2008 Woodie Awards
Students campaign to stop violence against women
Shayla Durrett
Issue date: 5/30/06 Section: News
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Amnesty International student members spoke on May 12 about the violence facing women all over the world and what needs to be done to make human rights a reality for women.
The presentation at Miramar College was part of a two-year Amnesty International campaign that began on March 5 to stop violence against women.
"Violence against women may be universal, but it may not be inevitable," said Miramar professor and speaker Corrie Ort. "We can make a difference together. Activism is an important part of all our lives."
The panel of students began by saying that violence against women is so dangerous because it breaks barriers of wealth, race, and culture.
"At least one in three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused," said one of the panel members.
The reasons women are prone to violence are because men are stronger and the structure of patriarchy places men in control, said one student. The students demonstrated how our cultural climate of acceptance of violence against women is evident in song lyrics by Eminem and movies like "Mr. And Mrs. Smith."
Nellie Coons spoke at the presentation about being a victim of domestic abuse. She suffered three broken noses, broken fingers and a broken jaw.
"I couldn't even hold my head up," said Coons. "I couldn't speak. I didn't have a voice."
As a result of the domestic abuse, Coons made battered women's syndrome inadmissible in the state of California in 1992.
"The violence against women is worldwide and it's on a larger scale than just in our homes," said Coons.
The students defined poverty as a root of violence. They said that if women are poor and deprived of an education then they will be less likely to participate in public economic and political life, making their status lower than men.
A film shown at the presentation said that women represent 70 percent of the 1.2 billion people living in poverty throughout the world.
The presentation at Miramar College was part of a two-year Amnesty International campaign that began on March 5 to stop violence against women.
"Violence against women may be universal, but it may not be inevitable," said Miramar professor and speaker Corrie Ort. "We can make a difference together. Activism is an important part of all our lives."
The panel of students began by saying that violence against women is so dangerous because it breaks barriers of wealth, race, and culture.
"At least one in three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused," said one of the panel members.
The reasons women are prone to violence are because men are stronger and the structure of patriarchy places men in control, said one student. The students demonstrated how our cultural climate of acceptance of violence against women is evident in song lyrics by Eminem and movies like "Mr. And Mrs. Smith."
Nellie Coons spoke at the presentation about being a victim of domestic abuse. She suffered three broken noses, broken fingers and a broken jaw.
"I couldn't even hold my head up," said Coons. "I couldn't speak. I didn't have a voice."
As a result of the domestic abuse, Coons made battered women's syndrome inadmissible in the state of California in 1992.
"The violence against women is worldwide and it's on a larger scale than just in our homes," said Coons.
The students defined poverty as a root of violence. They said that if women are poor and deprived of an education then they will be less likely to participate in public economic and political life, making their status lower than men.
A film shown at the presentation said that women represent 70 percent of the 1.2 billion people living in poverty throughout the world.
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