THE GIRL EFFECT!GIVE HER A HAND!SHE WILL DO THE REST!

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"I AM POWERFUL!"

SHE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE HER WORLD!

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO HELP HER DO IT!

www.care.org - Defending Dignity. Fighting Poverty.
Read my blog post from Nov.30 - "SHE is!"to read more about the power potential hidden within a single woman!
I cannot remember the name of the song playing on the background of this video clip, so, please, if anyone knows it, please share it with me!

As for the women in these video, all I can say is, these are the heroes of our world, often abused, mistreated, enslaved, forgotten, silenced, ignored or else...they, nevertheless, persevere and and look bravely into the eyes of the Future..with Hope and Faith, that they will have a chance to live better lives...or that they will at least have a chance to provide their kids with better lives!
I admire these women. For me, they are the pillars of society, the strongholds of all families, the fighters for survival!
Let us honor them instead of neglecting them, exalt them instead of humiliating them, empower them instead of ignoring them! Only then, will the world become a better place and we, all, will have equal chances to develop our full potential and enjoy free and happy lives!!!
My call is for all those who have ever mistreated a woman in any way, even only by verbally harassing her, to stop and think about it.


Women are no threat to men's power or honor, they are a power on their own. One kind of power does not necessarily have to collide with another, they can complement each other.
But this can happen only when men realize that women are created to be their partners, not subordinates, not slaves, not objects of sexual desire, but equal partners. Only then, can there be true partnerships between men and women and true human development based on equality and justice!
Nevertheless, we still see so many abuses against women and girls, all around the globe. Most of these 'incidents' (evil deeds) have been the acts of weak and insecure men who need to find victims to pay for their failures or just to assert their position and 'power'. Many cultures still tolerate, to say the least, these crooked 'values' and deny women free access to education, property, and equal treatment, view my article "The High Price for Pursuing Knowledge in Some Parts of the Developing World" .
We need to also acknowledge the affects that modernization and globalization have brought upon women and men alike, around the world. Often times, this transitional period - the process of modernization and development of a society - has caused much damage to women, has shaken the traditional values and cultural habits of many communities and has brought fear, insecurity and chaos. Recently, I listened to BBC news and the reporters talked about the rising degree of sexual harassment among young people in Egypt. They conducted interviews with victims of sexual harassment and with sociologists and other experts, who tried to explain the reasons behind this new disturbing trend. I wanted to write about it in a separate article, but I will just sketch briefly their arguments here. The experts (women) talked about the transitional period in which the Egyptian society is, the transformation of power relations, the hard economic times etc. They emphasized that the increase of violence against women is the symptom of the deeply embedded social problems within the society. For example, economic problems lead to the inability of young men to pay dowries, which in turn impedes them from getting married and being recognized as successful and mature men. The sense of failure leads to intensified frustration, which in turn is materialized in the form of sexual harassment. In comparison with the past, now,many more young people postpone marriage. The estimated number of single men and women over 30years old in Egypt, at the moment, is 9million! This is a striking figure for a society, in which traditionally, girls were getting married before their 20s. Of course, another reason for the delay in marriage is that women have been given the chance to pursue higher education. This trend, on the other hand, just like we discussed earlier, constitute a threat to men (or so they believe) and again materialize in the form of violence. Traditional ways have been disrupted and the process of modernization hasn't been completed, therefore, many social problems arise, and often the victims are no one else, but women!

Stereotypes, stigmas, and cultural prejudices have been serious obstacles to the empowerment of women as well, but there is one sure way out of this unequal equation and it is education! education = empowerment ! Education not just for girls and women, but also for boys and grown-up men (some Microfinance institutions have already set special courses to break the existing stigmas and stereotypes within the given communities and to assure men that it is beneficial to all if women are empowered and that they do not constitute a threat to them). More efforts need to be put in offering courses that offer redefining of the meaning of 'man' and 'masculine', because often, men act upon a certain situation as they believe their society expects them to, in order to fit the role of 'men', which they have been assigned. Failing to play that role, they believe, will cause them shame and rejection by other men. NGO's need to put more emphasis on empowering both men and women, by building up man and women who respect each other and complement each other! Men need to be told that there is nothing manly to hit a woman or rape a girl! Men have been created physically stronger, but not to hit women, but to protect them!
Women are not a threat to society but a blessing! Their self-sacrificial nature and fearless spirit are sure cornerstones for building up a truly harmonious community! Don't step on them, but let them grow and they will bear good fruits from which we, all, will benefit! Don't silence them, but let them speak up, and you will see unleashed a powerful source of energy, inspiration and love! Don't be silent! Speak up on their behalf today! Don't remain indifferent, invest in the life of one woman...and you will see big harvest!

she has the power to change her world! you have the power to help her do it!

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SHE is! (dedicated to all 'womankind')

She is the epitome of a hero, the symbol of endurance and life will

she strolls down the road carrying heavy loads,

yet in her spirit she is free of burdens or flaws

she raises up her gentle voice and whispers wisdom in the dark

she need not scream attention to attract,

her full charisma draws crowds around

she may be scolded, beaten, raped, abused

yet angels guard her every move

she falls she rises, she loves she smiles

she cries and sings, she lives a 'rich' life

despite the lack of a bank account

she knows her worth, her price is priceless

no diamonds or gold can buy her faith or chances

she wakes up with the dawn and puts the dark to sleep

she wears simple clothes, yet her dignity makes her shine indeed

she obeys yet doesn't bow before no one but her God alone

she prays to Him and heavens open,

she is a creation to be praised, the nations will applaud her

she may be hungry or in need but her love for others so deep

that she will give her only piece of bread,

to someone more needy, or her kids, or anyone who seeks food or drink

she is empty of selfish desires and full of the power others to inspire

she aspires people to reach the stars, even when they are robbed of dreams or dignified lives

she seeks no fame, no worldly recognition, yet possesses more than any worldly creature

her name is Woman, God's divine creation, made to bear and raise the children of every nation

her name is Woman, she fights for those who cannot fight, and speaks boldly for the ostracized

she shows mercy over strangers, pity over the needy, hospitality towards the discriminated

forgiveness towards the accused, kindness towards the abused, love towards the abandoned

her name is Woman, she is the image of Humility in full display,

she carries herself with the lightness and grace of a leaf blown by the wind

her name is Mother

her name is Patience, Kindness, Truth,

her name is Passion, Love, All-Good

her name is Wisdom, Honor, Determination

her name is Courage, Strength, and Inspiration

she fears not, for she will win,

despite all wrongs and hardships she might feel

eventually, the crowns of life, she Will obtain.

When abused or falsely accused

stepped on, sold, cursed

she might be the victim but she never gives up

she picks herself up and looks ahead and above...

she can forgive others, as well as herself,

she wears a veil of dignity and a robe of self-respect

He called her Holy, to be Praised, of the earth Unique, she is all these

she is the Pride, the Pillar, and the Prize

she is the morning star, the rising tide

she is the embodiment of glory and of depth since ancient times

she fears not to toil for her family's wellbeing

she is beauty, she is grace,

she is the phantom with a changing face

she is silent, yet she speaks,

she is asleep, yet always alert

she guards, protects, gives life and breath

she is a cornerstone of Faith

she is a tower of Faithfulness

she is an evergreen flower, spreading fragrance to all ends

she is ripe in every season, bearing fruits sweet

she is a woman of reason

she endures storms and bears all fortunes,

she doesn't believe in good/bad luck, only in right and wrong choices

she's been tried and tested, proved and approved

she is called - a Servant of the Lord God

she hopes and believes

she perseveres and persists

prays and receives

she hungers for righteousness

pursues holiness

and establishes Peace

she mesmerizes the eyes of men,

yet humbly passes by, she knows only her Man

she is pure like the water from a mountain stream,

she is blessed, her name all nations will pronounce from the highest hill

she stands in awe of her God's love

a 'box' He filled with blessings from above

He opens and the blessings pour,

and flood the earth, and quench the poor

she reaches her hand to the needy

and wipes away the tears of the weary

she touches the untouchables

and embraces the sick and forgotten

she surrounds her beloved with constant love and care

she reveals multiple dimensions of the meaning of a Woman, she dares

she holds the suffering and tears of the world in her big wide heart

she doesn't judge those different from herself

nor does she speak evil of anyone else

she transcends all categories, castes, classes, and definitions

she is to be defined only as super-in-nature

she is truly to be revered!

she is Special, incomprehensible

complex, yet simple

great, yet so small

she's been the victim, yet she is a victor!

she's lost it all, yet gained much more

she's died, yet remained engraved in the hearts of all!

her name is WOMAN!!!

She is You, a Woman made to last,

she is you, a woman, made to rise

a woman made to bring change,

to restore life

to reflect God's love

it is You- the woman of God.

it is your calling, to be(come) She - the woman of God!!!

Dedicated to: every Woman in the world - the mother, the working woman, the widow, the single mother, the poor, the neglected ,the abused, the falsely accused , the fighter, the victim, the believer, the Christian, the Buddhist, the Muslim........, to every woman and every girl of every place of every age of every kind!

p.s. specially dedicated to my Mum, to my sisters - Sheila, Alida, Sonia, Sarah, Liliane, Senhit, as well as to their precious mothers and sisters and to all my beloved Woman-heroes, who have touched my life in amazing ways and I am forever indebted and grateful for their love and inspiration! THANK YOU ALL!!! YOU DESERVE TO WEAR THE CROWNS OF LIFE!

Inspired by Proverbs 31, Maya Angelou's poem "Still I rise" and by the stories of all the ladies on the pictures and others like them!

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The High Price for Pursuing Knowledge in Some Parts of the Developing World

how much does it cost to go to school?
you might automatically answer - much.
but just how much?

well, most people will argue that no matter the cost, education is an invaluable and essential asset for the development of any individual. i will not refute the least such a statement, since i, myself, believe in this!

nevertheless, despite all arguments in support, i want to ask you -

what if it might cost you your life? will you still go to school? will you be willing to expose yourself to life danger just so that you can get to the classroom and learn?and why yes, or why no.

i suppose there will be those denying the possibility of such radical outcomes as the loss of life, but the facts are against such claims.

the reality in which some people 'survive' and actually pursue knowledge and development is utterly different from ours,immensely complicated and striking, and while we might wonder how to pay for the best schools, how to take advantage of the best options available to us and in one way or another consequently to succeed, or simply how to skip going to school...some people go to school at the risk of their lives.


who are these people? where is schooling being persecuted and why?

whether we talk about a war-torn area like Somalia or Darfur, or a radical Islamist town in a country like Afghanistan, controlled by the Talibans (or other extremist groups for that matter), or destitute places like Cambodia or Ethiopia, we can find parallels everywhere!

the 'price' of reaching school might differ, from being raped and beaten to being sold into prostitution or..as the latest of these cases shows, being the victim of a an attack with acid by some coward who just couldn't stand the thought of women's empowerment and emancipation.

the story of the several Afghan girls who were attacked with acid in the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan just days ago, is another proof of the high price some children, and especially girls, have to pay, to have the chance to overcome poverty by acquiring education. Education is Power. And those who seek to halt the educating of girls know that very well. They fear immensely even the slightest possibility of being overthrown by an empowered new generation of women who have sacrificed much in their lives and who are ready to see radical change and improvement in society. And they have definite reasons to fear because their cowardly attacks will ultimately prove unsuccessful! Some people are ready to pay the High price...and pursue knowledge. Take Shamsia, for example, she received the most severe injures in the recent attack, and yet, while still in the hospital, with her face burned from the acid, she claimed: "I'll continue my schooling even if they try to kill me. I won't stop going to school"... this is courage, this is spirit, this is strength, this is power!

you might wonder, why on earth will someone walk 5 miles a day, like some girls in Sudan and Congo (or many other areas around the globe where the protection of the citizens is beyond any measure!), just to attend classes, at the risk of being attacked and raped; you might think why some girls will not let their chance of being schooled pass by and choose to risk their lives to learn merely how to write and read...and here is Shamsia's answer to you all: "I'll continue going to lessons. I'm studying to be able to build our country"...the response to the same question, given by a little girl whose leg was chopped off by some rebels in Congo and who nevertheless, continued walking the 5 miles to school, without protease, just a crunch (risking to be raped by gangs on the way to and back)...was this "I dream to become a teacher when I grow up and be able to teach children and help them "...

the answer to "why would someone be willing to pay a price so high for education?" is simple: it's the will and desire of every man and woman to develop and reach their full potential, to be all that they can be, dream and pursue their dreams, and live a dignified and decent life!

the answer is simple - it's man's highest aspiration to reach to the stars, and to fly with the eagles, to be all that God made him/her to be, and live like a human!!!

the next time you start complaining about how much you wish u didn't have to study for exams, attend classes, or have to write papers and listen to lectures...i urge you to take a deep look at yourself and see...just how very blessed you truly are.
and when you see it, i urge you to give the Lord the glory and the praise and Pray that all may be privileged to have a chance like yours, a chance to become all that they are meant to, a chance to fulfill their dreams and reach their stars...a chance to be free (of torture, fear, abuse, despair, poverty) to not just survive..but LIVE!

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