For more information and to support the project please check

http://www.indiegogo.com/herstory-egypt

For French and German subtitles of our first two trailers please check

Trailer 1 featuring Sanaa Seif
http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/videos/jM8VojIFupS5/

Trailer 2 featuring Mona Hussein
http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/videos/cBE5J8KB1CXt

In Lebanon today there are an estimated 1 million migrant workers, of which between 3 -400,000 are domestic workers. Even though they comprise nearly one-quarter of the Lebanese population, their voices and views are regularly silenced and their rights trampled upon because of their national origin, class, and race.

One-third of migrant domestic workers will never be allowed to leave the houses they work in during their time in Lebanon, more than one-third report being physically abused by their employers, and 40% are not allowed to have their own rooms. These figures reveal that Lebanon is in breach of all international conventions of the human rights of workers. This International Workers’ Day, the Migrant Worker Task Force is refocusing the issue of workers’ rights on migrant worker rights.

In Lebanon today there are an estimated 1 million migrant workers, of which between 3 -400,000 are domestic workers. Even though they comprise nearly one-quarter of the Lebanese population, their voices and views are regularly silenced and their rights trampled upon because of their national origin, class, and race.

One-third of migrant domestic workers will never be allowed to leave the houses they work in during their time in Lebanon, more than one-third report being physically abused by their employers, and 40% are not allowed to have their own rooms. These figures reveal that Lebanon is in breach of all international conventions of the human rights of workers. This International Workers’ Day, the Migrant Workers Task Force is refocusing the issue of workers’ rights on migrant worker rights.

According to a 2008 Human Rights Watch Report, about 7-11% of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon suffer sexual harassment or abuse during their time in Lebanon, while over between 15-33% suffer physical violence.

In Lebanon today there are an estimated 1 million migrant workers, of which between 3 -400,000 are domestic workers. Even though they comprise nearly one-quarter of the Lebanese population, their voices and views are regularly silenced and their rights trampled upon because of their national origin, class, and race.

One-third of migrant domestic workers will never be allowed to leave the houses they work in during their time in Lebanon, more than one-third report being physically abused by their employers, and 40% are not allowed to have their own rooms. These figures reveal that Lebanon is in breach of all international conventions of the human rights of workers. This International Workers’ Day, the Migrant Worker Task Force is refocusing the issue of workers’ rights on migrant worker rights.

The workshop is part our Take Back the Tech initiative which aims to empower young women to use technology for activism. Our workshops are open, peer-led, and free of charge.

وبما أن هذا اليوم يحمل رمزية هامة لكثير من الجمعيات والنوادي الناشطة في مجال حقوق الإنسان، فقط نظم ناديا “حقوق المرأة” و”خبرات العلوم الصحية” العام الماضي في الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت ندوة عن الجنسانية تحدث فيها عدد من الناشطات/ين في مجال حقوق الإنسان.

أما هذا العام، فقد اختارت “المجموعة النسوية” و”جمعية حلم” ومجموعة “ميم” توحيد الجهود لاطلاق حملة مميزة بعنوان “الاستقلالية الجسدية والجنسية”، من المتوقع أن تجذب كثيرا من الاهتمام لموضوع الحقوق الجنسية والجسدية.

وتقول شانتال بارتاميان، احدى الناشطات في الحملة “أن الحملة ستكون عبارة عن اطلاق مجموعة من مقاطع الفيديو القصيرة التي يظهر فيها أشخاص من مختلف الأنواع الجندرية (نساء ورجال وغير ذلك) والجنسيات والميول الجنسية والانتماءات الدينية والأعمار والمظاهر الجسدية والاختصاصات المهنية، ليتحدثوا/ن عن التجارب المختلفة التي اختبروها في التعرض للقمع الجسدي والجنسي”. وتضيف شانتال “لن يقتصر الحديث على تجارب القمع، بل سيكون هناك مقاطع فيديو مصورة عن تجارب ايجابية لأشخاص نجحوا/ن في تخطي القيود القمعية المفروضة، ليتوصلوا/ن الى التحكم بحرية بخياراتهم/ن الجسدية والجنسية بعيدا عن الضغوط والمحظورات”.

من جهتها، تقول نادين معوض، ناشطة أخرى في الحملة، أن “الحملة تهدف الى ملئ الفراغ الموجود في التعامل مع مواضيع الجسد والجنسانية، إذ يتم دائما اعتبارها من الخصوصيات والمحرمات التي لا يتم الحديث عنها”. وتتابع نادين “الى جانب أهميتها القصوى في سلم حقوق الإنسان، تشكل الحقوق الجسدية والجنسية موضوعا سياسيا بكونها تخضع للتشريعات والقوانين ولمراقبة الدولة وقواها، كما الى الضغوط والقيود الاجتماعية والثقافية والموروثات وغيرها، ما يؤثر في علاقة الإنسان/ة بجسده/ا وجنسانيته/ا ويعيد تشكيلها بوسائل قمعية بعيدا عن حرية الخيار”.

أما فرح سلكا، ناشطة أخرى، فتؤكد أن الحملة لقيت تشجيعا وحماسا مفاجئين من كثير من الأشخاص الذين/اللواتي زاروا/ن “البيت النسوي” للمشاركة في التصوير والمساعدة في الأمور اللوجستية اللازمة. وتقول فرح “زارتنا سيدة متقدمة في السن من منطقة بعيدة، لتصوّر مشهدا خاصا بها في الفيديو، بعد أن شعرت برغبة في قول ما لديها، وهذا بحد ذاته أمر ايجابي ومشجع، يؤكد الحاجة للتحدث عن التجارب المتعلقة بالجسد والجنس”.

وستخصّص الناشطات/ون موقعا الكترونيا خاصا بهذه الحملة بعنوان www.jismi.net، لتبثّ عليه مقاطع الفيديو يوم التاسع من شهر تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر، مع الافساح في المجال لمختلف الزوار لارسال مقاطع الفيديو الخاصة بهن/م عن تجاربهن/م المتنوعة.

On November 9, 2010, the 2nd international “One Day One Struggle” Campaign to promote sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies will take place in 12 countries across Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia. With diverse, groundbreaking actions and events, almost 50 participating Human Rights organizations, Universities and Municipalities will simultaneously call for public attention to issues like Right to Information, Sexuality Education, Sexual Health, Bodily Autonomy and Sexual Rights of Individuals, LGBTTQ Rights, Sexual Diversity and Islam, Sexuality and Shari’a as well as the struggle to stop sexual rights violations ranging from Polygamy to killings of women, gay people and transsexuals. 

Hundreds will gather at panels, workshops, video and film screenings, theater performances, photo exhibitions and press release hearings in Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia and Turkey to assert that sexual and reproductive rights are universal human rights based on the inherent freedom, dignity and equality of all human beings.

Launched by the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), “One Day One Struggle” is a unique effort to underscore the joint struggle against the violation of sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies. 

Human rights, including sexual and bodily rights and freedoms continue to be under fierce attack in Muslim societies. Rising conservatism fueled by militarism, increasing inequalities, the politicization of religion and Islamophobia have strengthened patriarchal and extremist religious ideologies that use sexuality as a tool of oppression. This has manifested itself in various forms over the last year, be it as the revocation of the permit for the regional Asia Conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) by the police in Indonesia, or the harassment of conference participants by radical Islamist groups, or political pressure on a women’s group promoting women’s rights in Islam in Malaysia, or women like Sakineh Ashtiani being sentenced to death by stoning in Iran, or killings of hundreds of women and transsexuals in Turkey under the pretext of honor and morality.

Despite the differences among Muslim societies in terms of the progress made or the backlash encountered regarding sexual and bodily rights at the national levels; we believe that in the post 9/11 social and political context, religion is misused as a powerful instrument of control and sexual oppression with the goal of legitimizing human rights violations in the domain of sexuality. This indicates us that sexuality is not a private issue but rather a site of political, social, and economic struggles for equality, human rights, democracy and peace at the national and international levels.

“One Day One Struggle” was conceptualized in response to this context and launched on November 9, 2009. Over 20 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) successfully staged bold actions in 11 countries to promote sexual and reproductive rights in the scope of the 1st international campaign organized by the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR). The 1st Campaign succeeded in stirring international public attention and was very positively reviewed by national and international media and organizations who defined it as a historical and timely event. The ongoing human rights violations, as well as the international public appraisal of the 2009 campaign, have encouraged CSBR to continue this initiative and organize the 2nd “One Day One Struggle” on November 9, 2010.

With doubled number of participant organizations from twelve countries, this year we raise our voice even more strongly to claim our sexual and bodily rights and to carry on our struggle against violations of our rights and freedoms.  

In Lebanon, a group of activists held a panel last year on One Day One Struggle in AUB, where they talked about sexuality and issues related to sexual and bodily rights. For this year, Nasawiya, in collaboration with Helem organization and Meem, decided to launch a video campaign for sexual and bodily rights/autonomy on November 9, as part of One Day One Struggle International Campaign.

You can check the short videos that were shot in Nasawiya space on www.jismi.net, and dont forget to add your own video!

For more info call us on 01 – 216 984 or email us farah@nasawiya.org

The video showcases achievements in women’s rights in Lebanon and examples of what remains to be done.

The message of the video is simple: Change is possible. We just have to work on it.

If you’d like to us to take the training program to your university, school, organization or group, please write to farah[at]nasawiya.org.

The video was produced for our training program “Ghayreh 3adtik Bitzeed S3adtik – Feminist Tools for Change” which aims at empowering women with the knowledge, tools and resources to bring about change from a feminist perspective.

The message of the video is simple: Change is possible. We just have to work on it.

If you’d like to us to take the training program to your university, school, organization or group, please write to farah[at]nasawiya.org.

هذه المدخلة غير متوفرة باللغة العربية