Stop Street Harassment

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Biden is right! 1 is 2 many

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On the 17th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, VP Joe Biden (a co-author of the law) announced a new white house initiative called “1 is 2 Many” that focuses on ending violence against teens and young women ages 16-24 because they are the most vulnerable to sexual harassment, sexual assault, and dating violence.

I applaud these efforts and love the campaign name. One assault IS too many. It is unacceptable that anyone should perpetrate such hate and harm. We are a culture and country that prides itself on freedom, liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness, but when most girls face harassment and assault simply because they are female, where is their freedom, their liberty, their justice when they report it? How they can fully pursue happiness?

They cannot.

Our country will never be great until teens and young women stop facing sexual harassment and assault everywhere they go:

*from sexual harassment in schools (more than 8 in 10)
*and sexual assault in college (1 in 5)
* to harassment on the streets (nearly 90% of women face this by age 19)
* and in dating relationships (1 in 10).

    Most alarmingly, too many teens also experience the worst betrayal of trust: incest and abuse within their own homes, something I heard about all too often during my 2.5 years as an online hotline counselor for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

    These are very depressing statistics, especially considering the efforts of many organizations, people, and pieces of government legislation aimed at ending the violence.

    Focusing on prevention is still relatively new and I really appreciate that the white house campaign is focusing on prevention in their campaign. That is the only thing that will create sustainable change. The campaign page states:

    “By targeting the importance of changing attitudes that lead to violence and educating the public on the realities of abuse, the Vice President is leading the way in an effort to stop violence against women before it begins.”

    To start, they are soliciting ideas. They say:

    “As teens and young women across the country head back to school this month, tell us how you think we can make campuses safer for all students and share your ideas for preventing dating violence and sexual assault. From September 13th – the 17th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act – to September 27th, use the form to submit your ideas, or use the hashtag #1is2many to share on Twitter.”

    So, share YOUR voice and ideas with the white house. Let us brainstorm and work together to figure out how we can make our society one where girls and women truly can be free and fully pursue happiness.

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    Global “Walk a Mile In Her Shoes”® Day

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    Cross-Posted with Permission from Pixel Project:

    This International Anti-Street Harassment Day, The Pixel Project, the global volunteer-led online non-profit working to end Violence Against Women (VAW), and Venture Humanity, the founders of Walk A Mile In Her Shoes®, are proud to announce the first ever Global “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes”® Day. This event, which will debut on Father’s Day 2011, aims to get men on board the cause to end VAW. It also provides VAW nonprofits worldwide with an opportunity to raise much-needed funds.

    Global “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes”® Day is the first of several global events held in conjunction with The Pixel Project‘s Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign which debuted on International Women’s Day 2011. The campaign aims to raise US$1 million for the cause to end VAW by getting a global audience to donate US$1 per pixel to reveal a million-pixel mystery collage of four world-famous male role models taken by award-winning international photographer, Jillian Edelstein. The distinguished line-up includes a Nobel Laureate, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a superstar Environmentalist.

    Regina Yau, Founder and President of The Pixel Project, said: “For a decade, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® has provided men in the United States with a positive platform for stepping up to end VAW. We hope the Global Walk will replicate this effect in communities across the world. Such a fun and inclusive campaign can only further galvanise widespread support for action to end gender-based violence which continues to affect millions of women and girls. Proceeds from the event will be shared between The Pixel Project and participating VAW nonprofits, so it’s win-win for everybody.”

    Frank Baird, founder of Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®, said: “The most influential male role models in our lives are our fathers. Fathers who take part in this Global Walk on Father’s Day collectively send a powerful message to the world that says: ‘We, the male role models for our families, our communities and our society, step up to stand united with the women in our lives in our commitment to building a world without violence against women’. This is a fitting way to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Walk.”

    This focus on fathers as male role models will be amplified by the Pixel Reveal Male Role Models who have recorded exclusive public service announcements speaking out against VAW. These videos will be launched as each man is revealed. Regina Yau said: “We are aiming to get enough donations for pixels to unveil our Nobel Laureate just in time to have his public service announcement launched at the Global Walk, so we urge everybody to please donate to reveal pixels via our Pixel Reveal campaign website – even just US$5.00 count!”

    For further information:

    Please visit the Global “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes”® Day website at http://globalwalkamileday.thepixelproject.net

    Media Inquiries:

    The Bright One account team for The Pixel Project:

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