The Pixel Project VAW e-News Digest: “16 For 16” 2014 Edition

Welcome to our 16 for 16 Special Edition of The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest. In this edition, we bring you the top 16 news headlines in each category related to violence against women over the past year.

2014 can be seen as a banner year for progress in the global fight to end violence against women with the movement to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) continuing strong momentum in the UK and debuting in the USA, more people than ever (including ‘Harry Potter’ star Emma Watson) speaking out in support of feminism and stopping violence against women, more educational efforts ranging from schools teaching children about what forced marriage is (Australia) and what FGM is (UK), and what looks like an increasingly number of men getting on board the cause via efforts such as UN Women’s #HeForShe campaign and the White Ribbon campaign.

To kick things off, here are 16 of the biggest trending VAW headlines of 2014:

This year, two activists who work to grant girls access to education, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, received the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala Yousafzai is herself a survivor of violence.
This year was also the year of Gamergate, a controversy related to gaming culture and social media that reveals how pervasive a culture of violence against women is on the Internet.
Several significant milestones have been made in the fight against domestic violence. The European Union has approved a referendum that grants the rights to asylum for women fleeing abusive relationships, a scenario that could also emerge for women in Latin America fleeing to the United States to escape domestic violence.
In the United States, several NFL players (including Ray Rice) were charged under domestic violence, raising issues of the relationship between violence against women and celebrity culture.
Two well-loved male celebrities – Canadian celebrity radio presenter Jian Ghomeshi and the comedian Bill Cosby – had their past as serial rapists and sexual assault perpetrators come to light and are now facing the consequences:
The allegations inspired the #beenrapedneverreported hashtag, with rape survivors sharing stories revealing why they never made reports despite having been raped.
Rape in conflict zones continue to be a scourge against women as minorities facing militant groups like ISIS are threatened with rape.
In Nigeria, the government has succeeded in securing the freedom of the girls who were abducted by Boko Haram, who report being sexually assaulted and forced into marriage.
Debate on whether the legalization of sex work can decrease sex trafficking continues to rage on as Europe opts for the Nordic model: to legalise the selling of sex but penalise its buyers.
In Africa criminalisation has not stopped female genital mutilation, although studies indicate that unorthodox solutions, like access to clean water, might be more effective.
This year Yemen outlawed child marriage and Saudi Arabia began work to outlaw it, while a video about bride kidnappings in Kazakhstan goes viral.
Viral videos were at the heart of street harassment news as videos of street harassment in the United States and Egypt spread on social media.

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Best regards,
The Pixel Project Team

Violence Against Women – General

Domestic Violence

Sexual Assault / Rape

Human / Sex Trafficking

Female Genital Mutilation

Honour Killing and Forced/Child Marriage

Street Harassment

Activism