GFW | Newsletter | August 2003 | A Donor's Perspective: Voices Raised for Peace

FUNDRAISING NEWS

By Marianne Gimon

In January 2003, I was thrilled to be able to attend a meeting convened by the Global Fund for Women in Istanbul, Turkey. This historic encounter brought together activists from nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

I arrived in Istanbul a day before the conference to wander around the historical city. My first surprise was the snow; the second was seeing that Istanbul is a modern and thriving cosmopolitan city, not simply a picturesque metropolis filled with mosques and souks (open-air markets). The modern and progressive feel of the city, however, masks the severe social inequalities that color daily life between men and women, and between Turks and Kurds.

Turkish women at the conference gave compelling testimony to the pervasiveness of domestic violence, the lack of shelters, the continuous violations of human rights, and the horrific honor killings in their country.

In addition to being an intense learning experience on the struggles of Turkish women, the three-day forum also profiled the situation of women in other countries of the region. I was struck by the diversity of the group whose members came from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen, Israel, Palestine and Iraqi Kurdistan. Secular women, women of faith, political activists, writers, academics and teachers all participated with mutual trust and respect.

At first, I was a bit intimidated being with such a roomful of talented and courageous women, but I was immediately put at ease once I started conversing. The conference created a space for different voices and views so that all of us could gain various insights on how to tackle the problems facing women in the region.

Numerous participants said this conference had re-energized them for the difficult period ahead. Listening to them gave me faith that progress could be achieved in the region. I wish more people in the United States could hear these important testimonies—perhaps then our nation would dedicate itself to building peace rather than waging war.

A Global Fund donor, Marianne Gimon has a Masters degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. This summer, she is living and working in Mexico.

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