Children

Earlier this month in a recent op-ed for the Washington post, Council on Foreign Affairs writer Michael J. Gerson asked, “What does rule of law can mean for women and children in Africa?” His answer, Justice for the Poorest . is what the International Justice Mission (IJM) hopes and works for. ‘The founder of IJM, Gary Haugen, argues that the legal empowerment of the poor is an essential precondition for development.’

While to most in the west when we think of legal empowerment, we think big or corporate, but in many developing nations rule of law is about protection of their basic rights. Women are especially marginalized in the developing world, and thus most have their rights to things such as property, easily violated with little option for legal recourse. Rule of law is absent in many cases of gender based violence, including sex trafficking and the use of rape as a weapon of war. The nature of most of these crimes makes reporting difficult, however it is the continuous impunity over such crimes that leaves most women with a feeling of hopelessness. As impunity only fuels violence and gender inequality for women and girls, it is time states and the international community took a stand. The silence of so many women and children’s pain must be broken, and appropriate justice must be served.

Thus we must end the perception that violations such as violence, slavery, and rape are common, and make it unacceptable for gender inequality to continue to thrive. In order to do this there are three main areas of focus; One the issue of gender inequality and bias must be removed in all countries, when such programs are in place at peace time it will significantly reduce the stigma and use of rape and GBV in times of conflict. Two, there must be a unified international response against such acts as the use of rape as a weapon of war, and thus strategies of prevention and awareness must be put into place, including in IDP camps and in times of post conflict. Three, impunity must end or victims will continue to remain silent and not seek medical, psychological or legal attention if they feel there is no retribution or care for which they are safe to receive.

If no one is listening, no one will talk. If one is to step forward and ask victims to come out then they must be willing to not only listen to their stories, but to provide them with care and support in both the short and long term, including providing physical and financial access to such services. Many are currently fixated on the trial of a Former Slave who is suing the State of Niger, which could set precedent for many other gender based violence and victims of slavery across Western Africa. Thus let up that rule of law is truly on its way to the women and girls across the developing world.

Women and girls in Sudan’s war torn Darfur region continually face rape and sexual assault, despite increased international awareness in the five years since the start of the conflict. Human Rights Watch calls on government to end sexual violence in Darfur, as neither the Sudanese security forces nor international peacekeepers are doing enough to protect women from attack.

The issue of rape in Sudan is far from new, it is a staple of the conflict, sadly the impunity of the use of rape as a weapon of war in the Sudan is also far from braking news. However thus far out cries over such monstrous crimes have generally fallen on deaf ears, despite reports by aid agencies such HRW and Doctors Without Borders/MSF who released a report on the ‘alarming’ number of rapes in March 2005, The Crushing Burden of Rape, Sexual Violence in Darfur. Nonetheless these reports are just a few of many, however their efforts remain fruitless against the growing impunity and continued instability in Darfur.

Sadly rape is not the end of most victims suffering, as stigma, shame and shame accompany numerous physical and physiological effects long after the rape. Fatima (pictured on the left) was only 15years old when in front of her own mother she was brutally gang-raped. She soon found her self pregnant, but that would not be the end for Fatima, as she was “arrested by Sudanese police and charged with fornication” when she was seven months pregnant (The Age).

Since the dawn of the conflict pro-government militias have continually been accused of using sexually based attacks on women, as a means to terrorize, destabilize and demoralized the civilian population. The Sudanese army has recently criticized a UN report in March which accused soldiers of raping women and girls.

In a report issued April 7, 2008, Five Years On - No Justice for Sexual Violence in Darfur, HRW lays out clear recommendations for both the government of Sudan, rebel forces and aid agencies. Some of the reports recommendations include; the Sudanese government taking a clear stand against sexual assault and rape, the inclusion of female investigators, firewood patrols, better training, awareness and prevention.

The mass scale of rape and sexual assault in Sudan, as in other conflict ridden nations, must be taken seriously and dealt a heavy hand. The impunity must end, and the protection and rebuilding of lives must begin. For the use of rape leaves lasting long term effects on just on the victim, but their families, and community as it erodes the social framework of nations.

Last week a ground braking and historic story broke to international media, the story was Hadijatou Mani legal fight against the African state of Niger. Hadijatou Mani, a former slave who is suing the state of Niger in a landmark legal challenge, claiming that the country failed to protect her from being sold into a life of servitude and sexual slavery. At the age of 12, Hadijatou was sold into slavery for a mere $500.

Now 24, she brought her case to Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). Hadijatou did not take the case to the Niger courts as she “believes she cannot get fair redress at any national court in Niger,” Romana Cacchioli, Africa coordinator of Anti-Slavery International, stated to The Associated Press.

“Despite the criminalization of slavery in 2003, the government of Niger is accused of not only failing to protect Hadijatou Mani from the practice of slavery, but also continuing to legitimize this practice through its customary law, which is discriminatory toward women and in direct conflict with its own criminal code and constitution,” Anti-Slavery International said in a statement.

If Mani’s case is a success it would create president for other slaves to seek retribution with similar claims, as it would then affect all of the 15 West African member states. Slavery is far from over, as there is an estimated 27 million slaves today, and their population is scattered across the globe leaving no nation free from this horrid crime against humanity. “This is a hugely significant case,” said Helen Duffy, legal director of Interights, a non-governmental organization based in London that is sponsoring Ms Mani’s case (Foreign Correspondent).

“I have not had a day off in my life, and I want the suffering of so many women to stop”, Mani stated.

After 10 years of enslavement Mani one can only hope that Mani will see the true value of her life and freedom, and that her fight will pave the way for millions of others across West Africa and the world.

It is fitting that V-Day Fall’s in April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, “V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.”

V-Day began on February 14, 1998 at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom with a sold out benefit performance of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues ”, that raised $250,0000 for local NYC anti-violence groups. Ten years on and V-Day is continuing to expand the awareness against violence. From one event to came the support of some 700 college campuses and more than 400 cities have now lead to a Worldwide Campaign that spans some 3000 benefits in 58 countries.

This year the UN children’s fund (UNICEF) and V-Day have launched a new partnership to end rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and ensure justice for the victims. Women and girls of all ages, some only infants, continue to be sexually assaulted in the DRC, as the use of rape as a weapon of war continues with impunity.

Personally as an abolitionist I am no longer shocked or dismayed about reports of women and young girls mass raped in conflict ridden countries, girls found to have been the victims of trafficking in massage parlors, on craigs list, in newspaper ad’s, on myspace, in strip clubs, etc. More and more reports are found on MSNBC, CNN, and so forth. Even the entertainment industry is cashing in on the heart wrenching stories of victims on such series as Law and Order’, CSI, etc. However local news reports, while increasing do not match the scale of the problem of modern day slavery and human trafficking, either internationally or locally. Slavery did not end 200 years ago, it’s alive and well and one the the most profitable industries in the world. Nonetheless it is movements like V-Day, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month that are the catalyst for change and together we can work to free the 27 million slaves around the world.

For statistical information on gender based violence please see the The World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office, RAINN -Rape Abuse Incest National Network, The Family Violence Prevention Fund, and The National Human Trafficking Resource Center

See my previous posts on Gender Inequality, Child Trafficking and Slavery. Please also see my pages on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Links, Human Trafficking and Slavery Related Movies and Documentaries, and Slavery and Trafficking Related Books for more information on modern slavery and gender based violence.

As mentioned April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and throughout the month I will work to bring you many stories of the various forms of sexual assault that plagues millions upon millions of young girls across the globe. First I wanted to bring you back to the issue of human trafficking and slavery with in the US, as many people still feel that this is a problem that plagues other nations.  There is no country immune to this disease of power and greed, which binds some 27 million people around the world.

The US State department estimates that some 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year and about 80 percent of them are female and at least 50% are children. The numbers given by the State Department do not included the millions of victims which are trafficked with in countries borders, including the United States. The US government has stated that there are some 17,500 victims of sex trafficking in the United States each year, however all of these government figures are well understated and the true number of victims is unknown.

A recent report by MSNBC Undercover: Sex Slaves in America, gives great incite into the plight of those enslaved within the US borders, and is highly recommended as a starting point when looking into the depth and scale of this issue and how it effects cities across the country. You will see in the report a large focus on San Fransisco, which has made their message of non-tolerance for sex trafficking and slavery very clear, however is still tied by the hand of bureaucracy and is only beginning to scrape the surface of this enormous problem.

San Fransisco is tackling the massage parlors, the ones that look just like those in every major city, and many not so major cities. While the issue of slavery is not the stated premise for the cities surprise inspections, the requirements of permits for masseuses, require girls to be covered from the neck down. Surprise raids have uncovered false walls reveals rooms where slaves are hidden out of the view of the public eyes, unable to leave, locked into fortress like buildings, under the watchful eyes of guards, cameras. The Task Force with the health department; they say they cannot fully eradicate trafficking but they are having some impact. The city of San Fransisco while not free and clean of slavery, is working to crack down on those who prey on the innocence of young girls. Those who use sex and fear to enslave women and girls for nothing more than greed and profit.

Sadly surprise inspections and fines, will not end the trafficking of women, as long as the demand continues women and children will continue to be forced into sexual slavery, and their lives will continue to be torn apart by greed and sexual desire. To understand better the effects of demand, I recommend that you see Shared Hope’s video ‘Demand, which you can watch online or download’, the video gives great incite into the fate of domestic victims of sex trafficking.

Please see my other posts on Child Trafficking. Please also see my pages on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Links, Human Trafficking and Slavery Related Movies and Documentaries, and Slavery and Trafficking Related Books for more information.

Introduced in 2003 Kenya’s free secondary education is now plagued by supply problems. The sudden and dramatic increase of students is causing a strain on resources, and the result is a lack of teachers, CONGO: Arrest over abduction of indigenous family’s child
books and adequate facilities, leaving many to question the quality of children’s education. While many improvements and hurdles need to be made, most agree that any education is better that no education.

Aid workers freed after Chad issues pardon French officials on Tuesday freed six aid workers convicted of kidnapping more than 100 Chadian children, following an official pardon from Chad’s President Idriss Deby on Monday. The six had said they wanted only to help place orphans from Darfur, but the children turned out to be from Chad, most of them with still at least one living parent. For more on the story see the following Video ClipSyndicate, BBC , Associated Press

Young and old Tibetans disagree on virtue of nonviolence, as the bloody protests over the past few weeks have shown the widening generation gap. The majority of the elder generation continue to embrace nonviolence, however the younger generations are increasingly moving away from this view and moving towards a more physical approach. “I want peace, but when you are pushed so much, you finally strike back,” said Jigshe Tsering, one of many young activists who say they are tired of not reacting forcefully to China’s abusive ways.

Measles kills 165 children, the outbreak in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state has killed 165 children in the last three months and infected more than 3,000 children, according to health officials.

In the Congo there has been a groundbreaking arrest over abduction of indigenous family’s child. The High Court in southwestern Congo has indicted Omer Gapa, a former local council official on charges of a kidnapping 19 years ago of a child from an indigenous family. Accused of taking a 6 year old girl in 1989 of which her ware abouts have never been discovered.

Photo: ©Panos / Robert Knoth

Victim of rape as a weapon of war and forced amputation in Sierra Leone

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) was set to raise awareness of sexual violence and increase prevention. Across the country special events will take place over the next month to highlight the use of sexual violence, and its effects as a major public health issue. Much of the events will be hosted with an aim to reinforce the increased need for prevention programs.

This year the SAAM Day of Action will be observed on Thursday, April 3, 2008, a day set to specifically focus awareness on sexual violence prevention. The National Sexual Violence Research Center (NSVRC), visit the Community Activities page for ideas on how to observe the day and to post your events on the online calendar.

To join the fight against sexual assault begin this month by attending an event, see the NSVRC calender for events in a number of cities across the US. Check your local cities rape crisis centers, shelters, community groups for events in your hometown.

Over the next month I will continually provide you with stories on issues of sexual assault, and other related topics regarding children, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, sex trafficking, female child soldiers, etc.

Here are some great movie/documentary Events in DC (if you are not in DC look to view one or more of these films in your community, or with your family and friends ) :

Tuesday, April 15th – Dreams Die Hard
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ The Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd., NW)
Through interviews with survivors of domestic human trafficking, Dreams Die Hard tells the story of people who are brought and sold into modern day slavery. $3 suggested donation.

Wednesday, April 16th, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
7:00 –9:00pm @ Sankofa Video and Bookstore (2714 Georgia Avenue, NW).
Shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this film examines the silence that surrounds the plight of women caught in the conflict of the war. FREE

Tuesday, April 22nd – Tin Girls
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ The Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd., NW)
Tin Girls is a documentary exposing the trade of women and girls in Nepal and India. This film explores the intricacies of the markets that support the economy of the sex trade.
$3 suggested donation.
Check your local city for events throughout the month.

In 1986, Defense Secretary Caspar Weingberger and the US Department of Defense, designated April as Month of the Military Child. The month is set to be a time for each branch of the military to recognizes the sacrifices which are made by the children of those serving our country.

Children of those in the military face separation, frequent moves and school changes, trauma when a parent is in combat, stress, and many other difficulties associated with military life. It is for these reasons that we take the month of April to acknowledge their unwitting sacrifice, and courage.

Links and Resources:
Month of the Military Child
The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) - promotes partnerships and provides for networking of military installations and their supporting school districts.
Marine Corps Kids Blog
Armed Forces Children’s Education Fund - Provides scholarships and financial assistance for education, to surviving children of the US military and armed forces.
Here are some tips and suggestions parents and teachers can use to help support children in military families.
SchoolQuest™ — The Military Child Education Coalition’s™ SchoolQuest™ is an innovative, free online tool that helps parents and students match their needs with new schools during relocation.
Ask Aunt Peggie - “Aunt Peggie” is a former military-connected child who attended nine schools by grade 12. Combined with her 34 years experience in school administration and the classroom, Aunt Peggie is an expert on all things military and education.
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress - Military Children and Families
National Military Family Association - Resources for Kids - Includes a book list
Our Military Kids - Provides tangible support to the children of deployed and severely injured National Guard and Military OMK -Operation: Military Kids - a program that works with children of deployed Military Families through activities such as Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK).
Scholarships for Military Children
America Support You - Scholarships for Military Children- The official Department of Defense web site encouraging support of US Military troops around the world.

2007 WFP/Eddie Gerald

News of food shortages are far from new and have now become a staple in the news headlines. Countries across the globe are working tirelessly to grapple with the the spiraling food costs. The Result of much of the cuts to save one country have left others in even more desperate situations, as food aid is dramatically cut. The agency set to feed the worlds poor is struggling to meet the needs of some 73 million this year alone, a substantial majority of which are children.

“Price increases have ballooned WFP’s 2008 costs from an original calculation of $2.9 billion to at least $3.4 billion today — and that doesn’t include new, unanticipated needs as sky-rocketing food prices squeeze the world’s poor”

( UN steps up donor appeal as food aid costs grow).

In response the World Food Program (WFP) has launched an “extraordinary emergency appeal”, urging governments to donate some $500 million over the next four weeks.

“We urge your government to be as generous as possible in helping us to close this gap - which stood at USD 500 million on February 25 and has been growing daily,” WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran wrote.

The appeal letter is aimed at avoiding rationing food aid, was sent to donor countries, claiming that if funds where not in hand by May 1, the effects would be hardest on those who needed it most. The food rations, would gravely impact those countries who are in the most need, and who’s people are heavily reliant on the rest of the world for protection and support.

Food costs are quickly rising, wages are not and the he harsh reality is that while food may line the shelves, the will be no one who can afford to buy it in some areas.

Nasser Ishtayeh Associated Press
“The Way to School” A Palestinian schoolgirl walks carefully past an Israeli tank during clashes near her school in the West Bank town of Nablus, April 19, 2003.

The right to education is all to often taken for granted, while we often complain about our child’s curriculum and the lack of resources in school, we seldom worry about our child walking through a true war zone on the way to school. Yet every day children around the globe are left to literally fight their way to school, risking their safety and lives for an education…for a chance at a future. Schools, students and teachers are increasingly under attack leaving children even more vulnerable to the effects of war. Low literacy rates heavily impact development and poverty, while also leaving children at increased risk of violence.

According to UNICEF, the 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which took place last month, approximately 93 million school-age children are not receiving an education, most of which are girls. The majority of the worlds children out of school are children living in conflict zones. According to the UNESCO special report issued in November 2007, Education Under Attack , 40% of the estimated 77 million children not in school are from conflict ridden countries. The worst-affected countries in the survey period from 1997 to 2007 were Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Nepal, the Palestinian Territory, Thailand and Zimbabwe, according to data based on incidents reported by the media and ministries of education worldwide. Education is also directly related to empowerment, and more than half of those children out of school in conflict zones are girls.

According to UNESCO in the report 2008 Education for All Global Monitoring Report: Education for All by 2015. Will We Make It?, the number of children in school has increased in the last decade. The report refers to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and additionally the Education for All Declaration. According to the report primary school enrollment rose from 647 million to 688 million worldwide between 1999 and 2005. However the report also stated that the “gender parity goal has been missed”, and that “gender equality remains elusive”.

One should also note that adult literacy rates dramatically impact the lives of children in multiple ways, including placing children and families at increased risk for human trafficking and enslavement. A mothers education and literacy has a direct impact on a child’s education and literacy, thus it is essential that when looking into education and literacy we do not fail to see that adults as well as children are included in development programs. According to UNESCO , 774 million adults lack basic literacy skills worldwide, and some 64% of which are women.

It is clear that there is much that needs to be done to ensure that all of the worlds children receive a basic education, and that considerable attention needs to be placed on those children in conflict zones. While much progress has been made in recent years, it is still unacceptable that some 93 million children are without access to an education. If we are to see progress and hope for this and future generations of children, than we must place education for all as a top priority as it is the gateway to peace and prosperity.