Student Reports on Paris Conference: Violence Against Women

Alyssa Barilotti, an International Studies student at Arcadia University and study abroad student on Arcadia in Paris, attended the International Conference on Violence Against Women, hosted by the American Graduate School (AGS) in Paris. She writes her incredibly descriptive and thoughtful article detailing her experience below.

On November 25th the global community celebrated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. To commemorate this day, the American Graduate School (AGS) in Paris pulled together amazing speakers from all over the world into one theater to address the issue of violence against women in its first Violence Against Women International Conference held on November 28th.

Being one of those lucky people in attendance, I can happily say that this conference was one of the most influential that I have ever been to. Organized by AGS faculty and staff, this conference was broken into four major sessions, violence against women in law, conflict, culture, and finally winds of change, with speeches made by leaders in the field of fighting for women and their rights.

Being a part of this conference taught me so much, and personally made an impact on my views about the violence that is being committed against women. Throughout the conference, the audience heard true stories of women who were forced into marriages at the age of 14, women being raped in conflict and war, and cultures that still are very much affluent in honor killings. The Istanbul Treaty, which was created by the Council of Europe on the Convention for the Prevention and Combat of Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, was analyzed by lawyers, chief prosecutors, ambassadors and heads of state throughout the day.

The speakers brought to our attention that many women needed a voice, our voice, in order to help them overcome some serious discrimination in today’s world. Truthfully, before this conference, I had no idea just how in-depth and widespread these atrocities against women actually went.

Dr. Tobe Levin, a professor at Lady Margaret Hall of Oxford, and Vice- President of FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development) had passionately described about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the safeguarding the health of African women and girls.

Marlise Simons, a journalist with The New York Times, enlightened the crowd about the International Courts and their role in dealing with mass rape in conflict. The crowd sat in stunned silence as she mentioned women who bravely testified about being raped by soldiers, some testimonies coming from three generations of women, the grandmother, mother, and daughter. Filled with sobering speeches, this conference was able to achieve not only awareness, but action towards ending violence against women. Questions were collected in order to be sent to the European Council, and donations were taken in order to help the women in need.  This conference offered all in attendance a way to be informed about the violence against women, as well as the opportunities to make a difference.

Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the UK Crown Prosecution Service, told us of his work in the rights of women, as well as forced marriage, FGMs, and other cases. He told the audience of a woman he was helping who was forced into marriage.

On one meeting, he noticed that she wore her wedding ring on the wrong hand. As he pointed this out to the woman, she told him she put it there purposefully. She said that she didn’t believe her marriage to be legal, because she did not give consent to this marriage. The ring was her way of speaking out, of being defiant of the situation she was forced into.

While the conference continued, I kept coming back to this one story, this one woman, this one ring. It was only after hearing all of the speakers did I realize that we, as a global community, need to be her voice. We need to be any woman’s voice. We need to stand up against all violence against women, and educate others on these atrocities. We need to be the ring on the opposite hand, and more, in order for these women to enjoy full equality.

This well organized and important conference opened the eyes and hearts of all in attendance. The speakers, as well as the conference itself, will continue to inspire and mobilize against the violence towards women!”

For more information, see AGS’s pre-conference press release. The program booklet is available as a PDF.