A wide range of participants gathered July 19 in an event hosted by our Violence Against Women Initiative. (Couresy photo)
On July 19 the Violence Against Women Initiative (VAWI) at Lesley hosted a 14-member regional delegation from 10 countries in Latin America. The delegation was part of the US Department of State-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Program with a focus on “Ending Gender Based Violence.”
The delegation members included non-government organization (NGO) founders, leaders from law enforcement and Department of Justice, as well as media hosts, working to address issues related to gender-based violence in their communities.
Dr. Lisa Fiore and Dr. Meenakshi Chhabra presented on behalf of VAWI about the different projects, community initiatives, conferences, research and publications that the initiative continues to engage in. This was followed by a heartful exchange of narratives shared by the members of the delegation in response to three questions that were posed to them:
- What motivates them to do the work they do?
- How was their work impacted by the pandemic?
- Where do they find hope?
The stories were personal and inspiring, describing situations such as: a policewoman, the first in her country to lead a police station committed to responding to situations of violence against women; a first woman judge paving the way for other women in a male-dominated profession; an NGO CEO advocating for women’s rights, especially those impacted by HIV; a media expert who created an app for women to reach out for help during COVID; a woman lawyer leading a group of women lawyers to fight against injustices against women in the legal system.
“It was an amazing gathering of people doing powerful work,” Chhabra says. “Each story is so inspiring and moving.”
The group was curious about addressing gender identities on campus, women’s reproductive rights in the United States, expanding the definition of women, and attention to the needs of those who identified as transgender.
The conversations emphasized that violence against women is historically a global issue – one that intersects with other global issues such as homelessness and trafficking.
The gathering concluded with participants acknowledging that violence against women needs platforms for continuing the exchange and collaboration between academic, community and state stakeholders.
