Listening for Men's Voices to End Violence Against Women

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-03-11 16:34:00 UTC
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As part of an ongoing week of action around International Women's Day, Vital Voices and the Avon Foundation hosted an evening to recognize some of the men who have spoken up -- and more -- to put a stop to violence against women.

Among those honored at Tuesday's "Men's Voices to End Violence Against Women" was Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist in the Congo who has treated over 20,000 women who have been victims of rape and sexual torture as part of an ongoing conflict that uses the rape of tens of thousands of women as a tool of war. Mukwege runs a hospital in the Congo where he performs surgeries to heal the fistulas caused by gang rape and brutalization, and has frequently been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Nobel Peace prize due to his hard work on behalf of Congolese women.

The event also honored an American man who has been instrumental in the fight to stop violence against women, appointed by President Obama to coordinate the U.S. governments efforts to fight modern-day slavery, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca. Women's vulnerable position makes them easy targets for human trafficking, both sex trafficking and forced labor, and CdeBaca is at the forefront of the battle to make slavery truly a thing of the past. In his career as a prosecutor, CdeBaca's efforts led to freedom hundreds of trafficking victims, and put dozens of abusive pimps and employers behind bars, where they belong.

Men like Mukwage and CdeBaca, and organizations like Men Can Stop Rape and Men Stopping Violence, are instrumental allies in the campaign to end violence against women. When men stand up for women, become gender-conscious, reject violent masculine constructs, and, yes, even identify as feminists, we come closer to achieving a better, more gender-just world.

Speaking of men's voices to end violence against women: if you're a guy interested in joining our current group of female writers and blogging on Women's Rights, email us at womensrightswriters@change.org. We'll be listening for your voice.

Photo credit: Radio Okapi

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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