Search
Join the newsletter
Tags
Categories
Archives
Jun
18
2013
The Role of Men in Empowering Women
Melissa Empower Women 0
Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE USA, shared her thoughts on how men and boy fit into the picture when we talk about empowering women. CARE’s more than six decades of experience shows that programs focused on the empowerment of girls and women are a solution to poverty. But we also know that empowering a woman with the skill to make a blanket or feed her family is not enough. It requires an approach that includes boys and men in addressing gender inequality, poor governance and social and economic exclusion. Focusing efforts on the empowerment of girls and women
Jun
13
2013
Annching Wang on Finding Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Fashion designer Annching Wang wrote an article from the Huffington Post that echoes the sentiments of many potential consumers of ethical fashion: ethical fashion is tough to find. It’s encouraging to me to know that others who are more in-the-know than I am still struggle; it’s not just that I’m not looking in the right places. I looked for a good, white button-up shirt. Aside from my own line which no longer exists, I came across one by a relatively well-known eco fashion brand. I clicked over, and the piece is no longer available to buy online. The only existing
Jun
11
2013
Safe Harbor for Victims of Human Trafficking
Melissa Empower Women, Everyday Abolitionist 0
The Polaris Project works hard to fight human trafficking. One way they do that is by helping people get in touch with government leaders in order to ask for better laws to prevent human trafficking and protect victims. One effective type of law is called a Safe Harbor Law: Safe Harbor laws … define these sexually exploited children as victims of abuse, help them find protection and support, and grant them immunity from prosecution for prostitution while they are under 18 years of age. Safe Harbor laws also can increase funding for specialized services like long-term housing, mental health care,
May
31
2013
India’s Human Trafficking Export Business
Melissa Trafficking News & Information 0
India is well known for human trafficking within its borders. From brothels to brick kilns to garment workers and beggars, exploitation seems to be everywhere. But India also trafficks people across borders to nearby countries and even overseas to the U.S. A multinational human trafficking ring that transported people from India to the U.S. via Ecuador was recently shut down. Here’s more from the news story: A human trafficking ring headed by a “citizen of Indian origin” was exposed by authorities in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil who said the gang sought to smuggle people from India and Sri
May
30
2013
Graduating from Victim to Survivor
Melissa Partner Organization News, Trafficking News & Information 0
During this busy graduation season, IJM shares the hope-filled story of brave kids celebrating a unique graduation. The celebration is a crucial step in their recovery from human trafficking. Read the full story here, or the excerpt below. Candy-filled piñatas, face paint and plenty of laughter marked a proud day for 25 children this past weekend. The boys and girls – all survivors of sexual assault – celebrated completing IJM’s counseling program with their families, IJM Kenya staff and supporters. The graduation commemorated each child’s bravery and recognized each family’s commitment to helping their son or daughter work through a
May
16
2013
Keys to Survival
Melissa Empower Women, Rescue 0
The women recently rescued in Cleveland aren’t the first victims of kidnapping, abuse, and human trafficking, and they likely won’t be the last. But they can learn from the lessons of survivors of similar crimes like Elizabeth Smarth, Jaycee Dugard, and Shawn Hornbeck, according to CNN: What can [the women from Cleveland] learn from the paths followed by Smart, Dugard, Hornbeck and others that led them from darkness to brighter lives? The resiliency of these survivors is nothing short of remarkable. Smart, now 25, is married. She formed a foundation to battle child abuse and travels the country as a
May
14
2013
Progress Amid Tragedy
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
In the wake of the deaths of hundreds of factory workers in Bangladesh, some retailers are beginning to hear and respond to the outraged cries of consumers. Use your voice and your money to be part of the shift toward ethical fashion that this New York Times article describes. Some retailers are doing what was once unthinkable, handing over information about exactly how, and where, their products were made. Everlane, an online boutique, last week added paragraphs to its Web site describing the factories where its products are made. Nordstrom says it is considering adding information about clothes produced in
May
08
2013
Healing for Survivors of Human Trafficking
Melissa Empower Women, Trafficking News & Information 0
There’s great news in Cleveland this week: Three women who’ve been missing for about a decade have been rescued. News sources aren’t saying too much at this point about what the women went through and if they were officially victims of human trafficking. While investigators will be probing for details, it’s important for each of the women to feel a sense of privacy as they heal from the ordeal. Kidnapping survivor, Elizabeth Smart, sheds light on the mentality of shame that can overtake victims of trafficking: Rescued kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart said Wednesday she understands why some human trafficking victims
May
07
2013
Ethical Fashion and Your Budget
Melissa Ethical Fashion 3
Last week, we wrote a bit about the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh (which is now said to have killed more than 700 people). As consumers we can be part of the solution by being willing to spend more for fashion that is ethically produced. The chart above shows just how much more it costs to make a shirt in the US as compared to Bangladesh. But what if you’re on a limited budget? The tips below from our ethical fashion page can help you make ethical choices no matter how much money you have. For me, the best method
May
02
2013
The Cost of Ethical Fashion
Melissa Ethical Fashion 0
Recently tragic news made headlines in ethical fashion: “More than 85 people are dead and scores injured in Bangladesh after the collapse of an eight-story building on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka.” When companies and consumers choose cheap clothes over ethical practices, factory worker pay the price—sometimes with their lives. Here’s more on the collapse from NPR: Mohammad Asaduzzaman, in charge of the area’s police station, told Reuters that the factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected in the block Tuesday. quotes one worker rescued