The Emancipation Network
Fighting Human Trafficking and Slavery with Empowerment

A Few Final Reflections

A bad case of "travelers illness" knocked me off my feet for the entire last week in India. I have been home now for a week, and finally feel ready to post a few final reflections on the volunteer trip.

Finding a Voice for all Women

Tuesday at one of the Made by Survivors production centers we had a wonderful discussion with the young women about the rights of women around the world. We shared our own experiences as women with them and learned more about how they perceived women in the U.S. We also got to hear about some of the ongoing struggles they experience as women while working towards becoming more independent. They expressed that it is difficult for women in India to find a safe place for their voice while honoring their families, cultures and religions. It is sometimes hard to imagine the violence that occurrs against women around the world, including in the U.S., but we all agreed, there exists a world without this violence and slavery, we just have not gotten there yet. Everyone proposed ideas on how to combat violence against women, and in my opinion, ALL of them are possible. Educate girls and women, Teach girls about the biology of their bodies, Promote sexual health education for all, Give access to better (and more) health care for all. And, to all the Men out there: Join the movement, Speak out against violence against women, Show your children (boys and girls) how to respect and love women, Teach your daughters that they deserve to be treated well, and Give them as best an education as you can.

Next Stop, Kolkata!

Tomorrow I leave for Kolkata, India, but have waited until the last moment to try my hand at blogging. I think this is partially because although I have bought many travel sized toiletries, packed my suitcase, and put up my "Out of Office" message on my email account, I still have yet to acknowledge to myself that I am really leaving in the morning for a completely new journey. I am not sure what to expect so I am leaving with an open mind and plans to be extremely flexible!