| |
Act Now!
Sample Letter or Email to Leaders in Haitian Earthquake Relief Effort:
Dear ________,
I applaud your leadership and quick response to the earthquake in Haiti. I understand that an earthquake of this magnitude affects all people in its wake. When disaster strikes, however, women and girls have special needs due to pre-existing historical, socio-economic, political, and cultural conditions. I am writing today to urge you to address the unique post-disaster issues and needs of women and girls in Haiti.
In the aftermath of a disaster women and girls are more vulnerable to domestic and sexual violence, and are more susceptible to sexual exploitation and trafficking because they lack basic security needs. For example, women are often left alone because their male relatives have been killed or they migrated for work; refugee camps are overcrowded and lack security; women’s shelters and emergency services are destroyed or lack adequate staff; and the legal infrastructure unravels making it difficult for overburdened authorities to effectively track violence against women and apprehend perpetrators.
Also, when disaster strikes, a woman’s role as caregiver to children, the elderly, the ill and the disabled often impedes her ability to evacuate and migrate for work, as men do. Therefore, women require more relief aid because they are responsible not only for themselves but also their dependents. In addition, women are less able to access jobs available in the aftermath of disasters because they need to care for dependents and there is often no access to safe or reliable childcare.
For these reasons, I urge you to pay particular attention to the unique security and relief needs of women and girls in Haiti.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rajiv Shah
USAID Administrator
RRB 6.08
U.S. Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20523
202-712-0750
pinquiries@usaid.gov
Lieutenant General P. K. (Ken) Keen
Military Deputy Commander
United States Southern Command
3511 NW 91st Ave
Miami, Fla. 33172-1217
http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/contact.php
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-1111
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Center for International Disaster Information
703-276-1914
cidi@cidi.org
Also, please send a copy of your letter to:
Soroptimist International of the Americas
1709 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6103
siahq@soroptimist.org
|
|
