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.
We sat together for the discussion in the stock room where the beautiful blankets, bags, pillow cases, and wallets surrounded me. Each of the women had a part in many of the items that were created, whether at the design or production stage. The products are creative, detailed, and made with tremendous amounts of care. It is hard to imagine that many of them experienced such extreme amounts of violence before they began working at the production center.
I was raised by an intelligent, confident, and independent mother who gave me a voice (and boy do I have that voice, haha) to express myself in ANY way I wanted. My father and step-father respected me as a girl, and now as an adult woman, and pushed me to do well in school. I have never felt so thankful that my parents gave me such access to education and taught me to love and respect myself to the extent that I do.
Please consider sponsoring a child from one of the other shelters or from the red light district so they can have access to the education that many of the women at the production center did not. It is my hope that by educating more children we will be just a few steps closer to ending slavery forever.
