国产视频

#ChangeTheCulture: Live blog from 国产视频’s International Women’s Day breakfast event

Girls' education, Sarah Brown

The theme of the event, which will feature inspirational speakers, is changing the culture of violence against girls and women around the world.聽

The women国产视频檚 movement has seen incredible momentum worldwide over the past 12 months. Against that backdrop, 国产视频 is holding its annual International Women国产视频檚 Day breakfast event in London today.

The theme is changing the culture of violence against girls and women around the world.聽We want the girls and women we stand with – and our many supporters globally – to unite and work together to #ChangeTheCulture of violence.

This live blog will bring you a flavour of the proceedings as they happen.

7.35am. Ahead of International Women国产视频檚 Day on March 8, a host of well-known names and inspirational people are gathering at our event today at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms. With the snow that国产视频檚 blanketed most of the UK – causing transport problems across the capital – we appreciate the efforts of people to get here for what will be an inspiring occasion.

Today’s event is especially significant this year – the 100th anniversary of some women getting the vote for the first time in the United Kingdom.聽

8.20.聽国产视频 President Sarah Brown opens the event and welcomes our guests. 国产视频 was founded more than 15 years ago.聽

The children国产视频檚 charity delivers campaigns, innovative research and pilot projects on infant health and safe schools – helping to give every child the best start in life. Learn more about how we change people’s lives.

As part of the United Nations Common Ground initiative, the marketing giant Omnicom has been working with 国产视频. A short film made by Omnicom about our work is shown – the theme is “make the possible probable”.

Sarah says: 国产视频”Not a single woman in the whole world goes through her day without thinking about her own safety, without making a judgement call 国产视频 large or small 国产视频 about how to stay safe. Equality and opportunity are interlinked with our daily experience of safety.

“It is not just the challenges girls and women in the UK face every day – it国产视频檚 the recognition that there are far worse horrors awaiting women all around the world.

国产视频淚n some countries, young girls face the threat of violence just trying to make their way to school, and this risk continues within the school environment, with the danger of abuse in a space that should be safe and enable young girls to learn and thrive.聽

“Even this week we have had the horrific news that another 110 girls have been abducted from their school in Nigeria.国产视频

8.30.聽Sarah introduces TV broadcaster June Sarpong, best known in the UK for her work on the shows T4 and Loose Women. She is also on the Advisory Board of 国产视频.

June says that – while there has been progress in many areas – about 85,000 women are victims of rape or attempted rape in England and Wales every year. One in five women aged 16 to 59 will experience some form of sexual violence.聽

June introduces Cressida Dick. She joined the Metropolitan police as a constable in 1983 and last year was appointed the first female Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force.

8.30.聽The Commissioner says: 国产视频淚 have admired the work of 国产视频 for some time. The unrelenting focus over the last 15 years on improving the safety of the most vulnerable children and young people is so important.聽

国产视频淲e all have to do what can to protect our young people, to make sure they can thrive and develop in the best way possible.国产视频

She adds:聽国产视频淲e have to press for progress on the crimes that affect women and girls the most.

国产视频淭he hidden nature of these offences can make them even harder to uncover, investigate and prosecute 国产视频 the police国产视频檚 central role in the fight against crimes affecting women and girls.聽

“This makes the need for us to work even more closely together to change the culture more imperative than ever … to engender confidence among girls and women to report these crimes, to speak out about them wherever they are encountered and stop them 国产视频 doing this needs to be 国产视频樄悠禉everyone国产视频檚 business国产视频.”

国产视频淲e must end the silence and change the culture.”

Paying tribute to campaigners on gender violence, the Commissioner says: 国产视频淏y talking more openly, we can end the stigma and break down the wall that is preventing people, especially girls, from having the confidence to come forward to report, to know they will be heard, be listened to and to get the help they need and deserve.国产视频

8.45.聽We now have a discussion section where guests will collaborate with their tables to discuss what actions can be taken to change the culture of violence against girls and women can be tackled.

9.05. For the second part of our #ChangeTheCulture event, we国产视频檒l be focusing on changing the culture of sexual violence around the world. Sexual violence in warfare is an under-reported, common and deliberate military strategy, that leaves girls and women not just physically scarred but often facing shame and stigma in their own communities.

Sarah says that a champion of those women is Dr Denis Mukwege from the Democratic Republic of Congo, founder of the Dr Denis Mukwege Foundation.

She explains that for many years, he has been saving the lives of tens of thousands of gang rape victims.聽

She says: “He first wrote to me over a decade ago聽 and his letter stood out amongst all the correspondences I received and it opened my eyes to the scale of the brutality.”

Sarah adds: 国产视频淛ust recently I read a second letter that has again raised this issue.国产视频 She introduces聽Pearl Mackie聽– who plays Bill Potts in the TV show Doctor Who –聽 on stage to read out the letter. Written by Tatiana from the DRC, it国产视频檚 a harrowing and defiant letter to her rapist.

Pearl says: 国产视频淭atiana couldn国产视频檛 be with us today but she has asked me to read her letter out.国产视频

It begins国产视频

Hello to you, my Rapist, my Perpetrator,

You will know that I have not forgotten and I never will.
You will pretend it never happened, but if I were you, I would feel ashamed.
You will always be a man without heart or honour.

Know that I am repairing my world, the one you destroyed in the blink of an eye profiting from the war to destroy everything that mattered to me.

The letter is part of a book Tatiana is writing titled In the Land of Despair. The letter is deeply personal, stark and she is expressing both hate and pity. But, remarkably, it ends with sheer defiance and maybe even hope.聽聽It ends国产视频

I am fighting and I will keep fighting so that you can never do again what you did, and if one day you try, I will be here standing in your way with every legal possibility.

You can聽read the full letter here聽on the Mukwege Foundation website.

Every year for International Women国产视频檚 Day, 国产视频 gives awards to honour individuals or groups for their courage to stand up for equality and justice – and who enable women to find their voice.

9.15. Sarah introduces on to the stage Lyse Doucet – the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent and a courageous journalist who has reported from some of the world国产视频檚 toughest places for more than 30 years.

Lyse talks about the Dr Denis Mukwege Foundation, which聽has been working with survivors of rape and sexual violence from around the world to help them raise their voice and share their stories in order to bring about change. This has seen the formation of the Global Survivors Movement.

Lyse says: 国产视频淵ou wouldn国产视频檛, you couldn国产视频檛 forget Dr Denis Mukwege. Not when you hear him speak with such heartrenching detail and such profound compassion when he talks about the ordeal the girls suffer.国产视频

The first #ChangeTheCulture award goes to two members of the Survivors Movement – Nidia Cortes Parra from Colombia and Esperande Bigirimana from Burundi.

Nidia is 43 and a mother of two. She is from a region of Colombia that was affected by the armed conflict. She was a victim of sexual violence by FARC guerrillas – and then became a community leader.

She says: 国产视频淢y life experience, and my leadership, have committed me to work, now and always, for the rights of women, to prevent sexual violence and for the construction of peace at home and in the country.国产视频

Esperande says: 国产视频淪exual violence is a major strategy that has turned rape into a weapon. The victims and survivors have their bodies mutilated and broken. We are stigmatised and cast out in our community.

国产视频淭hese atrocities occur on a massive scale, impacting societies in addition to severely damaging victims. Those who have perpetrated sexual crimes seem to be exempt from blame.国产视频

Esperande tells of her work with the survivors movement. She says: 国产视频漌ith
help of the Dr Denis Mukwege Foundation, we survivors or victims are now able to build a global network that connects us with other survivors or victims of conflict-related sexual violence.国产视频

9.30. Lyse Doucet now hosts another discussion segment on how we can support and nurture a new global survivors国产视频 movement.

9.45.聽Sarah calls Lyse back on to the stage and surprises her – with a 国产视频 #ChangeTheCulture award of her own. Sarah says: 国产视频淟yse is quite a heroine for many people on the 国产视频 team. We have seen her champion causes that people are not listening to – we often feel like we are following in her wake.国产视频

This year Lyse presented an outstanding series called聽Her Story Made History. where she interviewed remarkable women about the relationship between women and democracy.聽

Lyse says: 国产视频淚t国产视频檚 a challenge to journalists not just to look – but to see. There is one quality for journalism which should be beyond question – and that is empathy.国产视频

9.50. As we approach the finale of the event, we have another 国产视频 #ChangeTheCulture award. This goes to Scottish singer, songwriter, political activist and philanthropist Annie Lennox and The Circle organisation – for their work empowering, supporting, connecting and inspiring women to become advocates and change agents.

The Circle works towards equality for women and girls in a fairer world. It works on projects around the globe, including in India, Rwanda, Nepal and Pakistan, focusing on women国产视频檚 safety, mental health and child trafficking.

Over the years The Circle has collaborated on events, raising funds, raising awareness and exploring potential. It has now raised close to 拢2 million which, working with partners, has been used to reach and make a difference to over 100,000 women and girls in more than 13 countries, including the Panzi Hospital in DRC founded by Dr Denis Mukwege.

Sarah says: 国产视频淎nnie is a champion and activist in her own right – but today国产视频檚 award recognises the role she has played in founding The Circle and the approach she国产视频檚 made to bringing women together to bring about impactful and meaningful change.国产视频

Annie says she is thrilled to accept the award on behalf of The Cirle. She says: 国产视频淎bout three years ago we created a formal charitable institution. We are still very young – but we work so hard to get up to scale. We are still in the early stages, even after 10 years.”

She talks about her travels to various parts of the globe, adding:聽国产视频淲herever I went in the world I saw it – girls have no rights and are not getting an education. Women who couldn国产视频檛 buy property.

国产视频淚n the West, we think it国产视频檚 done. It国产视频檚 a global issue – we have to understand feminism is global. I want to be able to reach out. There is so much we can do – with our ideas, our connections. We can do so much with our sisters on the other side of the world.

国产视频淚 cannot get my head around the notion of girls and women being raped as a weapon of war. It国产视频檚 so evil. We do nothing here about things that are going on in other parts of the world – and we can do so much.”

10.0.聽Now for the finale – and another very special moment. Sarah says: 国产视频淛ust a few weeks ago survivors from all around the world met in The Hague to discuss their aims and objectives, and how they can support each other in their journey to change the culture of violence. Music and art is a key part of their journey.

国产视频淥ne of the things they have done is written a song together which the women from around the world have recorded. It is their song.国产视频

She introduces Little Bird, a song that is a show of strength and defiance.

And with that the #ChangeTheCulture event is over.聽But please keep the discussion going and continue the conversation on women国产视频檚 equality and safety – to ensure we all work to #ChangeTheCulture.聽

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