By Michele Ko
On Thursday the E3 Initiative’s Global Summit on Issues Affecting Women and Girls Worldwide took place in the Marvin Center. E3 stands for “Educate, Engage and Empower,” and the event was held in conjunction with Valentine’s Day: One Billion Rising campaign, whose goal is to end violence worldwide against women and girls.
Three women – Zainab Hawa Bangura, Sabrina Hersi Issa, and Imani Walker – spoke about their personal experiences and work in the field of human rights and policy advocacy.
Bangura is the United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. She has spent the last 20 years implementing policy, diplomatic and practical change for women worldwide.
At the summit she spoke about rape as a tactic and byproduct of war.
“[It is] the legal and moral obligation of government to hold perpetrators accountable,” she said.
She explained her 16-point policy to address sexual violence around the world; one of the points argued that rape should be seen as a war crime.
Bangura also emphasized how if society does not value women during peacetime and treats them as second-class citizens, then they will not be protected during war.
Issa, the digital director of Be Bold Media and the co-founder of EndFamine.com, presented “Women Warriors: Lessons from the Frontline of Battling Poverty and Hunger.” She focused on the power of storytelling in shaping policy and creating a community of women who “own their agency.”
“When we own our stories we own our power,” Issa said.
Walker, co-founder and executive director of The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, shared her personal experience as a victim of sexual violence and her work as a legal and policy advocate.
Walker spoke about her 11-year long marriage that began at age 18. She had three children during the marriage and she was sexually abused. She even recounted being dragged on the floor with her toddler watching. Walker found the strength to leave when her mother passed away.
“Her death allowed me to face my own morality,” she said.
Walker then began a self-medicating process, which included marijuana and cocaine addiction. This lasted several years. When she sought help for her drug addiction she found that the therapy sessions, which consisted of support groups with men along with women, did not help her address the underlying issue- the sexual violence she experienced.
Her addiction continued with her second husband and birth of her fourth child, who tested positive for drugs at birth. For Walker the most beneficial therapy was when she discovered gender responsive services, which provided all women group sessions and family therapy, both of which allowed her to address the deep seeded issues she had to deal with for so many years.
Walker explained how in our society the self-medicating process leads to problems with the child welfare and criminal justice system. She argued that the focus should be on providing services for mothers and their children to face their experiences.
“No woman should say they lost their child because of addiction,” she said. “There is a stigma against self-medicating mothers that leads to silence.”
Walker’s son is now 14 years old and she proudly reported he received all A’s at his school. She herself has been clean from drugs for years. At age 50, she has dedicated her life’s work to combating sexual violence. Walker spoke specifically about The Rebecca Project’s fight against commercial exploitation of women with campaigns like getting the Adult section of Craigslist removed.
Walker explained that women must empower themselves and others.
“We need to begin the process of reclaiming not only our bodies, but our voice, agency, authority, power, and sacredness as human beings,” she said.
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