violence

January 27, 2010 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird

President Obama is all set to deliver his first State of the Union address this evening at 9pm EST. The question on my mind is will he cover issues that matter most to women? This is a President who started his term by signing into law the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (although the Paycheck Fairness Act was subsequently sidelined and forgotten, leaving the job half-done).

January 12, 2010 posted by admin

December 4, 2009 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird

Yesterday, three fabulous NCRW interns* and I journeyed down to the concrete maze that is the United Nations to participate in a commemorative event celebrating CEDAW’s 30th birthday. The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, often referred to as the international bill of women’s human rights, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. The Convention defines discrimination as

December 3, 2009 posted by admin

Did you know that since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has answered one million calls? Or that the Act funds more than a dozen programs and initiatives, including legal assistance to victims, education and enhanced services for victims of elder abuse, and transitional housing grant programs? Click here to download our newly released fact sheet on VAWA to learn more.

May 24, 2009 posted by admin

Last year’s UN Security Council Resolution 1820 recognized sexual violence as a war crime. Its passage is often cited as a milestone.  Given so many conflicts around the globe, however, what was this resolution’s real impact? If your heart drops every time you think about the continuing rape in the Congo, you are not alone! For NCRW’s upcoming Annual Conference we have assembled a special panel featuring experts on women, war and security. 

April 24, 2009 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird 60% of young black girls in New York City surveyed by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research indicated they worry about their personal safety.  89% attributed their concern to frequent fights at school. Despite this and other harsh realities, the study reveals the strength and resilience girls embody.  Produced by IWPR and The Black Women for Black Girls Giving Circle, Black Girls in New York City: Untold Strength and Resilience documents the lives of girls living in New York City.  The report discusses the daily challenges girls face as well as their modes of survival.  To read the whole report, click here.

Last night I attended a dynamic panel hosted by Legal Momentum on Women’s Economic Equality: The Next Frontier in Women’s Rights.  The brilliant panelists duked it out, discussing the current economic situation, its impact on women, and in what directions we should be heading. 

February 28, 2009 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network reported the experiences of 2,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) middle and high school students of color who were African American or Black, Latino/a, Asian or Pacific Islander, Native American, and multiracial as part of their National School Climate Survey.  The report found that

February 19, 2009 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird According to the U.S. State Department, 800,000 people were trafficked across national borders in 2006. This figure escalates into the millions when including victims trafficked within national borders.   A recently released report by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime delves deeper into this troubling phenomenon:

Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (data from 155 countries)

--Most common form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation (79%) followed by forced labor (18%)

February 17, 2009 posted by Kyla Bender-Baird Last week, I participated in a very interesting conference call with the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) Coalition. The Coalition is comprised of over 65 organizations, whose foci range from a human rights advocacy standpoint to a research-centered agenda.  Violence against women , both in the U.S.