Long Pross-A Story

Friends.

We have a story to share with you. Remember this is a site where people's life stories are valued and cherished. YOUR story is valued and cherished. The power of the story is something that I feel like I learned to appreciate in college. I realized as I was reading what felt like thousands of books written by authors from hundreds of years ago, that their stories were timeless. There is a reason people still read the classics-somehow they relate to these stories. Themes such as faith, love, war, self respect and the search for identity is something that we all want to learn about. So today I bring you the story of fellow sister Long Pross.

Nicholas Kristof is doing the interview. Clocking in at only 5 minutes long, her story changed me more than some 2 hour lecture ever has. I encourage you to listen to Long Poss's story and to try and connect. This is real. It is happening in this big world and we MUST not ignore stories such as this but show our friends and family that we can make a difference. Love is a powerful action. We must enlarge our capacity to love women like Long Pross and our fellow sisters who need out help.

I know at first the video is very sad. The truth is Long Pross had a devastating story-but I want to focus on the end...She had HOPE. In the beginning we see a young woman that is what seems to be broken. But by the end I realize that she gathered all the bravery she could to tell her story just so that it could help someone else. She sacrificed her comfort to help another woman that could be in a position like she was.

I have to tell you when I see her at the end doing her studies I see such a beauty. I see a strong, capable, powerful world changer. When Long Pross did this interview did she know that it would be a top video clip on YouTube and people would be blogging about her calling her a world changer and heroine? I don't think so. I think that you will agree with me that she is all these things and more...

Just like Long Pross-your story matters. Whether you know it or not your story can change the way someone looks about life or themselves. It does not matter what your story is, someone will connect with it. We are more alike than we think. I encourage you to be brave and courageous like Long Pross.I also wanted to highlight her rescuers in this story. They took Long Pross in and have been teaching her how to live and how to make a future. It is organizations like that, that set the precedent of how we should be dealing with horrific situations like this.

I do not know if Long Pross will ever see this blog post, but I have to hope that one day she does. Long Pross if you someday read this I want to thank you. Thank You for sharing your story to a 22 year old woman from California that will forever be changed by your words, your courage, your beauty and your strength. Your capacity to turn something so horribly wrong into hope and vision is both astounding and inspiring. I feel blessed to have come across your interview and you will be a part of my prayers. I look forward to the day you own your business and continue to use your voice to change the world. 

Friends, have a great day today. If you ever feel like sharing your story, please email us...you never know who it might help. Also if you would like to share anything, anything at all, whether it be an interview you saw, or an article that Her Voice Is may be interested in please pass it on! 

Passionate Story-Teller,

Bethany 

Nicholas D. Kristof-Hero

Hello my passionate friends!

I hope your memorial weekend is going amazing. The last post Her Voice Is did something a little different. We highlighted a male music artist who was seriously projecting a very similar voice to our own. It was so exciting because I think we sometimes forget that there are men out there fighting for our cause, which is valuing the voice of women and treating them with fairness and the respect that they deserve. I think we as women need to make sure not to take on a hyper-feminist attitude that scorns the male population. The fact is that men are just as wonderful as women and their voice is just as important if not vital to this cause of raising awareness. What better way to prove the there are GREAT, WONDERFUL men out there that desire women to be a solution and support and encourage a movement of women with purpose and hope, than to show the blog community that these men are out there!

I have definitely seen and read about the horrific situations that some men have placed our fellow sisters in, but I have been EXTREMELY blessed and honored to know and have men, like my husband and father, in my life that have shown their desire to see women be treated like the amazing, caring, beautiful world changers that they are. It is important to hear stories of our sisters, but I think it is healthy and wise to hear about brothers that are fighting for us as well. We are not two enemies. This will only work and be rectified if we come together and fight this side by side. Our enemy is injustice. Plain and simple. We hate what is wrong and we do everything we can to turn hateful, ugly situations into something beautiful and filled with hope. Never forget there is hope.

Which brings me to introduce Nick Kristof, co-author with his wife Cheryl WuDunn of epic book Half the Sky. Below is a short clip of the book and purpose behind his mission. Take a look.

Ever since I read this life changing book, I have been fascinated by Nicholas Kristof and his mission to bring solutions to women's humanitarian issues around the world. I think it is wonderful and necessary to see a man who not only reports on the issues but as you can see in the video below he LIVES and BREATHES and EXPERIENCES what these women are going through. This is so vital to this movement because we see that he is not doing this for fame or power but rather he is becoming a part of these women's lives. I find his work fascinating, captivating and completely PERFECT for the standard of how men should be responding to these issues. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty and become aware of what is really out there. He literally takes on their burdens as his own and helps carry the load.

I encourage you to read the book because there is so much I can say about this modern day hero. His stories will keep you at the edge of your seat and if you have not met many men who have dedicated part of themselves to fighting for the honoring of women than I promise your faith in mankind will be restored by hearing his stories.

Follow Nick Kristof on Twitter: @NickKristof

or on the Web

http://www.halftheskymovement.com/

Ladies, Let's Stand for Them All

Hello friends!

I hope this blog post finds you happy, passionate and full of joy and purpose. Things have been very busy lately, I apologize for the lack of posts...blogger was down for a couple weeks and I haven't been able to do anything. I hope that you have been shining your light and being a solution. I want you to know that although I have not posted, my mind is with my fellow world-changers always!

I wanted to share this music video with you. It is by Andy Grammer, and exceptional artist if I do say so myself! My cousin Alisha introduced his music to me. He is an up and coming artist that will have his cd out soon. The video is of his song called "Ladies." The lyrics are not out so I could not post them, but listen to the song carefully and it will rock your world.

In one song he completely explains my view on the treatment of women and also how we can change the way society sees women. Rather than seeing women like "Candy" we can teach our children and this generation to stand up for women, because each woman in a mother, sister a daughter or a wife to somebody. Friends we MUST implement change. Men are not the problem, but rather the opinions and standards that have been passed down are the problem. If we can create a healthy and positive image of women to young boys and men then they will grow up to respect and honor women and see them as the beautiful, fierce, intelligent beings that we were born to be. The reason sex trafficking and other horrendous situations exist is because of ignorance. Like the song says WE MUST STAND FOR THEM ALL. We must refuse to stay ignorant and we must refuse injustice. We have to fight to establish the respect and honor for women that should have always been there. People must realize that ever person...MAN or woman, came from a WOMAN. It is time for us to start voicing our opinions and being examples of strong individuals. There are so many awesome men that have already begun to do this and we will be highlighting their efforts in the weeks to come. Men like this are world changers who have decided to stand and cherish and value women as all men should. This is vital and necessary so that future generations will rise up and break the cycle of violence and hate that has sadly fallen upon women.

My Passionate, Strong, Wonderful, Beautiful ladies...LET'S STAND FOR THEM ALL!



It's Not Just Overseas--It's in Our Own Backyard

How a Hero Saved Two Women From Sex Slavery in NYC

March 24, 2011 2:54 PM

The blogosphere was buzzing with rumors last spring that a young Manhattan woman had rescued two Russian college students from sexual slavery on Coney Island. Many people thought the whole thing was a hoax. Turns out, the story was true: Marie Claire editor-at-large Abigail Pesta tracked down the Russian women for an exclusive interview, and learned of their terrifying ordeal. Their story illustrates just how easily young foreign women can find themselves enslaved.

The Russian women explained how they flew to Washington D.C. for summer jobs as lifeguards — then found out the jobs had fallen through. That's when the women received new instructions from the Russian company that had arranged the jobs: Get on a bus to New York City and meet a guy named George at a nightclub on Coney Island, at midnight. Yikes. (A flier for the club, which has since closed, is pictured here.)

The scenario had all the signs of human trafficking. Here's how young foreign women are often ensnared: A woman is offered a regular-sounding job, which falls through, leaving her in a vulnerable situation. She gets sent to a new "job," where her passport is seized and she's told she has to "earn" it back, usually through sex work. If she doesn't obey, she faces beatings and threats against her family back home. Hard to believe? Sex trafficking is a $32 billion global business, and that includes America.

In the case of the two Russian women, something astonishing happened: A young woman in Manhattan named Kathrine Gutierrez Hinds learned of the women's plight from a blog post on the site MetaFilter. The post had been made by a guy in North Dakota named Daniel Reetz. He knew one of the Russian women from when he taught English in Russia a few years back. He thought the women were headed for danger, and needed help. So Kathrine stepped in, taking the women into her home, defying potential mobsters, and risking her own safety. You can read the whole crazy story on The Daily Beast.

Read more: How a Hero Saved Two Women From Sex Slavery in NYC - Marie Claire

Dear Fellow Readers,

Discovering this article delighted me in many ways. I loved hearing that a woman from a busy, anonymous city like Manhattan possesses so much passion for helping others that she deliberately sought to help her fellow woman when she found a need. Katherine literally sprang into action to help these two Russian woman. Truly she saved their lives--at no small cost to her own safety and peace of mind. How many of us can say we’ve done that?

And I was also delighted to see that so many of the blog readers were eager to help the girls as well. This showed me that there are still good people out there. They just tend to stay quiet until the need inspires them into action.

This was a victory story. Unfortunately, it is one of only a few. Reading of the terrifying plight of these girls disturbed me greatly. Disturbed me because this happened right in our own American backyard. This was not some far away account of sex trafficking in the Ukraine or South America. It was certainly no TV show where the detective hunts down the bad guys and good always triumphs in the end. These women escaped slavery by the skin of their teeth. This was a very real account of a very real evil in our country. This terrifying beast is here--Manhattan, Texas, San Diego. All of these places were mentioned by the slave ring in the news article. So if it exists in these places, what is to stop it from existing in your town, your city, down the street from your grocery store?

I’ll leave you with that sobering thought. These women were lucky, but most of these endings aren’t so happy. Are you ok with that? What if it’s not a visitor to our country next time, but our own daughters? It is possible; I doubt these women ever dreamt something like this could happen to them.

Fellow readers, think on this possibility. The threat is real. The question is: What are you going to do about it?

Passionately Awake,

Brittany Howard

Invincible

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." -albert camus



Invincible. Not lacking confidence. Feeling like you not only COULD change the world but rather you CAN change the world and NOBODY can stop you. When was the last time you felt invincible? I dream of women feeling like they are more than just their body, their sexuality, and their status. I dream that women can break free from the walls that society has built and embrace the strength and power that is deep within them. We live in a time of sex trafficking, rape and horrific injustice to women as a whole. By seeing that YOU are in fact INVINCIBLE, you have the POWER to invoke change and bring answers to a hurting world.

I am beautiful.
I am wonderful.
I am loved.
I am stunning.

Those were very powerful words you just spoke about yourself, so why do you feel weird saying them? We live in a society that makes it almost impossible to survive in as women. Phrases like the ones you just read are becoming more difficult to say as the days pass by. We believe in so many different things. It is amazing to watch women place so much faith in things that are really so temporary and not see that with confidence they are invincible.

My dream is to see women love themselves again. To be able to say the phrases in the beginning of this post with no doubt, insecurity or discomfort. How many times do we say or hear phrases like:

I’m so fat.
I wish I could look like her.
If only he would notice me.
I hate the way I look.

I believe that we are so used to hearing these things because women have forgot what beauty is. Really it is not their fault. We have been lied too when it comes to defining beauty and worth. Television shows, movies, books, and magazines have defined it for us. The phrase “She looks too thin” has become foreign to us and has been replaced with the much to common phrase “She isn’t thin enough.” We have been told beauty is tan, medium height and sexually alluring. A teacher in college once told my class that society has given a charge to women that they must bee both sexy and virginal. I hope you laughed as you read that because I still find the concept idiotic. A complete oxy-moron, but something that society craves. I hate to break it to everyone but the “sexy virgin” is a myth. It is impossible to attain. However, with definitions and molds such as these it is no wonder this generation of young women are literally fighting for their lives. Where status and popularity dictate who they become, rather morals and strength in knowing that their imperfections really are stunning.

It is my dream that the words

I am beautiful.
I am wonderful.
I am loved.
I am stunning.

will no longer be strange and hard to say, but rather they will be a bold declaration of the amazing woman you are called to be and realize that you were not born to blend in but rather you were born to stand out. By raising your voice you are giving opportunity for other women to raise theirs. There is no need to be afraid. You are invincible. No one can stop you from being an answer to a problem. The only person that can stop you, is you.

Stand tall. Be empowered by your beauty, grace and inner strength. YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS.

-Bethany Morton-Gannaway

The Girl Effect

Hey there!

I hope all of you are doing well. Her Voice Is has been crazy busy lately. Researching and reading and planning strategy! We have been working on ways to get the word out about the blog and have been coming up with some creative ideas that we will be sharing soon! We want to thank you for telling people about us and raising your voice...believe me you are making a difference! Even mentioning it to one person can cause a chain reaction that can lead to someones freedom. You are powerful and strong. Never forget how BIG your voice is and although you may feel quiet your story may BE LOUD to someone else.

Today, I have the honor and privilege of doing an Organization highlight. I will be introducing to you the FABULOUS org called THE GIRL EFFECT. If you have not already heard about them it is a world shaking, passionate cause to see lasting change in GENERATIONS of women. This is important because what I find so amazing is that this organization is not only attempting to solve the present problem, but they are solving future problems as well. They are becoming answers. Answers to problems that will never come about because they chose to ACT NOW.

I have provided a video so that you may see one of the main causes that they are fighting for. It all starts with a 12 year old girl. If we can provide funds and support then we are able to stop the spreading of HIV, AIDS and child trafficking. I encourage you to WATCH THE VIDEO. It will change your life. This organization is one of the most heart gripping organizations out there. I think I am so drawn to it because it is something REAL. It is something GENUINE. I find it endearing that the website is so functional and ready and willing to provide materials to help spread the word. They do not care who gets the credit...they only care about results. That is how I want to be. I want to be a voice that produces results...not just wishful thinking. I encourage you today, raise your voice against injustice. THE GIRL EFFECT offers a chance for you to be an answer NOW and TOMORROW. The 12 year old girl is waiting. Let's raise our voice so that she may raise hers.

WWW.THEGIRLEFFECT.ORG 

Live Passionately

 dive for dreams

dive for dreams

or a slogan may topple you

(trees are their roots

and wind is wind)

trust your heart

if the seas catch fire

(and live by love

though the stars walk backward)

honour the past

but welcome the future

(and dance your death

away at the wedding)

never mind a world

with its villains or heroes

(for good likes girls

and tomorrow and the earth)

in spite of everything

which breathes and moves, since Doom

(with white longest hands

neating each crease)

will smooth entirely our minds

-before leaving my room

i turn, and (stooping

through the morning) kiss

this pillow, dear

where our heads lived and were.

Dear Fellow Warriors,

I’m writing to you today with an inspired heart. This poem written by e.e. cummings is such an inspiration. Cummings was such an innovative artist of his craft, not afraid to branch away from convention and pursue his passion for words without shame.
But this poem is more than just a fun read. These lines give us a powerful insight into our role in this world. Dive into your dreams, Cummings says. In other words--live passionately! We have been given this time on earth, not to waste on things we don’t love, but to find that one thing we are passionate about and go after it with all of our hearts. This is our chance to spend every day loving what we do and using that love to bless other people.


Each and every one of us has a calling given specifically to us that we are to use to make a difference to the world. Yet, life has a tendency to get in the way of allowing us to pursue this calling. As women especially, we can fall into a routine--our jobs, families, and homes take first priority. The ability to care for our families is such a privilege, but as a result of this, unfortunately our desires tend to get put on the back burner. It is easy to get numb to what is going on around us--to get caught up in the little, everyday tasks, and forget that there is a bigger world around us. Many of us want to be passionate, we long to get fired up about the issues we see--issues like sex trafficking, and injustice to women, children, everyone--but being passionate takes so much energy and time. Two things we usually don’t have at the end of the day.


But…though this is true, I, for one, refuse to settle for that! I am on a mission to strip away the non-essentials in my life, to open up my time for the things that really matter. Early this year, I realized how tired I was of not being able to feel passionate about anything because I was too tired or busy. Too much of the time I just felt numb or I ignored the big issues. I vowed that my goal this year is to simplify my life and open up to the things I am passionate about.


I am writing to encourage all of you to “dive for dreams”--to fall into passion and purpose without reservation or hesitation. Live your days to the fullest--“trust your heart…honour the past but welcome the future”. If it is but a thirty-minute segment of your day, find your passion and give it that time. If you write down an idea, or plan, or create but one thing you are passionate about in a day, that’s one more thing of passion that now exists to benefit the world.


Readers, let’s get passionate! Let’s get inspired! Let’s dance away your death at the wedding because the world needs us and we can make a difference if we are passionate enough to go after it!

By: Brittany Howard (Co-Founder and Feature Writer)


Poem retrieved from http://www.fandelem.com/eecummings.html#dive

NewsFlash: The Disgusting RapeLay

Hello Everyone!

HerVoiceIs just added a new section that is called "NewsFlash." I have been running across so many horrifying articles both by being emailed by friends and colleagues and also just by researching in this fight against hate against women that I had to have a space on the blog to share them. Sometimes they are very hard to read, however, I have found that as I am reading these articles I become more aware of the problems surrounding me and I become more passionate. I hope as we pass along these articles you read them and feel the same anger we do. I hope from this anger you become passionate and driven to put a stop to the madness and hate. You have the power to make a difference. We need to educate ourselves about the problems surrounding us. Closing our eyes will not help. Opening our eyes and really seeing is the first step in stopping the injustice that plagues our world.

-------------------------------------------------------------

RapeLay:

This first article that we wanted to share is about a horrifying Video Game called RapeLay. Below is the first half of the article from CNN World News. I have included a link so that you may read it for yourself from a reliable source.



The game begins with a teenage girl on a subway platform. She notices you are looking at her and asks,

"Can I help you with something?"

That is when you, the player, can choose your method of assault.

With the click of your mouse, you can grope her and lift her skirt. Then you can follow her aboard the train, assaulting her sister and her mother.
As you continue to play, "friends" join in and in a series of graphic, interactive scenes, you can corner the women, rape them again and again.

The game allows you to even impregnate a girl and urge her to have an abortion. The reason behind your assault, explains the game, is that the teenage girl has accused you of molesting her on the train. The motive is revenge.
It is little wonder that the game, titled RapeLay, sparked international outrage from women's groups. Taina Bien-Aime helped yank the game off store shelves worldwide.
"This was a game that had absolutely no place on the market," said Taina Bien-Aime of women's rights organization Equality Now which has campaigned for the game to be taken off the shelves.
But the controversy that led to stopping sales of the game instead took it viral.

CNN News Article

As you can see this is one of the reasons why society has embraced rape rather than hate it. It has become a glorified subject and made into a game. I struggled with writing this piece because it was so disgusting and shocking. However, my co-writer told me this is why we are here. We MUST share the truth and the truth is THIS is the kind of garbage that is out there. THIS is the monster that must be stopped. It is time we fight against this mentality. THIS made me angry. Just as I hope it made you angry. Rape is real. It isn't something to be taken lightly. It is something to FIGHT AGAINST not embrace.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Thank you for becoming aware of the problems at hand. You are a Warrior.

Sunitha Krishnan: A Story

Today Her Voice Is shares a story. A story of a woman from India named Sunitha Krishnan. I first read about Krishnan in "Half The Sky" and after hearing her story was changed. You see, Sunitha Krishnan at the age of 15 was gang raped by 8 men, beating her so badly that she is partially deaf in one ear. She is 4 1/2 feet tall, but don't let her height fool you...she is a world changer. Today, Sunitha is a leading advocate for the fight against Sex Trafficking.

Sunitha decided when she was young that she wanted to help the poor children of her village, so she went to college to become a social worker. One day as she was organizing the village so that she could teach them, a gang of 8 men did not like that a woman was interfering with what they claimed as "man's society." Sunitha then explains that the rape did not cause her to  become a victim but rather is released this anger. Not just any anger but pure fury. She dedicated her life after that to being an activist to fight against the same thing that happened to her. In "Half the Sky" she says, "What affected me more was the way society treated me, the way people looked at me. Nobody questioned why those guys did it. They questioned why I went there, why my parents gave me freedom. And I realized that what happened to me was a one-time thing. But for many people it was a daily thing" (Kristof 57).

Below is a 13 minute video of Sunitha Krishnan speaking. It is dynamic and passionate. I encourage you to watch it, you will understand why this woman is one of my heroes.

"30 Years" of Hope

a big hello to everyone!

Normally, I would not post my personal life on Her Voice, but today I must share. Yesterday-February 21st- My parents celebrated their 30th anniversary! This is a milestone and I wanted to honor them on their special day. The reason I wanted to share with Her Voice Is, is because I believe it is important, if not vital, to share stories like my parents that marriage can work! The percentage of divorce in present day America can sometimes cause us to feel scared or even apprehensive about marriage. I also think it was important to share because it offers not only hope to those who have never been married but also to those who perhaps gone through a divorce. Today, I am here to offer hope to you and faith in marriage. Marriage can work. It can be good. It can be the best thing in the world.

Both my grandparents have had long marriages. My Mom's parents have been together 59 years. I made everyone laugh the other day because my husband and I will be celebrating 2 years of marriage on May 22. It made me laugh because when you think of 30 years and then 59 years being married to the same person my 2 years didn't seem like much of an accomplishment :O). My Mom and Dad have been through so much together. I have seen them stay committed to one another through good times and the less than perfect times and they always have shown me what true love is. They have shown me that it IS POSSIBLE for a man to respect, honor, love and cherish a woman and it IS POSSIBLE for a woman to do the same for a man and be happy. They have taught me that marriage is work, like many things in life.

My hope is that by sharing my parent's milestone you can feel encouraged and hopeful that true love does exists. That a long marriage is possible when it is the right marriage. That commitment is not something that is lost to our world, but rather it is something we all have inside of us. You have something great inside of you. You have purpose you have a calling. Never forfeit your dreams. Whether you are single, divorced, married for 2 years, 5 years or 60 years NEVER lose hope. Believe in love. Believe in the happily ever after-fairy tale ending. You friend are worth it. You are a treasure. You are valued. You deserve nothing but the best.

"Lucky"

             Lucky, by Alice Sebold, is the latest addition to my library. Let me tell you—as a woman, this book got me fired up! Learning of the author’s tragic rape made me ready to enroll in law school and go to work defending those women who are blamed and ostracized for a violent act they did not seek.

            The book is the true story of Alice Sebold, who was violently raped while walking home late one night after a study session during her college years. Most of the story shares her experiences after the rape, as she struggles to resume her life and deal with the stigma that surrounds young women who are victims of a violent crime such as this. She puts up a brave fight and eventually gets a conviction for the man who raped her. But the process nearly destroys her. My heart was captured by her struggle; I could empathize with the innocence of a young woman, destroyed by such injustice and fear. I cheered her on as she stumbled through the years, making mistakes, taking many steps backwards, but always fighting to understand herself.

            For me, Lucky is not about rape. It is about injustice and violence and a desperate need to be heard. Lucky made me angry—angry at injustice, angry at the violence that destroys innocence without cause. It triggered a passionate emotion in me such as I have not felt in a long time. A passionate need awoke in me to fight such injustices, to sacrifice my time, resources, and energy in order to make a difference. I believe in justice for the wronged, in healing for the hurting. I believe in it passionately.

Lucky shocked me awake. It woke me to a realization of truth that I had never known before. Violence and injustice is not going to stop until we do something about it. Until we get angry and until we join hands against evil, it’s not going away. But we have to get passionate, angry, motivated. So I challenge you to read Lucky for yourself and awake to the fight. And please, share your reactions with us on Her Voice Is! Let us know what you are passionate about. We are all in this together and would love to hear your stories!

-Brittany Howard

Click to Purchase "Lucky"

Let's Get Angry

Women might just have something to contribute to civilization other than their vaginas.

-Christopher Buckley, Florence of Arabia

When I saw this bold quote, I thought to myself Wow. That really has been a common viewpoint of women in general. I am not saying that EVERYONE thinks this way, but it is a common idea that women really are seen as their role of "child-bearer" and nothing else.  Don't get me wrong I believe this is one of the greatest roles of women. Strong, beautiful, capable-all of these qualities we as women posses and we are the only ones that can bring life into this world. That is powerful in itself...we give birth to presidents, scientists, heroes, teachers, mothers, fathers, brother, sisters, peacemakers, world changers. However, we must not forget that we can BE those things as well, not just give birth to them. The quote is from novelist Christopher Buckley whom wrote Florence of Arabia. Although this is not a book review, I will tell you that this book is a satire about the unfair treatment of women in the middle east (VERY good read). I find it compelling that this thought was from a man. It really gives me hope, as it should you. I just don't want the men to see this point and us as women remain blind and sedated to our true potentials as being answers.

Over the next couple weeks, you will see a theme emerging that has to do with Anger. Not scary anger or petty anger, but a healthy anger that stirs passion. We believe that when an emotion like anger is invoked things shift inside of us and we are given a strength and zeal to change things. Also, we here at HVI want to express that is is OK to get angry, you just have to get angry about the right things. To be honest, Her Voice was created when I became angry. I became angry about hunger. I became angry about hate towards women. I became angry about lack and poverty. I became angry at injustice. The Bible says:

      "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;

ensure justice for those being crushed.

Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,

and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9, NLT)

Friends. This is what burns inside me. This is what I live for. No matter what religion, race, culture or background, I am tired of watching my sisters suffer. We MUST love these women. We must begin to get angry about injustice. Sometimes we get so used to living in our own perfect world that we forget the problems that are out there. These are problems that can have answers. YOU are the answer. Over the next couple weeks HVI will be posting many different things that we hope will invoke a healthy anger in you. We hope that you will find strength and passion and a fire inside of you that awakens you from slumber.

This picture is from the protests in Egypt that started in January. You may have seen this picture floating around the net due to twitter and facebook but I had to share it here. If someone could capture true love in a photograph this is it. When I showed a friend this it brought tears to her eyes. This is a picture of Egyptian Christians protecting Egyptian Muslims so that they may pray.

All I can say is WOW.

This is how our hearts must beat. The Egyptian people were angry. Angry about a dictator that had ruined their country and left a people hurting, broken and hungry. They may believe different but these Christians knew true GOD love. They protected their brother and sisters-their fellow countrymen. In a time of great uprising they came together and were angry about one thing...injustice. It is time we put our differences aside and get angry and then fix the problem with love.

                                         

I am tired of being sedated. I am ready to rise up and change things. No more hate, no more injustice. WE CAN DO THIS. I know we can. It does not matter who the woman is. If she needs help we will get it for her. Anger can help us friend. We can use it to our advantage and raise awareness. So today I urge you. Find a problem and get angry about it then use that fire to set it ablaze, burning the problem to ash and leave an answer in its place. We are meant to be world changers. We are meant to use our VOICE to SPEAK UP for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are here to see that our sisters get JUSTICE.

You are strong. You are fierce. Your voice matters.

Keep checking back for more posts! And please, tell your Friends about Her Voice Is...Their story could change someones world. And don't forget your story can too.

-Bethany Morton-Gannaway 

Girls are Like Flowers

I am so excited to be posting this story for all of our followers to read! Thanks to all who have came by for a visit. Please tell all your friends and try to find us on facebook!

This is a very special post because today Her Voice Is shares a young 11 year old girl's heart. When asked what she would like women and girls to know that could help make a difference, she answered by writing this amazing piece. It is important to realize that we can learn from our sisters no matter what their age. Sometimes someone different from yourself can open your eyes to seeing things in a new light. After I read what she wanted to share, I marveled in the simplistic beauty of how she viewed things. I saw that as women we need to remember that our differences is what makes us beautiful and we must appreciate those differences in others.

This young girl writes a story with such a pure and heartfelt urgency to remember that there is something beautiful about all of us. I urge you today to see the beauty in yourself and also see the beauty in others. Say one thing out loud that you absolutely LOVE about yourself. It may seem difficult at first, but we as women need to shake off the shackles of low self-esteem and marvel in the fact that God made us in HIS image. Sister, you are beautiful. You are stunning. You are loved. I hope you enjoy this young girl's story as much as I have.

Flowers

Girls are like flowers. They are sweet, they smell good. And they are bright and beautiful. If you have a bouquet of them you see each one of them is unique. And all of them start as a dull seed but sooner or later it blooms into something amazing! They might become lilies or roses or daffodils. But the best thing is that none of them will be the same, that makes each of them unique!

~London Age 11

"Together" & "Women"

Hello Everyone!

All of us at Her Voice Is want to extend a warm welcome to you. This might be your first experience with our site. Thank you so much for taking the time to become part of the amazing things HVI is doing. Physically, all of us may be separated by countries and continents, but it is my hope that through the community we build by connecting here, we will create friendships and a strong support system that brings blessing and change to each others’ lives. So welcome. You are becoming part of something great. This is the first time I have been privileged to blog on HVI. I am led to share with you a burden that is resting upon my heart. I believe that in order to see the changes that we so desperately need in this world, our minds must become fully awake and aware of the issues at hand.

Within society today, do you ever hear the words “women” and “together” in the same sentence without a general cringe going around the room? Typically, if those words even come near each other, the result is a lengthy horror story of the disagreements and strife these women had when they tried to work together.
Let’s face it. Women do not get along very well. Put them together without careful planning, and the outcome usually is catty disagreements, hurt feelings, and a deeper sense that we can not trust our sisters. Honestly, I think women are more competitive than men; we are just more quiet about it. Men bond over sports, golf, and secret clubs, like lodges and such. Men know enough to separate their lives. They might compete with each other in business, sports, etc. but they recognize it as what it is--not really that important in the grand scheme of things.

If we, as women, open our eyes to the world around us, I think we’ll see that men and society encourage this war between us. Popular media promotes a whole host of evils--sexism, chauvinism, and the objectification of women--all of which force women to compete in order to keep up.

Yet, rather than blaming society or men for this problem, I honestly have to blame women for our own dilemma. As a collective group, we have permitted society to reach the state it is in. When is the last time you heard a group of women refute the lie that you are only beautiful if you are a size 0? When is the last time a group of women stood up together against violence toward women, or fought to protect each others’ rights? When women received the right to vote and were finally accepted in the workplace, it seems as if their passions for change stopped with this victory. We are passive now, apathetic, and honestly, just too caught up in a web of lies to fight for the same things we used to.

Yet, women are a powerful force. We are fierce, protective, passionate, and driven. Look at what we have accomplished. Women are powerful business owners, CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, scientists. We are more than capable of taking on the world of business and making our mark. But all of that is usually done alone, and at a great cost to our relationships with each other. For what business woman can afford to show kindness or love to her sisters?

I want you to take a moment now to imagine. Imagine what the world could be like if we as women chose today to set aside our disagreements and our petty differences, forgetting all of the past, and chose to come together as one entity for a cause much bigger than ourselves. I think women forget that there is a world outside of the office, a world that is ripe with need. Imagine that we, as a collective force, stepped up and put that same fierce passion that we use to compete with our sisters now, and threw ourselves into making the world a better place instead. What would the results be?

It is a belief that I hold strongly to, that if women are to band together against hunger, disease, violence, all of the evils that the world is rampant with, that a mighty change will occur. But these changes cannot come alone. One woman on her own is not powerful enough to make the differences that we need. But together, as one collective force, unfettered by strife and envy and bitterness, imagine the evils we could eradicate. The possibilities are endless.

I’ll leave you today with that thought. I know it’s a lot to ask--not every woman is going to be as passionate as you about changing the world together. Yet, take a few days to explore what your role could be, the amazing changes you could be part of, if only you didn’t have to worry about competing with every other woman in the world.

By: Brittany Howard
HVI Feature Writer and Co-Founder

The A21 Campaign-Organization Highlight

A vital part of Her Voice Is is raising awareness about humanitarian issues around the world. We like to think of ourselves as a mouth piece to relay information to you as we get it so then we may then come together and take action against injustice. We have a TON of organizations listed on our "Org Page" and that can be overwhelming. That is why we at H.V.I. likes to highlight the organizations so you can have some direction and learn what each one is about.

Click Here To Visit A21 Website

The organization we are highlighting today is called "The A21 Campaign" Abolishing Injustice in the 21st Century. This organization is raising awareness and creating change in the world of human trafficking and violence against women. It is best said in this video from their website. I encourage you to raise your voice and take a look at the website. Help us raise awareness against this VERY real problem in our world. These women and children are just like you and me. We must refuse to ignore these problems and rather take charge and make a difference. On their page there is a list of 21 possible ways that you can help. I encourage you to take a look. Thank you for watching/reading. Remember YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

Forgiveness. A Story

My name is Bethany. I started Her Voice is. I was thinking it would be pretty silly of me to ask everyone who reads this to share their stories when I don't. So today, I share my story. The truth is I have many stories some funny, some sad, some fantastic, some life changing, some only God will know and some that have rocked my world. Don't worry, I'm only sharing one today :O)!

This story is recent. It encompasses a long period of time (around 10 years) but the story part within the last 2. When I was thirteen, I found a wonderful place. A place I trusted, a place I discovered God. In the 8th grade my family and I moved to a new church in which we would attend for the next 8 years. I learned so much in that time. I grew as an individual, I grew spiritually, I made friends, I met my wonderfully hott husband. I will forever be thankful for that. Throughout the years, people came and we rejoiced. At first we were happy because people were coming and we were genuinely happy for their souls then when more people started coming it suddenly shifted to us rejoicing about numbers I never noticed when I lost the true meaning behind my purpose in life. As this started happening people began to leave. Personally, I could not believe why people left. I felt like I was mean and I felt like I was rude, and I talked about those people all because I was blinded from the truth. I lost perspective and I admit I said things I regret and I thought things that I should have never thought about REALLY wonderful people. At the time, I made excuses and sat back in horror as people left. Surroundings play a major part in how we respond to situations. During that time I attached myself to people that were blinded just as I was. As they began telling me things, mostly lies (not that they knew they were lies but the point is they were untruths) I chose to believe them. I believed the lies because it was easier. It is often easier to believe the things that are being said around us, especially from people that we are friends with because then we do not have to work at hearing the truth from the One who knows it best: God. Then things changed. God spoke to us and told us it was time to leave. All of a sudden I began to realize my mistakes. Things began to reveal themselves. The TRUTH revealed itself. It took a year to get over this whole ordeal. I began to see that during that time, things were taken from me because of my chosen blindness. I realized that there are SO many people out in our world that is hurting and I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. God does not dwell in one city or one place, He is everywhere. How silly for me to think that He can only be in one place. At first I was angry at the people that lied to me. But then I realized that it wasn't their fault, I chose to believe the lies and it wasn't their fault I ran my mouth off.  Plus, they are believing the same lies I was believing. After leaving I saw the same people I felt like I criticized for leaving and realized that they were walking in happiness and the true joy of God. I then asked God for forgiveness. forgiveness for my attitude and my blindness and laziness not to seek the truth out on my own. Forgiveness for feeling bitter and angry at the people still there. Now I can pray for them.

Out of all of this I mostly learned the importance of not believing a single story. The truth lies somewhere in the between. We all make mistakes as humans. We believe things we shouldn't sometimes. I am definitely NOT perfect. I am however, trying my best to not judge or become angry, especially when I do not know all the facts. The truth is we never know what goes on behind closed doors or in others minds. We cannot jump to conclusions. As women we like to know things. We like stories. We just can't believe all the stories we hear. The best thing we can do is listen to God and find out the truth from Him. I still slip up from time to time, and God is there ready to wrap His arms around me and forgive me and I know that with His help I will do better next time. Also, we have to forgive those that mess up. The same forgiveness we love to feel from God and others is the same forgiveness we should be giving to those around us. It is just not worth the frustration and emotion. We can be using that same emotion to figure out answers to sex trafficking and the hungry children of today's world. Let us as women not lose perspective. Let us see the truth and be quick to forgive. We must forgive ourselves and everyone around us. Let's not live in the past. Let it go, all we have is NOW.

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This is a video of an African Novelist named Chimamanda Adichie. It is called "The Danger of the Single Story." A professor of mine at Fresno State showed it in my Modern World Literature class the semester I graduated. It literally changed my life. It really shows in other words the point of my story. We must not base our lives off assumptions and things we hear from others. The video is 19 minutes long, I promise it will rock your world.

You are a Lioness

I am so excited to finally write this first book review. See I read a lot of books...I have somewhat of a book obsession. I  have stacks of books that have yet to have been read because I have such a passion for the art of writing that the moment I read a description and it grabs me, I must have it! I guess it is a pretty good obsession to have :O)

Needless to say, this obsession is one of the reasons it has taken me so long to figure out where to start. I have read so many wonderful authors that have captured the heart of Her Voice Is and that have been rocking world changers.  I recently read a book buy amazing author/speaker Lisa Bevere (Fight Like a Girl, Kissed the Girls and Made them Cry), called Lioness Arising. I can truly say that this is a book that belongs in every woman's library, no matter what race, class, religion or ethnicity you are. I began to read the book and was instantly captivated by the encouragement and wisdom I found in Lisa's words. Every page has wisdom in it so bare with me as I try to encompass just how much I LOVED Lisa Bevere's book.

_________________________________________________

The cover of Lioness Arising says it best: "Wake up and Change Your World." That is exactly what Lisa Bevere's book is all about. When she was pregnant with her last son she had a vision of a Lioness and God spoke to her and said "with the birth of a son you will awaken a Lioness." Lisa describes how this concept was foreign to her because she herself at the time was timid and quite and just NOT what she envisioned as a Lioness. Time went on and Lisa became a fierce voice in the world fighting for change and for the fair treatment of women. It is then when God spoke to her and said "I never said your were the only Lioness, but you would awaken a Lioness." Lisa took that as her charge to encourage and uplift women to awaken and arise and become the strong, powerful women God has called each of us to be.

The book is very interesting filled with personal stories and Lisa draws from other voices as well.  She quotes often a favorite book of ours: Half the Sky and also quotes many literary wonders and poets. By doing this I understood that the need for women to have a voice is vital and most importantly the need for women to realize they are answers NOT a problem is something that has been desired throughout time. In fact Lisa Bevere makes it clear that we can be an answer to the world's problems. In Lioness she frequently visits the horrifying problem of human sex trafficking and shows how we can make a difference and the importance of not ignoring these issues.  The word "Lioness" means different things to different women, however, it is clear that a Lioness is not timid, but rather is fierce and driven and has a purpose.

The book ends with a favorite poem of mine which I think explains the tone and charge of Lisa Bevere's marvelous book:

Rise like Lions after slumber

in unvanquishable number,

Shake your chains to earth like dew

Which in sleep had fallen on you-

Ye are many-they are few.

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

I encourage you to read this book. I can honestly say that it changed my life. I am so blessed that Lisa Bevere used her voice and shared her story. Awaken and Arise and be the Lioness you were called to be. There is a link to amazon if you would like to purchase the book from there or you can find it on Messenger Internationals website which is John and Lisa Bevere's ministry website.

Purchase Lioness Arising

Welcome to Her Voice Is!

Welcome to Her Voice Is! I am very excited to be finally starting this blog. For awhile now, I have been sitting on this idea and just couldn't figure out how to get it up and going. Her Voice Is, is all about coming together and raising our voices to raise awareness and bring solutions to humanitarian issues all over the world and in the US. This blog is not just for women-although it does focus on the concept that women are not a problem but rather a solution. I want to make clear that this is not a place for feminist rantings and hateful scorn against men. Nor is it a place to complain and be negative about the world's problems. H.V.I. is a safe place where women and men can come and educate themselves about issues and problems around the world that need attention and most importantly an answer. Here is a place where people can connect and discuss similar desires to see change brought to this world. All it takes is one person to raise their voice and I believe when we come together we can bring  hope to the hopeless, voice to the silent and answers to the problems. Her Voice Is will contain book reviews, life-stories, information about awesome organizations, everyday life stuff and guest bloggers. All these things are meant to create change and bring awareness to anyone willing to listen. Once again, I am adamant about respecting those who choose to interact with the blog. Opinions are to be expressed of course, but a person can do so in a honest, respectable, and honorable way. Plus, I think we can all agree that there are problems to be solved and that ultimately we are all after the same goal: to remind women (and men!) that

Her Voice Is:            
                                  Bold
                                  Loud
                                  Strength
                                  Courageous
                                  Beautiful
                                  Positive
                                  Creative
                                  Love
                                  Change
                  A DIFFERENCE