Keeping the Peace

The roles that women play today are many and varied, and while many women across the world hold families together through their care of the young and elderly or through the provision of economic support, an increasing number are also responsible for maintaining peace and accord within society and especially in war-torn regions.

This past September, the world celebrated the International Day of Peace to commemorate the enduring importance of preserving the hard-fought and fragile peace that we struggle to maintain in across the globe. However, the world has historically been silent about the situation of women in war, although women and children often experience the brunt of the suffering. Moreover, in post-conflict situations, women often lack the confidence and the knowledge needed to participate in peace building and reconstruction, and therefore tend to be relegated to the sidelines in peace negotiations.

In reality, however, women are central to the peace-building process. Research has shown that increased female presence in military personnel on peacekeeping operations is beneficial to operational effectiveness. Other than the fact that peacekeeping is a task of great consequence and is best served by a force representative of both genders, a greater proportion of female military personnel engenders trust and improves the reputation of peacekeepers among local populations.

The importance of women in maintaining peace in communities is also corroborated by numerous examples of women in embattled regions who have been able to overcome the odds and contribute to the safety and wellbeing of their communities, and this reveals that around the world, much can be accomplished if women had proper support and training.

Therefore, to honour the role that women play in building and maintaining peace, this month's issue throws the spotlight on the women who have been leading lights of peace in our special feature on Nobel Peace Laureates. We also recommend works that highlight the indispensible work of peacekeepers in war-torn regions. In addition, we are proud to introduce our upcoming year-end fundraising initiatives, the SNOW Benefit and Buy To Save, and we also bring you reports from our latest events.

Help us keep UNIFEM Singapore going by supporting our fundraising events, attending our film screenings, or simply by participating in discussions on our Facebook page! Your support will go a long way in helping us assist women in the region. If you're interested in joining UNIFEM Singapore as a volunteer, please fill in the online application form here.

UNIFEM Singapore wishes you a fabulous month ahead!

Heroines of Peace

Long considered the benchmark and pinnacle of great and noble endeavour, the Nobel Peace prize was recently awarded to U.S. President Barack Obama. While male recipients have dominated the award list, the Nobel Peace Prize has been presented to 12 women since its inception in 1901.

communities, and continue to be source of inspiration for us. Here's a quick look at the list:

Read more about these extraordinary women here.

UNIFEM Recommends

Peacekeepers perform the indispensible duty that is often fraught with risk to preserve the peace and accord in countries torn apart by strife and bloodshed while engendering peace and reconciliation. This month, we recommend works that chronicle the extraordinary work that these men and women do.

1. Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Directed by Gini Reticker, Pray The Devil Back To Hell is a gripping documentary on a group of brave and visionary women in Liberia who developed a powerful, non-violent protest in a nation torn by the most horrific violence against civilians and combatants alike in a decades-old civil war. Founded by the indomitable Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian Mass Action for Peace began with Christian women and incorporated Muslim women in order to call the men of their nation to account.

Combining contemporary interviews, archival images, and scenes of present-day Liberia the film recounts the experiences and memories of the women who stood up to their country's then-president Charles Taylor and the various rebel factions in order to bring peace to their tormented country.

2. Beyond Belief

Susan Retik and Patti Quigley were ordinary women living in the affluent suburbs of Boston-until tragedy struck with the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Rather than turning inwards, grief compels the women to focus on Afghnistan, the country where the terrorists who took their husbands' lives were trained.

As Susan and Patti travel from their comfortable neighborhoods to the most desperate Afghan villages, they discover a powerful bond with each other, an unlikely kinship with widows halfway around the world, and a profound way to move beyond tragedy. From the ruins of the World Trade Center to those of Kabul and back, Beyond Belief is a journey of personal strength and international reconciliation.

UNIFEM At Work: Coming Soon

The 2009 SNOW Benefit

In keeping with our commitment, UNIFEM Singapore is proud to present our annual "Say No to Oppression of Women" (SNOW) Benefit. This gala dinner will be held on the evening of Wednesday, 2nd December 2009 at the Conrad Centennial Singapore, and will feature the award-winning celebrity chef and artist, Bob Blumer.

Bob Blumer is best known as the creator and host of Food Network's "The Surreal Gourmet", one of the most innovative cooking shows on television. It has won many awards and is seen in more than 30 countries. His new TV series, which he co-created and hosts is called "Glutton for Punishment". He is also a cookbook author and illustrator. Bob Blumer is renowned for transforming ordinary ingredients into awe-inspiring dishes through whimsical presentations and unusual cooking methods.

The proceeds from SNOW 2009 will go towards supporting the Save Community Initiatives: Women, Peace & Security in Aceh, Indonesia. Funds raised will support UNIFEM's initiatives in creating sustainable governance and peace in Aceh through women's full participation in recovery and peace building. This programme will reach thousands of women at sub-district and village levels. It will develop training activities around women's crisis centers to be built in all 23 districts, and also develop one-stop crisis centers at sub-district hospitals in 6 pilot sites.

UNIFEM Singapore aims to provide hope and vital support and protection to the women in Aceh, and to assist them in rebuilding successful and fulfilling lives, particularly after the devastation of the Tsunami of 2004.

For more information, please click here.

UNIFEM Buy To Save 2009

Violence Against Women

A World Bank report estimates that 1 in 3 women around the world will experience violence in her lifetime, such as beating, assault and rape, with the abuser usually someone known to her. Violence against women is a major cause of death and disability for women between 16 to 44 years of age, and is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer. Given that women play a central role in the family, the abuse of women has potentially adverse repercussions on the family unit and affects children as well.

Style With Conscience

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th, UNIFEM Singapore, together with main sponsors Club 21, InterContinental Singapore, MasterCard, L'Oreal, Harper's BAZAAR, The Singapore Women's Weekly, CLEO and ZoCard is holding a charity designer fashion sale on Saturday, 12th December and Sunday, 13th December to raise funds for its efforts to end violence against women. Called "Buy To Save", the much-anticipated sale will be held at InterContinental Singapore and will include gently used designer clothes, shoes, bags and accessories.

All items will be sold at a fraction of the original prices, and proceeds from the Buy To Save 2009 will go towards the UNIFEM Fund in support of actions to eliminate violence against women. UNIFEM Singapore's objective is to raise public awareness on violence against women as well as support local women caught in the web of violence and sex trafficking.

For more information, click here.

Event Reports

UNIFEM Film Series - Trade

On Tuesday 1st September, the UNIFEM Film Series, as part of the STOP Human Trafficking campaign, screened its first full-length feature film "Trade" by Marco Kreuzpaintner, free of charge to the public. The movie, which showed at Golden Village Vivocity, revealed the mechanics of sexual enslavement by tracing the route of a 13-year old girl kidnapped from her home in Mexico City by sex traffickers, and her brother's desperate mission to save her.

Dr Sallie Yea introduced the film screening and gave the audience a brief insight into the sexual trafficking trade. Dr. Yea is a visiting fellow at NUS and has been researching human trafficking in various countries in the Asian region for the past eight years. We were also joined by campaign partners H.O.M.E, The Body Shop and ECPAT.

As the audience got comfortable for the film screening, it became evident through the movie that they did not expect to have been so outraged, saddened and mortified by this thrilling story of courage and devastating expose into one of the world's most heinous crimes. There were tears and cries of disbelief, and by the end of the movie there was a wider awareness of what is involved in the brutal underworld of human sex trafficking. The movie told the story of one girl in Mexico City, and what has to be remembered is that this crime affects around 700,000 to 2,000,000 people every year around the world, 50% of all victims being children.

Members of the audience were able to take with them a factsheet giving more information on sex trafficking, and the opportunity to support UNIFEM Singapore's initiatives to fight against this crime by signing up as members and purchasing UNIFEM merchandise. Human trafficking affects us all, so it is up to all of us to help bring this evil trade to an end.

The UNIFEM Film Series is an initiative promoting an open dialogue of women's issues within our community, and a platform for member support with UNIFEM campaigns.

UNIFEM DBS MoneySend^TM Soft Launch

The UNIFEM DBS-Mastercard MoneySend^TM Soft Launch Party, an event hosted by UNIFEM Singapore on 20th September at our 2 Nassim Road Headquarters, saw the coming together of over 50 Filipino and Indonesian guests, most of whom were migrant workers who have worked and lived in Singapore for a number of years.

The party was held to publicise MoneySend^TM - the newest online remittance service that allows migrant workers in Singapore to transfer funds by themselves online or at self-administered web based MoneySend^TM PCs/Kiosks.

The first community service collaboration project between UNIFEM Singapore and main partners DBS and MasterCard, and it is hoped that this initiative will help migrant workers send money home more easily and aid them in better managing their funds by enabling them to deposit their salaries directly into their accounts and thus avoid salary disputes.

At the event, guests were treated to a sumptuous spread of Indonesian and Filipino cuisine and light entertainment by DJs Raymond and Don. The event guests also got to try their hand at online banking at the PCs kiosks with help by UNIFEM volunteers.

UNIFEM Singapore's strong partnership with DBS and MasterCard was affirmed by the presentations and participation rendered by DBS staff who provided information in answering enquiries related to opening an account with DBS, applying for a MasterCard Debit Card or the MoneySend^TM Service. Overall, it was an excellent opportunity to mingle and learn from one another.

UNIFEM Singapore is grateful to all our valued guests and wonderful volunteers for their time, presence and participation and in sharing our vision in supporting programmes that aim to help empower women. We would like to say a big thank you to all participants and presenters for making this possible.

International Day of Peace Celebration

On 21st September, the National Committee for UNIFEM Singapore commemorated the International Day of Peace in a celebration jointly organized by Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore)(JGIS). This celebration brings together many NGOs, working in different areas of wildlife, conservation, and community services, to pledge our commitment to working towards a world that emphasises "Peace with All Living Things".

Preparations for this significant event started many months prior, including a session where our volunteers headed down to JGIS to hand make a peace dove from recyclable materials. It was a fun-filled and creative morning as we put our drawing, cutting, sewing and constructing powers to work making peace doves from chicken wire, recycled bedsheets and bamboo poles.

The Peace Day celebrations began with JGIS's annual Peace March. All participating organizations brought along their handmade doves and paraded them around the compounds of Old School, Mt. Sophia, to much fanfare. This was followed by a picnic concert where various student groups performed songs and an energetic self-choreographed dance number. The concert also included a mesmerizing performance by internationally-acclaimed harp-guitarist, Mr Jason Carter. UNIFEM volunteers were also on hand at our booths to introduce our work to the diverse group of participants at this multi-NGO event.

The final event of the evening was a film screening presented by UNIFEM Singapore. The film "Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Mathaai" was an apt close to a day marking peace as it tells the story of an inspirational woman, Ms. Wangari Mathaai, and her fight for peace, environmental conservation and women rights for the women in the rural Kenya. Her vision led her to start the Green Belt Movement that encouraged women in Kenya to plant trees for their own livelihood. To date, more than 35 million trees have been planted and many women have achieved economic independence because of it.

UNIFEM Singapore would like to thank JGIS, our venue sponsors Sinema@OldSchool and Old School, and equipment sponsor Cafe Diplo, for making this entire event possible.

To watch a video on the "Global Wake Up Call", a campaign directed at leaders meeting for the G20 summit to act on climate change, featuring Wangari Maathai, click here.

Contributors:

Text: Baey Shi Chen, Lynne Hong Rae Kim-Chua, Mezhgan Qabool, Tok Sin Ying

Images: Khairi Boyani (InBloom Photos)

Say No to Violence. Say No to Rape.

The 'No to Rape' campaign seeks to make marital rape a crime in Singapore.

Launched recently on 1 July 2009, the organisers are calling for a petition to the Prime Minister to repeal two instances of marital rape immunity in the Penal Code.

To date, 1410 have signed the online petition.

To find out more, please visit http://www.notorape.com.

Been to recently?

Then you must have seen this bright yellow sign staring at your face:

STOP is an international campaign that wants to put an end to sex trafficking of children and young people. This global campaign was recently launched by UNIFEM, ECPAT, H.O.M.E. and The Bodyshop. It has been picking up tremendous momentum here and in other parts of the world.

What we have done?

In collaboration with UNIFEM & H.O.M.E, the NUS Pro Bono group has set up the STOP Campaign Blog. The objective of this blog is to create awareness about the endemic problem of human trafficking, with particular attention being paid to the situation in Singapore. It will shock you to find out that even cosmopolitan cities such as ours are not spared from the ravages of such despicable atrocities. The blog with be filled with picture, videos clips, articles and other interesting stuff regularly by your fellow law students. Through the blog, we hope to initiate an energetic discussion on the various legal issues that pertain to this crisis.

What can you do?

Visit the blog! Watch, read and listen to what we have to say. Post your comments, no matter how short. Provide your suggestions on what you would like to know more about or what else you would like to see. Spread the word. Whatever you do, just try not to be apathetic =)

If what you read ignites your passion for the cause, you can even offer to volunteer to help out.

What's next?

In the months ahead, our blog will be putting up information on the interactive exhibitions, film screenings and seminar, which are intended to allow you to get even more involved with the campaign.

So go ahead and check out the blog. Who knows what difference you can make after just one click...

Join the UNIFEM Singapore Group on Facebook

UNIFEM Singapore is now on Facebook!

Our Facebook group is an active platform for UNIFEM Singapore to share updates, photos and information to all group members. It will also serve as a forum for group members to share ideas and thoughts about women's issues.

The UNIFEM Singapore Facebook group is open to everyone. To join, simply search for 'UNIFEM Singapore' on Facebook. Just a small reminder, please note that you have to sign up for Facebook before you can join the group.