"We need to wake up to the violence that millions of women are facing each day. What better way to let our voice be heard than by standing on a bridge on the 8th March 2013, and speaking out against Violence!"
Talat Pasha, Federation Programme Action Chair for SI in Pakistan, has called on Soroptimists around the world to take action on International Women’s Day, by gathering on a bridge or other highly visible place to say "Enough is Enough: End Violence Against Women".
"She was going out for the night with her fiancé’. It was to be a fun night out in Delhi, India", writes Talat. "The medical student and her fiancé had made plans to go to the movies. It was on their way back, that they were offered a ride on a bus that ferried school children during the day. They were beaten and she was gang raped by 6 people on the moving bus. The youngest of the criminals inserted an iron rod into her genitals and gorged out her intestines. She died of internal injuries within a few days. More than 20 women have since been raped in Delhi after this episode."
"Anisa was an orphan and lived in rural Afghanistan. She was in her early twenties and was studying in the 10th grade. In order to supplement her income, she volunteered and worked as a health worker to eradicate Polio. She was threatened repeatedly on phone to stop her work. When Anisa stepped outside her home, six bullets were pumped into her stomach. She died the same day in the hospital."
"In the village, families are saying that from the time when Anisa was killed up until now, their girls cannot go to schools, women who are working for organisations, they do not dare go out, because they think if they do their destiny would be the same as Anisa’s."
"Naseema Akhtar, 19 yrs old lived in Landhi, Karachi Pakistan.To help her poor family and pay for the schooling of her younger siblings, she worked as a health-worker to eradicate Polio for a meagre sum of Rs 250/- on daily wages. She was shot dead along with 6 other female polio health workers in different parts of Karachi."
"She (anonymous) was just 14 years old when she was picked up from her poor village in eastern India and promised good wages as a maid in New Delhi. Instead, she was forced to work for free as a virtual slave in a wealthy middle-class household. When she plucked up the courage to complain to the ‘placement agent’ who had found her the job, ‘he beat me and then he raped me,’ the girl, now 17, said in an interview in this capital city. ‘He said if I ever tried to run away from home, he would kill off my family and burn down my house.’"
"Every year, hundreds of thousands of girls are trafficked from rural India to work as domestic servants in middle-class homes in India’s fast-growing urban areas. They are expected to work at least 15 hours a day for food, lodging and salaries well below the legal minimum monthly wage of about $125. Many end up being cut off from their families, abused and treated like slaves. Some are sexually assaulted."
"Malala Yousifzai is still recovering. Shot in the head for standing up for Female literacy. She has become a symbol of courage for women all over the world."
"These are just a few examples of violence against women. Millions of women are facing increasing levels of violence just for basic human rights. Unfortunately in some countries, it is now a fight for survival. Violence against women has become uncontrolled and is touching alarming proportions. It is time for us to stand united to raise our voices against this violence. We need to wake up to the danger that millions of woman are facing each day. What better way to let our voice be heard, by standing on a Bridge on the 8th of March 2013, and speaking out against Violence. I urge all Soroptimists not to let this opportunity go. Let’s do it! We owe it to us!!!"
Image: SI Karachi Central on International Women’s Day 2012
Talat Pasha is Past-President of SI Karachi Central, SIGBI Assistant Project Director for Economic Empowerment and Federation Project Action Chair for SI Pakistan.
SI will be making resources available by the end of January to assist clubs in organising their events on International Women’s day – find out more.