LONDON (Trust Women) – From groundbreaking research into the legality of prostitution and its effect on trafficking to the creation of a crack team of pro bono lawyers dedicated to defending women in Arab Spring countries, the inaugural Trust Women Conference agreed on concrete action to put the rule of law behind women's rights.
Co-organised by Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Herald Tribune, the two-day event in London brought together pioneers of women's rights including Nobel laureates Aung San Suu Kyi and Shirin Ebadi, Queen Noor of Jordan and Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
Headline actions from the conference included:
- Major new research into the legality of prostitution in different countries and its impact on trafficking
- Innovative solutions to channelling money to grassroots women's organisations in Arab Spring countries
- A call for major international banks to work with law enforcement agencies to identify financial transactions that may indicate trafficking
View the complete list of actions here.
Monique Villa, chief executive officer of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: "From around the world, the first Trust Women conference assembled a remarkable community of men and women, every one of whom brought unmatched passion, knowledge and commitment to putting the rule of law behind women's rights. They arrived at the convention brimming with ideas and left with concrete plans to take action against some of the greatest threats to women globally, including trafficking, slavery and female genital mutilation. This is just the beginning, but it is a very strong start. "
Alison Smale, executive editor of the International Herald Tribune, said:'' The depth, breadth and intellectual power of the discussion at the conference was extraordinary, and it is now up to all of us to maintain that momentum, spread the word and -- as appropriate in all our different fields -- committing action.''
Highlights of the conference included:
- Politician and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali described the difficulties involved in shedding entrenched traditions, such as male guardianship of women in Muslim societies.
- Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy gave examples of women "using culture to fight culture" in their communities: "There is a silent revolution taking place in Pakistan with women who are speaking out, with women who are challenging the status quo and with women who are using the law to empower themselves."
- In a keynote speech, Queen Noor of Jordan said the lack of progress for women so far should not be deemed a failure. "All revolutions, as sudden as they sound, rarely produce results immediately. Momentum builds over time. It can take years or generations."
- There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in history. This was the startling claim of Benjamin Skinner, from the Schuster Institute for Investigative journalism. He also said that the amount of money the U.N. spends in a year to fight slavery is less than the money spent in a day on the war on drugs.
- The conference honoured two extraordinary women. Judi Aubel won the Trust Women Hero award for her innovative work promotes change through capitalising on the wisdom and experience of community grandmothers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Mexican journalist and activist Lydia Cacho won the Trust Women Honorary Journalist Award for her courage in investigating trafficking and corruption.
Trust Women seeks to empower women to know and defend their rights. It aims to drive innovation and partnerships by connecting legal expertise with the financial, technological and educational resources that enable women to exercise their rights.
For more information or interviews, please contact Conor O'Loughlin at the Thomson Reuters Foundation on +44 207 542 1815.
For videos click here. For photos click here.
For any further information and more on next year conference please visit: www.trustwomenconf.com or follow @trustwomenconf on Twitter.
Notes for Editors:
1. Established in 1982, Thomson Reuters Foundation is a registered charity in Britain and the USA. The charitable arm of the world's leading provider of news and information is committed to empowering people in need around the world with trusted information and free legal assistance. The Foundation leverages the skills, values and expertise across Thomson Reuters to promote the rule of law, save lives in disasters and improve standards of journalism. Our initiatives stand for better governance, greater transparency, more effective humanitarian relief and a robust global press. The services on Trust.org, the Foundation's portal site, build on the humanitarian-information initiatives and journalism-training programmes of the Reuters Foundation.
Visit the Foundation at http://www.trust.org.
2. The International Herald Tribune (IHT) is the premier international newspaper for opinion leaders and decision-makers around the globe. It combines the extensive resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times, is printed at 40 sites throughout the world and is for sale in more than 160 countries and territories. Based in Paris since 1887, the IHT is owned by The New York Times Company.
For more information about the IHT, visit ihtinfo.com
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