Feminist goals, and organisations which are working towards them

[PotholeParadies]

We’ve had some interesting discussions across many different threads recently about the goals of the feminist movement, and organisations with common aims.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but these are some issues that always come to mind for me when I think about what feminists want to achieve.

Ending female genital mutilation
Around the world today, it is estimated that 200 million women and girls alive today have already been subjected to FGM, and another 3 million girls are at risk of being subjected to it each year.

I think FGM is sometimes lightly dismissed as a one-off awful event in a survivor’s life, but in fact, the effects of this human rights violation are lifelong. List of health complications Last year, the World Health Organisation estimated that those complications mean that FGM costs health systems $1.4 billion dollars each year.
An estimated 800 girls undergo this each day. Some of them won’t survive to have health complications.

Organisations and campaigners working to end this include:
The Orchid project: www.orchidproject.org/
www.forwarduk.org.uk/
Hibo Wardere youtu.be/957vtfQvuQg

You have a one-off opportunity to support Hibo Wardere by buying a t-shirt. Only available for approximately 4 more days from the date of this post. www.mercht.com/c/i-am-a-woman

If you are an American MNer, Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s foundation may be particularly of interest to you. She focuses on stopping FGM (and forced marriage) in America.
www.theahafoundation.org/

ending forced marriage
Each year, 12 million girls under 18 are forced into marriage. I do not think anyone here will need me to explain why that’s a bad thing. What you may not know, is that pregnancy and childbirth complications are the leading cause of death for girls aged between 15 and 19. The connection is easy to draw. (The second-biggest cause of death for girls aged between 15 and 19 is self-harm.)

Obviously, adult women are also forced into marriage, but the many incidents involving literal children can be recognised at a glance as coerced marriages.

International
www.walkfree.org/news/2019/forced-and-child-marriage-in-africa-as-a-manifestation-of-gender-based-violence-and-inequality/
www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/

Their list of individual projects to fund under the Take Action tab may be particularly of interest.
www.girlsnotbrides.org/take-action/

UK
karmanirvana.org.uk/
USA
www.theahafoundation.org/

mvumischooltrust.org.uk/

We support one of the only schools promoting disability inclusive education in Tanzania, with a visually impaired unit in the school and boarding provision (which is key for access to secondary education in rural Tanzania, particularly for girls who are expected to perform household duties when they live at home and not study, and for whom a long journey to school can be dangerous). I'm a trustee for this charity and we are all volunteers so 100% of funding goes to the school.

We actually have to raise 50% more money for bursaries for girls, particularly visually impaired girls, because their families expect compensation for the loss of their daughter's unpaid labour.

murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/

Policy analysis group working hard to ensure all data is properly sex disaggregated.

Adding

www.wightdash.co.uk

A domestic violence charity for women on the Isle of Wight.

Thanks for this thread.

Wish wasn't postcode lottery for help with domestic violence. When you can't get help you need cos don't live in right area, it makes you feel more despairing and also know irrational and unfair cos it's not their fault cos they limited funding but does also make you feel a bit weird like uncomfortable. Sort of like something not right if serious abuse and risk of being killed and places can know but can't help. Can't explain properly but feels wrong.

Would help for feminist aims if domestic abuse support specialist for disabled victims and also separate specialist support for middle aged and older victims. Cos different needs and life stages and different barriers to getting help or leaving and same different needs and barriers for recovering and rebuilding. Quite a lot of the murders in the pandemic have been middle aged or older.

People be angry for next aim I cos been told before to shut up by a poster. I meant to keep quiet, feel gagged and know putting my life more risk by posting again cos losing any chances of help from places if they angry. Can't shut up so suppose like the violence and abuse, I was asking for it. People won't believe me anyway so shouldn't matter if I post. It gets dismissed as me being mad mentally ill or confused or imagining it or just making it up. I have written proof of some of it but they know they can keep being bad cos puts my life at even more risk if say anything or make complaint.

It's killing me mentally to be completely isolated and suffering every day living at risk and in fear without support because I wasn't helped when I was meant to be. Is partly other places the councils and social services breaking the law but without an advocate is impossible to fight them to enforce laws. The bad places that break the law or don't help. They rely on you being at risk of murder but bigger chance of you suicide or just dying young after years of violence and abuse and injuries and mental suffering. Then they get away without helping.

It took everything to ask for help. Mental and physical all my strength. To trust people literally with your life and then to be let down and actually make things worse for you is devastating and really as traumatic as physical violence. Please please don't take this the wrong way. Most of the people in the domestic abuse organisations are so good and kind and they do help. Problem is postcode lottery and is a minority of bad ones but if you get the bad one in your area, you in serious trouble cos support really needed to leave and be safe permanently.

Was told by a poster not to post about it in case puts women off seeking help but that's like telling women not to speak about bad egg police in case puts other victims off going to police. When it's police problems, victims get told it's better to speak out cos otherwise people don't know about the problems so nothing is done to make things better. It's also deeply cruel and damaging to women if they get a bad support organisation or person who doesn't want to help and sometimes makes things worse puts you in more danger. It takes all your courage to ask for help. Having to beg for help and not being given it when terrified is humiliating and really distressing.

Most really good and working so hard. Lovely kind ones who really want to help. Few others aren't bad deliberately but not maybe trained well. Worst problem is minority but they are the very bad ones, who are just nasty people. Maybe they just don't like their job but sometimes think they are abusers too. They behave abusively and is perfect job for one cos no one ever believes victims if you say anything and you usually can't say too much cos too dangerous.

Is devastating and dangerous cos you left with no support so still abuse and more trauma damage to mental health and also still risk of more physical injury or murder. Very bad one I had. She was so traumatic cos wasn't openly bad. The other minority of bad ones often openly bad. They don't care when you ask or even beg for support. Very distressing but at least you don't trust them in first place. This one pretended so I really opened up and trusted her to put my life in her hands.

If people want to help women, needs to be accountability with the organisations and better checks like cqc do for doctors. Victims should be listened to and believed and not punished for asking for help again. Cos that's what we try to do. We don't want to do complaints or cause trouble. We know mistakes happen and also know the bad nasty ones a minority. We just desperately need mistakes sorted or made up for like and to get help to be safe.

The Panzi Foundation

A specialist organisation focusing on the aftermath for women when rape is used as a weapon of war. They provide aid to survivors, including surgery for injuries inflicted as a result of rape.

panzifoundation.org

Brodie's Trust - a Perthshire support group for women who have lost babies through domestic violence or forced termination.

At least 223 women experienced pregnancy loss linked to domestic abuse in England and Wales between 2017 and 2021, the Byline Intelligence Team can reveal.
The figure is likely to be “the tip of the iceberg”, with the majority of police forces not recording whether a woman has experienced miscarriage in the context of domestic abuse, and many women not reporting this crime due to stigma and the legacy of violent or controlling behaviour.A 2019 survey of 40 domestic abuse victims and survivors in Scotland found that the vast majority (90%) had experienced pregnancy loss linked to violence from current or former partners, and all had experienced abuse during their pregnancy.The Byline Intelligence Team sent Freedom of Information requests to all police forces in England and Wales. A total of 16 had recorded pregnancy loss related to domestic abuse, 22 refused the request as the data was not easily retrievable, and three did not respond.Byline Times

Sikh Women's Aid

Quote from the charity's twitter

Our #helpline has been so busy these last few days #Sikh women abused by so called #Spiritual Sikh men, an abusive father who cleared out his daughters bank account/piggy bank, women forced into #IVF 2 have sons, cancer patient thrown out, perps R #Doctors #business owners & more

Sikh Women's Aid

Women's Declaration International
all voluntary, unpaid work, no funding, everything relies on donations
https://www.womensdeclaration.com/en/about/