Woman Scream 2016: Call for coordinators

*This call ends Feb. 15, 2016

Nigeria's ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) is a big step towards its total abolition. Women and girls from around 30 countries have undergone the practice. Unfortunately, FGM is not the only ancient outrageous procedure out there.  Many other ancient forms of abuse and denigration against women still exist (Ablation, stoning, rape, acid attacks, etc.), to keep us in the dark ages, even in the 21st century. Ancient beliefs plagued with fanaticism, restrict women freedom in many countries worldwide. That is why next march 2016, Woman Scream International Poetry and Arts Festival, in its sixth version, will be a plea, a prayer for the elimination of these absurd practices.

Woman Scream 2016 will adopt the theme "Desert Flowers," a special dedication to the many women who have faced the horrible and unjust reality of these brutal barbarities in all corners of the planet and specially, pay tribute to the Iranian Soraya Manutchehri, killed by stoning on 15 August 1986, for being an "inconvenient wife." She was framed by her husband with the support of other powerful men of her village, so he could marry a younger woman, a practice that has taken away many innocent lives too. Soraya was judged and falsely found guilty of adultery. Her own family despised her, and her father, husband, and even her children were urged to throw the first stones at her, while buried on a sand grave. Her story was captured in the film "The Stoning of Soraya M." a drama adapted from French journalist Freidoune Sahebjam's book La Femme Lapidée.

The Women Poets International Movement (MPI) Inc., in charge of coordinating the activities of the Woman Scream festival worldwide, invites all individuals, institutions and/or solidary groups, including poets and artists, to join this altruistic cause coordinating an event to become part of the Woman Scream 2016: Desert Flowers worldwide chain next march 2016, in order to raise awareness on behalf of those women still living under worst abuses.

If you are interested in joining the Woman Scream 2016 chain as event coordinator; please apply for the updated WS guidelines and images, you can contact us in our page: www.gritodemujer.com or the blog http://womanscream.blogspot.com and reiterate your commitment to the cause around the world.

To learn more about Soraya Manutchehri’s story, please visit the webpage: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soraya_Manutchehri to see the movie, check Youtube page: https://youtu.be/HEKDnGn9Bw0