“The words that fill declarations and resolutions must be made real,” writes Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi in the New York Times. “They must be turned into action if survivors of gender violence are to feel the difference in their lives.”
Ebadi offers inspirational insights and thought-provoking critiques in her recent article, Women Rising, published in Turning Points, a year in review magazine by The New York Times. Ebadi celebrates the growing momentum behind grassroots efforts to demand justice and equality for women around the world – a movement primarily led by courageous women activists. “Women are rising up and demanding accountability for crimes not only against them, but also against society at large,” recounts Ebadi. Grassroots women activists are raising their voices and insisting upon fundamental changes that would grant them the right to live free from violence.
In Women Rising, Ebadi urges caution when considering international declarations and commitments as actual reductions of violence. “Some of the countries that are signing these agreements are also providing military funding to governments that knowingly support war criminals or refuse to arrest them,” states Ebadi. Although these declarations offer encouragement, Ebadi insists that the spotlight be turned to women on the ground making significant efforts to quell violence and establish peace.
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“Women Rising” by Shirin Ebadi, The New York Times, 27 November 2013.