Muslim women protest against dowry violence
Kathmandu: Since she was married four years ago, Hasrun Idrissi has been living a woeful life, abused and regularly beaten up by her husband and her in-laws for her father’s inability to pay them the dowry they had demanded. Now, they have tried their best to kill her. No one came to her aid all this while.

Gulf Times/Indo-Asian News Service, November 10, 2007

PNG PM ashamed by domestic violence
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Michael Somare says he is ashamed about the high level of violence against women in his country, including cases of highly-educated leaders beating their wives. Papua New Guineans had a big attitude problem and had to change, he told PNG’s Post-Courier newspaper, which has published a series of reports highlighting domestic violence.

TVNZ/AAP, November 8, 2007

Footy stars join in the fight to protect women
Wallaby great Brendan Cannon is using baby daughter Phoebe as his inspiration for taking a leading role in the campaign against violence against women. Cannon said he didn’t want Phoebe growing up in a country where almost half of all women will be victims of physical violence or sexual abuse during their lifetimes.

The Daily Telegraph, November 3, 2007

‘Hope’ for Dubai’s abused women
Dubai is rapidly becoming one of the most popular destinations in the Middle East, and a booming economic centre in the Gulf. But some of those who live in the emirate have become victims of domestic violence, and found few places to turn to for help. In a small non-descript villa in one of Dubai’s smarter neighbourhoods is what Sharla Musabih calls a “City of Hope”.

Al Jazeera, November 10, 2007

Violence against women
“The incidents of violence against women including the murder of women by their husbands have increased over the years. This scenario is horrible and physical torture of women has increased. Some women have literally been killed by their husbands even in the presence of other members of the family and neighbours around. According to the findings of the UNFPA, 40 per cent of women fell victim to domestic violence in the capital city of Dhaka in Bangladesh, which is ranked as the fourth highest in violence against women… The legal provisions for safety of women including wives in Bangladesh are inadequate. Newly married women are tortured and even murdered by their husbands for very many reasons including the non-payment of dowry. Some husbands also blame their wives for retaining contacts and relations with their friends including classmates in schools and colleges, before attacking their wives.” Md. Asraf Ali

The New Nation, October 21, 2007

White Ribbon Day Nov25
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day. The White Ribbon Foundation of Australia aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting culture-change around the issue. The major strategies to achieve this are a national media campaign as well as education and male leadership programmes aimed at men and boys around Australia. This site includes information and resources about the campaign. You can also buy white ribbons online or sign up to the White Ribbon e-newsletter.

www.whiteribbonday.org.au

The Shame of War: sexual violence against women and girls in conflict
On March 8, 2007 - International Women’s Day - IRIN launched The Shame of War: sexual violence against women and girls in conflict simultaneously in New York, Nairobi and Geneva. This publication is a reference book as well as photo essay of portraits and testimonies of the sexual violence women suffer when men go to war, and is now available online to IRIN readers. The photographs are also available to download in PDF format.

www.irinnews.org

Blessing of Tears
Jesus heard the cries of all the women he met
and hears the cries of all women who weep now.
He acknowledges the context of personal
and structural pain in which they were immersed.
Jesus gathers the tears of women and baptizes each
one into renewed and transformed life.

“If we were to gather together the tears already shed
and as yet unshed by women around the world,
I believe we could baptize the church into a life of solidarity and resolute action.”

Aruna Gnanadason, Indiafrom “A Selection of Prayers”, World Council of Churches

www2.wcc-coe.org

Download a PowerPoint presentation prepared by Caritas Australia on the theme of “Ending impunity for violence against women and girls”.