“Women and Girls: from adversity to hope” was the theme of the fourth briefing for the United Nations Department of Public Information for Non-governmental Organizations.
The all-female panel shared stories about surviving an acid attack, living through rape and genocide, escaping child marriage and moving forward after an act of terrorism. During the briefing, the women showed how resilience can overcome even the bleakest situation, and how they transformed past suffering into positive impacts.
Moderator Zainab Zeb Khan shared a video of Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani youth activist. Yousafzai sparked a global movement for girls: addressing education, child marriage and female genital mutilation.
“Malala Day is not my day. It is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voices for their rights,” she said in her speech at the U.N.
“They thought that the bullet would silence us, but they failed. And out of this silence came thousands of voices. Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, fervor and courage was born.”
The first panelist, Monica Singh, is an acid attack survivor. She founded her own nonprofit, the Mahendra Singh Foundation, to help other survivors.
“In 10 years, my life has changed from being patient who was using a wheelchair and using a straw to feed herself to now talking and speaking at the U.N.,” Singh said. “It’s a long journey.”
Singh lost functionality in 60 percent of her body and had 46 reconstructive surgeries after a bucket of acid was thrown on her. Today, she speaks out to help survivors regain their lives.
I want to tell every young girl who has been a victim of rape, physical abuse, domestic violence that life doesn’t end there,” Singh said. “Life is just beginning. Keep on moving, keep on following your heart.”
The next panelist was Consolee Nishimwe, author, motivational speaker and survivor of the Rwandan genocide. During the genocide, rape was used as a weapon against women and girls including Nishimwe. Her father and three young brothers were killed, and their bodies were thrown in the septic tank behind her home. Her mother and sisters relied on their faith and prayers to survive. Nishimwe was raped by a man she knew, like many young girls across the country.
“I didn’t think I would be able to function again,” she said. “I went back to school, I was having nightmares.”
During this time, she relied on her mother.
“Thank God, I had a mother. My mother reminded me that we had to be strong,” Nishimwe said. “I saw so many girls whose bodies were not functioning any more. Having my mother gave me the courage to be strong.”
After immigrating to the United States, she tested positive for HIV due to her rape. Instead of allowing her diagnosis to define her, Nishimwe decided to speak out.
“I had to be strong and fight hard. I was able to write my story which was a relief for me,” she said. “For me, I realized I should be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. And that’s why I speak, that’s why I do what I do.”
Today, rape is still used as a weapon of war and genocide throughout the world.
“In Iraq and Syria, these women are suffering and so I will never keep quiet until it stops,” Nishimwe said. “One mantra I live on: no matter what horrible circumstances you face in your life, never lose hope. Losing hope is the beginning of your own self-defeat.”
The third panelist, Nalia Amin, shared her story of escaping child marriage. She moved from Pakistan to Queens at 4 years old. She was engaged to a cousin who was eight years older than her. At 13, she was beaten by her family for liking boy at school. Child Services removed her from her home, and she was shuttled from group homes to correctional facilities. She dealt with post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Eventually, she got help.
Her brother, a psychiatrist with the U.S. Army asked: “Are you a victim or are you a survivor?”
“Do I look weak to you? I’m a survivor,” Namin responded. “That’s the day I chose to survive. We are warriors. Women, we give life.”
Namin spoke about the need for education to combat child marriage.
“We must teach young boys against violence against women. If my father had an education, he would have never done this,” she explained. “A year ago he cried to me, I’m sorry Nalia, if I knew better, I would do better. I hope we can give courage to other girls in this situation that it is okay to let go of certain cultural norms. This is not right. You cannot marry a child.”
Namin encouraged other women to share their diverse stories and experiences and to not be ashamed of their pasts.
“I believe you are not a victim for sharing your story. You set the world on fire with the truth,” Namin said. “Women have been silenced for too long, and I refuse to stop talking. I am going to keep talking until the day they put me 6 feet under.”
Since overcoming her child marriage, Namin has opened a foster group home for children 18 or younger, escaping forced marriage and honor violence.
The next panelist, Sarri Singer, spoke about overcoming a terrorist attack in Israel. Her bus was targeted in Jerusalem, 16 passengers were murdered, 100 injured. Her organization, Strength to Strength brings victims together globally to heal and combat hate.
“I refuse to give into that hate because the only thing that hate achieves is what caused the destruction on that tragic day,” Singer said. “I will not let this experience destroy me.”
Instead, Singer has created a support network for survivors of global terrorism. She maintains that she has no control over what happened to her, but she does have control over how she chooses to move forward.
“Life is too short to repay destruction with destruction,” she said. “The wounds we bear are our badges of courage.”
The final speaker was Alexandra Akira from Goddess in Progress, a production company to promote women’s adverse situations and offer a safe place for solutions.
Akira explained the power of multimedia is integral in this change. She encouraged women and allies to share their ideas on all social media platforms, work with local NGOs on the ground and figure out how to bring sustainability in their communities.
The event was organized by NGO Relations DPI in collaboration with DPI associated NGOs; NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY; Global Family; International Council of Women; Muslim American Leadership Alliance; World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations; Africa Development Interchange Network; and Global Family for Love & Peace.
The views expressed in this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, the Department of Public Information or Altrusa International and ASTRA. Some quotes are paraphrased. To watch the full briefing visit here.
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