Dear UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
As a survivor of domestic violence and severe sexual childhood abuse this theme and movement for a better world runs deep for me. I have forgiven my perpetrators for it set me free and alllowed my family to have a semi better life with huge pockets of joy. My heart is free my mind wide open and arms ready to embrace the educating of our soceities our communiites our youth as to what is acceptable behavior and what is ok for them to encounter and simply what is NOT! I hold steadfast that Compassion for all human beings is the root of gender equality. I understand today that what my young offender did not have was the understanding by his divorced latina mother that it was ok to be a child a young man who simply wanted to play with his friends in the courtyard. He sadly was being forced too soon to be the man of the house and I suspect caretake for mothers other "needs" Education, opportunities, health care, freedom of thought and movement are the birth right of all human beings. Both sexes suffer from the inequality that is present in many societies in the world today. People of both sexes lose sight of their common humanity with the opposite sex. We need to encourage the kind of sustainable change that will really make a difference to women and men all around the world. We need to make these changes with the motivation of compassion for all peoples and we need to take it into the streets into our community backyards and into the minds and hearts of our youth for that is wheer the mindset can begin and set solid foundation.
Sincerly,
Ana Maria Sanchez, MS
Author of Girl From The Hood Gone Good/Empowerment Counselor & Speaker/Master Shaman Reiki Healer
