Voice for Life at Parachute '12
You’ve probably heard of China’s Infamous One Child Policy
But did you know that as a result of this policy, there were up to 130,000 forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations of women in Linyi City in Shandong Province in one year alone? (2005)Every day, Chinese women who become pregnant are forced to have abortions if they don’t have a birth permit – right up to the ninth month of pregnancy. Those who resist can be fined, imprisoned or even tortured.
Thank you too all who signed the Women's Rights Without Frontiers petitions at Parachute
This year, Voice for Life sponsored Women’s Rights Without Frontiers at Parachute Music Festival. WRWF is a broad-based international coalition which seeks to raise public awareness about this injustice against China’s Women and Children.Our volunteers collected signatures in support of their two petitions – one on the suffering caused by forced abortions in China; the other requesting the freedom of a blind lawyer and forced abortion opponent from house arrest in China.
Did you get your photo taken at Parachute?
As part of the Save Chen Sunglasses Campaign, we took photos of attendees wearing sunglasses in support of Chen Guangcheng, the blind activist lawyer who is under house arrest in China. Check out the photos on the Voice for Life Facebook page: www.facebook.com/voiceforlifenz
Chen is a hero fighting for women’s rights in China, with Time Magazine including him in the “Heroes and Pioneers” category of their 2006 list of “Top 100 People Who Shape Our World.”But recently, when Batman actor Christian Bale attempted to visit Chen - ”to meet the man, shake his hand and say what an inspiration he is” - he was attacked by guards while attempting to do so.Mid-last year, Chen's wife released a letter about their imprisonment (read the full letter here):
“I saw more than 10 men surrounded Chen Guangcheng, torturing him. Some of them twisted his arms forcefully while the others pushing his head down and lifting his collar up tightly.”
Will you join?
You may remember the green “Anyone can be for life?!” wristbands and stickers we gave away at Parachute last year? This year, the stickers had a Chinese translation: “I will join!”Women’s Rights Without Frontiers is aiming to get 15,000 signatures for the petition against forced abortion in China, and 10,000 signatures in support of Chen.As at this morning, the forced abortion petition had 12,753 signatures, while the Save Chen petition had 8,556 signatures.Reggie Littlejohn, President of WRWF, will appear on Voice of America - broadcast to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong - with the two petitions on February 13, 2012.I’m sure you all know at least 2 or 3 more people who could sign – friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, etc. If they all sign, the target will be reached. Easy, right?
Where do I sign?
Forced Abortion PetitionA petition on the suffering caused by forced abortions in China, requesting that the Chinese government stop this brutal practice. Sign Here.Save Chen PetitionA petition requesting the freedom of blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng from house arrest in China, to get him the medical care he urgently needs. Sign Here.