Monira Rahman, Bangladesh

Monira Rahman is a human rights defender, who works to create a society where women live a life free from the fear of violence. For seventeen years, her efforts have centered on ending violence, abuse and discrimination against women in Bangladesh. As Executive Director of the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) Monira has raised awareness and brought about institutional change, including new laws to discourage attackers and prevent future violence. ASF runs a 20-bed hospital and treats 600-700 acid attack survivors annually—many were attacked years ago and never received care. Through ASF, survivors also access mental health services and employment opportunities.

Conversations with Women: My Cup of Tea

Women at Tarango
Originally uploaded by americans_for_unfpa

I was never particularly a fan of tea. That is—of course—until I arrived in Bangladesh. As a child, I hated swallowing that warm herbal stuff every time I had a sore throat. Maybe the taste of tea is acquired as one gets older. Or maybe tea tastes sweeter when shared in good company. Either way, my conversations with women over a cup of milky, sugary cha have become my fondest memories of my time in Bangladesh.

I came to Bangladesh expecting to hear the story of Bangladesh women. I had the false assumption that I would learn what it means to be a Bangladeshi woman, a woman from the sub-continent, or even a woman from a Muslim nation. My damn science background sometimes leads me to believe that things can be placed simply into categories. But I soon realized that women’s stories were both complex and diverse. And every woman has many stories to tell.

After a dinner of dahl, dosa, and fish kebob (I almost burst out of my salwar kameez!), Deni and I sipped tea as Monira told us fascinating stories of her life. We laughed about her dangerous escape from untrustworthy men during a visit to the U.K. With nostalgia and a twinkle in her eye, she explained the way wearing her mother’s beautiful lilac and silver sari made her feel. As if we were old friends, she expressed the emotional strain of working with acid survivors for 10 years, her concerns for her two little boys, and her hope for new self-exploration. I left the night already anticipating seeing Monira when she is honored by Americans for UNFPA in New York City for her women’s rights work.

Kohimoor’s stories inspired me just the same. Although Deni, Semonti, and I were just expecting a tour of TARANGO, Kohimoor invited us for tea and—my favorite —mango. She shared the difficulties of once working in a male-dominated workplace (unfortunately, something many of us can relate to...), deciding to stop having children after the birth of her daughter in a culture that prizes boys, and her reliance on and respect for the members of the Women’s Leadership Forum that she created.

I wanted my travels to initiate a dialogue about our lives as women. As it turns out, these amazing ladies were already speaking. I just needed time to sit with them over a cup of tea, and start listening!

If we took the time to listen, we Americans would soon realize that we do not have to travel to “fix” the broken world. Women in every part of the world are taking charge and challenging the status quo. We need to support our sisters in struggle instead of thinking we have to do all the fighting for them. This means something as simple as declaring yourself an American for UNFPA, lobbying Congress to fund women’s empowerment programs, and to start listening to women themselves. We must be open and honest and supportive. And there is no better time to do so than over a warm cup of tea, or hey, even a Starbucks latte!

Advocating for Women: Stories from the Field

Thank you for joining us today to hear first hand about our experiences in Madagascar, Mexico and Nepal. We look forward to hearing your questions, comments, and your own personal experiences from visits to low income countries. Make your comments below or ask a question in the Post a Comment section below. You'll find out responses there as well!

From Rita Henley Jensen

As I write this, I have around my neck a string of beads and cloth sent to me by the women staying in Ethiopia's Tattered Rose, a resting place for women waiting to undergo fistula surgery. The founder, Rebekah Kiser, has been named a Leader for the 21st Century by Women's eNews. An independent sales consultant for Mary Kay. Rebekah founded Tattered Rose after a trip to Ethiopia. Women’s eNews heard about her and wanted to share the story with a much broader audience.

As Editor in Chief of Women’s eNews my job is to keep asking questions and supplying the answers about the issues women around the world face on a daily basis and the solutions to those challenges. I am delighted to participate in this on-line forum—which will introduce you to three women who change their own communities everyday. I welcome your thoughts and questions.

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Jesse Laymon, Dang Valley, Nepal

For a newbie world traveler like me, Dang Valley, Nepal was a series of firsts: first flight on Buddha Air (tiny plane), first ride in a UN jeep along the bumpy roads of a rural outpost, and then, to my utter shock, first ceremonial welcome… Aasmani is an impressive woman by anyone’s standards. Only a few years older than me, 15 years ago she began organizing small groups of Tharu women to pool their money and save it. For years she was resisted by the men in the community, by the local rebel leaders, and even by some of the women themselves. ...READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEOS

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Tanitra Partivit, Oaxaca, Mexico

Having travelled frequently to around the world it struck me as strange that before this summer, I had never gone to Mexico. Right across the border, perhaps I always thought that it was too close and not exotic enough…María del Carmen Elu Cayado is a famous social anthropologist who, early in her career, stumbled upon the high maternal mortality rate in Mexico. She has spent the last 40 years getting the Mexican government to include safe motherhood programs in their national health policies…We went to the village of Tlahuitoltepec, which is about three hours into the Sierre Madre mountains. The driver seemed to have our van confused with a Fiat. There was no slowing this man down. ...READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEOS

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Joanne Zurcher, Tana, Madagascar

Though I’ve seen the animated movie one too many times with my four-year-old son, I had never thought seriously about visiting Madagascar. But I found myself on my way to visit this African nation and meet Dr. Mathilde Rabary… I was six months pregnant on this trip so this was particularly interesting to me. We toured both a rural health center and a UNFPA-funded hospital in the capital Tana… Dr. Rabary has a powerful presence about her, yet she is extremely humble. In the week that we spent with her, I developed such a regard for her that it was particularly gratifying for me to attend an event where she receiving recognition and support for her programs from various other non-government organizations and elected officials from around Madagascar. ...READ MORE AND WATCH MOVIES

Upcoming Event: Advocating for Women: Stories from the Field

When: Thursday, September 11, 1pm-3pm EST
Where: Americans for UNFPA blog (www.americansforunfpa.blogspot.com)
What: An interactive online forum, moderated by Rita Henley Jensen of Women’s eNew

RSVP

This summer, three Americans for UNFPA staff members made their first trips to the field to witness the lifesaving work of UNFPA in Madagascar, Mexico and Nepal.

We met with women who exemplify how one woman can make a difference and documented their stories with photoblogs and videos.

On Thursday, September 11, we will feature these stories and our experiences in an interactive online forum moderated by Rita Henley Jensen of Women’s eNews.

Dr. Rabary, Dr. Elu and Ms. Chaudary advocate in support of local women. At Americans for UNFPA we advocate for the U.S. to support their work.

Join us between 1:00 and 3:00 on Thursday as we discuss the health and rights of women globally and what it means to us here in the United States. Ask questions about our trips and the programs we visited, and feel free to offer your own experiences with inspiring women from around the world.

Log on to the forum between 1:00 and 3:00 PM EST on Thursday, September 11.

Condom

Considering I’d never traveled to the developing world before, I adjusted to Ghorahi, Dang, rather quickly. Maybe it was the passage through Delhi and Kathmandu, but the chaotic streets, the mix of humans and animals, the ramshackle homes and scattered trash everywhere came to seem normal to me by my second day in the valley. I could see the parallels to the western world – Ghorahi seemed almost like a small Americans city minus the public services (police, building inspection, trash collection, etc.).

But Wednesday in the mountains was a different story altogether. And whatever appreciation of Aasmani’s programs I had Tuesday night would be dwarfed by my awe on Wednesday. This was when I learned why the people of Dang love her so much.

We drove Wednesday morning out of Ghorahi two hours on winding, narrow, steep, unpaved roads. Up into the mountains that surround Dang valley – and back down into the next little valley, and up again… For someone uncomfortable with heights, it was an edge-of-my-seat trip. All at about 10 mph.

Our destination was the first of two reproductive health-focused women’s meeting groups that existed under the umbrella of Aasmani’s RWDC. I understood going in what these groups would do: they would bring together women from a community to share knowledge about family planning, safe sex, and safe motherhood. They would do so through a combination of visits by UNFPA professionals and through the teachings of deputized local women (who were given basic training in reproductive health by UNFPA). That much wouldn’t surprise me.

What did surprise me, however, was the stunning context of the efforts I encountered that day. The groups met in huts or fields on the sides of mist-covered mountains, completely separated from the outside world. Women came to these meetings from across the mountainside, walking miles on dirt paths and up slopes to gain the knowledge these groups could provide. It was like your Sunday at church combined with a hike up the Appalachian trail. The homes they left had no running water; no sewage, no electricity. Few of these women had been taught to read. Their lives revolved around daily chores not meant to earn money or pay bills – but to produce the very food with which they would sustain themselves.

And yet, on this mountainside removed from the world as you and I know it, this place where everyone stared at me (as the only westerner they’d seen in years, perhaps), I heard the UNFPA nurse quizzing the teenage girls of the group:

Nurse: question in Nepali

Girl, front row: excited, with her hand held high, “Condom”

Nurse: second question in Nepali

Girl, middle row: “Pill”

That, I understood. No translation necessary. Here, against all odds, Aasmani has brought to the far-flung communities of Dang Valley a level of reproductive education that would make most U.S. middle schools blush.

Reading by Candle Light

Unfortunately, a storm Friday night blew out all electricity and for the remainder of my stay we had no lights. Boy was I thankful to have a few granola bar’s left in my suitcase stash! By Sunday afternoon, the hotel managed to get some electrical source in the kitchen at least, and we were able to get some food before our flight. I was thankful to have grabbed my trusty MagLight from my car just before leaving the U.S. so I had a flash light on hand at least. The hotel staff hooked me up with two candles and some matches and Joanne let me borrow a book and I took advantage of the time to relax and read. It didn’t feel like that much of an inconvenience, and it didn’t really seem to bother anyone else, so it made it pretty easy to take in stride. I took a taxi into the city center and walked around a bit, and realized how much smaller the city seemed than it did a week before. I finally began to recognize roads and realized how close things were if you were walking. The traffic in Madagascar is so bad that I didn’t realize centralized everything really was.

Before leaving we reconnected with Dr. Rabary, her family, our translator and Camera Crew. October suddenly seems really soon and I can’t wait to reunite with Dr. Rabary and meet our honorees from Mexico and Nepal. These few blogs entries barely offer a glimpse at the incredible programs for women’s health and dignity that UNFPA is supporting. The fun continues as I head home to produce a video to produce a visual illustration of her work and impact on the women of Madagascar.

Happy Independence Day

On any major U.S. holiday it’s always a little weird for me (Angeline) to be out of the U.S. Especially when there’s no way to commemorate it where you are. In this case, I had the fortune of attending the U.S. Embassy Party- and 11:30am outdoor BBQ that is annually the biggest party of the year in Madagascar. When I arrived at the party and Dr. Rabary explained who I was, the registration people seemed a bit confused. They seemed to be looking for me, even though I was right if front of them. Finally when they realized that “Angeline” was me they said--—you’re Angeline, I thought you were another Malagasy just trying to get in. Thankfully, they had my name on the invite list, and I was greeted with many familiar sights and sounds. Burgers, cupcakes, the flag, the anthem, and even home made chocolate chip cookies, made by students at the American school in Madagascar.

Though many people know Dr. Rabary, it was rewarding to see the impact of our press conference they day prior. I’d say a third of the guests approached us to congratulate Dr. Rabary after reading the articles in the numerous newspapers that announced the award.

I had the opportunity to meet a few more mayors who, like us in the U.S., are still trying to get more women into leadership positions. They spoke highly of Dr. Rabary, who we’ve forgotten to mention, was actually a Parliament member several years ago.

Dr. Rabary had another train the trainer session to attend that afternoon, so I had a chance to visit with her husband and take a ride into the countryside. Since her husband only speaks French and today I didn’t have a translator, it was a true test of my French skills, and somehow we managed! I think my plan to only bring that one book- Mastering French—really paid off!

Wedding Crashers

In our preliminary interviews with Dr. Rabary and her application, Dr Rabary mentioned civil status as a major factors in women’s rights. In most simple terms we equate civil status to a birth registration and/or social security card. Without it, your access to work, education, marriage is all limited. Malagasy people have to pay to get their children registered and unfortunately girls are often not registered because of the expense. Without registration a civil marriage ceremony is not possible and in turn, in the case of divorce, a woman has not rights for money or division of assets, if she was never registered.

Dr. Rabary and the center also work to improve women’s civil status, and we had the chance to see how this played out in a Civil wedding ceremony. Dr. Rabary often reminded us that lack of education/knowledge is a huge barrier and as such, they’ve integrated education into wedding ceremonies to help women understand their rights up front.

We arrived at what is the equivalent to a city hall in the U.S. to witness a civil wedding ceremony. Thanks to our driver Arthur, we were able to pick up a beautiful bouquet of flowers to present to the Mayors office for use during the ceremonies. Tons of families are lined up outside waiting for their families turn to be wed. We were greeted by the Mayor’s designee to perform the wedding ceremonies. As we took seats in the back of the room, it occurs to me how I (Joanne) feel like a wedding crasher. I remind myself that the bride and groom have been informed of our presence and have agreed to allow us to film the ceremony and attend. The ceremony itself is fascinating to me because the official from the Mayor’s office openly discuss divorce (both parties are entitled to half the assets) and family planning with the couple during the ceremony. The woman is 18 and the man is 28. They react shyly to the questions regarding how many children they want, the official states, jokingly, that there are only ten spaces in their family registry and to try to keep the number of children under ten! The joy of the day for this couple is on the faces of everyone attending the wedding. It was truly an amazing experience. Dr. Rabary insists that we stay for another ceremony and we do.

After the ceremony, we return to UNFPA offices to attend a press conference regarding our visit and Dr. Rabary’s work. I was again impressed with Dr. Rabary, she was concise and very media savvy. I (Angeline) can’t help but be a little surprised at how well media outside of the U.S. covers UNFPA’s work. Last year in Mongolia, when we visited Dr. Munkhuu, our arrival and Dr. Munkhuu’s winning of our International Award actually made breaking news on television. In Cambodia, when I visited Ms. Noeun, I was overwhelmed by the questions of the media and how much they wanted to know about Americans for UNFPA’s work. The press, both in Cambodia and in Madagascar actually hung out after the Press Conference just to get to know us and learn more.

In the afternoon we attended a Train-the-Trainer session that was part of the new CRS funded project. The training was helping in Dr. Rabary’s home in a bottom floor large conference room. In the midst of graduate students most of whom were just a few years younger than me, I’d guess, it was crazy to think I was in Madagascar. The students could have been in New York—they had the same style, hairdos, attention span, etc. as you see when you walk into any classroom. Many of the women filled out their lifelines so you should check them out.

SOS victimes du non droit

This morning we started the day seeing Dr. Rabary’s actual program “SOS victimes du non droit". Back in 1994 a woman was raped by 4 police officers and Dr. Rabary helped the woman. Soon after, Dr. Rabary set up a clinic in her home, realizing that many people didn’t know about their rights. She applied for UNFPA funding for the 1st legal advocacy center in Madagascar. She found 2 lawyers, who at the time agreed to work for free and Dr. Rabary’s own children helped with administrative work.

We met with the women that work at SOS and spoke to several victims and NGO partners that have benefitted from Dr. Rabary’s work.

We learned that one of the major problems is that in Madagascar most things are told orally—there is little documentation. Without documentation it is difficult to present a case. At SOS they give courage and support to victims to write a letter of complaint and press charges and they also help with amicable settlements. Like in the U.S. court processes are very arduous, and so the Center does feel like sometimes “Bad amicable solutions” and better than a “good trial” because there is less trauma and quicker resolutions.

The cases are not easy. In the case of battering, women now need to provide a medical certificate to prove it. On top of that, the certificate costs 6,000 Arial.

UNFPA helped Dr. Rabary produce a series of pamphlets on Justice, Access to Land, Family Law and Access to Work to provide women with the educational tools for empowerment.

From there we grabbed lunch at an Indian restaurant—there is a large Indian population in the U.S. I’ll note that they had music videos and good old “Usher” was on the screen. So not on my flight, per say, but still on the big screen in Tana.

We next hit the Justice Department’s Anti-Corruption Division. Dr. Rabary has made great strides in getting the Anti-corruption division to work with her to change the attitudes of the local police departments towards domestic violence. In fact, to their credit the Anti-Corruption division did a public opinion survey of the people of Madagascar to find out their experiences with the police has been and what is really going on at various police stations. What was more astounding was that they made this report public to anyone who wanted to read it. Dr. Rabary has partnered with the Anti-Corruption Division to make recommendations on what changes need to be made by the police in handling domestic violence issues. I had to admit I was a bit surprised that they let us film this discussion and that they talked to us about the various problems they face in changing the culture of the police department. To me that shows a real commitment to change.

After the Anti-corruption Division, we attend a dinner at Dr. Rabary’s house with her children and grandchildren. What a wonderful opportunity to talk to Dr. Rabary’s family and hear how they see her work. They are extremely proud of her, and as one son told us, “It is great validation for us, to have our mom receive this award from Americans for UNFPA because there were many times when she faced adversity that we suggested that she find other work that was less dangerous and more rewarding. Now we can see how Dr. Rabary’s work has truly made a difference not only in Madagascar, but around the world as well.” We were both overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of our hosts and enjoyed the evening immensely.

Voices from the Village

We began our day traveling to a rural village — Manankavaly.

This village is about an hour and half outside of Tana and mostly only accessible via dirt roads. We pass the time on the drive to the village getting to know Dr. Rabary and her husband better. Dr. Rabary has an excellent sense of humor and likes to laugh.

The ride was bumpy and beautiful. Below us we could see rice fields with an occasion worker tending to the fields. Above us we saw rich red soil and Mountainous soil trails. The road was unpaved, windy and narrow and at one point our car was over taken by a few zebu!

In addition to participating in the conversation, I (Joanne) am intently looking into any tree-lined areas for lemurs. I am rewarded when I spot one running through the forest. Finally, I can tell my son I saw a lemur.

A couple times a chicken/rooster cross the road in front of us. Dr. Rabary asked us if we knew what that meant. For a split second I (Angeline) thought—is she really going to tell us a why did the chicken cross the road joke??? Instead she explained that in Malagasy tradition, a chicken/rooster crossing in front of our vehicle suggests that we are bringing good fortune to the village.

When we arrive at the village, we are duly impressed. The mayor has made a huge effort to make a town for his constituents. There is a community center, an office building for the Mayor and a health center. It truly is a good-looking village center with a beautiful garden between the town hall and the health center.

First, we tour the health center. We are shown what would be the maternity ward and informed that each new mom-to-be must bring her own linens for her delivery. One of the main reasons for this is that there isn’t any capacity to wash the sheets at this time—there is no reservoir to bring water into the hospital area and the closest water source is 2 kilometers away. The room consists of four tables that are slightly cushioned and these are “beds” for labor and delivery. I (Joanne) think of my own upcoming labor how I will be delivering in a labor and delivery suite at Georgetown Hospital in Washington DC. I feel incredibly blessed to have the access to health care that I do.

We meet various women from the village who are waiting for various reasons to see the doctor on call. They are kind enough to let us take their pictures and be interviewed so that we can include their stories in Lifelines, our online global community for women. One woman in particular stands out, she is a new mom and she is dressed brightly in pink. Through our translator, I compliment her on her beautiful baby girl and she laughs. She offers me the baby, saying that she can be a very difficult baby at times. I empathize with her about how hard parenting is and tell her that I have a four year old at home. It strikes me that this woman and I would make really good friends if we lived closer. Motherhood is truly a universal bound.

We soon learn that the many women we saw walking towards the cultural center next to the Mayor’s office were not going to see an event. (We I guess they were going to an event, we just didn’t know we WERE the event) Apparently the Mayor had called a Town meeting in our honor. Over 400 hundred women (and a couple of men) came to hear us explain why we are in Madagascar and why Dr. Rabary’s work is so important. The village has a population of 4000 (…10% came to greet us!) but the mayor explained both for our visit and for medical services, people from other villages travel to Manankavaly.

The mayor spoke about what UNFPA could help them do to make the village even better and asked us to also speak to the audience about the work of UNFPA, Dr. Rabary and also our visit. I should note that the hospital for example is one that doesn’t currently get funding from UNFPA. The requests were big and small- from bed linens to an extension wing to the center. The mayor explains that a water source would enable them to provide water to the hospital as well as 2-3 surrounding villages. He explains that the village has enough money saved to pay the maintenance costs of a much needed ambulance, but they don’t have the savings for the actual vehicle.

When I (Angeline) addressed the crowd, I couldn’t believe the outcry of support. The number of standing ovations that both Joanne and I and the Mayor received when discussing Dr. Rabary’s achievements was a true sign of hope. We explained that Dr. Rabary would have the opportunity to speak to supporters in the U.S. about the needs of women in Madagascar.

Then the children’s choir sang us a welcoming Malagasy song and dances for us. It is amazing to witness. Both Angeline and I are very touched by the effort these children put into welcome us to their village. The mayor explained that a cultural center was necessary in town to give the children, in particular, a safe space to meet and interact. It’s interesting to see the investments in getting youth off the street.

The Mayor invited us to his home for lunch. The Mayor’s wife runs an apprentice program for Malagasy women to learn how to weave clothes and stitch intricate designs on fabric. These beautiful creations are then sold to help pay for the school. We tour the workshop and meet the women who are in the process of learning this craft and watch them turn thread into beautiful creations.

The Mayor’s wife is also a former nurse, and we chat amicably through our translator. It's a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the people of Madagascar and see how those with means live in Madagascar.

After lunch, we return to Tana to visit a UNFPA funded Hospital. The difference between the rural village health center and this hospital is night and day. We are amazed to find out that thanks to UNFPA, this health center has high tech c-section equipment and all the doctors are trained in performing of c-sections. Since they received the equipment in November 2007, they’ve successfully completed 30 surgeries and have had no cases of fistula since then either. But the doctor reminds us that their resources are still scares. They still need a labor room and a delivery room. And as a reminder that so much more needs to be done for even this hospital, in the room just next to the c-section room, three members of the hospital staff were making their own bandages and band aids.

We are blown away by the statistics that at the hospital they have only had one maternal death since 1998. Of course, that’s of the population of pregnant women with complications that make it to this hospital in Tana. We must remember that most women can’t actually get to the hospital and at best they are lucky if they are at least able to get to a clinic like the one we saw this morning in time to save the baby and the mother.

The doctor at the hospital explained to us that in Madagascar there are a lot of myths about family planning (and grave side effects) and often hesitation to use contraception due to religion. Contraception is available free of card, officially, however the hospital choices to charge a nominal fee because “things that are free are not valued.”

Next we leave the hospital to travel to the southern part of Tana to meet with a women’s networking group to interview them for our lifelines web page. These fascinating women from various economic backgrounds have come to meet us to talk about growing up in Madagascar and their various life experiences. Everything from what their childhood was like, what education background did they experience, to their marriages, life partners, and children. Definitely check out these stories on lifelines--for me the most poignant part of the conversation was after we finished the interviews and I was asked about life in the U.S.

One woman explained to me that the hardest thing for her was that she was a mom of two children, and both her husband and her had to work in order to keep a roof over their heads and keep the children fed. This woman felt lucky to have her mother helping her watch the children while she and her husband worked, but that the children were getting mixed up with other children that were introducing alcohol and drugs to her children. She asked me what we do in the U.S. about these problems. I explained to her that we face identical problems in the U.S. and that I wish I had the answers, but the best I could offer was what do with our children when we are home with them is to talk about these difficult issues.

The fight against violence is a long term effort

After a quick glance at Joanne’s blog from Sunday, we realize it’s a bit silly to bore you with two commentaries. So I’m going to infuse my comments into Joanne’s blog and we present it to you as one!

We begin our day by meeting with Mr. Benoit Kalasa, the UNFPA Madagascar Country Representative. He welcomes us to Madagascar and we explain our goals for our visit. We are touched by the enthusiasm that UNFPA has shown for our visit to Madagascar and how happy they truly are that Dr. Rabary has been chosen to be one of the 2008 honorees.

UNFPA works in 22 of the 28 regions of the country and we learn that 70% of UNFPA’s funding in Madagascar is directed towards family planning and health strategies like trying to put an end to maternal death. We learn that the government collaborates closely with UNFPA and has made a national commitment to equality and empowerment.

Next, we meet up with our translator and go to the opening ceremony for Dr. Rabary’s new program with Catholic Research Services. The project is being funded for two years and she reinforces at the beginning of her remarks that “The fight against violence is a long-term effort; it can’t be achieve in one or two years.”

What strikes me (Joanne) most during this press conference is that I had attended a very similar one in the United States in the 1990s, while working as a Capitol Hill staffer. The very same challenges regarding the stigma that surrounds domestic violence in the United States are the very same challenges they are talking about overcoming in Madagascar.

As a media person, I (Angeline) can’t help but notice Dr. Rabary’s powerful sound bites. She speaks of how with domestic violence there is not just one victim; the whole household are victims.

To victims she explains: “This is no longer the time to stay in your corner. You are NOT a dishonor. To give you hope and a ray of light in your life, know you are not alone.”

It is extremely gratifying to see Dr. Rabary receiving recognition and support for her programs from various other non-government organizations and elected officials from around Madagascar. Attending the opening ceremonies are representatives from USAID, UNFPA, several mayors from all over Madagascar, and various media outlets.

Dr. Rabary acknowledges Angeline and me during her presentation and I am a bit taken aback by the excitement and attention we receive from the audience. After the press conference, there is a lovely reception, where many guests inquire about our work with Americans for UNFPA.

After lunch, we meet the cameraman and head to Dr. Rabary’s home to begin taping her story and learn more about why she does the work that she does. Dr. Rabary shows us the very spot the grenade exploded when her home was attacked. Despite the trauma of an attack, she speaks of the incident with a sense of pride: she believes that she must be doing something right if there are people who are so desperate to keep her quiet that they would try to kill her.

During our on-camera interview with Dr. Rabary, we again she that she is a very good spokesperson for her programs and herself. We are starting to get a feel for why Dr. Rabary is so passionate about the work she does.

Angeline and I have dinner at a restaurant that specializes in cooking with Vanilla. While having dinner, a duo entertains the restaurant patrons with Beatle songs. At dinner, I truly don’t feel like I am outside the United States.

The Hills Are Alive

Angeline:
I had a little time to get a sense of the city again this morning, but this time Joanne Zurcher, Director of Legislative Affairs was with me. It was certainly a different experience exploring Tana with her than it was the day prior. Joanne- 6 months pregnant, fairly tall-even in the U.S., and more typically American looking than me was a sight to see for the natives. I’d noticed that the features of some of the Malagasy people were quite similar to Sri Lankans, but I didn’t realize how much I blended in, until I was with someone without the same fortune. Suddenly, we were bombarded with street vendors trying to sell us trinkets and keepsakes. People walked up and down the streets with packets of Vanilla (ahh, yes, the Vanilla Coast of Madagascar), spices, small wooden guitars, horns and the likes.

Unlike me who brought only one book with me on the plane (Mastering French), Joanne had a medley of historical information in her memory and Guidebooks on hand as back-ups. Lucky for me to be with such a prepared travel companion! She explained to me that the city is divided in two—upper town and lower town and the two areas are connected by a few steep staircases in different corners of the city.

Since we had an early start and it was a Sunday, the streets were quiet, most shops were closed and the few locals we encountered (outside of the street vendors) were dressed in their Sunday best returning home from Church. Music still emanated from the town center speakers—and today’s kick off song was Wamm’s Careless Whispers. Just next to the speakers was a bouncy castle, which again, I really didn’t expect to see, and then an outdoor market was on the opposite side. We laughed about the throw back to the 80’s but I still can’t deny that the familiarity of the tune was welcoming.

We soon met up with Dr. Rabary and her husband, as well as Gisele, our main liaison at UNFPA Madagascar; Solo, our translator; and Njaka, our cameraman. One of our primary purposes of the visit is to obtain footage to produce a video to show at our Gala in October where Dr. Rabary will be honored.

After going through the logistics for the upcoming week, we went to dinner at Le Rossini, which is the oldest house in Tana and used to be owned by Dr. Rabary’s mom. It was amazing to walk through the restaurant, and have Dr. Rabary point of bedrooms and playrooms that were now private dining and banquet rooms.

Dr. Rabary is very humble. She seems to have so many interests and a strong balance between them. She spoke fondly of her 5 children, their spouses and her grandchildren. She spoke with fond remembrance of her 1st husband, and shared the modern day love story of Mr. Arima, her now husband of 3 years. She was a teacher and a doctor and now works to provide justice for women through legal advocacy. In her spare time she crochets, knits and embroiders. Her life has been at risk many times because of her efforts to unveil and rectify human rights violations in her country. I’m sure I’ll learn more about all of this in the days to come…

Joanne:
After a jet lagged slumber, I wake up and get ready for my day of sightseeing with Angeline. I’ve done a lot of reading up on Tana and have several areas I am interested in seeing in town. As we got into the taxi to Tana, it is the first time I realize that I might be a bit taller than the average Malagasy citizen.

When we arrive in downtown Tana, it is a very quiet Sunday morning. There are a few people walking around trying to sell us their wares. Angeline and I decide to climb the steps to the upper portion of town to get a better perspective of Tana and buy a cup of coffee.

Lining the stone steps to the Upper Town are various Malagasy selling their wares and I begin to see abject poverty up close.

Upon reaching the top, Angeline and I turn around to take in the view of Tana — the size of Tana is what I notice first and how the mountains frame the city. It looks like a lot of coastal cities I’ve been to, in that the houses and buildings are built into the sides of hills. The only difference, of course, is that Tana is landlocked.

Sunday is truly a non-workday in Tana. All the stores are closed, with the exception of restaurants and patisseries. Instead, there is a small market that’s open and music is being played. Much to our surprise, the first song we hear played in Tana is from the band Wham.

As we walk along the upper town, I begin to realize how small the world is. I began noticing that families walking passed us dressed in their Sunday finest are on their way to church. We stumbled upon an old church, and upon further investigation, we believe it to be Protestant, as there are very few Catholic churches in Tana.

We spend the rest of our time sightseeing just walking around and taking in downtown. It is hard to do much with everything closed. After lunch at a small but tasty restaurant, we decide to check out the market. You can buy just about anything at this market, from beef to baby’s clothes. But nothing really strikes our fancy, and we move on.

As we are walking away from the market, a group of boys comes running toward us and begins asking for my empty water bottle. I am surprised that is all that they want and happily give it to them. Apparently, they want to use it to get water from the fire hydrant that had been opened.

We returned to our hotel to rest before meeting Dr. Rabary. At five p.m. sharp, Dr. Rabary, her husband Mr. Rabesara Arima, Gisele; our UNFPA liasion and Solo — our translator — arrived to meet with us and go over our itinerary for the week.

My first impression of Dr. Rabary is that her English is much better than my French. In addition, she has this presence about her that you know she is someone special and yet extremely humble. We discuss the itinerary for the week and decide when we will need the cameraman.

After getting the logistics for the week out of the way, our little entourage goes to dinner at a restaurant that's in an old house. The reason Dr. Rabary wants to take us to this particular place is that the house is the very house that Dr. Rabary’s mother grew up in. At first this seems to make the restaurant very special, but after talking to Dr. Rabary, you get the sense that her mother would not be pleased that her childhood home has become a public place.
After ordering our dinner, we are given a tour of the entire house, and Dr. Rabary tells us what changes have been made to the house and what each room was originally used for. Then we return to our table for a delicious meal and interesting conversation about life in the United States and life in Madagascar. As we are enjoying our dinner, I notice that a gentleman at the next table is wearing an Obama for President t-shirt. Once again, I am reminded how small our world has become.

Seeing More to Madagascar that I like to move it-move it

From Joanne:
Aside from seeing the animated movie one too many times with my four-year-old, I had never thought seriously about visiting Madagascar. Now, I am on a plane ride to visit this African nation and meet Dr. Rabary, one of our 2008 Honorees for the Health and Dignity of Women.

I am honored to be going, simply because I'm looking forward to meeting Dr. Rabary. From one phone conversation with Dr. Rabary and from reading her application, my first impression of this incredible woman is that she is a strong, dynamic leader who puts the welfare of the women in her country above her own personal safety and ambition. In addition, this trip provides me my first opportunity to see a UNFPA field program. I am very excited to see how UNFPA has made a difference in Madagascar and thus bring a more personal connection to my work in D.C.

Arriving in Madagascar: Finally, after 17 plus hours of traveling, I am in Tana, Madagascar. As I walk from the airplane to the terminal, I say a silent prayer that my luggage arrived and that I will find the driver that will take me to my hotel. As soon as I enter the terminal building, I am greeted by my driver—and I realize security is very different in Madagascar. He, along with many of the other travel agents picking up passengers, move freely between customs and baggage claim without anyone raising an eyebrow. He escorts me to the customs line and, after getting my passport stamped, sends me to get my luggage…which made it without incident! Considering that lost bags seem to be all the rage in the U.S., I'm extremely impressed.

As we drive to my hotel, my first glimpse is Tana by night. My impression is it’s 11:30 p.m. and there are an awful lot of people on the streets walking around. I quickly realize that Tana is a much bigger city than I had initially thought. In addition, I am struck by the poverty I see.

We reach my hotel and I am grateful to see Angeline has also arrived safely. We chat for a bit and make plans to explore the city tomorrow.

I Passed the Rains Down in Africa

From Angeline:
I am off to see UNFPA field programs in Madagascar and witness firsthand the tremendous impact that with the support of UNFPA, local women like Dr. Mathilde Rabary is able to have on her community. I must say, it is bittersweet that the last email that I received before my flight departed was an announcement that for the 7th consecutive year the Bush Administration had decided to withhold Congressionally allocated funds from UNFPA.

Determined not to feel defeated, I am even more excited to meet Dr. Rabary and share her story with Americans. Dr. Mathilde Rabary, one of three winners of our International Award for the Health and Dignity of Women, works to promote justice and rights of women – particularly victims of domestic violence- in Madagascar. Over the next week, as you read these updates, hopefully you’ll facebook a friend, or send them our blogspot link, and help spread this message to those who may not be as familiar with UNFPA’s work. And, I’m hopeful that as we spread the impact of UNFPA’s work beyond that of the 100k or so Americans for UNFPA’s supporters, that together we’ll be able to encourage our next President to restore U.S. support for UNFPA.

As for the plane ride, it was about 18 hours, and I think I ate more bread and cheese during that time than I have in the last 3 months. As you might guess based on that, I was flying Air France. It wasn’t as nearly as exciting a flight as the last one I took—there were no celebrity sighting, like Usher, who was on a flight with me earlier this month….

By the time I arrived in Madagascar it was nearly midnight on Friday. I was based in the Capital City- Antananarivo--- Tana for short. I was a bustling city: lots of traffic, lots of people and like many major cities, both extreme poverty and extreme wealth.

On Saturday, while I was supposed to be recovering from jet lag (which I like to pretend doesn’t’ exist) I wandered into town for some lunch and I couldn’t help but laugh when the first song I heard was “Africa.” Cheesily, that was of course the song running through my own head throughout the week prior as I prepared for the trip.

The song blared through the streets- a sound I actually like. It gave the area a real community feel. When I first moved to New York, I was staying with a friend in Brooklyn, and I loved the Latin tunes that her neighbors would play every Saturday afternoon. It made me want to go dance in the streets with them and the familiarity of the sound made me feel welcome—both in Brooklyn and Tana.

As I stopped in a convenience store to pick up some water, I was even more surprised to hear, in succession, No One- by Alicia Keys and Too Late by Chris Brown. Just one more reminder that though we sometimes think of Madagascar as worlds away… or experiences aren’t so different.

Mexico - The Last Day

Today was short and marked by several problems such as our translator canceling Tanitra’s ticket back to New York. Dr. Elu decided today – of all the days that she has spent in Oaxaca – she wanted to go to the Santo Domingo Church. We sent our camera guy along and I think he’s talented enough to turn the half hour she spent in the gift shop into good footage.

On our last day here we were lucky enough to catch a documentary about the teachers uprising 2 years ago. I was amazed to see so many women out on the streets protesting, try to stop the military from entering the city, and setting up food and aid stations. As we walked around the city you could still see evidence of the teachers strike, the economy has not fully recovered.

Since it was a short day, I’ll take this opportunity to make one final point about Mexico and reproductive health. Less than one percent of Mexico’s population is infected with HIV (like Niger where I visited last year). This is what they call a contained epidemic, still largely within the community of men who have sex with men and now sex workers. Like Niger, Mexico is spending a great deal of energy on HIV prevention, particularly among young people, before the epidemic spreads. (A concern is that some of the men who immigrate to the U.S. become infected and bring it back to their wives in Mexico.)

In fact, the UNFPA office is preparing for a huge HIV conference in August.

We’ve noticed is that there are no condoms on display in the pharmacies and wonder if there is a stigma involved with buying them and if that means condom use is low.

Place of the Cloud People

Early this morning we headed into the mountains to a town called Tlahuitoltepec for a midwives conference. Dr. Elu told us the drive would take 4 hours but we had Mario Andretti behind the wheel and made it in about two and a half. In 45 minutes we went from dry arid land into the lush tropical pine forest. Pines trees in Mexico?!

The town is one of those places where the lack of access to contraception smacks you in the face. There is just no getting around the child to adult ratio (and here, there are very few men).

The Mixtecas seem very stoic to us, though the kids run and scream and, while we were there, most of them spent their time playing soccer in a courtyard where the walls were painted with the words “no playing soccer here.” A few of the women surreptitiously took photos of Tanitra and we think it’s because they don’t often see Asians (she’s been claiming to be from Veracruz with some success but I guess she can’t fool the Mixtecas). On a side note, the Mixtecas call themselves "People of the Clouds." They live high up in the mountains beyond the fog. As we were standing on the cliffs we could see whiffs of clouds engulfing the valley below. We tried to be respectful when taking pictures of the Mixtecas. They don't like getting their pictures taken because they believe that their soul is captured in the image.

The regard between Dr. Elu and the midwives is clear. She said when she’s around them she feels happy “because they are the experience and the hope.” But, as is the case all over the world, these women are indigenous and are generally not treated well by the larger society.

The midwives expressed a lot of anger that they are not respected by doctors at health facilities. One talked about how it’s very important to the Mixteca that they bury the placenta when a child is born but at the hospital they just throw it away. This is shocking for the Mixteca but the hospitals seem not to care and so the women prefer to use their traditional midwives.

This area (in the state of Oaxaca) is known for an adult band and a children’s band. We had heard someone warming up on a trumpet for much of the morning and it made me think of how awful it was for my mom when I was learning to play the flute. But, when the band set up and started playing, they were terrific. In fact, I was really impressed that they played several songs without a conductor – that’s quite a feat for musicians with many more years experience.

Despite the music, lunch was (again) stoic. The women in village cooked huge pots of food and unloaded them from the back of a pick up truck. We had tortilla soup with chicken, tamales as big as my arm and, of course, Mescal (that was poured into Jose Cuervo bottles from gasoline containers). Apparently, after meals, the Mixteca dance because we were treated to quite a show – including, of course, Dr. Elu.

And then Mario Andretti got us safely back down the mountain.

Maria Carmen Lovefest

Today UNFPA hosted a reception for Dr. Elu which was attended by her family, colleagues in the NGO community and some officials of the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Elu is clearly revered and adored. Her husband told us that she is a feminist but he married her anyway. They married three months after meeting each other and will celebrate their 50th anniversary in December.

We thanked our colleagues at the Mexico City UNFPA office for hosting an event that allowed us to announce Dr. Elu’s award but they thanked us and said that because she was selected, it will help them with their work. It’s really nice for us to hear because, as a small organization, as our award only comes with a grant of $5,000. So we’re especially happy if our award offers the imprintur of “international recognition,” as it sometimes helps women who have to struggle against apathy or opposition from their communities and leaders.

This is obviously not true with Dr. Elu. While the government is not great on these issues, there is a support in the Ministry of Health and there is no obvious opposition to Dr. Elu’s work these days.

But we were delighted to hear that because UNFPA’s Mexico City office nominated Dr. Elu and their affiliation with her lends them credibility. Often the idea of being the AMERICANS can be embarrassing and hard to live up to. Rita told us a story of visiting UNFPA program in Bolivia several years ago and a woman who begged the Americans to fix her blind child because she was convinced that they could help. I’ve had similar uncomfortable experiences so it’s nice when we can sometimes spin the expectations into something positive for our friends and colleagues around the world.

Afterwards we had to say goodbye to Aldolfo (who was headed to Chicago with veterinarians to translate for them at a conference) and head to Oaxaca – where Mescal became a constantly offered drink. We were treated to full throttle Maria Carmen at the airport and she can be downright goofy. She makes everyone laugh, even when she’s cutting the line. We don’t even know what she’s saying and it’s funny. (She still retains her Spanish accent and I have trouble understanding her when she’s not speaking English.)

Despite all of us being pretty tired, we attended another love-fest for Dr. Elu where my Spanish had to suffice for Tanitra and Rita (a fate fit for no one) and where we were treated to Dr. Elu’s prowess on the dance floor.

Meeting Dr. Elu

The only agenda item for today was to finally meet Dr. Elu and interview her on camera but we filled up the schedule. It worked out pretty well though we had one of those moments when we needed to leave to make our appointment with Dr. Elu but we risked offending several people. Luckily, our translator, Aldolfo, seems to have figured out how to guide us through these cultural misunderstandings (read: get us to do the right thing) without our realizing he’s doing it so it all worked out.

It’s a good thing we have Aldolfo because I keep speaking Spanish to people – really badly. We were surprise to find out that Aldolfo was the go to guy for reproductive rights translations.

The Mexfam clinic we visited is in a poor neighborhood near Xochimilco, far south but still part of Mexico City. They provide a wide array of services including dental care and, we noted, the board at reception specifically listed Diabetes care. The clinic is clean and well-equipped but there was no water in the bathroom. Yesterday Ofelia acknowledged that Mexico receives less international aid for women’s health because, on paper, it looks as if the country is lowering fertility rates and combating maternal mortality. She also noted the disparity between urban and rural health care and she made a special point of saying that domestic violence is a very big issue for Mexico right now.

At 72 and despite her accident, Dr. Elu seems to maintain a great deal of energy. She bounded down the stairs and greeted us at her offices as if we were her long lost children. Born in Spain, raised in Cuba, she married a Mexican man and has lived here for 50 years. She’s got that warm, encompassing Latina personality that can melt the stiffest of Anglo exterior. And she’s hilarious. She showed us the scar near her hairline from the accident last year and insisted that it is not from a facelift.

And she’s a talker. We didn’t mention that she will only give a two minute speech in New York. I think she might have a heart attack and I’m sure she will pretend not to understand.

After all the interviews were finished we went to the zocalo to get footage of Mexican women. The zocalo is the main plaza in Mexico City and the largest in the Americas. It’s bordered by the anthropological remains of the Aztec’s central temple (Templo Mayor) that Cortez leveled to build the Cathedral and the National Palace where the legislature meets and the President lives.

Because it was too late to go into the National Palace, and because you really shouldn’t be in Mexico City without seeing at least one Diego Rivera mural, we went to the Diego Rivera Museum, which was built to house his masterpiece, Dream of a Sunday in the Alameda. This mural was in a hotel across the street but was moved to this location when the hotel was irreparably damaged by the 1985 earthquake. Paco, our camera guy who is a cameraman for telenovellas in his regular life, had no idea there was a Diego Rivera Museum or where to find it. I’ve started accusing him of being Paco el Bolivián because how can you be Mexican and not know the Diego Rivera Museum, I ask you?

Rita invited us all for a drink at the Opera Bar (probably because I had been raving about it). Tanitra describes the place as opulent. Very old school Mexico. Their claim to fame is a bullet hole in the ceiling, reportedly made by Pancho Villa once when he rode his horse into the place and started shooting. With Aldolfo’s help we talked about Mexican politics, the tax structure (which is severely flawed) and life in Mexico and New York. I have been speaking as much Spanish as I can and people are letting me do it without telling me that it’s like piercing their eardrums with an ice pick.

Mexico's #1 Fan

Mexico City is one of my favorite places so when our jury choose a woman from Mexico as one of our honorees, I was delighted to return to a city that I enjoy so much. My mother claims Mexico City should hire me to run their tourism board. I do understand that not everyone considers the sprawl and crowds of the world’s third largest city to be an ideal vacation spot but I love the art, the fact that you can find it everywhere, the architecture, the mix of old Mexico and super hip Mexico. It’s everything I love about New York, only Latino and fantastic in that way.

My reason for coming is Maria del Carmen Elu Cayado, a social anthropologist who brought the problem of maternal mortality into the light in Mexico and forced the government to add it to their national health plans. She was actually selected to be one of our 2007 honorees but before we could contact her, she was in a terrible accident. While driving in Chiapas a bolder fell on the car. She was near death but pulled through. We postponed her award until this year to give her time to recover.

Tanitra, our web maven and my Barometer-of-Cool, is also coming on this trip to learn more about video production. Also, we invited one of our board members, Rita O’Connor to join us. I came a few days early as the last time I had a business trip to Mexico City (back before the Jack Abramoff scandal and the new ethic rules in the House of Representatives that prevent us from taking members of Congress to see UNFPA’s work) I was frustrated at not having a free hour to stroll this city. So I came early and by the time Tanitra arrived Sunday I had already wandered my favorite streets, eaten at some of the city’s trendiest restaurants (thanks to my hipster cousin and traveling companion) and climbed the Piramide del Sol at Teotihuacan. Unfortunately, and to the chagrin of some good friends who were in Mexico City a few weeks ago, I did not get to the Lucha Libre (which means free wrestling and by that they don’t mean it doesn’t cost anything.)

On paper, and in some concrete ways, Mexico is the success story of women’s health. From a fertility rate of more than seven children per woman, the country has lowered the rate to just over two per woman (the same as the United States). But, as Dr. Elu and my colleagues in the UNFPA Mexico City office continually point out, there is a huge disparity between urban and rural women and one fifth of all Mexican women live in Mexico City. So the statistics are skewed to make it seem as if Mexico has transformed their health care system when this is only true in metropolitan areas.

With no specific agenda on Monday, Tanitra and I decided to take a laptop to Mexfam (the Mexico Family Planning Organization, part of the International Planned Parenthood Federation) and see if we could get them interested in our Lifelines project. We met with Ofelia Aguilar, the Director of Operations, and explained that we are trying to build a community of women who are not classified as givers and receivers of aid, but as individuals learning from each other and that, because of the challenging issues of Mexican immigrants in the United States, we thought it would be really great to have some strong, accomplished Mexican women highlighted.

We got a lot of support from the women at Mexfam, even Ofelia who allowed us to post her Lifeline. One of the directors invited us to her clinic tomorrow to interview two of her doctors.

These women only speak Spanish and have graciously allowed us to post their stories in English. This is generous of them. And I also want to point out that it would not have been possible without our excellent translator Adolfo, who is apparently, friends with everyone in Mexico City who works on women’s health issues. Everywhere we went in Mexfam’s considerably large (and beautiful) office compound people waved and greeted him by name.

Check out the Lifelines we got – just search on Mexico.

Aasmani, tribune of the people

Nepal is a country in transition, and Aasmani Chaudhary herself is emblematic of that fact. The nation has ousted its King, become a democracy, and is going through a struggle for the control of its Parliament between formerly-rebel Maoists and the traditional ruling party.

In Dang valley, these seismic national changes are not readily apparent – the region has been controlled by the Maoists for years anyway, and its remoteness gives it a certain insulation from tumult. But times are changing anyway, and perhaps for the better, in part because of the Rural Women’s Development Center and its leader, Aasmani.

She began 15 years ago (just as the valley was first being electrified; now roughly 40% of the people have electricity), organizing small groups of Tharu women (the Tharu are the ethnic minority that live in this part of Nepal) to pool their money and save it – empowering them with a level of financial independence Tharu women never had. For years she was resisted by the men in the community, by the local rebel leaders (who didn’t like seeing money that could have gone to finance their revolution spent on sewing machines and farm animals instead), and even by some of the women themselves. But her proof was in the pudding, as they say, and the success of her savings (and now microfinance lending) groups brought about the birth of more groups, such that everywhere we stopped in Dang valley during our visit Aasmani could tell me about the local women’s group there.

And as these women’s groups expanded in number and size, Aasmani saw the need to expand their mission as well. By the time of my trip, she could show me a literacy group teaching girls to read, a landless-peoples group working for the rights of the very poorest Tharu, groups of younger women talking about safe sex and family planning, and groups of mothers talking about how to tell if your pregnancy is encountering problems and you need to see a trained doctor or nurse. All while the microfinance and savings groups continue to empower the women of Dang.

Now, when the local political leaders encounter Aasmani, they know better than to fight her or disparage her work – instead they bow and honor her by way of currying favor with half the population that she understands better than any of them.