International Women’s Day 2009

Azar Majedi, chairperson of the Organization for Women’s Liberation and a member of the Worker-Communist Party of Iran (WPI) leadership, has circulated the following report:

The International Conference on Why is Secularism Necessary? A complete success

On 7th March 2009 an international conference organised by Organisation for Women’s Liberation (OWL) was held successfully in Gothenburg, Sweden. The conference heard speeches from many invited speakers and ended with the showing of the film “Maria’s Grotto” about honour killings in Palestine. Many organisations supported and sponsored the event, including: European Feminist Initiative, Network against Honour Crimes, Women for Peace in Sweden, Centre for Research which is a secular and academic institution.

More than 20 speakers were invited to the conference. Many activists from Ghana, Uganda, Pakistan and Bangladesh had shown interest to attend the conference but could not get entry visa. Also 3 of the speakers from Iraq, Jordan and Syria could not come due to visa difficulties.

The speakers who attended the conference were: Layla Al Ali, a secularist activist of women’s rights in Lebanon who lives in Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon; Hugo Esterla from Argentine living in Italy; Imma Barbarossa from Italy; Soad Baba Aissa from Algeria living in France; Malene Busk from Denmark; Susana Tampieri from Argentine; Frances Raday from Israel; Boriana Jonsson from Bulgaria living in Sweden; Lia Nadaraia from Georgia; Maria Hagberg from Sweden; Karim Noori from Iran living in Sweden; Lilian Halls-French from France; and Azar Majedi the Chair person of OWL. Buthina Canaan Khoury, a Palestinian film maker showed her film at the end of the conference. Buthina talked about her film and the audience shared their views with her.

The conference started by the opening speech of Azar Majedi. She focused on the necessity of an international secularist movement in defense of women’s rights. The conference was divided into 4 paneled sessions during which the speakers delivered their talks followed by questions from the audience and discussions. Imma Barbarossa and Susana Tampieri talked about the Catholic Church in Italy and Argentina and the devastating situation of women under the control of the church. Lia Nadaraia talked about the role of Orthodox Church in Georgia and the situation of women after the collapse of the Soviet Union. She explained how the collapse of the former Soviet Union and building of democracy gave some hope to women only to find out later that their situation has worsened. She noted that Orthodox Church has massive powers which make the necessity of secularism even more desirable.

Layla Al Ali talked about the situation of women in Palestine and the degree of insecurity and violence imposed on them. Maria Hagberg showed a slide show about violence against women and honour crimes. Hugo Estrella talked about multiculturalism, cultural relativism and the regress of the international community on the issue in past decades. Karim Noori talked about the corruptive role of religion on children’s rights and the necessity of banning faith schools. His speech led to a lively debate in the hall. Soad Baba Aissa talked about individual rights and women’s rights. Azar Majedi talked about the obstacles and challenges facing secularism. She focused on the fact that unlike the general belief that considers religion as a moral and spiritual phenomenon, religion is a political institution. She mentioned the role of mass media and engineering of public opinion especially in the Middle East as obstacles for secularism.

Frances Raday talked about monolithic religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity and their common aspects in suppressing women. Boriana Jonsson delivered her speech on the issue of militarism and its close relation to religion and suppression of women. She explained how during war, women’s suppression is used as a weapon against the enemy and how women are tortured and raped. Malene Busk’s speech was titled “Women’s Rights and why God should not have a role in them”. Lilian Halls-French talked about building a bridge between Feminists and Secularists. She emphasized the fact that secularism is a universal phenomenon and hence the best obstacle against fundamentalism and the apparatus of religion.

Resolutions:

After the speeches and discussions, Azar Majedi read out the resolutions submitted to the conference.

OWL had 3 resolutions:
* Condemning Islamic Republic of Iran for suppression of women;
* Condemning Gender Apartheid in Iran;
* The necessity of building an international secularist movement for women’s liberation.

Resolution submitted by Susana Tampieri and Hugo Esterla:
* Condemning the Catholic Church; and recognition of the right to retract one’s baptism and leaving the church.

Resolution submitted by Frances Raday:
* Criticizing all religions.

It was decided to make some alterations in the resolutions before publication.

Maria Hagberg, the coordinator of the Network against Honour related Crimes, Lilian Halls-French the chairperson of European Feminist Initiative and Azar Majedi the chair of OWL delivered their closing speeches. They all emphasized on the necessity of struggle for women’s equality, secularism and building of an international secularist movement. A music video given to the conference by Soad Baba Aissa was played at the end of the conference. The music video was a performance by a few Algerian women singers about women’s rights. The video is dedicated to women’s movement. The music video invoked warm applauds from the audience. Soad then talked about the gains of women’s movement in Algeria in changing the laws in that country which was warmly received by the conference.

Conference ended by showing the film “Maria’s Grotto” made by Buthina Canaan Khoury. This film is beautifully made and is extremely moving. It depicts honour killing and the role of religion and the ruling ideology in maintaining the horrendous statuesque. Heated discussion followed the showing.

The conference thanked Shahla Noori who had a major role in organizing it. OWL book stall was visited through out the conference. Azar Majedi’s book on women’s rights in opposition to political Islam was displayed and sold. Maria Hagberg’s book “It starts to rot at 20” about honour killing was also on sale.

The conference was widely advertized internationally. Its announcement was published in various secular and women’s rights websites. The organizers and some of the speakers were interviewed by different radio and TV stations before, during and after the conference: Swedish National Radio Farsi section interviewed Azar Majedi and Esmail Owji, Radio Sepehr and For a Better World, Radio LoRa a Swiss radio and Hambastegi TV in Pars TV interviewed Azar Majedi, For a Better World TV interviewed Shahla Noori and Azar Majedi and Danish Radio 1 talked with Malene Busk. A public local TV recorded the whole programme and a French film maker, also recorded the whole conference and interviewed some of the speakers for a documentary on the conference. Maria Hagberg and Azar Majedi wrote an article about the conference for Fria Tidningen Journal. Those interested to find out more about the conference can visit our website at: www.womensliberation.net for the films of the speeches and photos of the conference.

This was a very successful conference. Although it went on for 7 hours the participants wanted it to continue. It was decided that a similar conference will be held in 6 months time over a period of 2 days to meet this demand. Those interested to participate please visit our website where we will announce the details shortly. http://www.womensliberation.net.

For more information please contact Majedi.azar@gmail.com
Organization for Women’s Liberation

http://threewayfight.blogspot.com/2009/03/international-conference-on-secularism.html

International Women’s Day was celebrated in Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin last Friday as upwards of 60 women came together to hear a range of speakers give telling and anecdotal accounts of the key role of women in society, both nationally and internationally.

Organised by Sinn Féin, the event was hosted by Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald, who spoke of the resilience of women in trying times, not least in periods of recession such as today.

“We’ve faced times of recession before where women have carried the burden but with great resilience and strength. Women have always been to the fore in fighting back against economic decline, whether through their presence on the picket line or their ability to juggle with domestic finances in order to feed a family,” she said.

Women are very much on the receiving end of the current downturn in the economy losing jobs in all sectors particularly the retail industry, she said. And a more disturbing factor is that domestic violence increases in times of economic recession. But as McDonald pointed out:

“While people have their heads down in the gloomy financial crisis affecting Ireland today, women tend to be the ones who remain positive, constantly looking for ways to change things and find the light at the end of the tunnel.”

In 1912, “Bread and Roses” became the slogan of thousands of textile workers, mostly women and girls who included native and immigrant workers, who won big concessions over wages, conditions and hours for the entire textile industry following a three-month strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA. The women of the strike adopted the now famous slogan, “We want bread and we want roses too!”

Michelle Gildernew MP recounted her own experience as a breast-feeding mother and a very busy minister. She recalled her own mother and grandmother who, like her, were community activists. That background factors into her own strength as a woman because it can take strength to handle the challenges facing her on a daily basis. She brings her new baby to work with her, which can mean breast-feeding the baby during meetings. She guesses that some of the male political representatives at Stormont may deride her for that but says that if she encourages other women to breastfeed in the workplace that she will have achieved a lot for women.

Derry-born Nell McCafferty was the guest speaker, her pithy and amusing anecdotes having her audience laughing as she recalled the struggles past and struggles present of a famous Irish feminist and civil rights activist.

One side-effect of a recent heart attack was that she would lose her top teeth, which would have to be removed. Nell told her dentist, “You can take whatever you want but you can’t take my teeth,” the pensioner said, and she was forced to remortgage her house to save her teeth at a cost of over €20,000. Nell also reflected on the fact that her pension, like that of so many others, would be cut but she quipped there was always the consolation of a bus pass – “That’s if that too is not taken away!”

A number of guest organisations were also present on the day, including the African Women’s Network, the Parents’ Resource Centre from Bonnybrook, the Family Resource Centre in St Michael’s Estate, and women from O’Devaney Gardens.

The Irish Citizens’ Information Bureau and Age Action ran stalls at the event.

http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/37801

Historian Margaret Ward, author of Unmanageable Revolutionaries, was the guest speaker at an International Women’s Day conference in Belfast last week organised by Sinn Féin’s Gender Equality Department and attended by more than 80 people.

Welcoming participants, Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún said: “International Women’s Day grew out of the 1911 disaster in New York, when more than 140, mainly immigrant, women and girls were killed in a factory fire.

“Here in Ireland, our emphasis is on the role women have played, and continue to play, in the Irish struggle for freedom and equality for all, and we remember the contribution of those women today.”

Earlier that day, Bairbre de Brún had laid a wreath at the Women’s Garden of Remembrance on behalf of Sinn Féin in memory of all the women who have given their lives in the struggle.

Unmanageable Revolutionaries

Margaret Ward enthralled the conference participants with a vivid description of the struggles fought by the Ladies’ Land League, Inghinidhe na hÉireann and Cumann na mBan.

“If you can imagine the expectations of women’s place in society during the Victorian period,” Ward said, “and then imagine these determined Irish women running around the country – without hats or chaperones! – organising tenant farmers, challenging landlordism and physically preventing evictions. Well, that was the Ladies’ Land League.

“In 1881, the Land War in Ireland was at its height and bad harvests had prompted fears of another famine. Leaders of the Land League, which was founded in 1879 and represented an alliance between the Fenian movement and the Irish Parliamentary Party, asked Irish women to take control of the Land League movement by forming a Ladies’ Land League – which would be outside the terms of Britain’s Coercion Act.”

Ward discussed the role of the Parnell sisters, Anna and Fanny, in establishing a highly effective, militant movement led by women.

The Ladies’ Land League was dissolved following the signing of the Kilmainham Treaty by Charles Stewart Parnell in 1882 and the release of political prisoners, and Ward outlined the difficulties women had in becoming involved in political life in the decades that followed.

She said the formation of Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Erin) in 1900, with Maud Gonne as president, had organised a new generation of women to promote the Irish language and culture and to campaign on social and political issues.

“Then Cumann na mBan was formed in 1914 and, while it made a very important contribution, it limited women to a supporting role. In James Connolly’s Citizen Army, however, women were organised in exactly the same way as their male counterparts and they played a significant military role during the 1916 Rising,” Ward said.

She explained that nationalist and republican women constantly had to fight on two fronts – to fight for national independence but also to fight against old-fashioned prejudices to demand an equal status in the movement and a voice in the political decision-making process.

“My absolute heroine of the Irish national movement is Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington,” Margaret Ward told the conference.

She outlined the role Sheehy-Skeffington had played in demanding the vote for women, founding the Irish Women’s Franchise League in 1908 with her husband, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, and Mary and James Cousins.

“During this period it was very difficult to demand the vote for women because it was not on offer in the Home Rule Bill being aimed for by the Irish Parliamentary Party. To demand women’s suffrage was viewed as being anti-Home Rule which, of course, it was not,” Ward said.

Hanna’s husband, Frank, was a pacifist, Ward explained, and his friends and comrades were stunned to learn that he had been captured and shot dead with other journalists on the orders of a British officer during the 1916 Rising. Hanna travelled to Britain and the US, demanding justice for the murder of her husband and she was jailed several times.

“She refused to accept a penny of the compensation offered by the British Government,” Ward said.

She outlined the role that Sheehy-Skeffington played in the following decades as a tireless and uncompromising, feminist republican – in opposition to the Treaty, as an active member of Sinn Féin, in opposition to the conservative policies of the Free State Government and against the rise of fascism during the 1930s before her death in 1946.

http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/37801

More than 100 ladies visited the Halifax Women’s Centre, Silver Street, Halifax, to celebrate women and their achievements.

They enjoyed pilates, henna tattooing, food from around the world plus belly dancing lessons.

They were also treated to pampering manicures, pedicures and hairstyles by students from the North Halifax Skills Centre.

Sharon Gilhooly, Women’s Centre office manager, said: “International Women’s Day is about celebrating women all over the world and the day brings us together to have fun.

“We have many British and Asian women here but we do encourage women of all backgrounds to come into the centre. Women’s Day has been fantastic.”

Tracy Ellis, 36, of Brighouse, loved the belly dancing. She also had her hair styled and took advantage of the pampering treatments.

She said: “It’s fantastic. I have really enjoyed the pampering. It’s nice to take some time out for yourself. The belly dancing has been a really good laugh. It’s a really positive day that gives you a little lift, you can forget about your problems and have a good time.”

Sunita Dass, 30, of Halifax, said: “The belly dancing has been the best part of today, so energetic.” Mrs Dass said she had taken advantage of courses in arts and self esteem building at the women’s centre. “It’s very empowering,” she said.

Kanval Butt, community engagement field officer for West Yorkshire Police, attends the centre regularly to speak to women. She said: “For International Women’s day we have a diverse range of women coming together to do something they all appreciate. It builds self esteem.”

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Ladies-celebrate-International-Women39s-Day.5068499.jp

More than 200 women gathered in Bognor Regis to celebrate the female influence on life.

The participants travelled from London, Northampton, Portsmouth, Crawley and Brighton to provide a delightful mix for the occasion.

Music, dance, arts and crafts, empowering workshops, health-enhancing therapies, good fun and fantastic food made the event a success.

It was held in the Laburnum Centre to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Cleo Matthews, one of the organisers, said: “It was a wonderful day with women from many nations, cultures and religions coming together as sisters to enjoy a day of celebration and learning together. The children had a great time too.”

The festivities were the 14th to be held by the Arun International Women’s Day Group. They began with accordion music by Mary Knight as the centre took on a distinctly continental feel.

The theme of women in activism was represented in the decorations around the venue of pictures of women who had made a difference in the world.

A lively lunchtime session saw women share their experiences of working in different ways in the community.

This ranged from working in The Gambia to helping Girlguiding in Bognor and from working with migrant women to making headgear for those who have lost their hair because of cancer treatment.

The whole day was a powerful show of the wide range of talents and skills of local women.

There was drumming, story telling, circle dancing and African dance.

Author Sue Walker gave an introduction to crime writing, while Hery Dyer told how to tackle depression.

Feminist charades provided some laughter and Sarah Owen introduced a group to yoga while Linda Mills did pilates. In the arts and crafts room, children and adults enjoyed painting peace mandalas and jewellery making.

Taster sessions of a wide range of therapies were on offer along with information from some 20 groups. More details from the http://www.aiwd.org.uk website.

http://www.bognor.co.uk/news/Together-as-sisters–women.5061521.jp

See original posting Arun International Women’s Day Celebration

Nearly 600 people joined the One Law for All anti-racist rally against Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and in defence of citizenship and universal rights in Trafalgar Square and marched towards Red Lion Square in London. Hundreds then joined our public meeting to discuss and debate Sharia, Sexual Apartheid and Women’s Rights. Our protest was met with widespread support and left many feeling inspired and invigorated. It was also covered by the mainstream media, including BBC Radio 4, BBC 5Live, BBC Wales, and the Times.

The rally of several hundred heard a number of speakers denouncing the policy of accommodation and appeasement of the political Islamic movement. A C Grayling in his speech said: ‘Once you start fragmenting society, once you start allowing different groups in society to apply different standards, you get very profound injustices and it is almost always women who suffer these injustices. We have to fight hard to keep one law for everybody.’

Parisa who was refused a divorce from a violent husband said: ‘Ten years of my life is gone because of Sharia law. I want to stop it. Please help to stop it. It is not fair. I had a good uncle who helped me to escape but what about others who don’t have a chance to run away. I saw that many, many times.’

Terry Sanderson, the president of the National Secular Society, said: ‘We do not need another legal system running in parallel… Sharia is creeping into our legal system and society and we must stop it in its tracks and now!’

Fariborz Pooya, head of the Iranian Secular Society, said ‘the introduction of Sharia is a betrayal of thousands of women and children and leaves them at the mercy of Islamist groups.’

After listening to a number of speeches, including from Sargul Ahmad, Jalil Jalili, Shiva Mahbobi, Reza Moradi, Maryam Namazie, Saeed Parto, Sohaila Sharifi and Bahram Soroush the crowd then marched through Strand and Kings Way to Red Lion Square with demands to end Sharia law in the UK and elsewhere.

At Conway Hall, they heard live music from the group, Raised Voices, then joined a public meeting and heard a panel of distinguished speakers discuss Sharia Law, Sexual Apartheid and Women’s Rights.

The meeting was chaired by Sohaila Sharifi (Central Council of Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran). Speakers included Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Journalist and British Muslims for Secular Democracy Chair), Naser Khader (Democratic Muslims Founder), Kenan Malik (Writer and Broadcaster); Yasaman Molazadeh (One Law for All Legal Coordinator); Maryam Namazie (Equal Rights Now – Organisation against Women’s Discrimination in Iran, One Law for All and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Spokesperson), Pragna Patel (Southall Black Sisters and Women Against Fundamentalism founding member), Fariborz Pooya (Iranian Secular Society and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Chair), and Carla Revere (Lawyers’ Secular Society Chair). Sargul Ahmad (International Campaign against Civil Law in Kurdistan Iraq head) also spoke about the situation in Iraq under Sharia and the need for international solidarity.

March 7 was One Law for All’s first warning to the British government and the political Islamic movement. As Maryam Namazie said on the day: “We won’t stand idly by whilst the British government relegates a huge segment of our society to sham courts and regressive rules and appeases the Islamists here or elsewhere. And we will bring the political Islamic movement to its knees in Britain in much the same way that people are doing in Iran and elsewhere.” She added: “We will keep growing in numbers and strength until we get rid of Sharia councils and religious tribunal’s altogether.”

To see footage and photos of the rally, march and public meeting, click here: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/eventPages/March7-2009.html

To donate to our organisation, sign the petition and find out more, visit our website: http://www.onelawforall.org.uk or contact: BM Box 2387 London WC1N 3XX, UK Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731 onelawforall@gmail.com

See original notice Join March 7 events against Sharia and Religious-based Tribunals in Britain and elsewhere

Women from all sectors of the community met at an International Women’s Day event hosted by Vijay Rattan, head of Naree Shakti Asian women’s support group, in Palmers Green, the event is a global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Mrs Rattan said that about 20 of the women who came had suffered domestic violence to her knowledge and 35 women had been subject to a forced marriage.

She said: “Nearly 170 people came from all diffferent organisations and communities. We hope to have an event like this twice a year and set up a counselling session with other organisations.

“Last year someone contacted me and threatened me, telling me I was wrong to get involved in domestic violence and wash other people’s dirty linen in public. He said ‘we will come to your home’, but I told him off very badly.”

Mrs Rattan, spoke about the history of International Women’s Day which dates back to 1858 when a group of women revolted against poor working conditions in America which was then first commemorated with a women’s day event in 1909.

The gathering was held in the Naree Shakti office, in Bowes Road, starting at 10.30am and continuing over lunch to 3.30pm. Speeches on domestic violence from Colette Carnegie, the vice chair of the domestic violence forum in Enfield, mental health, by Jyotsna Shah, a medical expert, were featured.

David Burrowes, who chaired the event, said: “It was very successful and is now established in the calendar in Enfield. I hope it will grow over the years. A number of women’s associations come to it.

It is particularly relevant then of this is at being united against violence to women within the Asian community where domestic violence and forced marriage issues are very relevant and significant.”

He added that he hopes that more black and ethnic minority groups would join the event in future.

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/4201806.
Domestic_violence_concerns_at_International_Women_s_Day_event/

Lots of links to photos and online videos via the MWR facebook group http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=11516673477

And here are some links to  other blogs, photos and videos on the web:

International Women’s Day and the Million Women Rise march
Yesterday I was in London and Regent’s Street suddenly went quiet – wonderful – no cars and quiet – folk started walking down the middle of the road – people seemed to visibly relax and smile more or was that just me? Then came the chanting, whistles, music and shouts from thousands of women – the Million Women Rise march…. Continues at http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/2009/03/international-womens-day-and-million.html

MILLION WOMEN RISE 2009
Lots of photos and personal account of attending the march by witchywoo http://witchywoo.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/million-women-rise-2009/

a million women rise 2009
photos on flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/eventful/sets/72157614873382281/ from one of the production team who worked on the event http://headancer.blogspot.com/2009/03/million-women-rising.html

Million Women Rise
Women continue to experience violence in their everyday lives; In our homes, on our streets, on our public transport, at our places of work. On the eve of International Women’s Day protesters came together for Million Women Rise to march in demand of a safer future for women. Continues at http://www.upliftmagazine.com/uplift/?p=232

On Saturday I attended my first protest march: Million Women Rise.
I was nervous about going not because I doubted my commitment to the cause – to end male violence against women – but because I have had so many negative experiences of women in the past. (includes video footage as well) go to http://shemakeswar.com/blog/2009/03/09/warriorgrrl-vblog-ep-05-million-women-rise/

International women’s day protest
While doing MA Multi-Media Journalism I often felt like I was spending every waking moment looking for a story, often to no avail. Funny then, that one should come and find me on the very day of our MAMMJ reunion in London on Saturday, March 7. I was milling around near Piccadilly Circus when I met a real-life protest head-on. continues at http://kyriakikaradelis.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/international-womens-day-protest/

Saturday Afternoon in Oxford Street
… and we are not going shopping
Pictures and video at http://pamisherwood.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/saturday-afternoon-in-oxford-street/

Object at MWR
Object activists’ online album of photos at
http://picasaweb.google.com/objectactivist/MillionWomenRise2009#

Some photos from MWR 2009
An inexperienced photographer tries to use her new camera without having read the instruction booklet …
http://picasaweb.google.com/womeninlondon/MillionWomenRise2009

Million Women in Oxford St
http://re-photo.co.uk/?p=590

And from earlier in the day

Prada Protest Photos
Unusually well-dressed protesters posed outside Prada holding placards denouncing the treatment of the woman workers who make some of the products on sale inside. More at http://re-photo.co.uk/?p=592

Unreported World’s Ramita Navai marks international women’s day at an Amnesty event about the role of female journalists in reporting conflict

I was chuffed to be asked to take part in a special panel discussion at Amnesty International’s HQ last night on women reporting from the frontline, not only because it was a chance to reflect on my work and the nature of our journalism, but because I was going to be in good company – the three other female foreign reporters are not any old reporters, but among the best in the country – Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor of Channel 4 News, Christine Toomey and Marie Colvin, both of the Sunday Times.

Amnesty was holding the event as part of International Women’s Day and invited us to talk about the old chestnuts that are often thrown at female reporters – how being female affects our journalism, and whether newsrooms and editors are bastions of sexism. They also wanted us to share our experiences of how women’s lives are affected by war and whether media attention and campaigning can make a difference to their lives.

So, do we women journalists report differently from our male colleagues? All of us on the panel took slight umbrage to the question to start with – good reporting is, after all, simply good reporting. When you’re singled out as a sex for reporting differently, it’s hard not to suspect sexist assumptions – that women reporters are more tuned into people’s emotions, more sensitive to the impact of war on families while, of course, allowing ourselves to be clouded by our emotions and so implicitly less able to stand back, analyse and be objective.

But we soon agreed that there are some undeniable differences. We cover the same stories as our male colleagues, but we get access to stories that are often denied to them, and so our insights on how conflicts affect women, say, are broader. Christine Toomey, a feature writer who has written award-winning articles on the postwar impact of mass rape in Bosnia, said that the subjects that often interest her are different from male colleagues, as is the way she interacts and communicates with people.

These differences also work to our advantage, including the frequent and potentially-irritating occurrence of not being taken seriously. In countries where there are restrictions on media freedom, there is nothing more satisfying than having your requests and questions met by mild amusement and curiosity, which does wonders in loosening tongues. It can also helps distract government minders.

We were also asked whether there’s a tendency for us only to cover women’s stories, and if we are boxed into a category by commissioning editors. Just looking at the range of issues that each of us has covered – wars, gang violence, murder, trafficking, politics etc etc – the answer was a resounding no. Having said that, if you want to uncover human rights abuses, women’s issues are obviously part of the territory. And if you want to uncover the world’s unreported stories, it is very often women and children who are the most forgotten and the most vulnerable.

Lindsey Hilsum said it’s important not show emotion when reporting to camera, in order to appear authoritative and objective. She noted a double standard here, saying that if a male reporter became teary-eyed he’d be applauded for being sensitive and empathic, instead of the eye-rolling ‘well, it’s a woman’ response that we would receive. But keeping my emotions in check is something I still struggle with. Although Lindsey did admit to the lump-in-the-throat moment, she was quick to add: only when the camera is OFF! With the style of Unreported World – where the cameras are constantly rolling in order for the viewer to get to see events unfold as the reporter follows the trail of a story – I don’t always have that luxury. And when you’re faced with a little boy telling you his world has been shattered and he is in constant pain because his penis and testicles were hacked off to be sold, or when a young girl breaks down as she says she has lost six babies and has such horrific injuries from childbirth she is incontinent for life, and the smell of urine that permeates from her means that her community have cut her off, it’s not always easy to keep the emotions at bay. I’m a reporter, but I’m also a human, moved by tragedy, loss and despair. But luckily editors can work wonders, so wobbly moments can magically disappear…

Many in the audience at Amnesty, who included aspiring journalists, activists and campaigners, wanted to know if our work has a positive impact on the stories we cover, and also how we cope with the job. We all had encouraging tales of how pieces we had written or broadcast have inspired readers and viewers – even some politicians – to act. After seeing my report on child brides in Nigeria, a couple from the north of England contacted Channel 4 and are now trying to sponsor the young girl I mentioned above, and the hospital that was treating her. We had a similar response from viewers who saw the little boy in our film about the sale of human body parts in South Africa. All the panelists agreed that we do this job because we feel that exposing these stories to the world can make a difference. Even if it’s a tiny difference.

But we also had a reminder that there are still many stories that desperately need telling – a young Sri Lankan woman in the audience at Amnesty broke down as she asked us our view on why the war in her country is so neglected and under-reported when conflicts like that in Gaza, rightly, command acres of news coverage.

This is a subject close to Marie’s heart, having doggedly reported from Sri Lanka, and having been seriously injured there while on the job. It’s because the government has systematically banned the foreign press, local journalists have been killed and forced to flee their country if they dare file reports. Even reporting undercover has become nearly impossible. The result is an ongoing war without witnesses, which means less pressure on the international community to act.

As to how we keep ourselves sane and happy in the face of some of the horrors we have all witnessed, detachment is one of the keys to self-preservation in this business. Although Marie’s method is preferred: ‘I go to a lot of bars,’ she said in her magnetic drawl. Hear, hear!

Ramita Navai – reporter for Channel 4’s Unreported World

http://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/0000/00/international-women-reporting

House of Commons debates Thursday, 5 March 2009
Points of Order
Support for Women (Economic Downturn)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-03-05a.1004.0

House of Lords debates Thursday, 12 March 2009
Women: Economic Crisis — Debate
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2009-03-12a.1273.0