Hi,

I'm 22 years old and am beginning to embark on women's suffrage globally. I am appalled at the information I have obtained from my research and surprised that I have allowed myself to live in my own little bubble for so long.

Last week I read a story about a young woman in India who was falsely accused by her husband of committing adultery. He bound her feet with rope, hung her upside down from the garage ceiling, beat her with a stick until she bled, then proceeded to cut her nose clean off with a razor blade and gouged both her eyes out with his fingers. When he had finished mutilating her he went back into the house and took a nap before work the next day. All the while his wife lay dying on the garage floor. The next day a neighbor found her and by the grace of God, she was still alive and able to get medical attention. Today she has to wear a prosthetic nose every day before entering the world, and two glass eyes covered by two eyelids made to hold them in. She is unable to see the daughter she bore two months after the beating.

Her husband received a couple years in prison for the charges. I was totally outraged by this story and want to know how we as women can take a stand against this type of inhumane injustice in other countries. I understand it all starts with knowledge and building a strong coalition of both women and men to back up and support your views, I also understand that we would probably have to appeal to the country's government on these issues or so I have assumed. I believe that if we put our whole hearts and minds into doing something then we can accomplish it successfully.

Something definitely has to be done here, If there are any suggestions you can give me please let me know I would love to hear your views on this subject.

Most Sincerely,

Tami

Dear Tami,

A first step is always to share these stories, because like you experienced when you read that article -- too many things happen with too few people paying attention. Shining a spotlight on the injustices is what makes people angry enough to want to change the situation.

Now, what else to do -- that's actually a big dilemma. International issues are especially tough. It's certainly important to put pressure of the UN, which then has the power to put pressure on the individual governments. It's also important to educate yourself on the issue. Go to the source and ask them to explain it. You could call the Indian consulate--tell them you read this article and ask how it has been allowed to happen and what they are doing to stop it. There are also advocacy organizations that you can work through/support. Specific to women's issues there is Equality Now and The Center for Women's Global Leadership. These organizations cover many issues and there are others that focus on specific issues - like violence against women, health care or education. It depends on where you want to jump in.

Good luck,

Amy