Kolo Dancing

Categorized in these topics: Female Social Justice Kolo Trauma Format Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Sexual Abuse Violence Women's Trauma Issues

Commentary by Danica Anderson
Does it not always start out with the victim stating something like this: Ghida Anani, KAFA program coordinator of the joint project, said: "Men are part of the problem, but they are also part of the solution. We are against violence, not men." I have yet, to see women questioning the catastrophic violence statistics against their gender as "How are women a part of the problem but they are also more than one half of the resources and pathway to evolve men past violence" Funding for the educational workshops focused on the males but logic informs me that that same funding could help so many females immersed in the violence and dire poverty. The superficial band-aid goes nowhere for women while helping exclusively males and stroking their fragile egos even after the holocaustic violence perpetrated by their hands.



Lebanese women's rights organization, KAFA
http://tinyurl.com/2f4qw32

The global aid agency Oxfam Great Britain, along with Lebanese women's rights organization, KAFA, released on April 14, a groundbreaking
publication that will play a pivotal role in bringing men across the Arab world into the fight to end violence against women. The first ever pan-Arab training guide on practical ways to engage men and boys in the fight to end
violence against women throughout the region, titled 'Women and Men...Hand in Hand against Violence,' was unveiled in Beirut at a high level event.

It was hosted by His Excellency the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Dr.Salim El-Sayegh, and attended by UNIFEM regional office's representative Ms.Rania Tarazi and other government ministers, top UN officials and key
ambassadors, among others. KAFA and Oxfam also released a comprehensive study, 'Women Facing Violence in Lebanon' that reveals a shocking absence of men's involvement in the struggle to combat abuse directed at women and
girls. Oxfam GB and KAFA, or 'Enough Violence and Exploitation' in English,have been jointly running a pilot initiative, known as a 'men's forum', inthe Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon for the past few months working with men
and boys. They hope to replicate the successful project in other Arab countries, aided by the new training guide.

In her welcoming speech, Zoya Rouhana, Managing Director of KAFA,highlighted the paralogism in dealing with women causes as secondary issues
on public agendas, and as issues concerning solely women. Rouhana also reiterated the importance of this project in adding a basic component to the organization's approach in dealing with violence against women. His
Excellency Dr. Salim El-Sayegh, the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs(MOSA), then gave a speech endorsing the initiative taken by The UN Trust Fund for Women, Oxfam GB, and KAFA to engage men and boys in EVAW in the
Middle East. El- Sayegh considered that: "the development of the new manual and its dissemination in the region to be a critical first step in recruiting men as allies in EVAW."

Ghida Anani, KAFA program coordinator of the joint project, said: "Men are part of the problem, but they are also part of the solution. We are against violence, not men. But men in the Arab world almost always dominate the public and private spheres so working with them is strategically critical. If we want to begin making real change in ending violence against women it is simply nonsensical to leave men and boys out of the equation whether it's
in Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen or anywhere in the world for that matter." Oxfam GB and KAFA consulted some 75 different non-governmental organizations based in Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Jordan in
developing the training guide. While all of the core messages remain the same, the guide was designed to adapt to different social, economic,
religious or other realities in any given community in the region. Educational techniques in tribal areas of rural Yemen, for example, might look completely different from less traditional societies in Lebanon.

Magda El-Sanousi, Oxfam GB's Lebanon Country Director, considered that "the face of violence against women and girls may look different in different places. It affects rich and poor, Christians and Muslims, educated and
uneducated and rural and urban women. But fundamentally the problem is the same. In Yemen, early marriage seriously affects the health of young girls and perpetuates poverty. In Iraq, violence against women as well as sexual
trafficking of young widows and other poor women is reportedly on the rise. In Jordan 'honour' killings is an enormous concern. All of this amounts to violence against women."

For more information, contact:

Ghida Anani, KAFA Programme Co-Ordinator, +961 (3) 663052, +961 (0) 1
392220/1, org.

Madga El-Sanousi, Oxfam GB's Lebanon Country Director, +961 (70) 974678,
org.

Juley Fulcher | Director of Policy Programs |Break the Cycle
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