I have worked extensively as an attorney representing victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, not only as an attorney but also as a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem, since the 1990s. This work is in the front lines of stopping the violence of domestic and sexual abuse that has devastated so many of my clients, and it has been a privilege to directly assist so many women and children to provide them immediate personal representation.
I recognized the devastating struggle of violence and abuse when I watched A Path Appears, chronicling the investigative journalism of Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn from the series Independent Lens, broadcast on PBS. The Independent Lens website describes the film:
“A Path Appears, from the creative team behind the series Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, follows Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and a group of dedicated actor/advocates to Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, and throughout the United States. They uncover the harshest forms of gender inequality, the devastating impact of poverty and the ripple effects that follow: including sex trafficking, teen-pregnancy, gender-based violence, child slavery and the effective solutions being forged to combat them.” http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/path-appears/
In the documentary film, Ms. WuDunn, quoting Lu Xun, a prominent Chinese author, explained why they named their project A Path Appears, and stated, “Hope is like a path in the countryside. At first there is no path, but as more and more people walk, again and again — a path appears, meaning a solution appears, and that’s what we take from that title. It’s about innovative strategies for making a difference.”
When I heard these words, I was so taken with what she and Mr. Kristoff are attempting, to recognize and dignify the struggle of victims of childhood abuse and sexual and domestic violence, who are among the most vulnerable and hidden victims in every society in the world, by bringing forth their stories from the shadows to reach out to them and give them hope. It was at that time that I decided that I was being called to be more fully involved myself, not only as an attorney, but in an even more profound sense, to assist this struggle, on a daily basis. In the wake of the Rob Porter revelations, it is resoundingly clear that women and children in all social spheres are at risk. Today’s Washington Post has an op-ed focusing on this truth, Five Myths About Domestic Violence, by Susan R. Paisner. http://wapo.st/2CHvpyM?tid=ss_mail&utm_term=.b70eaca1e37f
With the #MeToo movement and #TimesUp movement, women across the globe can unite in an unprecedented fashion, with the dignified strength of their understanding of not only their universal shared experiences, but also of their universal shared goals.
As one of my heroines, Eleanor Roosevelt, famously said, “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.”
