The Pixel Project VAW e-News Digest – Edition 1

Welcome to the first Pixel Project VAW e-News Digest!

Starting from this November, we will be collating the most relevant news on Violence Against Women (VAW) across the world every on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month. Each headline summary is hyperlinked and will click through to the full article.

This is the next step in The Pixel Project’s mission to raise awareness about Violence Against Women globally and we hope that this will become a resource for everybody regardless of where you are in the world.

If you have any links and VAW news you wish us to include in forthcoming editions of The Pixel Project VAW e-Newsletter, please email our archivist, Catalina Rembuyan, at catalina@thepixelproject.net

In the meantime, do enjoy our first ever e-Newsletter and do feel free to share it around!

With best regards,

The Pixel Project team

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General Violence Against Women News:

Zainab Salbi on Preventing and Addressing International Violence Against Women. An overview of violence against women in regions of conflict and what you can do to help.

Iran Opposition Leader condemns excessive violence against women in protests: Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi condemned government’s excessive use of violence in protests, particularly towards women.

Q & A: Violence Against Women. Interview with Sen. Grassley of Iowa state’s Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act on addressing untested rape kits.

The UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) launches global action platform to end violence against women: Campaign launched in Nairobi to address and end violence against women

Violence against women and HIV: World Health Organization (WHO) convenes to review the link of violence against women and HIV.

What Obama Wants in Afghanistan, and What Women Need: Violence against women in Afghanistan has increased ever since American attacks on Afghanistan, with over 70% of women and girls being victims of violence.

Postcard campaign aimed at Canadian PM: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to receive postcards from around Canada over the next three weeks as a campaign to end violence against women.

Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox extend support to violence-hit women in Congo: Former stars of Friends are using their faces to front Mary Fanaro’s humanitarian fashion brand OmniPeace, which seeks out to ‘stamp out violence against women and children in Congo’.

Gender violence activism days to be launched in South Africa. Sixteen days of opposing violence against women and children to be launched by the government of South Africa.

Swedish EU Presidency – Cooperation needed to end violence against women. Sylvia Walby and Colette de Troy on the importance of cooperation in the issue of violence against women

Domestic Violence

Number of domestic violence cases in Taiwan rises: Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior reports rise of domestic violence in the first nine months of 2009.

Women in Uganda pleased with Domestic Violence Bill: Womens’ rights activists from five Civil Society Organizations have praised the Ugandan government for enacting the long awaited Domestic Violence Bill.

Domestic violence victim killed in front of cops: Police investigating case of woman who was killed by estranged boyfriend while under their care.

Mid-City slaying shows difficulty of protecting domestic violence victims: Greatest time of risk for victim of domestic violence is when the victim tries to leave the offender.

Marriage: Myths of Mystery and Misery: William Nicholas Gomes of Ghana ponders on marriage as a tool for subjugation of women.

Squadron leader faces domestic violence charges: Suicidal squadron leader to face charges of domestic violence after harassing estranged wife for 37 years.

Ex-Abuser urges help for troubled couples: A former abuser shares his past and hopes to encourage couples to seek help and battered wives to escape.

Church pastor addresses domestic violence in congregation: Realizing that 25% of domestic violence victims and 17% of perpetrators are active members of religious congregations, a church pastor decides to address domestic violence through the pulpit.

How Rihanna and Chris Brown fit into the cycle of domestic violence: Article examines how the cycle of domestic violence is evident in Rihanna’s and Chris Brown’s relationship.

Actor Emmy Rossum thanks Rihanna for speaking out on domestic violence: Although not ready to go public with her own personal encounter with domestic violence, Emmy Rossum is thankful for Rihanna speaking out.

Letter to the Editor: Bill C 391 will prolong random acts of violence against women (Nov 7): Bill C-391, an act in Canada aiming to amend the Criminal Code and Firearms Act which seeks to repeal the gun registry, may increase gun-related crime.

Domestic violence victims don’t have to cope alone: MTV reminds its audience that being a victim of domestic violence does not mean one has to endure it alone.

What is teen-dating violence? Video by MTV on how to spot the signs of dating violence, chapter-by-chapter.

PDF handbook — Teen Dating Violence: Prevention & Recommendations

Overcoming Battered Lives: A blog on overcoming domestic violence.

Rape

Black jails in China: Chinese citizens seeking to redress local injustices have been taken away to ‘black jails’, women have been threatened with rape.

Ohio rapist shows high price of prisons ignoring rehabilitation: Article and discussion concerning rehabilitation of sex offenders in response to the discovery of eleven rape-and-murder victims in the home of Anthony Sowell.

Sixth relative arrested in child sex abuse case: Sixth member of a family facing child sex abuse charges in western Missouri arrested.

Cops blamed in road rape: Woman abducted and raped by police in South Africa complains of slow action by country’s police in addressing the case.

Investigation of Penan sexual abuse reaches dead end: No one has been arrested and no prosecution filed for the systematic rape and sexual abuse of girls in the Penan tribe in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Sarawak police get the thumbs down over Penan girl rape cases. Human rights groups criticize the failure of the police to investigate the rape of Penan girls in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Finding a deeper lesson in high school gang rape: An author looks for answers and lessons regarding the Richmond High School gang rape, ranging from racial politics to adult responsibility.

Community shows support for Richmond High School rape victim: The city of Richmond is known to have the highest-per-capita rate of murder in the state of California, but citizens are trying to change that.

Rape victim’s testimony sufficient to convict accused: Indian courts. A Delhi court has said the testimony of a rape victim is enough to convict the accused unless there are compelling reasons.

Rape counselling threatened with budget cut: A program credited with counselling women in the aftermath of rape may lose funding in an axing of budget.

Gang rape survivors: It’s not your fault. The trauma of gang rape survivors and how to support them.

Forced Marriages

It’s a man’s world in India: The culture of forced marriage in India and its relationship with violence against women.

Forced to wed: The culture of forced marriages in Canada and the often disregarded trauma that it brings.

Refuge for women at risk of forced marriage: The Saranaya Refuge is one of the only 2 of its kind in the United Kingdom offering refuge to women forced into marriage.

Honour Killing

American Muslims denounce honour killing: The American Islamic Forum for Democracy denounces the honour killing of Noor Almaleki by her father.

Sex Trafficking

Lucy Liu’s new documentary to highlight sex trafficking: Trailer for Lucy Liu’s new documentary on sex trafficking has been released

Democrat Senator proposes law to fight sex trafficking in Oregon, US. Senator Wyden is planning to unveil a law to combat sex trafficking, and is requesting federal funding.

Emma Thompson’s art exhibit to unmask horrors of sex trafficking: British actor’s art installation, Journey, to address horrors of sex trafficking and how it happens even in the developed world.

Sex trafficking ring broken: Underground sex trafficking ring involving 40 Nigerian women to Greece broken.

Saving young victims of sex trade: Sex trafficking is rife in the United States, and the victims are young.

Bollywood speaks up against child trafficking: Amitabh Bahchan, Abhishek Bahchan, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Katrina Kaif, Suneil Shetty, among Bollywood stars pledging to support A.C.T. (Against Child Trafficking)

Former Ford Models CEO Katie Ford to raise awareness on human trafficking: Profile of Katie Ford and her concern for sex trafficking around the world.