The Gift of Hope
December 28, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
I’ve blogged about this a few times already, but wanted to give you an update. This holiday season, Girls Fight Back adopted a family (through an organization called Gift of Hope) whose house and life was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Our family consisted of a single mom and her two teenage sons. We received a list of items each family member was hoping for this Christmas. Unlike most of us who dreamed of Ipods and DVDs, this family’s list consisted of BBQ tools, office supplies and basic clothing necessities. Looking at their list really makes you ponder what it must be like to lose EVERYTHING. We went to work finding great people in our network of friends and supporters to buy gifts and send them to our Gift of Hope family. Low and behold, we had a bunch of people wanting to help out. As a result, our family received packages, gift cards and presents from over 10 states across the country. The mom of the family sent an incredibly nice note, saying how thankful she was that her sons had a Christmas. And that, my friends, is what the holidays are all about…
I would like to commend Mari Ann Callais who came up with the concept of Gift of Hope, and Lori Hart Ebert for organizing all the logistics. And of course, a HUGE thanks to all my Girls Fight Back gift donaters. You go girls!
Merry Christmas
December 25, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
To those who celebrate it…all of us here at Girls Fight Back wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Murder Rate Increases
December 19, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Murders across the United States increased by more than 2 percent from January through June while the overall crime rate continued its downward trend, says the FBI. The federal law enforcement agency said the largest jump in murders, totaling 13 percent, occurred in cities with fewer than 10,000 people. The number of murders went up by 2.3 percent in metropolitan areas. Murders increased in all regions of the nation, rising 4.9 percent in the Midwest, 2.2 percent in the South, 1.9 percent in the Northeast and 0.2 percent in the West.
The other violent crime category that showed an increase in the first half of the year was robbery, which rose by 0.6 percent. For the remaining two categories of violent crimes, rapes decreased by 4.7 percent and aggravated assault declined 0.7 percent. For property crimes, the FBI said larceny-theft offenses decreased by 3.5 percent, motor vehicle theft dropped by 2.1 percent and burglaries fell by 1.1 percent. Reported arson offenses went down by 5.6 percent.
VAWA Passed!
December 17, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
VAWA stands for The Violence Against Women Act. It was created in 1994, and gave funding to end crimes including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. VAWA was reauthorized in 2000, incorporating new programs including funding for important services for immigrant, rural, disabled and older women. But over the past few months, I’ve been nervous about whether or not it would be authorized once more. (Clearly our nation has a lot to pay for right now, and cuts are being made whenever possible.)
Fellow women, have fear no longer! Last night, December 16, the Senate passed the final version of the Violence Against Women Act by unanimous consent. The bill now moves to the House for a final vote, and will then be sent to the White House for the President to sign. This was made possible by people calling their senators, activists working around the clock and politicians who saw the light and realized how important VAWA is. It’s certainly great to watch activism in motion, and see a positive end result.
Anti Rape Condom
December 15, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
Anti-rape condom aims to stop sexual assaults
KLEINMOND, South Africa - A South African inventor unveiled a new anti-rape female condom on Wednesday that hooks onto an attacker’s penis and aims to cut one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.
“Nothing has ever been done to help a woman so that she does not get raped and I thought it was high time,” Sonette Ehlers, 57, said of the “rapex,” a device worn like a tampon that has sparked controversy in a country used to daily reports of violent crime. Police statistics show more than 50,000 rapes are reported every year, while experts say the real figure could be four times that as they say most rapes of acquaintances or children are never reported.
Ehlers said the “rapex” hooks onto the rapist’s skin, allowing the victim time to escape and helping to identify perpetrators. “He will obviously be too pre-occupied at this stage,” Ehlers told reporters in Kleinmond, a small village about 60 miles east of Cape Town. “I promise you he is going to be too sore. He will go straight to hospital.”
The device, made of latex and held firm by shafts of sharp barbs, can only be removed from the man through surgery which will alert hospital staff, and ultimately, the police, she said. It also reduces the chances of a woman falling pregnant or contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases from the attacker by acting in the same way as a female condom.
South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country, with one in nine of its 45 million population infected. Ehlers, who showed off a prototype on Wednesday, said women had tried it for comfort and it had been tested on a plastic male model but not yet on a live man. Production was planned to start next year.
But the “rapex” has raised fears amongst anti-rape activists that it could escalate violence against women. “If a victim is wearing such a device it may enrage the attacker further and possibly result in more harm being caused,” said Sam Waterhouse, advocacy coordinator for Rape Crisis. Other critics say the condom is medieval and barbaric — an accusation Ehlers says should be directed rather at the act of rape.
“This is not about vengeance … but the deed, that is what I hate,” she said.
ERIN’S THOUGHTS: A blog reader named Eric, informed me of another device such as this being used in Sweden called FemDefence. It also looks and works like a tampon, but instead of hooks, it has a pointed blade on the end of it. Both devices are alternative methods to stopping sexual assault against women. But if you think about it, the devices are only effective if a woman is already in the process of being raped. (Not what I would classify as “prevention.”) I also have to wonder if any woman would actually consider using a gadget resemling a stabbing spear internally. (Sounds painful, no?) Overall, I’m encouraged that people are taking the time to think creatively about this criminal issue, but I’m not putting a Rapex on my Christmas List this year.
Dateline Sunday
December 9, 2005 | 1 CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
Dateline NBC Sunday Will Question Whether Colleges & Universities Respond Quickly Or Strongly Enough To Campus Rape
Serious charges about problems with how colleges and universities handle sexual assaults will be explored in a Dateline NBC segment scheduled to be broadcast this Sunday night, December 11th, at 7 p.m. eastern time (please consult your local listings for the exact time and channel in your area, and note that broadcasts may be rescheduled if there is breaking news). In this segment correspondent Hoda Kotb reports on five students who say they were sexually assaulted on campus and how their schools handled their cases, “questioning if they acted quickly or strongly enough,” according to the Dateline web site.
Two former Ohio State University students both reported that they were raped by the same student, yet he was allowed to remain on campus for another year and a half. Kate Dieringer and Samantha Collins were both told by their schools, Georgetown University and the College of William and Mary respectively, that they had to remain silent with concerns about brief suspensions imposed on the students accused of raping them but spoke out anyway. And Annie Hylton from the University of Virginia successfully sued her alleged rapist, receiving a $150,000 award, after he was not even suspended by the school.
ShopGFB
December 8, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
Very exciting news! Today we launched our brand spankin’ new online boutique, www.shopGFB.com. The boutique serves several purposes. First, after my programs women can go to the website and buy products I recommend. Second, it is helping to fund the Girls Fight Back Foundation. The foundation has existed for several years, albeit informally. It’s mission is to provide free self-defense programs for people who need it, such as rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and underprivileged schools. Lately we have been trying to find creative ways to raise funds so we can provide more free programs to women and girls in need. The store, we hope, will be one of those ways. So feel good about shopping there! Thanks in advance for your support, and know that GFB is only getting bigger, better and stronger with each passing day. Just wait ’till 2006…
Our Adopted Family
December 6, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
I’m writing you all to ask for your help in giving a family a great Christmas this year. Girls Fight Back has adopted a family from New Orleans for Christmas through an organization called Gift of Hope. The family consists of a mom and her two teenage sons. Several years ago, they lost their husband/father as well as a son/brother in a motor home accident. Now they’ve lost pretty much everything in the hurricane. They need some serious love and cheer this year! We have already bought all the gifts on their list, but we are still in need of gift cards. If you were interested in helping out this family, please buy a gift card in any amount. Then contact Tiffany Loertscher at tiffany@girlsfightback.com and she will give you an address where you can send it. Really, this is what the holiday season is all about…helping others. Step up to the plate!
SIT and AFA
December 5, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
Wednesday I spoke at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like throwing a few eye jabs to get yourself into the holiday spirit! Then I spent this past weekend chillin’ in Atlanta for the annual conference of the Association of Fratenity Advisors. What a great time! I met men and women from across the nation whose job it is to oversee fraternities and sororities. These people are so incredibly committed to the health and well being of college students. It was really cool to connect with such awesome professionals. I co-presented a program with Elizabeth Berry from Rhodes College called “Empowering Students to End Sexual Assault.” It was very well received, and I’m looking forward to next year.
World AIDS Day
December 1, 2005 | Leave a CommentPosted by admin | Filed Under Erin Weed's Blog
Today is World AIDS Day, and I want to send out much love and support to those affected by the disease. The issue of HIV and AIDS hits pretty close to home for me. My Uncle Randy passed away from the disease in 1987. In college I made him a panel for the AIDS memorial quilt. I wonder where it is today…
I have a great friend named Shawn Decker who has been a real source of inspiration to me. He was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 11 after a contaminated blood transfusion. He lived in Virginia, and went through some really hard times after his diagnosis. This was all back in the Ryan White era, and Shawn also got kicked out of school for being infected. He really has risen above all his struggles, though. Today he’s very healthy, a successful speaker/educator (along with his lovely wife Gwenn) and just got a book deal! Congrats Shawn!
Together, Shawn and Gwenn travel the nation teaching college students about safe sex and healthy relationships. I highly recommend you bring them to your campus. (See photo above of myself, Gwenn and Shawn on vacation in Key West) Click here for more information.