WOW! WORK OF WOMEN
A membership organization of World Neighbors
Issue Focus
HUMAN RIGHTS ARE WOMEN'S RIGHT!
 In the most basic sense, the idea of women’s human rights is simply that as human beings, women have human rights. Why does this need to be stated? Because for decades, human rights were primarily defined from the perspective of men’s needs and experiences.
For example, human rights were defined primarily as individuals’ right to be free from State intrusion and abuse. The ways that women are affected by war and other abuses was largely invisible, and the abuses that primarily affected women were not seen as human rights issues. But as Hillary Clinton famously asserted, “Women’s rights are human rights.” Our understanding of human rights must encompass women’s experiences.
Worldwide, both men and women face challenges to the full protection of their basic human rights, but women are especially vulnerable. In many countries, women’s access to human rights is not prioritized because abuses against women are primarily seen in as a private problem. Whereas there exists widespread condemnation of public grievances, such as war, genocide, police brutality and censorship of speech, there is little wide-scale mobilization against issues that pertain specifically to women – domestic violence, unequal wages, sexual abuse and many more.
Read the entire issue brief or take a glance at the issues.
Current Happenings
 WOW! HOLIDAY GIFTS
Give a holiday gift with meaning this year and look at what WOW! has to offer. There are symbolic gifts that
go far beyond the typical boxed items and do extraordinary good works with World Neighbors programs, gift memberships, commemorative gifts and DVDS.
2008 YEAR IN REVIEW
 The Work of Women 2008 Year in Review is now available for download. This publication highlights the successes WOW! achieved during the previous year and provides valuable information on gender work in World Neighbors program areas.
Download the 2008 Year in Review.
WOW! WELCOMES NEW CHAPTER
The WOW! staff would like to extend a very warm welcome to the newest WOW! chapter, based in Lansing, Michigan, and to its organizer, Julie Cassidy. If you are interested in joining this chapter, or starting one of your own, please contact Sundra Flansburg at (800) 242-6387 or wow@wn.org.
In the News
"Lost Daughters - An Ongoing Tragedy in Nepal"
By Kamala Sarup, Women's News Network
WNN Nepal - “In recent years, millions of women and girls have been trafficked across borders and within countries. The global trafficking industry generates an estimated five to seven billion U.S. dollars each year, more than the profits generated by the arms and narcotics trades,” quotes a Feb 2001, Asia Foundation and Horizons Project Population Council report.
In the late 17th century, the brothel area of Kamathipura was first established to service British troops in what was then called Bombay, India. In 2004, the cost to buy a sex-trafficked girl from Nepal in what is now called Mumbai, has risen to 100,000 - 120,000 Indian rupees (approx $2,004 - 2,405 USD). Girls trafficked from Nepal are known as a “tsukris.” They are those who have been indentured (forced) to work under a “never ending” contract commonly found with human trafficking.
Read the entire article or find out more about human trafficking and women.
Call to Action
Literacy Program Expanding in West Africa
With your support, WOW! will help fund World Neighbors literacy programs in Burkina Faso, with the specific aim of reaching more women. These programs will be set up to meet the specific needs of women struggling to become literate.
To find out more about these programs, click here.
Or...
Help UNIFEM Say NO to Violence against Women
Please join UNIFEM in support of their campaign to Say Not to Violence against Women! Add your name to an ever-growing movement of people who speak out to put a halt to this shameful human rights violation.
Photography Exhibit Online
 The Power of Women: A Photographic Journey
Gain insights into the daily lives of women around the world in this WOW! online photography exhibit. Photographers Linda Jo Stern, Gayle Younghein and Natalie Elwell offer moving and inspiring portraits of women in their roles as community leaders, workers and family members.
Fair Trade and Gifts for a Cause
 Shop for a Cause
Organic Bouquet. Are you looking for a gift that will be treasured and will make a difference in the world? Send a bouquet of flowers from Organic Bouquet. Click here for details and to order.
Sport Your Cause. Visit our online WOW! Store for more gift ideas that help WOW!, including messenger bags, mouse pads, t-shirts and more.
From the Field
Natalie's Postcards from the Field
In Natalie's latest communiqué she gives us a glimpse into her visit to Burkina Faso. Accompany her as she visits a site that is mainstreaming gender equity into its program.
Let's go!
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