Global Woman's Rights

Alice Costas

Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women Campaign: web.amnesty.org/actforwomen/index-eng

This campaign reaches a vast number of countries and addresses a thematic issue that many, many women struggle with: violence. However, what's so cool about this site is its user-focused emphasis on the reader taking immediate actions through awareness, petitioning, and more direct volunteer options. It boils down the information to informative facts and presentations, and then offers you something to do about the issue. A special section of their site featuring different activists is called Women as Agents for Change. Viva la femme!

Center For the Advancement Of Women: www.advancewomen.org

This easy to navigate site is as straightforward (and about as well-designed) as they come. Addresses all sorts of issues that relate to women around the world, from health to education. The center is a research initiative rather than an activist group, so their goals here are primarily to inform people like you and me! They also offer readers the opportunity to participate in spreading their campaigns. The info they provide is in a friendly and approachable format, which is impressive considering the complexity of the issues they address.

Feminists for Free Expression: www.ffeusa.org

This site brings the human rights issues home. Feminists for Free Expression's mission is to fight censorship wherever it occurs, asserting that limitations on speech and feminism are intertwined. Their unapologetic position statements will challenge you; the reader comes away understanding exactly where they stand on tough issues like censorship of pornography and the Internet. They also have a free art and writing contest for students.

Foundation of Women's Health and Research Development: www.forwarduk.org.uk

"FORWARD envisages a world in which all African girls and women are accorded their inalienable rights to dignity, equality and freedom from gender-based discrimination and violence - a world in which they are able to attain and enjoy the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being, irrespective of their age, culture, religion or socio-economic status."

This organization's main goal is to assist in the reproductive health of African Women and girls, a noble aim considering much of the world has struggled to find funding for these issues (ahem, George "abstinence only" Bush, I'm looking at you). Their specific focus is on Female Genital Mutilation and forced childbearing and marriage practices. They include clear steps to take if you think a girl near to you is in danger of Female Genital Mutilation. The site also provides good resources for women around the world to get involved. Also, check out the lovely but simple design of their header and navigation.

Gendercide Watch: www.gendercide.org

What is Gendercide outline: www.gendercide.org/what_is_gendercide.html

Comprehensive watch on Gendercide around the world. This site is great. It's updated relatively frequently and gives a really good primer on what gendercide is and the myriad of ways that it happens. Also gives the reader access to comprehensive and frequently bilingual case studies on many major instances of gendercide. Their links and resources page is organized and gives you so much information that you might not be able to leave the computer for a few days.

Global Issues: Women's Rights: www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/WomensRights.asp

Did you know...Women cultivate, plough, harvest more than half of all the food in the world.

Global Issues follows human rights successes and violations around the world. Its women's site gives overviews, solid statistics and further sources for information if global human rights violations against women. That said, the site, which is formatted like a blog, is a little bit hard to navigate. However, if you're looking for statistics and solid numbers in regards to global (in)equality, this might be your first place to check.

Human Rights Watch: Women's Rights Watch: hrw.org/women

Human Right's Watch multilingual page is probably the best place to start looking for basic information on any number of abuses against women. It lets you organize the info you're looking for by country or general global issue. The design is easy on the eyes, and while the page might seem a little cluttered, it's just 'cause it has so much to tell you. This well organized watchdog provides solid information that serves as an excellent jumping-off point for greater exploration.

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan: www.rawa.org/index.php

These are strong, outspoken, anti-fundamentalist women who have been fighting for their rights since 1977. While the site largely concerns Afghanistan politics, the women request support of allies from around the world. Check them out if you're looking for information about Afghanistan, from pre-soviet Afghanistan, to Taliban rule, to post-US "liberation." These ladies make one thing clear: religious fundamentalist regimes are the enemies not just to Afghani women, but women everywhere. Warning, certain portions of the site that cover human rights abuses are depicted by harsh photos.

Women on the Border: www.womenontheborder.org

How do Americans affect transnational human rights issues? Well, we're all a part of a big and complex picture, but one thing for certain is the choices Americans make as consumers drastically affect workers' compensation worldwide. Women on the Border aims for the equality of women factory workers on the border between the US and Mexico. They seek to empower these women, and also inform and empower American women to choose not to purchase sweatshop-produced goods. Check out the no-frills but easy to navigate site, especially the articles and resources section.

Oxfam International: www.oxfam.org

Ever heard of Audre Lord's concept that there's no hierarchy of oppression? The idea is that all forms oppression (racism, classism, sexism) all comes from the same power struggle. Fighting the power, regardless of which cause you're working for is, well, fighting all of the power. The good folks at Oxfam have a simple goal: "united for a more equitable world." Check out their site for really good explanations of basic human rights issues with a lot of hope: there's almost always a direct (and frequently cost free) action for you to take after reading a piece. Help fight inequity on behalf of all those that experience it.