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March 10, 2017 | Deeds Digest No. 42
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Happy Friday #ChangeMakers!!!
Oh my goodness, what an amazing week this has been for our team at Deeds Not Words! This week alone, joined by Allies against Slavery, we conducted advocacy trainings at 4 high schools – the Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, Skyline High School, the Barack Obama Young Men’s Leadership Academy (all in Dallas) and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders (in Austin).
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It was breathtaking, honestly, to see these amazing young women and men as they transformed their passion for preventing the sex trafficking and sexual abuse of minors into advocacy for legislation that will create a statewide education program to help other young people protect themselves from sexual predators.
Each of these amazing young #ChangeMakers had previously gone through the training curriculum provided by the Nest Foundation that seeks to foster an environment of empowerment for young men and women to keep them safe. Wanting to see that curriculum provided on a more wide-spread basis, our advocates began the work of helping to craft legislation and will now be an important part of supporting two bills (thank you, Senator Judith Zaffirini and Representative Senfronia Thompson!) at the Texas legislature that will do just that.
Additionally, in Austin, approximately 100 students from several college campuses across the state came together last night for advocacy training to support key pieces of legislation that will create a better system for preventing campus sexual assault and for providing better response mechanisms when those assaults occur. We were thrilled to be joined by State Senator Kirk Watson, State Representatives Donna Howard and Victoria Neave, and the chief of staff for Representative Joe Moody. Each of these legislators walked our advocates through their important bills, answered questions and gave important tips on how to be an effective advocate. Our thanks to #NotOnMyCampus members who were an enormous help in making the evening a success. Their story is amazing, and I recommend clicking the photo below to learn more about it!
With each of these groups, we practiced techniques to be effective advocates, including the use of personal stories to make a compelling case to lawmakers. (See one of our most powerful practice testimonies here!) And we walked them through the process of how to track a bill’s progress through the legislative process and informed them of key points where their voices can effectively be added. We’ll be working closely with them through the remainder of this legislative session to assure that they are poised to succeed in the passage of these important laws.
So, if you are around the Texas Capitol in the coming weeks, look for our amazing #ChangeMakers. They’ll be the ones walking around with their heads held high, their shoulders back and their mission driven faces beaming with the knowledge that they are making the world a better place. If you live outside of Texas, not to worry! We’ll be making our way to your state soon!
Keep up the amazing work, #ChangeMakers! I am in awe of you – each and every one.
xo,
-wendy
P.S. Reading this for the first time? Be sure to subscribe below!
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This week’s #ChangeMaker: Roma Guy
This week’s #ChangeMaker is Roma Guy, long-time LBGTQ+ and women’s rights activist. Recently featured in the ABC Miniseries When We Rise, Roma’s dedicated career in social justice spans over 40 years. In the 1970s, Roma co-founded SF Women Against Rape and The Women’s Building - promoting inclusivity of LGBTQ+ #changemakers in the women’s movement. Her organization is still running today and has sponsored over 170 partners, including a shelter for battered women in California, the Women’s Foundation of California, and Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center. A long time advocate for healthcare Roma was most recently a professor for the Department of Health Education at SFSU. Thank you for the lifetime of service, courage, and innovation, Roma!
Know a hero making a difference in their community? Upload a picture of someone you’d like to see as #ChangeMaker of the week to Facebook along with their story, and you might just see it in the next Deeds Digest. Either way, it helps to spread the love and empowerment! (Don’t forget to tag our page so we see your nomination!)
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“Her eyes just pierced my soul. They fixed on me and I knew something was wrong and I needed to help her.” #ChangeMaker Sheila Frederick saved a young victim of human trafficking while working as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. Airports are hubs for sex trafficking, so airlines have started training flight attendants to notice the signs of trafficking and take action. Way to go, Sheila!
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After searching for work in Kyrgyzstan to support her children, Luiza Karimova was sold into slavery. Tricked into thinking she was registering as a waitress, Luiza’s photo was taken, and she was forced to work as a sex slave in a Dubai nightclub. Read her harrowing journey to freedom, and how she works now to protect other women from falling victim to similar scams.
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Did you see what State Street Global Advisors did for International Women’s Day? The investment management firm unveiled a statue of a fearless girl in Wall Street - symbolizing the future of American finance led by fierce women! It is part of their campaign to demand that the 3,500+ companies in which they invest increase the number of women on their corporate executive boards. “Most large cap company boards... have yet to fully embrace gender equality in their ranks. We believe boards have an important role to play in increasing gender diversity and believe our guidance can help directors take action now.”
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As this International Women's Week winds down, we're reminded of the awe-inspiring March On Texas t hat helped activate so many women warriors. Our founder Wendy Davis delivered a truly memorable call-to-action to #ChangeMakers that you can view here!
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There are plenty of “alternative facts” out there about women’s rights. Let’s debunk some of these myths:
MYTH: Laws restricting access to abortion protect women’s health: Since 2011, legislators have cited outright lies to pass 288 laws restricting access to abortion. Many of these TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) laws “are contrary to accepted medical practice and are not based on scientific evidence. In fact, [they] impede women’s access to such care by imposing unjustified and medically unnecessary burdens on providers,” According to the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and the American Medical Association.
MYTH: Planned Parenthood only provides abortions: The Susan B. Anthony List recently spread an email full of ‘alternative facts,’ including the myth that Planned Parenthood does not provide cancer screenings. However, Planned Parenthood does in fact provide breast cancer screenings, along with cervical cancer screenings, STI testing, and sexual health education for both women AND men.
MYTH: Women earn as much as men across the U.S: A recent study by WalletHub shows that women’s income and social welfare varies significantly from state to state. States were ranked from best to worst on women’s median income, preventative care for women’s health, and female homicide rank. Turns out, women have it better in Minnesota, Vermont, and North Dakota, while women in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi are still facing the steepest uphill battles to equality.
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Fight Sex Trafficking in Your Community!
What can you do to stop sex-trafficking? Our partner Allies Against Slavery provides some ways to get involved and become an expert ally against traffickers.
Here are a few simple things you can do over the next 10 days, 10 weeks, and 10 months!
In the next 10 days:
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Read a book on modern slavery like The Slave Next Door
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Save the Human Trafficking Hotline Number: 1-888-3737-888, so you can speak up if you see something wrong!
In the next 10 weeks:
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Watch the films Call + Response or Very Young Girls with fellow #changemakers. Challenge each other to “be the response”!
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Commit to buying one fair trade item, such as coffee, chocolate, tea, or sugar.
In the next 10 months:
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Consider becoming a mentor for a vulnerable or under-resourced youth, invest in a neighborhood ministry or volunteer at your community center. Building strong and healthy communities and families helps prevent trafficking.
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Convert a small percentage of your essential consumer spending to fair trade. It’s an easy way to build justice into your regular spending. Put consistent pressure on your favorite companies and brands to insure supply chains are slave-free.
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