Interview with Angela Peabody- Global Woman P.E.A.C.E Foundation

Introducing Angela Peabody

 

Angela Peabody- founder of Global Women P.E.A.C.E Foundation- has worked as a humanitarian for most of her adult life, supporting the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Tigerlily Foundation and several other non-profit organizations. The Liberian Journalist and Novelist is an accomplished and award-winning writer. She is the first Liberian woman to write and publish a full length novel. Her career has taken her to the corners of the earth, as she speaks out against female genital mutilation and other gender based violent acts. A highly sought after public speaker, Angela has spoken at Harvard University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, The University of Pittsburgh, Catonsville Community College, Saint Simon’s Island Festival and Making Poverty History Conference in London, where she shared the stage with 2 members of the House of Parliament. Angela is the former Chair of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the National Writers Union and has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Advisory Board of Tigerlily Foundation. Though Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation keeps Angela’s schedule very busy she continues her career as a Novelist. Her next novel, When the Games Froze was released in the December 2013.

Proceeds from the book are used to fund construction of Hope Academy in Liberia

 

Tell us about GWPF and how the organization came about.

 First, I want to thank you for this interview.  Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, 501c3 non-profit organization was established in 2012 on the principles of ending violence and injustices against women and girls.  In 2011, an organization called People Everywhere All Created Equal (P.E.A.C.E.) merged with Global Woman® to become Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation.

 

What is the focus of your work and how are you able to achieve your goals?

 The mission of our organization is to empower women and girls through education to help eradicate gender-based violence.  Although we advocate on behalf of women and girls primarily, we also believe in educating boys and men about ending violence and injustices against the female gender.  We believe that if we educate the future women and men from an early age, they will not practice violence against each other.

Hope Academy School under construction in Liberia (Halted by Ebola crisis)

 

What are your thoughts on how far we have come towards the goal of eradicating FGM in the world?

 I think that we have come a long way to ending FGM in the world but we are still a long way from it.  According to research studies, it will take only a generation to end FGM.  The conclusion was based on the fact that most of the people interviewed between the ages of 40 and 16, they feel that FGM should no longer be practiced.  It is the older generations between 50 and older that believe the practice should be continued.  This study confirms the belief of our organization; that by educating the young children about the dangers of FGM, the next generations will cease the practice of FGM.  We must continue to raise awareness, educate the public, educate children, write and circulate more literature, hold more workshops and focus groups until we see a vast improvement toward eradication.  I am glad that the United States government is now taking steps to engaging in the campaign against FGM.  The U.S. is still far behind countries such as the U.K., France, Germany and Sweden but I believe that they will get up to speed.

Angela (seated 2nd from left) at  UAE 2009 Women in Leadership Conference on FGM

What are some of the major challenges in your line of work?

 Prior to the last 2 years, it was difficult to find support of our FGM campaign because of the ignorance in the U.S. about FGM.  You cannot expect people to support something of which they know nothing.  We found ourselves explaining and defining what FGM is.  A couple of weeks ago, we participated in a women’s rally on the Washington Capitol.  We were shocked to see the number of people that came to our table to chat about FGM.  There was not one visitor to our table (with the exception of a 12-year old girl) that asked what FGM was.  Everyone knew or had heard of it, and they all wanted to support us; they all wanted to attend the walkathon.  They thanked us for working with FGM.  That is a huge improvement from 2005 when I first began my crusade against FGM.

 Then there are the challenges of the other aspects of our work; domestic violence, child and sexual abuse and trafficking.  While the American public is very familiar with this aspect of our work, it is still challenging and frustrating when we read about so much violence within the athletic arena or child rape or child marriage in other parts of the world.  You would think that within such a civilized society as the U.S., there should not exist a wide spread of domestic violence.  

Tell us about the Event on November 8 and what has led up to this event.

 I recall walking for many years in the Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure.  When I began my crusade against FGM, I dreamed about holding a walk against female genital mutilation.  I figured it would be a great way to help to raise awareness and educate the public on the practice.  I took the idea to our board of directors and they liked the idea.  Now, here we are holding the first 5K Walkathon (Walk to End FGM) in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, November 8, 2014.  It is hard to believe that it is only a little over a month that we will be walking together down Constitution Avenue to end FGM – a dream come true!  I wish we had the names of all of the girls who have died from FGM so we can call out their names that day and print their names in the program book.  Because this walkathon is for all of them, as well as all the survivors.

The proceeds from the walkathon will be used for the opening of a support center in the community.  The pilot support center will be located in the Washington, D.C. area.  However we plan to open centers in other communities in the U.S. and abroad with the success of the pilot.  Therefore this walkathon is not just about us walking; it is about changing lives.  

  

Thank you for all the amazing work you are doing sister Angela! For more information or to sign up for the walk visit: http://globalwomanpeacefoundation.org/

 

Young African Woman of Note: Glanis Changachirere- Zimbabwe

Glanis Changachirere Zimbabwe

 

 

 



I first met Glanis in Johannesburg as part of a group of young women leaders on a training program. Glanis struck me as very quite, though I was impressed by the depth to the questions she asked when she did speak. In the following months I was blown away by the work Glanis has done and continues to do for advancing the rights of young women.

Young women with Glanis

Young Women marching to end VAW

Below is a short documentary which details the work Glanis does. Just watch and be amazed!
Glanis is a feminist, activist as well as a public policy scholar. She is passionate about dealing with issues that affect young women using a rights-based approach. She therefore has a strident political voice echoing in her activism and the work she does. Glanis is not afraid to challenge injustices in her community, her country and the world. Despite a challenging political environment Glanis is a politically vocal young woman who speaks truth to power when it is necessary. Her love for marginalized  young rural women in Zimbabwe is uplifting and inspiring. The video is here .

Glanis at work!

Young rural women learning through dance

And theater/Drama

Glanis is the Founder of the Institute for Young Women Development, an organization that mobilizes and promotes the active political participation of young women in marginalized rural farming communities. Glanis believe that when young women understand their basic rights, they will be better prepared to fight for them. Her and her team facilitate young women's reclaiming of their political and social space so that they are bale to resist the patriarchal forces that seek to oppress them.

One thing that Glanis has achieved that is astounding is that she has managed to get traditional leaders in rural communities to support the work that IYWD does, by educating them to the benefits of educating and emancipating young women. She has also worked closely with them to fight violence against women and girls using the traditional court systems to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.

Traditional Chiefs present in support of IYWD mission

In 2013, Glanis hard work was recognized through the prestigious Democracy Award, from the National Endowment for Democracy, USA. Her riveting speech can be watched here.

Glanis is a charming and passionate young woman whose work is transformational. This is to celebrate you Glanis. Thank you for your service to young women, and thank you for sisterhood and authentic solidarity. We are watching you and rooting for you!

Young Africa Woman of Note- Mathamkaze Ramakau, Lesotho

Mathamkaze (Tammy) Ramakau

 

Tammy- the thinker

 

 I met  Mathamkaze a.k.a Tammy in Johannesburg September of 2013 along with several other young women, many of whom would become One Billion Rising coordinators. The one thing that struck me about this reserved young woman was that she was a listener. She watched intently as her colleagues talked excitedly and asked question about the campaign and she looked as though she was ruminating on every word. Tammy is a young feminist in Lesotho, and co- founder of the organization called Development and Leadership Centre.  This is an organization that supports efforts to end violence against women and girls. She is a thinker and immerses herself in motivational books where she  gets powerful insights that she shares daily with her sisters in her daily work. Tammy has had the privilege of being in a coaching and mentorship programme by (Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa) OSISA which has contributed to her growth as a young leader and activist.

 Tammy has a degree in Social Work. In her work, she realized  that many human rights institutions target young women,  but nothing seemed to change for the majority of young women these programmes purported to be assisting.  There is still a high rate of unplanned pregnancies and other challenges which render women economically disadvantaged. She volunteered at the Ministry of Gender and took part in a study carried out by the organization called Gender Links  which focused on relationships in the rural areas of Lesotho. This motivated her to work harder after she drew observation from the study that there is so much violence against women which happens without being reported.

 

 

Tammy also worked for the feminist organization called Women and Law In Southern Africa where she was a gender officer, which exposed her to international spaces and one of the most important courses she took was the Economic Justice short course which gave a powerful touch to her work. This even gave her courage to establish her own organisation that gives her a chance to develop herself and other young women. In her position as a Manager in this institution, she creates an environment where young women take part in development and also capacitate them. In the year 2013 she was part of the leading young women who influenced Women and Law to give a space for young women with disabilities to be sensitized on gender violence and be given chance to share their daily experiences on Women's month and she was one of the core facilitators in that workshop.

 

Tammy coordinated the One Billion Rising (OBR) Campaign on February 14, with her colleague and sister in the struggle, Lerato. They brought together young women in a celebration of the feminine and to protest Violence against women in song and dance. They also did the Vagina Monologues as part of their activities that day.

 

 

Tammy works everyday to offer voluntary counselling sessions to victims of violence, she accompanies victims to court so that they have an advocate and are not intimidated by the patriarchal court system.  Her dream is to see herself and other young women out of domestic spaces, taking part in development and living a life free from abuse and other injustices.
Tammy and Lerato took part in the global call to action demanding that the almost 300 girls abducted by a terrorist group (Boko Haram) from Chibok School in Bornou state Nigeria be found and returned safely. they worked with schools and other community groups to urge the Nigerian government , through the Nigerian embassy, to increase efforts to bring back the girls.

 

 

To me Tammy is what being "my sister's keeper" is all about. Her sensitive nature and her quiet strength is such an asset to our movement in Southern Africa. Her love for her sisters is transformational and all who meet her come away having experienced how special she is. This blog is to celebrate you Mathamkaze. Thank you for all you are doing for the women of Lesotho and Southern Africa. I bow.

Tammy and Lerato- sisters

Young African Woman of Note- Lily Foglabenchi Haritu- Cameroon

Lily Foglabenchi Haritu

Every month I shall be doing a special feature on young women on the African Continent who are doing amazing work for their communities quietly. I am doing this because very often these are the women who do not get local or international media attention, nor do they have any desire to. They are doing what they do out of a sense of responsibility and they are passionate about service. Many serve in some of the most remote and underserved areas of the continent and they do so with energy and compassion. I also want to illustrate and debunk the fallacy that African women are not empowered and to highlight the kind of women that development agencies can employ in communities in Africa where cultural sensitivity is critical for real and lasting positive social change.

I met Lily on a friend’s wall on Face Book. I was chatting away in pidgin one day, and she responded with great humor to a comment I had made. There was something about this young woman that drew me to her. I therefore sent her a friend request and after she responded, I began to look through her pictures and to ask her about herself. I saw pictures of her in a remote village and asked her what she did for a living. To my surprise she informed me that she was a health worker and that she ran a mobile clinic in Kenya where she did preventive care and education in rural communities. I was very impressed with this young woman in her mid twenties, who rather than stay in the big cities as most young women would do, she was in the “bush”, working there and loving it! She endears herself to the locals and lives among them as one of them, thereby breaking down barriers that would make her work impossible.

It was not a surprise to discover that Lily is also very spiritual and a Christian. Her serenity and radiant joy seemed to emanate from her deep convictions. It was refreshing to meet a young woman who lives out her faith and who does not spend time trying to convince others of her goodness. She is an authentic Christian and this is manifest in her humility and non- judgmental outlook. Her ability to engage in social issues in a thoughtful manner is rare for someone her age. I present to you Lily Favour as she is known to her friends, and known to me as ‘my Beautiful Lily of the valley’. A phenomenal young woman of great beauty, both inside and out.

 

Lily is a young dynamic Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) specialist who is committed to promoting women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights with an interest in building a body of research and leadership in the field. She is the Supervisor of the Women’s Health Program of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) based in four main hospitals and three health centers in six of the ten regions of Cameroon. In this position, she has been involved in the provision of Women’s Health Services to Women and girls at stationary clinics and rural mobile clinics as far as the Equatorial rainforest of Central Africa and the Cameroon-Nigeria border in Abongshie. Her dynamic and innovative efforts have summed up to over 12000 women and 7000 girls reached with a variety of sexual and girls at stationary clinics and rural mobile clinics as far as the Equatorial rainforest of Central Africa and the Cameroon-Nigeria border in Abongshie. Her dynamic and innovative efforts have summed up to over 12000 women and 7000 girls reached with a variety of sexual and reproductive health services like; Family Planning, syndromic management of reproductive tract infections, breast and cervical cancer screening, treatment of cervical precancerous lesions, Human Papilomavirus Vaccination, clinical assessment of sexually assaulted women and girls, sexuality education and counseling, woman centered abortion care and HIV/AIDS counseling and testing.

 

 

  

As far as Lily is concerned, Women’s Health and Safety plays a key role in human development and economic growth and she is stopping at nothing to ensure that this is realized in the lives of the women and girls she serves on a daily basis. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree with honours from the University of Buea, Cameroon and Global Health Certificates in Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health from the Global Health e-Learning Centre Coordinated by USAID and Johns Hopkins University, USA.

Lily's understanding of the importance of respect for culture and for elders has permitted her to go into territories where women as a rule do not address men, and where bringing in new ways that seem to threaten the normal way of life is viewed with suspicion. Her charm and non -confrontational approach has led her to some amazing places, where health education for women is needed. Below Lily is showing deference to the king in one of the areas she works. She understands that paying the elders due respect will open the door to the women in the community, so that she can do what she needs to do.

In 2011, she represented her country as a delegate and speaker at the 1st Global Summit for Women’s Cancers in Africa, Addis Abba, where she presented lessons learned from cervical cancer prevention initiatives in Cameroon. Lily was the youngest delegate there representing her country Cameroon. This is a testament of this young woman’s sense of duty and passion for the health and well being of African women and her mentors have identified unique leadership qualities that mark Lily out from among her peers and those who are older and more experienced than she is.

 

 





She also offers part time lectures on Women’s Health at the Private Training School for Health Personnel, Banso. Lily Favour is a 2011 Sexuality Leadership and Development Fellow (Lagos, Nigeria), who seeks to interrogate contemporary sexuality issues and emerging best practices that advocate for right based SRH programming in Africa.

Lily Favour has been named one of the top 25 emerging young African leaders by the Moremi Initiative and has received the Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa (MILEAD) Fellowship Award. She will be among the 2012 class of Africa's most outstanding emerging women leaders that will be converging for a women’s leadership summer institute in Ghana. Lily features on the top 25 out of the more than 1200 applicants from 41 countries. This is again another indication of Lily’s remarkable leadership qualities and a testament of her trajectory to greatness.

 

 



Below are pictures of Lily in her "luxury apartment" on one of her visits to a remote area, preparing her "gourmet dinner"! She will do whatever it takes to get to reach these women with whom she totally identifies.

 



To me, Lily is an example of a young woman who has made the most of all opportunities that have come her way, not only for her own personal gain, but for the greater good of her community and country. I applaud you my beautiful Lily of the Valley. May your beauty and fragrant perfume gently touch the lives of those in your care and I hope that you will be an inspiration to other young women in your community, country and in Africa. Our continent is very fortunate to have you as one of her own. Look how the little ones follow you already!

 

Below is a quote from Lily's wall:

Go to the people
Live among them
Learn from them
Love them
Start with what they know
Build on what they have:
But of the best leaders
When their task is done
The people will remark -Chinese Proverb

 

 

 

 

Young African Woman of Note: Thenjiwe Sibongiseni Mswane, South Africa

Thenjiwe Sibongiseni Mswane- South Africa

 Roaring Lioness

 





 An email came into my inbox in March this year from a young woman named Thenjiwe. Thenjiwe, who was in the United Kingdom had just participated in the One Billion Rising for Justice (OBRJ) 2014 campaign in February in London. In her email she expresses great passion about getting involved with the campaign and stated that she was moving back to South Africa. At the time I was in Zimbabwe and When I got back to the United States we had a Skype call that went on for over 2 hours. It was clear to me then that Thenjiwe was energetic and genuinely desired to see violence against women in South Africa come to an end. It was also clear that Thenjiwe was a self motivated young woman who was an activist at heart. I would discover that like many of the young activists I have had the honor of knowing, Thenji works from her heart which she allows to feel deeply. She moves from instinct and as such she moves to where she feels she is needed most. She leads from her heart also and the ability to be compassionate and generous with her resources and her time is what distinguishes her among her peers and draws them close to her.

 

At 24 years old, Thenji is an accomplished young woman. She holds degrees in anthropology and human rights law. Her efforts to end violence against women and girls date back several years to when she was a high school student. then she was active within the student body, talking to her peers, both boys and girls about the damage caused by sexual violence and rape.

 

During her years at Rhodes University, Thenji continued her activism for the safety of girls on campus. she was voted the Rhodes University top 100 students for community work (activism ).

Sadly Thenji's years at Rhodes were marred by the rape and death of some of her close friends, something which continues to haunt her today. The death of her friends galvanized her to work harder to end the scourge of rape that characterizes life for young women in South Africa. Thenjiwe was also a Youth of Choice #Champion for Change#,  who assisted newly matriculated students to find their way to their university classes. She used her expertise and motivation to assist students overcome obstacles as difficult as not being accepted to the course of their choice.

 

My first encounter with Thenji the activist was in May when we stood in solidarity with our Nigerian sisters to demand the return of over 200 school girls abducted at night from a boarding school in Chibok by Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has wreaked havoc in Northern Nigeria. Even before the call to action went out, Thenji and her southern African sisters had already mounted a powerful social media campaign using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Sisters in Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe coordinated a demonstrations that took place on the streets and outside the Nigerian embassies in these countries. Johannesburg, Cape town and Grahams town witnessed Risings for the girls of Chibok organized by Thenji and other passionate activists. The social media campaign continued unabated and we kept the sisters in Nigeria energized by tagging them to all the actions that were going on across the African continent. Thenji surprised her sister and fellow activist Nyasha Sengayi by showing up in Harare for a community dialogue about the security of girls in schools.

 

 

 

Last week Thenjiwe organized the 8th  Annual silent protests for the end to rape and sexual violence.

The powerful images from the protests require no explanation. However what these images demonstrate to me is the absolute necessity for South Africa to Rise up and work in whatever ways are possible to end rape and the epidemic of violence against women in the country.

Young activists like Thenjiwe are in this struggle because they realize that this is about their very survival and unless they lead revolutions and cause transformation then they are in danger and so are the women who will come after them.  The call to the rest of us is to support encourage and capacitate these young leaders and to be a community from which they draw on for their work.

This blog is to celebrate you Thenjiwe this women's month and to thank you for your dedication to a cause which many of your age would rather have nothing to do with. Thank you for answering YES to the call and for leading by example. I bow! Ngiyabonga daughter of the soil!