Last night I had the great privilege to cover the performance (and following Q&A session) of the documentary play “Seven” brought to the stage through Vital Voices Global Partnership. Vital Voices is a global non-governmental organisation whose mission is to identify, train and empower emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the world. They are involved in supporting women as advocates for human rights, in creating women political and civil society leaders in societies in which women rarely have any rights whatsoever, in places where spousal abuse, violence against and oppression of women are the horrific norm.
“Seven” brings seven writers together to document the lives of seven women who have, often through great personal pain and loss, gone on to fight not only for their own rights, but the rights of all other women in their societies. The stories are told by way of monologues, and it is impossible not to be deeply moved by each and every one of them. The women tell stories of rape, abuse, lack of rights to education, lack of rights to medical treatment, threats on their lives – and many stories of suicide by women who could no longer stand the humiliation bestowed upon them, often by their husbands and family. Stories of women taking their children to their death with them. These women have built shelters and humanitarian programs to protect other women, have built educational programs to enable them to live independent lives and are shaping governments all around the world as leaders.
It is beyond the scope of this blog to write in detail about each of these amazing women (Hafsat Abiola (Nigeria), Farida Azizi (Afghanistan), Marina Pisklakova (Russia), Mukhtaran Mai (Pakistan), and Mu Sochua (Cambodia)) but it was a great privilege to meet and attend a Q&A session with two of them: Annabella de Leon (Guatemala) and Inez McCormack (Northern Ireland).
Annabella de Leon has risen from extreme poverty to become an attoney, member of Congress of the Republic of Guatemala, and an outspoken advocate against corruption in the Guatemalan government, a position which has seen her life threatened so many times that she is now lives under a protection order decreed by the Organisation of American States. Her profile is such that last nights “videographer” was in fact a production team from CNN!
Inez McCormack was born and raised a Protestant in Northern Ireland, yet married a Catholic and has become a longtime activist and bridge-builder among different religions and cultural coalitions. Having worked closely with Hilary Clinton on the first Vital Voices conference in Northern Ireland in 1998, she has worked on training programs for Catholic and Protestant women leaders who help build peace and economic progress.
Listening to these women talk about their lives, the challenges they meet on a daily basis, the barriers they have overcome to be what they are today was truly and deeply humbling and uplifting at the same time. Before last night I was not aware of the existence of the Vital Voices Global Partnership and as a woman I am incredibly grateful that such bodies exist to help women grow, to enable them, to become not just free, but to become LEADERS, to give hope and inspiration to other women.
The Q&A was followed by a VIP drinks reception hosted by Baroness Mary Goudie, who is member of the Board of Directors of Vital Voices, and was attended by many other high profile supporters of the cause.
If (like so many people I know) have read and been moved by Khaled Husseini’s fictional work “A Thousand Splendid Suns” then I urge you to click on some of the links provided. The stories are, at least in my humble opinion, overwhelming and inspiring.
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