We often pay attention to the United Nations commemorative days, as they are calling for awareness of things in our world that need to change. At AMS Fulfillment we are committed to playing a role in the change we wish to see in the world.
Starting November 25 and extending to December 10, the UN is asking people to join in 16 days of activism. “The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will mark the launch of the UNITE campaign (Nov 25- Dec 10) — an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates the International Human Rights Day (10 December).
“This 2023 campaign Invest to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls will call on citizens to show how much they care about ending violence against women and girls and call on governments worldwide to share how they are investing in gender-based violence prevention. Join the global movement with the #NoExcuse slogan calling for urgent investments to prevent violence against women and girls.” The UNITE page is well worth a visit [HERE].
The UN General Assembly issued the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 1993. The full text is available [HERE].
Article 3
“Women are entitled to the equal enjoyment and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. These rights include, inter alia:
- The right to life;
- The right to equality;
- The right to liberty and security of person;
- The right to equal protection under the law;
- The right to be free from all forms of discrimination;
- The right to the highest standard attainable of physical and mental health;
- The right to just and favorable conditions of work;
- The right not to be subjected to torture, or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”
According to the UN, violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, with an estimated 736 million women having been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lives. This is a horrible statistic, and our thoughts go to child and human trafficking in the US as a severe present-day contributor. The solution, according to the UN, lies in robust responses, including investment in prevention.
The article goes on to say, “While gender-based violence can happen to anyone, anywhere, some women and girls are particularly vulnerable – for instance, young girls and older women, women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex, migrants and refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or women and girls living with HIV and disabilities, and those living through humanitarian crises.”
The History
Let’s take a look at history in order to understand why we’re still dealing with this in 2023.
At one point in time, women were property that could be owned by a man. While ownership goes back to the Roman Empire, we need go back no further than 18th century English laws, which allowed a man to “discipline” his wife with a stick or whip. By 1920 we had advanced far enough for it to be illegal, in the US, for a man to physically abuse his wife. It took until the 1970s for real attention to be given to the problem. It wasn’t until 1994 that the Violence Against Women Act was passed and signed by President Clinton. That bill provided services and care for victims, and funding for prosecuting the perpetrators.
So, this problem is an old one. As with so many things in our world, within history we can see the growth and evolution of humanity. Not one of us is “less than” another. May we come fully to that realization one day. Over the centuries we have engaged in battle for a better world, and the battle continues, as it should.
A Better World at AMS
We are more than a little fond of the women (and the men) working at AMS Fulfillment, and we hope that no one is experiencing abuse of any kind. AMS has strong protections in place for our employees. First of all we provide a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with a confidential call line – 800-316-2796 – for any employee who is experiencing physical/emotional abuse at home, or has a family member in distress and is seeking counseling.
At work: AMS has harassment policies in place and these policies are outlined in our new hire orientation training. We also have required sexual harassment training; Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity (JEDI) training; and in 2024 we will begin Mental Health First Aid training for employees. These are in addition to extensive safety training.
We care about our employees at AMS, and we encourage any employee who feels they are being mistreated in the workplace to reach out to their leader, or any leader, or talk to Human Resources. HR will investigate and take timely and appropriate action.
#NoExcuse
It is painful to think of women and girls being trafficked in the US, right now, and women in some countries still being oppressed and enduring “less than” status. We encourage readers to visit the UNITY website [HERE] and see if there is some action you would like to take in addition to using the #NoExcuse slogan during this time period.
