Kellie Wolf: ‘More than 65 million people are displaced around the world and most are women and girls’
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women just recently passed (Nov. 25) and it reminded me of a quote. “The same day my husband was killed, I was raped … When I heard the men were looking to kill me, I ran away.” – Cecile
More than 65 million people are displaced around the world and most are women and girls. In humanitarian crises, women and girls are particularly affected by displacement and vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation. Often with little protection or recourse.
There is an increase in food shortage and malnutrition amongst females. Men and boys receive priority for food and nutrition, while women and girls often eat last and eat the least. There is poor access to education and livelihoods, with girls disproportionately pulled from school, and women often unable to access economic opportunities because they have been denied national identification cards. This particular statistic is especially heartbreaking for me as a teacher.
Being a CARE Advocate, I learned there is an increase in gender-based violence, where at least 1 in 5 women report experiencing sexual violence and the number of women and girls forced into early marriages, human trafficking and survival sex rises.
I cannot stand idly by. That is why I’m asking Representative Jamie Herrera Beutler to support and co-sponsor The Safe from the Start Act (HR 4092), a bipartisan bill that addresses gender-based violence in emergencies by formalizing an already-existing program to make it sustainable long-term. It will help local organizations to empower women and girls by providing them with adequate services in times of crisis.
Kellie Wolf
Vancouver
