International women suffer from a variety of issues that American women do not experience depending on what part of the world they live in. Some women suffer from issues such as war, female genital mutilation, sex trafficking, and ignorance of their human rights. Others live in progressive areas where women have the ability to run and hold governmental offices.
While the specific issues vary depending on the area or region of the world, the National Woman’s Council advocates for empowerment through a CollectiveVoice that unites women in all areas of the world. Bay Area Women’s Council supports campaigns that address important issues for women in the hope that women everywhere can make positive progress in their struggle against the specific issues that affect them.
- “More than 130 million women and girls alive today have been subjected to female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), which can have grave health consequences, including the failure to heal, increased susceptibility to HIV infection, childbirth complications, inflammatory diseases and urinary incontinence.” Source.
- “High rates of illiteracy among women prevent them from knowing about the risks of HIV infection and from knowing ways to protect themselves. A survey of 24 sub-Saharan African countries reveals that two thirds or more of young women lack comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission.” Source.
- “Every minute, a woman dies as a result of pregnancy complications, adding up to more than half-a-million women per year. Some 99 per cent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries, with over 90 per cent of those in Africa and Asia. In 2000, two-thirds of maternal deaths occurred in 13 of the world’s poorest countries.” Source.
