Maternal Health and Violence Against Women

Have you heard about the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) in congress right now?  This video, from our friends at WomenThrive Worldwide, is a great introduction:

Violence against women, especially rape as a weapon of war, is intimately linked to fistula and maternal health.  Traumatic fistula is a type of fistula caused by violent rape.  And women who are the most poor or vulnerable, and more likely to be raped, abused, or married off early, are also the least likely to receive the maternal health care they need.  By helping to pass IVAWA, you can help prevent fistula from occurring.

Want to get involved?  Here are WomenThrive’s action steps:

• Donate (your status). Post this as your Facebook status: Elephants, Polar Bears and Ivory have more preservation rights than women. http://bit.ly/cnkzV2
• Create (a video) explaining why you believe in IVAWA. Check out the 31 Days video and post your video as a response.
  

• Change (key Representative’s minds). A phone call makes a larger impact than an email. Here are tips on making an effective call.

• Advocate (with friends). Last week, you helped to get Congressman Reichert’s (WA) sponsorship for the bill. This week, let’s focus on Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Post a note on their Facebook wall.

• Share (what you know). Post the 31 Days flyer around town when you visit your local coffee shop, place of worship, library, or university.