Photos from Israel

All Photos by Sivan Farag, Property of the Shimon Peres Presidential Conference

Cecilia Attias in Israel

Cecilia took part in this year's Shimon Peres Presidential Conference in Jerusalem, Israel, as part of a plenary session, Dan Shilon Hosts. The other participants in the plenary session were President Shimon Peres, Andre Azoulay of Morocco, Guma Aguiar of Israel, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of India and Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, from America.

You can click the link above to see a video of the plenary session.

First Iraqi Females Graduate from Elite Police Corp

50 women recently graduated from Iraq's most prestigious police academy for the first time in history. The women studied and were trained in separate quarters from the men, under the surveillance of American colonels.

“Everyone says men are able to do everything, but that’s not true,” Leiutenant Hameed, one of the graduates, said. “In investigations, especially with women, women use their compassion with victims to get them to answer questions clearly.”

The Police Academy hopes to have double the amount of female graduates next year.

Humble Work in Ukraine

Faith, Hope and Love, one of our partner organizations based in Odessa, Ukraine works tirelessly to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking. By taking to the streets of Ukraine (one of the most popular human trafficking origins in Europe due to its loosely monitored shipping ports) with pamphlets and flyers, it has identified and rehabilitated more than 700 victims since 2001. Providing food, shelter, clothing and educational resources to empower women who have lost everything, Faith, Hope and Love is a stellar example of the type of organizations that The Cecilia Attias Foundation seeks to assist. Faith, Hope and Love operates on a budget of less than 20,000 euros a year - donate to The Cecilia Attias Foundation today to ensure that organizations like this are allowed to prosper as they should!

Aid Workers Released

On October 18th, two female aid workers were released from their kidnappers in Darfur after 7 months in capture. Hilda Kawuki and Sharon Commins, workers for Irish GOAL were welcomed by the top United Nations humanitarian official, Sudan Ameera Haq in Sudan last week. Their release reminds us of the violent conflict in Darfur that began in 2003 and continues to wage today. To learn more about the conflict in Darfur and how we can help, visit Oxfam.

Looking Ahead

As the American Administration debates how to proceed with the controversial war in Afghanistan, several journalists and activists are weighing in on how the different strategies will effect Afghan women. Jill Lawrence, a columnist for Politics Daily believes that no matter how many US troops are sent to the country, it will not influence the way that the Taliban treat women. Esther Hyneman, a board member of Women for Afghan Women, believes that a strong US presence in Afghanistan is the only way that women can improve their status in society. There is no doubt that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador at Large to Global Women’s Issues, Melanne Verveer, are incorporating women’s issues into their foreign policy. We trust that they will continue their crucial efforts to improve the global condition of women in this country where it is so desperately needed.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the four female recipients of the Nobel Prize: Carol Greider and Elisabeth Blackburn, scientists who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, Ada Yonath, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Herta Muller, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Last week's announcement marked the first time in history that multiple women received the Nobel prize in Science - quite the accomplishment!

Maternal Death Rate in India Amongst Highest in the World

Every year, about 78,000 mothers die in childbirth and from complications of pregnancy in India, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Largely due to lack of qualified medical experts, be them midwives, doctors, or nurses, impoverished women in rural India are suffering and dying everyday. Lack of education is also a crucial component to this disturbing statistic. The average age of mothers in India is 17 years of age- and the majority of these mothers have had no formal education concerning reproduction. Lack of nutrients and anemia are also important factors contributing to the maternal death rate.

Finding Solace in Afghanistan

Terrible violence against women in Afghanistan has spurred the launch of safe houses and shelters across the country. Victims of violent rapes and domestic abuse are typically shunned by their family members, leaving victims with no where to turn.

The organization Women for Afghan Women, based out of Flushing, Queens has put forth a massive effort since early 2001 to provide loving care to those seeking refuge from domestic violence.

Esther Hyneman, a board member for the organization will be meeting with our Foundation next week. To learn more about Women for Afghan Women, click here.

New Article of Note

Indian Women Find New Peace in Rail Commute

Progress at the UN

The UN announced last week that it will merge the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) into a singular agency focused on the advancement of women worldwide. This agency was born as a result of a massive UN internal restructuring effort, spurred by General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann. Hopefully this will translate into a more efficient model of global improvement. We look forward to following the work of the new agency as their projects progress.

Fatal Promises Premeires Tonight!

Kudos to Kat Rohrer, a young indie film producer who will premiere her first feature length film tonight at The School of Visual Arts in New York City. The documentary, entitled “Fatal Promises” exposes human trafficking and is set predominately in the Ukraine. Kat first became passionate about sex trafficking when she came across an article in The New York Times in 2005. Upon further research, she discovered that politicians worldwide failed to address the issue effectively. The lack of action inspired Kat to take matters into her own hands – read an interview with her here.

News Article of Note

Yemeni girl, 12, dies in painful childbirth

Women in the Workplace: 2009

For the first time in Canadian history, women outnumber men in the workplace - a testament to the both the progress of the women's movement in Canada as well as the fragility of the world economy.  As more and more men are pushed out of the job, women are forced to face some cold hard facts about the current recession: not only must they continue to manage their households as efficiently as financially possible, but also come to grips with the reality of being the sole breadwinners for their families. The problem is not uniquely Canadian, as NY Times Editor Jill Abramson pointed out recently in conversation-  one of the most pressing problems of American women today is the juggling act of providing for their families while still remaining emotionally available for her husband and children.  

 You can read more about the changes in Canada here.

Midwifery: The Unlikely Ticket to Success in Afghanistan

Women in Afghanistan are applying in droves to become mid-wives at schools across the country. Midwifery schools are a way out of poverty for women who would otherwise remain oppressed in their conservative societies, throughout which access to education and healthcare is largely denied.

 Students of midwifery in Afghanistan earn both a lucrative living as well as the self respect that comes with empowerment through education.  In addition, these young girls make significant contributions  to an ailing healthcare system - providing care in rural places where doctors and nurses are not readily available.  Schools such as Bamyan Midwifery School are inundated with applications, and are forced to turn  down dozens of potential students.  These schools need our support so that these women can forge to a better life.

The Clinton Crusade

This past weekend’s New York Times magazine was dedicated to women’s rights and featured a revealing interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, entitled “A New Gender Agenda”.  Writer Mark Landler explored Hillary’s unique grasp on her role as Secretary of State- one that puts the empowerment of women at the forefront of our foreign policy.
   
Already, Hillary has pushed Obama to institute the position of Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s issues, and recruited Melanne Verveer to fill it.  Melanne served as chief of staff during Hillary’s campaign, and before that as the Executive VP of People for the American Way.  Most notably, she is the CEO of Vital Voices, one my favorite charities that empowers emerging women leaders. Melanne played a crucial part in establishing the President’s Interagency Council on Women and is fiercely dedicated to progressing women’s rights.  Both Melanne and Hillary are valuable members of Obama’s cabinet who are sure to elevate the importance of gender inequality throughout their tenure.

In the interview,  Hillary eloquently declared her stance on the blockades of women: “I believe that the transformation of women’s roles is the last great impediment to universal progress – that we have made progress on many other aspects of human nature that used to be discriminatory bars to people’s full participation.  But in too many places and too many ways, the oppression of women stands as a stark reminder of how difficult it is to realize people’s full potential.”  

As we all all well know, the first step to solving a problem is acknowledgement that it exists. My hat goes off to Hillary and Melanne for shedding light on the importance on both addressing and rectifying the plight of women around the globe. They bring light and hope to the future of women everywhere.

Weekly News Article of Note Part 2, 8.19.09

Article from Women's e News about women voters in Afghanistan, Read Here

Weekly News Article of Note, 8.18.09

More on elections in Afghanistan, will peace be negotiated with the Taliban? Read here, NYT article

Tactics of Terror

There seems to be no limitation on suffering caused by the Taliban’s use of terror tactics prevalent in places like Afghanistan and increasingly in Pakistan.
  
A New York Times article today reports that the Taliban’s most recent tool of terror in Afghani village life is voter intimidation in the upcoming presidential election.
  
How, you may ask, is the Taliban intimidating voters? With threats of heinous violence, of course.
  
The article reports that in a village called Taraki, Taliban fighters made the announcement that anyone caught voting in the upcoming election will have his finger cut off, the one that was inked for the ballot cards.  
  
One farmer, named Hakmatullah, said, “We can’t vote. Everybody knows it. We are farmers, and we cannot do a thing against the Taliban.”
  
Afghanis are being forcefully withheld from exercising their right to determine the path of their nation.
  
And, as stated above, everyone is suffering.
  

But, one group of people may be suffering more than others: that group being women.
  
The Taliban is stripping Afghanis of their voices, and those left the most profoundly mute are women. Under the Taliban they are kept quiet, kept hidden, kept uneducated, and punished most severely if they dare to escape their abusive system.
  
What is going on in Afghanistan is a national security issue, a human rights issue, and a woman’s issue. It needs our attention, and, hopefully soon, an effective response. 

Weekly News Article of Note, One day early

Nicolas Kristoff's Sunday column was too good to wait to share until tomorrow. Read and be inspired! Not a victim, but a hero

The Unimaginable

While there are a handful of classic literary heroines to look up to as a child, Nancy Drew, Jo March, etc., arguably the smartest, spunkiest, most imaginative, and most dedicated to social justice is Anne of Green Gables.

One of Anne’s pieces of sage advice that always stuck with me is, “It's all very well to read about sorrows and imagine yourself living through them heroically, but it's not so nice when you really come to have them, is it?"

It is often romantic to imagine sufferning and to imagine us emerging above it, but who would risk the romance for the pain? War in novels and films is often epic and beautiful, but in real life dirty and inhumane. In “Pretty Woman” the prostitute heroine is young, beautiful, and vibrant, seemingly untouched by the horrors of her industry.

And these are the horrors we can imagine; but, what about those that are completely unfathomable? Like the sex slave trade. Although this taboo subject is starting to be depicted more often, as in the extreme violence of action film “Taken,” the reality of the sex slave trade is largely ignored.

Women who are taken as sex slaves are often sold by their families, physically and mentally abused, and never recover.

Organizations like the Somaly Mam Foundation in Cambodia are fighting to help these women rehabilitate, but not without strong resistance. The daughter of Founder and former sex slave Somaly Mam, was kidnapped by traders and raped as a warning.

These are the kinds of sorrows impossible to imagine living through, let alone imagine living through heroically.

This Tuesday, July 28^th in New York City, The Body Shop, in partnership with Somaly Mam, is holding a rally “Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People” from 12:30-1:30 outside of St. Mark’s Church at 131 East 10^th Street.

Go if you can. We can make the unimaginable unable to ignore. As Anne would say, it is not so nice to live these sorrows ourselves, and luckily for most of us we don’t. We need to do our part to ensure that others do not either.

In fellowship and humanity,

CAFW

Weekly News Article of Note, 7.21.09

Each of us have books that shaped our lives, and for many of America's most powerful women, this series was it: Read here, NYT article on Nancy Drew series. 

Photos from Geneva

Photos from Cecilia's Recent trip to Geneva, where she spoke at the American International Club of Geneva.

Weekly News Article of Note, 7.14.09

Ladies--take off those pants, or get flogged: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8147329.stm

Devotion

According to a recent Non Profit Times article, in 2008 giving dropped $6.4 billion, the largest drop on record. Just as more people are appealing to homeless shelters, food kitchens, and other charitable organizations, more people are cutting back on their spending, tightening their proverbial belts.

To most, this hardly comes as a surprise. As Del Martin, Chair of Giving USA Foundation, said, “There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that charitable giving would go down.”

However, Martin goes on to say, “What we find remarkable is that individuals, corporations and foundations still provided more that $307 billion, despite the economic conditions.”

In this light, the glass doesn’t look half full, but it doesn’t look empty either.

If anything can be said about human beings, it is surely that we are remarkably resilient. We can survive heartbreak, war, and depression and come out the other end to recreate our lives. But not everyone makes it through.

And this is why we need to give. Do not see the record drop in giving as discouragement, but as incentive. It shows that however hard we took the economic crisis, we did not give up on each other. We still gave, and we can give more.

One definition of “to give” in the Oxford English Dictionary is to devote. Devotion to a greater cause is what will bring us through tough times dignity intact. Together, we can devote ourselves to our common humanity.

2008 showed us we couldn’t be crushed, 2009 can show us our full potential.

Give. I urge you to. Make a difference in the life of one other person, and start there. 

In Fellowship and Humanity,

CAFW

Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Photos

Photos from Cecilia's visit to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Weekly News Article of Note, 7.7.09

Check out this innovative program in Tanzania. Programs like this are what inspire us to work. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/world/africa/25orphan.html?ref=africa

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July! I hope you welcomed another year of independence with family, friends, good food and fireworks. 

In this spirit of celebration, I want to take a minute to honor what I see as being the best of America, the best of its character, the best of its essence.

This is the spirit of giving. Consistently, Americans are among the most generous people in the world donating the most money each year to charitable causes.

So what better way is there to honor the Independence of this fine nation than to give? Give to a cause you care about and give so that someone else may have the same wonderful opportunities and quality of life that most Americans enjoy.

To donate to the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women please visit www.ceciliaattiasfoundation.org/donate

Photos from Breakfast with Cecilia Attias, hosted by Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe and featuring 20 of South Africa's most powerful women from business, media, and non-profits. 

Cecilia engages in discussion about the future of Africa's women.

Nolitha Fakude, Executive Director of Sasol; Pearl Luthuli, Group Executive SABC; and Leleti Khumalo. 

Richard Attias, Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe, and Cecilia sit at the head of the table, leading the discussion.

The entire group. The fruitful discussion at the breakfast led to the creation of an African Task Force for the Cecilia Attias Foundation in Africa. Women who have joined the task force will work together to choose specific issues to address and create tangible change.

Ask and you shall receive...

New York Times editors are answering questions about the current climate in Iran. Visit the link, ask a question, and read some of the responses. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/business/media/29askthetimes.html?_r=1

ARISE Africa, Cecilia Keynote Speaker

On June 20th, 2009, ARISE Africa Fashion Awards honored Cecilia as keynote speaker, giving her speech entitled "The Promise of Africa." 

Cecilia connected the "Promise of Africa" to its amazing women, saying, "Africa has one limitless natural resource yet unrealized that has the power to dramatically change the course of the continent. That resource is women." For the full text of the speech, please visit www.ceciliaattiasfoundation.org under tab, speeches. 

Earlier in the day, the Foundation made great advancements. 

First, at "Breakfast with Cecilia Attias" hosted by Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe, Executive Chairperson of Africa Fashion International, wife of mining mogul Patrice Motsepe, and philanthropist, 20 of South Africa's most prominent women from business, media, and non-profits came together to discuss the future of women in Africa. 

Out of that breakfast came the birth of the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women in Africa, and the African Women Task Force. Details to come shortly. 

In the afternoon, Cecilia and her husband Richard Attias, visited the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. Zondwa Mandela accepted a donation on behalf of his grandfather to go towards the new Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital to be built in Johannesburg. 

While in SA, Foundation staff also visited Ikageng Itireleng AIDS Ministry in Soweto led by the inspiring Mom Carol. A few pictures are posted below. 

The Cecilia Attias Foundation is gearing up to forge new relationships in Africa, and make a tangible difference in the lives of women through women on the ground, keeping in mind the immortal words of Mandela himself, "It always seems impossible until it is done."

Sanibona Humanity!

Desmond Tutu one wrote, "We say in Africa that a person is a person through other persons. A solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. We are made for togetherness, for friendship, for fellowship." 

As Tutu illuminates, humans are meant to be together and to help each other. Alone, we are sad and out of place, but together we are strong and we have purpose. This is the essence of humanity. 

This togetherness, this fellowship, this humanity can be compromised in a world where we are constantly inundated by images of consumer items that make us focus on the material rather than the communal. That is why, today more than ever, we need to hold strong to whatever communal bonds we hold dear and we need to work to constantly forge new ones.

In this spirit, the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women has just arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. We are here to meet with NGOs and associations, form new bonds, and create new friendships. 

Cecilia will be speaking at the ARISE Africa Fashion Awards on Saturday, her speech themed "The Promise of Africa." Before the awards, Cecilia is hosting a luncheon for prominent South African women from all walks of life to discuss what issues are facing women in South Africa today, and what we can do about it in the future. 

Keep checking back as we update you on our trip, and all new developments!

In fellowship,

CAFW

Super-Sisterhood: when habits become capes

Is it a bird, is it a plane? NO! It's Sister Tesa, coming to the rescue of thousands of incarcerated women and their children. Sister Tesa, executive director of Hour Children, has dedicated the last 23 years of her life to helping incarcerated women reaclimate to society in the New York City metropitan area. Here are pictures from the Cecilia Attias Foundation's last on site visit on May 26th. It is women like Sister Tesa who inspire us to choose to take action.

  

For more information please visit: http://www.ceciliaattiasfoundation.org/ or http://www.hourchildren.org/

Extra, Extra Read All About It!

THE CECILIA ATTIAS FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN has launched a blog to keep you updated on all Foundation activities and aware of curent events relating to women's rights worldwide.

Women remain the world’s most valuable untapped resource. Yet, across the globe, girls continue to be educated less than their male counterparts and to be the victims of violent, gender based crimes. Violence against women is not only abhorrent in its prevalence but also in its diveristy of form, ranging from the systematic rape of thousands of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the recent bought of women falling victim to acid-throwing attacks in Pakistan when they dare go to school or work.

In its State of the World Population report of 2005, the United Nations Population Fund underscores the enormous “social and economic benefits for society as a whole” of educating female populations. However, women continuously face inequity in the labor market and in political representation.

And now, with the emergence of AIDS, women are suffering from what Stephen Lewis has called a "gender based disease" disproportiantely affecting women because they have no control over thier own bodies or sexual experiences. If women continue to be uneducated, underrepresented in political spheres, and unprotected from pandemic violence, ignorance will plague their progeny and incurable diseases like AIDS will spread.

Fortunately, caring and fiercely dedicated activists worldwide are fighting to ammend these realities.

The Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women is doing so in two ways:

SUPPORT AND CONSULTING:  We offer financial and other support to organizations that have demonstrated a high quality of excellence and inventiveness in addressing specific social problems affecting women today. We focus on organizations that have already implemented a plan of action, but are interested in expanding scope or quality of services. Working in French politics for over 20 years, Cecilia Attias has had experience in the media spotlight as well as extensive experience in strategic communications and management. The Foundation can provide partner organizations with valuable advice that will improve their day-to-day operations and increase awareness through media exposure.

GUARANTEE: Donors need to know that their money is doing exactly what it needs to be doing, that it is helping exactly whom it needs to be helping, and that it is creating the desired results. Cecilia Attias personally visits each site, and offers her guarantee that each donation is creating tangible, positive impact.We select organizations based on their high standards, and we ensure that those standards are consistently maintained.  Our certification of support ensures complete transparency. The corporate certification is made in partnership with a global accountant institution to assure qualification to perform a task. The Foundation delivers a certificate for general work, valid for two years and renewed periodically.

Please visit our website, learn about our work, and become active in our cause in whichever way you see fit. As the common adage says, "All that is needed for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

So let us come together as good men and women and do something.