated Tamil woman, points out that she does not experience stereotypical Indian dramas of oppression but rather the villain is an educated and cultured man she married for love. A gripping and scathing exploration of insidious abuse, gender and societal expectations, and perpetuated toxic masculinity, it is also a story of a woman refusing to be silenced.

 

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The top picture is a Creative Commons image :

Book Cover Credits 

  1. Asking For It – From “Asking For It” (Goodreads)
  2. A Thousand Splendid Suns – From “A Thousand Splendid Suns” (Goodreads)
  3. Desert Flower – From “Desert Flower” (Goodreads)
  4. I Am Vidya: A Transgender’s Journey – From “I Am Vidya: A Transgender’s Journey” (Goodreads)
  5. Lake Silence – Courtesy of Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  6. Mommy’s Black Eye – From “Mommy’s Black Eye” (Goodreads)
  7. Practical Magic – Courtesy of Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  8. Rape: A Love Story – From “Rape: A Love Story” (Amazon.com)
  9. Room – From “Room” (Amazon.com)
  10. Set The Night On Fire – From jenniferbernard.net
  11. Simply Irresistible – From “Simply Irresistible” (Goodreads)
  12. Cry Wolf – Courtesy of Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  13. Naked in Death – From “Naked In Death” (Amazon.co.uk)
  14. Kitty Saves The World – Courtesy of Carrie Vaughn
  15. The Night Child – From “The Night Child” (Goodreads)
  16. When I Hit You or, A Portrait of the Author as a Young Wife – From “When I Hit You” (Amazon)

16 Ways Clinicians Can Advocate for Stopping Gender-based Violence in Their Communities

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The Pixel Project is pleased to welcome our 2nd guest “16 For 16” article from RANZCOG – the leading standards body responsible for the training and education of doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand. RANZCOG provides consultative leadership and advocacy in #WomensHealth to ensure excellence in #obstetrics and #gynaecology training.

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In Australia, doctors along with nurses and pharmacists are viewed as the most trusted professionals according to social research. This long standing community view supported by the relationship clinicians build with their patients creates a unique position of influence. What is really great about being a clinician who is interested in advocating for stopping gender-based violence is that it is likely that your voice carries weight in the community by the nature of your role. This means that there are lots of different ways that you can be a proactive advocate in your community.

As the old adage goes, ‘if you can’t change the situation, change your perspective’. While changed perspective is definitely the goal of prevention, assessing your views about gender-based violence is a really important and often undervalued step. In this article we outline 16 ways that clinicians can advocate for stopping gender-based violence in the communities where they live, work and socialise.

Written by Nastashjia Katu and Lisa Westhaven from RANZCOG.

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Start With Yourself

Recommendation #1: Self-Check – Asses Your Own Attitudes About Males and Females

Asking yourself whether you treat or view women and men differently because of their sex can be a confronting exercise but a good place to start. It may be that in some circumstances you may be contributing to, or uncomfortable in, calling out attitudes that condone Violence Against Women (VAW). Identifying these situations can be challenging for some people and Male Champions of Change have developed the We Set The Tone resource that highlights how everyday sexism contributes to attitudes that accept violence. While sexism is only one driver that condones violent attitudes, it is a useful tool to identify commonly experienced situations and how you might approach them.

Recommendation #2: Be Aware of the Underlying Social Conditions that Promote VAW

VAW is prevalent in all communities and is primarily driven by gender inequality, and reinforced by a number of other factors. When men and women do not have equal power, equal access to resources and opportunities, or their work, ideas and voices are not equally valued, an environment that fosters violence against women is maintained. Being aware of the drivers of violence enables clinicians to recognise or seek out the tools they need to respond appropriately in different situations.

Recommendation #3: Recognise the Gendered Nature of Violence against Women

There are characteristics of women’s experiences of violence that make it a distinctly gendered problem: Women are more likely to be victimised by men known to them while men are more likely to experience violence by other men; Women are also more likely to be physically assaulted in familiar spaces such as in their homes while men are more likely to be assaulted in public places. The rate of hospitalisation and death by intimate partner violence is also disparate and women are more likely than men to experience these consequences. Recognising that there are gender-specific dynamics when addressing VAW is crucial while advocating for and seeking appropriate solutions that address root issues.

Recommendation #4: Acknowledge that Attitudes that Condone VAW Exist in All Communities

VAW is a a global epidemic. It impacts all communities at all levels and in all spaces both public and private. There is no one community group, religious group or geographic area that either represents violence or is void from violence. When advocating for ending VAW it is important to lay aside any held biases and recognise that VAW will occur in any place where gender inequality exists.

Speaking Up and Using Your Voice

Recommendation #5: Communicate that Violence Against Women is Preventable

Ending VAW requires a cultural shift and a redressing of entrenched historical attitudes. Changing hearts and minds is long-term work and advocating for this change can be perceived as more achievable if the message of success is in the front of mind. This is why communicating that VAW as being preventable is so important. Responding to violence is important, and many clinicians will experience caring for women and their families in a response setting. However, eradicating VAW requires preventative work. Voicing this and knowing what actions challenge the drivers of violence is a meaningful way to advocate for women and their families. This community toolkit provides a practical framework for practitioners addressing VAW.

Recommendation #6: Get Comfortable with Speaking out about Things that are Sexist or Degrading to Women

Sexist language devalues and robs individuals of the respect they deserve. Getting comfortable speaking out in these situations may require some practice. The Line have produced a how-to guide on how to combat this behaviour. Some of the tips include: addressing the comment and not the person or using a ‘we’ statement to gain the support of people around you.

Recommendation #7: Challenge Gender Inequity in Everyday Experiences

Promoting gender equity is an action or response that can be applied in any setting. Challenging gender stereotypes is one way to break down negative attitudes. In situations where women are disrespected or unfairly treated because of their gender, calling the comment or behaviour out is a good way to prompt conversations. By simply questioning or asking for clarification about a behaviour or comment, it’s a strategy that flags the action as an issue while signalling to those around you that this behaviour is not okay.

Recommendation #8: Talk to the People in your Life about your Commitment to Ending Violence Against Women

Letting people know that you are committed to pursuing gender equity by supporting equal opportunities in your workplace, working with your community board to advocate for better-lit carparks, doing a fun run raise to raise awareness for VAW – any action really is a simple yet effective form of advocacy. However, taking action is sometimes not enough – to boost the signal for the message that VAW must end, you need to let other people know that you are doing something about it because sometimes, telling other people about it may be just the incentive they need to start doing something too.

Recommendation #9: Call Out Victim-Blaming

A report analysing young Australian attitudes towards VAW found that 1 in 5 young Australians believe that there are times when women can be blamed for sexual assault. The percentage of young people who believe when women say no they actually mean yes has risen from 13% in their parents’ generation to 20%. Making the message clear that Violence against Women is never acceptable, whether in a consulting situation, in the workplace or in the community is important.

What You Can Do in Your Workplace

Recommendation #10: Advocate for Accountability in Workplace or Member Organisations

For Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) specialists in Australia and New Zealand, there are many opportunities through membership organisations like RANZCOG to engage with colleagues and other professionals in the field. Calling for membership organisations to have VAW as an issue that is present and visible on the agenda is a great way to advocate for prevention and highlight the issue. Calling for accountability and action on things like Family Violence Leave, equal representation of leadership and participation in awareness raising campaigns are good places to start. This webpage is an example of how RANZCOG is being active in this space.

Recommendation #11: Advocate for Workforce Training and Upskilling

Most local government councils in Australia will either deliver or have connections to a provider that can deliver workforce training in areas such as gender equity. If advocating for VAW is a relatively new area of focus (or an area with little focus), suggesting gender equity training or even connecting with organisations who deliver this training is a good start. The state of Victoria in Australia recently established a gender equality strategy and has links to organisations that specialise in workforce upskilling in this space.

Proactive Actions You Can Take.

Recommendation #12: Look for Opportunities to Keep Learning

Engaging with organisations who advocate for VAW as their core business is a good way to keep learning and connect with experts in the space. In Australia, Our Watch is the peak Prevention of Violence against Women (PVAW) body and there are a range of opportunities for members of the public to become to become in programs or events that are happening in their local areas. Our Watch also have a library of resources and links to partner organisations who have programs across the country.

Recommendation #13: Educate Yourself about the Warning Signs of Violence

Knowing what warning signs to look for in your personal relationships, but also in a patient situation will help you plan how you can help or respond. Abuse in most cases does not happen instantly and there are subtle signs to look out for, such as forced isolation from support networks, aggressive language and behaviour and excessive possessiveness of time and whereabouts. Read more about warning signs of abuse at this Safe Steps page.

Recommendation #14: Talk about Women or Female Colleagues who are Doing Great Things

A non-confrontational way to advocate for PVAW is to publically recognise women. Whether it is shouting out a friend for their work on social media, acknowledging their achievements in the workplace or raising awareness in the community; giving women equal airspace to be recognised is a step towards breaking down the barriers of gender inequality.

Recommendation #15: Recognise that Resistance is Inevitable

Any big change will always be met with resistance and being prepared for this is wise. Managing and dealing with backlash to gender equality initiatives can be confronting but there are resources and information available to help. Vic Health developed 13 steps to tackle gender discrimination.

Recommendation #16: Get your Friends, Colleagues and Family on Board

If you are committed to the PVAW, use your influence and get your networks on board too. There are lots of tips and resources in this article that provide a good starting point as to how you can be an advocate in your family, workplace and community. The most important thing to remember is you don’t have to do it alone. Find a group of people who are just as passionate as you (or get them there) and put some of these tips into action!

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All pictures used are Creative Commons images (from top to bottom):

The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest – The ’16 for 16’ 2015 Edition

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News-Coffee9-150x150Welcome to our annual Special Edition of The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest for the “16 For 16” campaign. In this edition, we bring you the top 16 news headlines in each category related to violence against women from the past year.

2015 saw landmark decisions by countries to eradicate female genital mutilation as Nigeria and Gambia both outlaw the practice and the United Kingdom makes it compulsory to report its occurrence. Initiatives against domestic violence have also seen progress with countries adopting new measures to help protect women. Silicon Valley giants like Twitter, Reddit and Google have also taken steps to decrease occurrence of violence against women online.

To start off, here are the 16 of the biggest trending VAW headlines of 2015:

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.

Best regards,
The Pixel Project Team

Violence Against Women – General

Domestic Violence

Rape and Sexual Assault

Human/Sex Trafficking

Female Genital Mutilation

Forced Marriage and Honour Killing

Activism

Transforming Personal Pain Into Positive Action: The Pixel Project’s 16 Female Role Models 2013

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16days-header-rolemodels-2013Today is the first day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence 2013 campaign and The Pixel Project is kicking things off with our 4th annual list of 16 female role models fighting to end violence against women in their communities. The intent of this list is simple: to highlight the good work of the heroines of the movement to end violence against women wherever they are in the world. The women and girls in this year’s list hail from 13 countries and 4 continents.

Many of these astounding women have shown that it is possible to transform personal pain that came out of facing gender-based violence, into positive action to stop violence against women, empower themselves and to show other survivors that it is possible to move forward with dignity and happiness. They have refused to let bitterness and pain get the better of them, opting to stand up for themselves and for other women instead.

Others on this list may not have experienced gender-based violence inflicted on themselves but they have stepped up to do what is right: to speak up for women and girls who cannot do it for themselves, sometimes at great personal risk. All this requires immense courage, generosity of spirit and a strong enduring heart.

So without further ado, here in alphabetical order by first name is our 2013 list of 16 female role models. We hope that these women would be an inspiration to others to get involved with the cause. To that end, we hope you will generously share this list via Facebook and Twitter to give these extraordinary 16 women and their work a moment in the sun.

Note: Information for all role model profiles is sourced via online research and is based on one or more news sources, articles and/or The Pixel Project’s own interviews with them. 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 remarkable women.

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Female Role Model 1: Caroline Criado-Perez – United Kingdom 

Caroline Criado PerezCaroline Criado-Perez is a freelance journalist and feminist campaigner who successfully campaigned to persuade the Bank of England to include a prominent woman (Jane Austen) among an otherwise all-male group of British luminaries on the back of British currency. The success of the campaign made her and other women (such as British MP Stella Creasy) the target of numerous threats, including threats of rape and murder on Twitter from the day of the Bank of England’s announcement in July 2013. At one point, she received 50 Twitter threats an hour. She fought back against the abuse publicly, which resulted in Twitter’s general manager in Britain, Tony Wang, announcing a one-click option on all posts enabling users to easily report abusive tweets, where previously there was no recourse for victims of online harassment on Twitter.

Female Role Model 2: Deeyah – Norway

deeyahDeeyah, a critically acclaimed music producer, composer, Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentary film director and human rights activist, is known for her outspoken support of women’s rights, freedom of expression and peace.  Her documentary about Honour Killing, ‘Banaz: A Love Story’, won an Emmy Award in 2013 and is currently being used by “individual police teams in different parts of the UK who have reached out to [Deeyah] directly in the last 12 months to ask for copies of the film to use in their training and awareness raising strategies.” Before making “Banaz: A Love Story” and founding AVA Foundation, she was a well-known music artiste in Norway who was forced to give up performing due to constant threats and attacks, but continues to use her music as part of her activism to stop violence against women and girls. She says: “

Female Role Model 3: Fartuun Adan – Somalia

Fartuun-AdanFartuun Adan is the founder of Sister Somalia, a group dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual violence with medical services, counseling, education and entrepreneurial advice. Her mission began in 2007 when she left her children in Canada, where they were refugees from the Somalian war after the brutal murder of her husband, Somali human rights activist Elman Ali Ahmed, to return to Somalia to continue her husband’s work. While working in refugee camps that mushroomed around Mogadishu, she noticed the high volume of rape and other violence against women and children, which led her to set up Sister Somalia – the first organisation in the country to come out publicly and talk about the astonishing number of sexual abuse victims.

Female Role Model 4: Julie Lalonde – Canada

Julie LalondeJulie Lalonde whose work to stop violence against women has pitted her against the administration of Carleton University in a protracted fight for an on-campus sexual assault centre, as well as against OC Transpo and the city, at times, over harassment and violence against women. She has been given a Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Person’s Case for “improving the lives of women and girls through her work to end sexual assault and sexual harassment.”

 

Female Role Model 5: Kakenya Ntaiya – Kenya 

Ntiya KakenyaKakenya Ntaiya, the founder of Kakenya’s Center for Excellence in the tiny, rural village of Enoosaen which helps at-risk girls flee from female genital mutilation (FGM). Kakenya was engaged at age five to the six-year-old boy next door and expected to undergo FGM and be a child bride but while she endured FGM, she broke the cycle by convincing her village elders to allow her to attend college in the U.S. and vowed to return and build a school, a maternity hospital, a future for girls. She earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh and fulfilled her promise by returning to her village and building Kakenya’s Center.

 

Female Role Model 6: Kim Lee – China

kimlee3Kim Lee, an American woman who married a Chinese celebrity went public with her abuse case and won after an 18-month court battle. Women’s rights activists said it is a milestone case in China against domestic violence against women. Lee said: “I made a conscious decision. I used a Chinese lawyer, I used Chinese courts,” she says. “To be honest, a lot of my American friends did not understand this. They were like, ‘You’re crazy. You’re American. Go to the embassy immediately.’ But I did not want to teach my daughters, ‘No one can beat you because you’re American.’ I wanted to teach them, ‘No one can beat you because you’re a person, you’re a woman.’

Female Role Model 7: Kriti Bharti – India

Kriti BhartiIn a country where a staggering 40 per cent of the world’s child marriages take place, Kriti Bharti, an award-winning anti-child-marriage activist and women and children’s rights campaigner, has single handedly established the charity Saarthi Trust in 2012 to help victims of India’s child marriage crisis. Bharti says: “A lot of people who are determined to stop me from doing my work… Death threats have become a part of my life now and I have come to accept it as part of this job.” She has a group of around five volunteers to assist her but on almost all child bride-saving missions, she prefers to go alone. “I don’t want to put the lives of others at risk,’’ she says.

Female Role Model 8: Kym Worthy – United States of America

Kym WorthyKim Worthy, the first African-American woman to become prosecutor of Detroit, and her team discovered a backlog of over 11,000 rape kits while doing an inventory of Detroit police department evidence. Disgusted by the apathy of the police department in tackling rape cases, she assembled a team of volunteers to begin the lengthy process of cataloguing the rape kits. Worthy and her team of volunteers attracted national attention, and she was awarded a federal grant of $1.5m to continue the work. Since 2009, 1600 rape kits have been investigated by Worthy’s team, a staggering 37 serial rapists have been identified and 13 cases have been brought against suspects as a direct result of Worthy’s endeavours.

Female Role Model 9: Liu Ngan Fung – Hong Kong

Liu Ngan Fung_croppedAfter Liu Ngan Fung left her violent and abusive husband, she began volunteering with an organisation called Kwan Fook, helping other women suffering from domestic violence. She became a curriculum adviser to social work lecturers at Hong Kong University to stop the practice of sending women back to their violent partners. When she became a staffer for a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, she provided research and advice on domestic violence. Ms Liu was part of a coalition of community groups, politicians and advocates that successfully lobbied for changes to domestic violence laws and policies in Hong Kong.

 

Female Role Model 10: Mae Azango – Liberia

CANADIAN JOURNALISTS FOR FREE EXPRESSION - CJFEMae Azango is a Liberian journalist who has become internationally renowned (as well as infamous among traditionalists in her own country) for exposing the horrors of FGM as it is practiced in the Liberian outback. When she published an unusually detailed article about the fatal consequences of FGM in her newspaper, Front Page Africa, she began receiving death and FGM threats. Mae says: “My father wanted to send me [for FGM],” Azango says. “But my mother, who went to college, she said no. And that is what saved me.” Now, her journalistic mission is to help educate and empower other women to make the same choice for their daughters.

Female Role Model 11: Minh Dang – United States of America 

Minh DangAfter years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Minh Dang’s parents sold her for sex, starting at age 10. She kept the abuse hidden throughout her childhood and when she finished college, she was finally able to break free from them to rebuild her life. Today, she is a prominent anti-sex trafficking activist working with actress and activist Jada Pinkett Smith, and her non-profit Don’t Sell Bodies. Both women met with U.S. senators in Washington, D.C. Ms. Dang is committed to using her past not only to urge new legislation to end human trafficking, but also to help other victims who can’t yet speak out. “It’s not just one focus of stopping human trafficking, but building survivors in that process,” Dang said.

Female Role Model 12: Nimko Ali – United Kingdom 

Nimko AliBristol-based campaigner Nimko Ali, who is of Somali heritage, set up the charity, Daughters of Eve, to help girls at risk of Female Genital Mutilation and push for the practice to be stopped. Ms. Ali, who has lived in the UK since she was four, herself underwent FGM at age seven while on holiday in Djibouti. She says: “I only decided to go public very recently after seeing other girls put themselves in danger by speaking out. The weeks afterwards were the most horrifying of my life. I lost friends – one even offered to kill me for £500.” Undeterred, Ms.Ali and her fellow anti-FGM activists have continued to speak out about FGM in the UK where their message that FGM is child abuse and needs to be stopped has been gathering moment.

Female Role Model 13: Nusreta Sivac – Bosnia Herzegovina

Bosnia Rape as War CrimeNusreta Sivac, a Muslim Bosniak, was one of 37 women raped by guards at a concentration camp in Bosnia. Today, it’s partly thanks to Sivac’s efforts to gather testimony from women across Bosnia that rape has been categorized as a war crime under international law. Thirty people have been convicted at the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague and another 30 cases are ongoing. She personally helped put the man who raped her repeatedly during her two months in captivity behind bars. Sivac who has since testified in several cases, including against Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, is satisfied with what she has achieved, although she wishes the ongoing cases would accelerate. “It’s slow, very slow,” she said. “But it is a start.”

Female Role Model 14: Simona Broomes – Guyana 

Simona BroomesSimona Broomes is a Guyanese activist and the president of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation. She routinely travels to gold and diamond mining camps to rescue underage girls working as prostitutes. Her work has life-threatening consequences. In an interview with The Associated Press, she stated that she recently began carrying a gun after she was assaulted during one of her trips. Death threats forced her to close her mining equipment business and undeterred, she began organising fundraising barbeques to raise money to enable her to continue her work to extricate girls from forced prostitution at mining camps. In July 2013, she was honoured by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for her anti-sex trafficking work.

Female Role Model 15: Stephanie Sinclair – United States of America 

Stephanie SinclairStephanie Sinclair is a photojournalist who has spent almost a decade documenting some of the most eye opening images of child brides. She began her work on this issue after she discovered that many Afghan women who had set themselves on fire were child brides. Her project has led her to Ethiopia, India, Nepal and Yemen where underage marriage for girls is rife. The resulting images have been published worldwide by prestigious publications such as National Geographic and the New York Times magazine. When interview by Christiane Amanpour at CNN, she said: “I want to point out that child marriage is an issue in more than 50 countries around the world, and even in our own country we have had issues of it as well and still do, and so nobody is really exempt from it. It’s a harmful traditional practice that is slowly changing we just want to see it change even faster.”

Female Role Model 16: Valentina Sagaya – Indonesia

Valentina SagayaValentina Sagaya is the founder of Yayasan Institut Perempuan (Women’s Institute Foundation), the first women’s organisation in Bandung, Indonesia. Ms.Sagaya and her organisation has been pushing for reforms to laws that “dehumanise women, and even create and perpetuate violence against women,” a situation which she believes had a part in enabling the mass rape tragedy during the violence of 1998 across Indonesia. She says: “I can get so mad when facing injustice [against women].”  In addition to her work via her organisation, Ms Sagaya has also set up community-based groups to provide services to victims of human trafficking through the West Java Anti-Trafficking Movement Network. For her work in women’s human rights, she has been named as the Indonesia N-Peace Awards Role Model For Peace 2013.

Activism 101: 16 Ways to Commemorate World Human Rights Day

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Today is World Human Rights Day which celebrates and commemorates the creation and existence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which came into being on 10 December 1948. It is one of the most significant days in the United Nations’ calendar of events and it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. In addition, many activists, charities, government bodies, non-governmental organisations and grassroots groups working on all aspects of human rights protection and promotion schedule special events in observance of the day. Continue reading →

Activism 101: 16 Notable VAW Organisations and Activists on Twitter That You Should Follow

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Turbo-boosted into cyberspace, 2011 saw ‘The Arab Spring’ documented in real time. The tweets poured in- sometimes 50 at a time- as the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Bahrain- decided enough was enough. The Twittersphere has shown us, hope for a better future spreads like wild fire.

The growing movement to end violence against women (VAW) is a frontrunner in changing the world for the better through online people power.  The international 16 days of activism has showcased how countless anti-vaw charities have integrated Web 2.0 into their online strategies- holding governments to account on funds, law making and resources, and also galvanising ordinary men and women to put a stop to violence against women, for good. Continue reading →

Transforming Personal Pain Into Positive Action: The Pixel Project’s 16 Female Role Models 2011

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When we presented our first list of 16 female role models fighting to end violence against women in their communities back in December 2010, our sole intent was simple: to highlight the good work of the heroines of the movement to end violence against women wherever they are in the world. Indeed, this list came about because The Pixel Project team noticed the bright sparks of these women’s efforts in our daily work to collect, collate and share news about the violence against women movement worldwide.

We hoped that these women would be an inspiration to others to get involved with the cause and were delighted to see the outpouring of support that the Facebook and Twitter communities showed for the 2010 list of female role models. Thanks to the generous amounts of sharing and retweeting of the list by our supporters and their networks, those 16 women got an extra – and well-deserved – moment in the spotlight.

With such an overwhelmingly positive response to last year’s list, we decided to make the list an annual online milestone to continue shining a light on many more dedicated and awe-inspiring women activists toiling ceaselessly to prevent, stop and end violence against women in their communities. Continue reading →

Activism 101: 16 Ideas For Honouring The International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

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Today is the first day of the annual global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign which originated twenty years ago from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991.This 16-day period highlights significant dates including:

This year, Pixel Project joins more than 3000 of our fellow anti-Violence Against Women (VAW) organisations in over 90 countries in honouring the 16 Days of Activism and observing all the significant dates it encompasses with our “16 for 16” campaign.

The Pixel Project’s “16 for 16” campaign is a brand new annual blogging campaign whereby we will produce and publish an article about for each day of the 16 Days of Activism campaign. Each article takes the form of a list of 16 resources/activities/ideas revolving around a selected VAW theme. Last year, during our pilot test run for this campaign concept, we researched, wrote and published articles ranging from The Beginner’s Guide to 16 Types of Violence Against Women to 16 Ways to Volunteer for the Cause to End Violence Against Women. With the popularity and usefulness of these articles evident in the warm response on Facebook and Twitter, we decided to make this an official and permanent annual campaign. Continue reading →