Join The Cause to Help Violence Against Women

Since I became a blogger almost two years ago when I launched Donna's Promo Talk I've written several posts about Dove's Campaign For Real Beauty in an effort to help spread their positive self-esteem messages. One of the social media marketing firms that has helped Dove get this message out to us bloggers and into the social media word is RocketXL. I was recently honored when they contacted me about a totally new initiative that they're supporting that also involves empowering women. So I couldn't help but utilize my guest blogging privileges here on Lipsticking to help spread this message.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and their Say NO To Violence Against Women is the new movement that RocketXL is now working with. The goal of this campaign is to attain 1 million signatures by November 24 to take a stand and build a community around this important cause. On November 25, UNIFEM and Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman will present these signatures to the UN Secretary General.

You can join the Say NO To Violence Against Women Community and become part of an ever-growing movement of people who are calling for a global action to end violence against women. The tragedy that just stuck Jennifer Hudson and her family is a prime example of the violence against women that can take place. To join this movement all you need to do is just simply add your signature to the widget found below in this post. You may also pass it forward using the “Share” function.  As of this morning 394,352 people globally have added their signatures in support of this movement. 

Here are some of the facts about the issue. Did you know that one in 3 women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime? This is an appalling human rights violation.  Each day, each hour, each minute, a woman in the world is a victim of violence.

Imagine a world without violence against women.  Test your knowledge on how different that world would be by taking our quiz.

1.  According to a United Nations report, how many women worldwide have experienced violence in their lives?
a.    1 out of every 3 women
b.    1 out of every 5 women
c.    1 out of every 10 women

ANSWER:  (a) 1 out of every 3 women -- At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime — with the abuser usually someone known to her. Perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation that we know today, it devastates lives, fractures communities, and stalls development.

2.  What percentage of women who die by homicide are killed by a former or current husband or partner?
a.    20%
b.    50%
c.    70%

ANSWER: (b) 50% -- Based on several surveys from around the world, half of the women who die from homicides are killed by their current or former husbands or partners. Women are killed by people they know and die from gun violence, beatings and burns, among numerous other forms of abuse

3.  In the United States, a 2003 report estimated that the direct costs of intimate partner violence were:
a.    $900 million
b.    $1.6 billion
c.    $5.8 billion

ANSWER: (c) $5.8 billion -- A 2003 report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the costs of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceed US$5.8 billion per year: US$4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly US$1.8 billion. Violence against women impoverishes individuals, families and communities, reducing the economic development of each nation

4.  Which of these risk factors, for women aged 15 to 44 years, rates higher than rape and domestic violence?
a.    Cancer
b.    War
c.    None rated higher

ANSWER: (c) None rated higher -- For women aged 15 to 44 years, violence is a major cause of death and disability.  In a 1994 study based on World Bank data about ten selected risk factors facing women in this age group, rape and domestic violence rated higher than cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria 

5.  In a clinic in Zambia, how many HIV-positive women opt out of treatment due to fears of violence?
a.    20%
b.    30%
c.    60%

ANSWER: (c) 60% -- For many women, the fear of violence prevents them from declaring their HIV-positive status and seeking help and treatment. A clinic in Zambia reported that 60 percent of eligible women opt out of treatment due to fears of violence and abandonment. In 1998 Gugu Dhlamini was stoned to death by men in her community in South Africa after she declared her HIV-positive status on radio and television on World AIDS Day.

So please show our support for this movement as readers of Lipsticking by adding your signature through this widget. RocketXL has this micro-site that I invite you to visit that includes more facts and real stories as well as the Signature meter where you can view real-time progress. It also suggest how you can take further action if you wish by following these simple steps:

• Pass this post on to at least three people and ask them to add their signatures
• Include the Say No Widget on your blog, website or Facebook page
• Include a link to the campaign in your email signature
• Write about the campaign on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, other social media tool or just through email

And of course there's a place that you can donate to the cause as well.

So thanks for listening and let's show the world that we can make a difference.

Comments

[Yvonne DiVita]

I added my signature, Donna. Would put the widget up here but...I'm swamped with other work and I cannot even ask Tom to do it. I will try to remember to add it as soon as I have a free moment.

I will Twitter this today and see if we can get more names on the list. I agree this is an issue that needs a spotlight shone on it.

[Donna DeClemente]

Thanks Sarah for your added insight on this global issue.

How come you didn't add your signature to the widget? I still only see one signature, which is mine. Is the widget not working properly?
Please, please add your names to this signature cause. Let's show the world that Lipsticking readers care about this issue.

[Donna DeClemente]

Thank Sarah for the added insight on this global issue.

But how come you didn't add your signature to the widget? I still only see one signature which is mine. Is the widget not working? Please, please add your names to this signature cause. Let's show the world that Lipsticking readers care about this issue.

[Sarah]

This is a hot topic for me. There are so many ways that women are abused. Everyone of the ways really bothers me, but I am especially bothered by sexual slavery/ bondage and pornography.

The problem is rampant and is both near and far. In Mumbai India (the third largest city in the world), there are an estimated 60,000 sex workers in just one red light district. The girls get the American equivalent of $1.50 for sex -- $2 on a good night, and less than a dollar on a bad night. Ohio was recently identified as one of the major trafficker of sex trade because of the easy access to the great lakes to the interstate highways. With internet access, TV, cable and other forms of media, porn is as close as our fingertips, making the problem overwhelming. And that, lends itself directly into the escalating numbers of women being abused.