You know that show that catches you on television; the one that you didn’t know you cared about but was so compelling, you couldn’t stop watching?  Or the video that becomes viral because it touches something in each of us we didn’t know was there?  Or the group of women you don’t see often enough but when you do, it feeds you for months afterwards? 

That feeling, that profound connection with our humanity, is why you want to see Abby Disney.  We see the violence on television, war torn countries with bloody streets and white sheet-covered bodies.  For us the story may be a two minute news spot.  For those living in war torn countries, it is their life. 

We often hear of military casualties, we might even hear the language “collateral damage”.  Abby Disney puts a face and a story to the women who are disproportionately impacted by war and subsequently left out of the peace-building process.  You will feel the intensity of the situation and you will also hear the stories of hope, reconciliation and deep, lasting peace.

Women, War and Peace is a series that you will want to record and watch with your family (not for young children!)  Share the experience of listening and learning from Abby Disney on October 24^th.  Bring your partner, your girlfriends and your humanity to spend some time with a woman who brings the often silenced voices of women to public television.

You won’t want to miss the opportunity to meet Abby Disney in person on:

October 24^th, 2011

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Arena Grand Theater

Click here for tickets.

Program provided with support from The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio and WOSU Public Media.

Modern day slavery is the second largest criminal industry in the world. 

Good local news on the Human Trafficking front:  On December 29, 2010, then Governor Ted Strickland signed legislation which brings Ohio up to speed with 44 other states that criminalize sex and labor trafficking.  Ohio has an estimated 6,316 persons at risk of human trafficking, with 1,861 trafficked into sex or labor trade. Some 1,000 American-born children are forced into sex trade in our state each year. These numbers are some of the highest among the 50 states. Now the crime carries punishment as an eight-year prison sentence.

Good National progress too:  Nearly one year ago, the “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Support Act” was introduced to provide critical support to sex trafficked children, crack down on sex traffickers, and create the shelters so desperately needed for the 100,000 underage girls exploited for commercial sex in the U.S. each year.  On December 9, 2010 the United States Senate unanimously approved this groundbreaking piece of legislation, sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden (OR) and Senator John Cornyn (TX). 

What we are doing as a Women’s Fund?  We partner with the local Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition.  We also introduce a new Grant Partner, Doma International who combats the rise of human trafficking while empowering victims to overcome their fear, pain and anger.

There is no doubt there is work to be done.  We also believe it is important to celebrate progress.  To all of those advocates who worked tirelessly on this issue, to all the women and girls who have escaped the life, and to those sisters still trapped, there is hope.

Liz Shirey of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University shared her thoughts on the recent conclusion of this year’s NEW Leadership Ohio program:

It’s been almost five days and I’m still buzzing from the emotional high I get from participating in the NEW Leadership Ohio Program.  It is by far my favorite time of the year, and this year’s class did not let me down.  I was amazed at the diversity in the room.  The 2010 class consisted of 29 women ages 19 through 40+, from 17 different colleges and universities and seven different countries, and majors ranging from biological sciences, international business and environmental pre-law to psychology, political science and organizational leadership. 

Some of the highlights from the week include a $tart $mart salary negotiation workshop facilitated by the founder of WAGE (Women Are Getting Even), aimed at eliminating the gender wage gap for every woman in America;   a very intimate and inspiring session with Supreme Court Justice Eve Stratton; a panel discussion about the ups and downs of campaigning and serving in office with Democratic and Republican women currently running for local and statewide elected office;  and a speed networking event with women working in the public and non-profit sectors, co-sponsored by Ohio Women in Government.  Speaking of “networking,” that seemed to be the unofficial theme of the week.  We heard over and over again from our speakers, panelists and facilitators that professional success depends upon the strength of your network, and that it is especially important to build and nurture a network of positive, passionate and supportive women.  One of our participants described it as a “Sister Circle.”  

 We were so honored this year to have Anne Kornblut, Washinton Post political correspondent and author of Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and What it Will Take for a Woman to Win, as a guest on our panel for our keynote dinner.  Joining her were Janet Carson, Geauga County Democratic Party Chairwoman, and Traci Saliba, former candidate for State Representative in the 2^nd House district.  It was an engaging and enlightening discussion about what is being done to identify and cultivate women to run for office and what it will take for a woman to be President in the near future.

The week came to a very emotional end on Friday.  We started out with time for the women to reflect on their experiences. Many of them responded by saying that they had never been part of such a diverse, supportive, and close-knit group of women.  Some shared personal stories of overcoming shyness while learning to network with women throughout the week; others talked about the ways in which they will take their newly formed leadership tools back home and use them to affect positive and lasting change in their community.  We had more than half of the group announce that they were running for office and the other half volunteering to manage their campaigns.  We also heard an impassioned plea from one woman for everyone to stop and think about giving a financial contribution to support NEW Leadership instead of buying that next cup of coffee from Starbucks or that pair of shoes they don’t need.    As we walked to our closing luncheon featuring guest speaker TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney, founder and CEO of The Women’s Book, the women were exuding confidence and camaraderie, the likes of which I did not expect to see.

Words can’t describe our gratitude to the Women’s Fund for continuing to fund and believe in this program that literally changes lives.  It changed mine, and one of the greatest gifts in my life is being able to share it with other women.  Thank you WFCO for being part of the NEW Leadership Ohio Sister Circle!  

Written by: Liz Shirey