Global Rights for Women with our partners, ONU Mujeres (UN Women Guatemala) in December 2019.
Extending our gratitude for the incredible work that you help us to achieve
By Cheryl Thomas, CEO
December 17th, 2019
As we approach the end of 2019, we extend our deep gratitude to you, our Global Rights for Women community, for all the ways you contribute to furthering our mission. You enable us to promote women and girls’ human right to freedom from violence through sustainable systemic and legal reform that is urgently needed throughout the world.
Every day, we see our global partnerships empower leaders, inspire innovation and result in changes that make a concrete impact in women and girl’s lives. You make this happen. Thank you!
In 2019, we have responded to requests for assistance from our visionary and fearless partners working to end violence in Moldova, Fiji, Georgia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Armenia, Morocco, Mongolia, Guatemala, and Australia. We are thrilled about new partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central America.
Melissa Scaia, Director of International Training returned to work with our longtime partners in Georgia in 2019
In one example, GRW was invited to work with legal system professionals in Ethiopia in the fall of 2019 to improve the response to violence against women. In our workshop in Addis Ababa, a shelter leader explained that under the current law, stealing a cell phone results in a greater penalty than assaulting your wife. Arrests for physical and sexual violence are extremely rare; even in the most brutal cases, impunity is the norm. In our workshop, GRW equipped Ethiopian leaders with new strategies to reform policy, practice and law. These professionals are dedicated to change and, with your help, GRW will return to Ethiopia in 2020 to help sustain progress there.
This year, your generosity and support allowed us to tap into the skills of U.S. based judges, prosecutors, police and skilled advocates, all with decades of experience keeping women safe and holding offenders accountable. They join our Global Rights for Women team and work with their counterparts abroad to build skills. You make these partnerships possible.
Cheryl Thomas with our new partner in Guatemala in 2019
In 2019, we continued our work with the United Nations to promote global policies and practices that ensure women’s and girl’s human right to be free from violence. GRW’s work with the United Nations has grown over the years, building on progress and expanding in reach.
In December, our team traveled to Central America to assist with improved enforcement of the laws on violence against women and girls in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
We are so inspired by the global energy to end violence against women and girls and honored to have your continued support to broaden our impact!
With deep gratitude,
Cheryl
Our Vision
Global Rights for Women is a leading voice in the global movement to end violence against women and girls. GRW builds international partnerships that advance laws, values, and practices to create communities where all women and girls live free from violence and threats of violence. In times of greater resistance to human rights from regressive forces, GRW makes an uncompromising commitment to the universal acceptance of women and girls’ human right to be free from violence.