The Time is Now



The treatment of women on this planet shows an undeniable, global, shameful state of humanity. We have known this for years. So many of us have been actively working to support women out of violence and into a life of freedom and self respect, for a very long time. Women my age are looking at the past half century, listening to the same statistics, being given the same weak promises. Now, women of all ages are finding each other, globally. The collective story, the forms of extreme abuse, imprisonment, torture and murder of women is now well documented and well understood. Those of us working to stop this cruelty are still being dismissed as biased or overly optimistic that change is possible. This will not stop us. More and more these days, men are raising voices, joining us, out of respect and concern for daughters, sisters, mothers. It is time for action that moves fast, effectively, respectfully and completely. We cannot wait another 50 years. So many women are being beaten, raped, forced into sexual slavery. So many girls are killed at birth, or denied education, forced through FGM, forced into marriage, stolen, bought and sold. So many women are being murdered for speaking out, trying to escape, refusing laws imposed, wearing what we want, daring to be out of the house in public spaces. So many girls are being raped gathering firewood. So many girls are being kept out of school to gather water, because there is no well in the village. So many girls are kept out of school because they will be more valuable as brides if they have spent their childhood as shepherds. So many women have no access to medical care, even privacy when menstruating, urinating, defecating. This is the shameful state of affairs.



To write of this state of affairs, as research is being done to attach a camera to another planet in case we find more natural resources, or plan vacations for very wealthy people to visit a space station, or develop a robot or new car, to write all this as multibillionaires bask on “off shore” beaches, to write about all this as the earth, so beautiful and life-giving has man-made poisons poured onto the land and into the water, as whole countries become toxic garbage dumps, to write all this knowing that women are forced to mine minerals, being raped daily to avoid being murdered, to write this as women and girls continue to be stolen and brutalized - this dichotomy of priorities can lead to hopelessness and despair.



It can lead to despair to listen to the news these days. Expanded wars, expanded destruction of the earth, more women raped and accused of lying, subjected to draconian rape kits, rape kits taken and not delivered to the courts, women not believed, widows being thrown out into the streets, more and more stories as the numbers of women being violated and killed increase. But we have not and will not give up. We have not shrunk from the insults, nor accepted accusations that we are exaggerating, nor fallen into inaction fearing that this can never change. We have shown each other and the world how strong we are, and how extreme the treatment can be without having the power to silence us.



It is time. No more ridiculing of women. No more violence. No more dowry murders, no more beatings, no more rape, no more FGM, no more forced marriages, no more telling us what to wear, whether or not we can drive, whether or not we can go out unaccompanied. No more deciding for us what we can and can’t do with our lives, who we can love, denying the chance to go to school. No more stigmatization for being a single parent, being the child of a single parent, being the child of a rape. No more stigmatization for not undergoing FGM or for deciding not to marry. No more denying of education to any girl. No more bandying about statistics. In the 1970’s we quoted one in four who have experienced sexual violence of some form. Now it is quoted as one in three. I question whether it is one three who has not experienced sexual violence in some form. It is time for this to end.



We need fast action to save millions of women, and to save this planet. From this Initiative I hope that it becomes obvious that the leadership is available, already working. The vast majority of the work has been done on volunteer time. These leaders and organizations should and could be properly funded to solve the problems in the moment and with the long term vision they carry. No more assumptions that one more safe house, one more small school, three more chairs on committees or in government will be enough, or acceptable, given what is happening, although every small step is a step in the right direction. Nothing short of parity. Nothing short of representation by population based on the natural order. Women are ready to lead the world into a new and compassionate reality. These women need to be funded before we watch more women and girls die. We were promised more seats in the UN twenty years ago. Since then, more wars, more degradation of the earth, more killing and torturing of women than we had even been able to imagine then. We still face the subliminal reaction that we can’t possibly be as smart as a man applying for the same position. Representation by population. Parity at all levels for all positions. This would give humanity a chance to change direction at the speed necessary, toward what, as intelligent beings, we are surely capable of. WorldPulse has proven to me that we women know what to do, and we are everywhere, and ready. Food, shelter, education, freedom and economic independence for women and girls everywhere. Safe houses, support networks, and the teaching of boys that there is another way, and that it will be better for all of us.



Business as usual in governments cannot continue. Priorities must shift. Ethical and ecological government and business practises, an end to corruption and waste, and a means to end all forms of violence including war. Even a small tax on the stock market trading would secure funding and positions to every individual and organization that knows what to do. We need a new world economy. We need a new world commitment to humanity. I deeply hope that through this Initiative, it will be recognized that the leadership is available. As a start, I deeply hope that every individual and organization on this planet working toward this end will be fully supported and funded. I deeply hope to see women in leadership positions everywhere. We have the capability. We have much to gain by embracing bold change toward a humanitarian world. The time is now.



Tamarack Verrall

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