V-Day Annual Report 2014 - One Billion Rising for Justice | Page 18

STATE OF FEMALE JUSTICE

OLIVIA WILDE: STATE OF FEMALE JUSTICE

ONE BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE launched a series of panel

discussions entitled The State of Female Justice, examining why women experience economic,
racial, environmental, and cultural violence. The panels took place in New York, Los Angeles,
Washington D.C. and Santa Fe in the US; Manila, Philippines; Delhi, India, Johannesburg,
South Africa and London, UK. Speakers from the incarceration movement, from the indigenous
community, the youth sector, the migrant and immigrant community, and leading activists from
an economic and environmental justice context discussed the intersectional issues that are at
the core of violence against women.

In the first of the series in New York City, host Laura Flanders GRITtv talked with Eve;
Catherine Albisa, National Economic & Social Rights Initiative; V-Day Board Member and
a UCLA and Columbia law professor and internationally recognized speaker on civil rights
and intersectionality, Kimberlé Crenshaw; Monique Harden, Advocates for Environmental
Human Rights in New Orleans; Donna Hylton, STEPS to End Family Violence; Saru Jayaraman, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and Sylvia McAdam, Idle No More.
In Los Angeles, joining Laura Flanders and Eve were Susan Burton, an anti-incarceration
activist who founded New Life, a center for women transitioning out of incarceration;
community organizer Ashley Franklin, who organized a feminist bus riding campaign in
South Central Los Angeles; Kimberlé Crenshaw, V-Day Board member; Richmond Mayor
Gayle McLaughlin, who has pushed an environmental justice agenda in her city
including, but not limited to, suing Chevron for putting corporate profits above the health
and safety of Richmond residents and Hollywood actress Olivia Wilde who discussed the
entertainment industry’s responsibility to treat and portray women differently.
In London, UK the panelists featured poet and former prisoner Sophie Barton-Hawkins;
Marissa Begonia the Coordinator for Justice for Domestic Workers; Labour Member of
Parliament Stella Creasy; Baroness, Barrister
and Labour Member of the House of Lords
Helena Kennedy; Thandie Newton Actress and
V-Day Board Member; Rahela Sidiqi from Women for Refugee Women and Eve.

To celebrate International Human Rights Day, the Asian College of Journalism
in Chennai hosted a One Billion Rising for Justice talk and panel event with
particular emphasis on justice issues and the role that young, emerging journalists play in ending violence against women. The panel featured distinguished
activists including Parvathy Nair, visual artist, journalist and writer; Sangeetha
Isvaran, Bharatnatyam dancer, choreographer, scholar and social worker; and
N.S Yamuna, theatre practitioner, producer and theatre director.
18

THE STATE OF FEMALE JUSTICE IN THE UK

In Manila, The Philippines, Gabriela, Gabriela
Women’s Party and The New Voice Company
presented “Women Rising After Destruction.”
Hosted by Global Director, One Billion Rising
Monique Wilson, the panelists explored the
deeper causes and consequences of environmental and social injustice, the specific impact

on women, and highlighted how community
women are rebuilding, organizing and rising after
the destruction of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. The
panelists featured: Rog Amon, Research & Advocacy Coordinator, Center of Environmental Concerns; Roxanne Arciaga, Gabriela Iloilo, Survivor
of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan; Rep. Emmi de Jesus
and Rep Luz Ilagan, both from Gabriela Women’s Party List; Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB,
Executive Director, Institute of Women’s Studies
St. Scholastica’s College – Manila; Rep. Liza
Maza, Secretary General, International Women’s
Alliance; Emma Pedrano, Gabriela Roxas, Survivor of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan; Joms Salvador,
Secretary General, Gabriela.
In Santa Fe, New
Mexico, the City of
Santa Fe’s Domestic
Violence and Sexual
Assault Liaison, Sheila
Lewis moderated a
discussion which
featured women from
various organizations
who work on social
Polina Smutko
justice issues in the
state: Bette Fleishman, New Mexico Women’s
Justice Project; Pamelya Herndon, Southwest
Women’s Law Center; Isabel Ribe, Adelante for
homeless families; Corrine Sanchez, TEWA Wom-

en United; Nina Simons, Bioneers; Polina Smutko,
Transgender Resource Center of NM; Micaela
Cadena,Young Women United.
In Delhi, India a distinguished panel of scholars
and activists on VAW and justice took part in “A
Feminist Dialogue Envisioning Justice.” Hosted
by Centre for Policy Analysis, Jagori and Sangat
and moderated by Seema Mustafa Director, CPA,
the panel included Eve, Kamla Bhasin, Advisor to
Sangat; Kumkum Sangari, Vilas Prof. of English
and Humanities University of Wisconsin; Vimal
Thorat, Co-Convenor NCDHR, and Shabnam
Hashmi, Founder, Anhad; Vrinda Grover,
advocate. The panel discussion with capped a
dynamic and eye-opening One Billion Rising for
Justice series of events in Delhi.
In Johannesburg, South Africa panelists tackled
the issues of abuse that South Africans have
to deal with- from justice, to discrimination to
identity. Moderated by activist and actor Rosie
Motene, the panelists included: Andy Kawa,
Businesswomen and Founder of Kwanele-Enuf
is Enuf; Dr. Thandokuhle Mngqibisa, Doctor and
poet; Mthunzi Mhaga, National Prosecuting
Authority; Baba Buntu, Ekukhosini Solutions;
Karabo Tshikube and Ratanang Mogotsi, V-Girls
South Africa; Julia Mashele, Author, arrested
in May 1993, imprisoned for seven years then
released and acquitted on all 32 charges.
19