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Monday, October 5th, 2009

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn discuss “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”

Location: Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Square)

Event starts at 6 PM

Co-sponsored by MIT's Center for International Studies

Tickets online at The Harvard Bookstore

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Zoya from the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), a group that has been doing daring education, relief, and organizing work in Afghanistan and in refugee camps in Pakistan, talks about women’s rights and RAWA’s work and mission.

Location: MIT Campus, TBA

Event starts at 7 PM

Co-sponsored by the MIT South Asia Forum and the Programming Committee of Women's Studies

Event is free and open to the public. Donations for the costs of bringing Zoya here and for the Defense Committee for Malalai Joya are encouraged and appreciated.

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Film Screening: Holly

Free screening of "Holly" to raise awareness about sex trafficking in Southeast Asia. Info about "Holly": "Set in Cambodia, depicts child prostitution through the non-sexual, complex relationship between Holly, a beautiful 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, and Patrick, an obsessive 40-year-old American stolen artifacts dealer." Location: MIT Campus Room 66-110

Time 7:15pm-9:00pm

Event is free and open to the public

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Film screening: Making Waves, Saving Lives

Making Waves, Saving Lives tells the story of Dolphin Anti-Rape, an organization that teaches Kenyan women and girls rape awareness and self-defense. With no government funding, a 1985 Toyota that’s constantly in the shop, and unreliable public transportation, four dedicated volunteers find a way to overcome adversity to get into the classrooms of Nairobi to empower young women. These girls learn that they have the right to say no to unwanted advances and they gain the courage to fight back and run away. Ten years since the founding of Dolphin Anti-Rape, its volunteers are affecting not only students but also a whole generation of young Kenyans, giving them confidence filling them with empowerment, and helping them preserve their innocence. Witness how the dedicated volunteers of Dolphin Anti-Rape enable young women to walk the streets of Nairobi with pride instead of fear.

Filmmaker Golzar Selbe (from Dolphin Anti-Rape, VDay) will be in attendance for a discussion afterwards.

Location: MIT campus Room 6-120

Event starts at 7 PM

Event is free and open to the public. Donations for Dolphin Anti-Rape are encouraged and appreciated.

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Film screening: A Walk to Beautiful

The award winning feature-length documentary A Walk to Beautiful tells the stories of five Ethiopian women who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries and embark on a journey to reclaim their lost dignity. Rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities, these women are left to spend the rest of their lives in loneliness and shame. They make the choice to take the long and arduous journey to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in search of a cure and a new life.

Location: MIT Campus Room 6-120

Event starts at 7 PM

Co-sponsored by MIT Amnesty International

Event is free and open to the public.

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Malalai Joya comes to MIT to talk about women's rights, her work, and the struggle for women's rights in Afghanistan.

Called "the bravest woman in Afghanistan", Joya is a member of the Afghan parliament who has repeatedly stood up to the warlords, for women's rights and democracy. Despite having had four assassination attempts against her, she refuses to remain silent and continues to fight for women's rights.

Location: MIT Campus Room 10-250

Event starts at 7 PM

Event is free and open to the public. Donations for the costs of bringing Joya here and for the Defense Committee for Malalai Joya are encouraged and appreciated.

More events to follow! Come back to this site for more updates.