Correction Appended
Blue emergency lights are abundant around ASU's campus and dialing "911" is easy with the convenience of a cell phone.
But many women around the world are victims of violence. For them, dialing a number and pushing a button is not an option.
Women Beyond Borders is a student organization at ASU that works with small women's organizations around the world to raise awareness of violence against women.
The group was started at ASU in 2005. The group also raises awareness about issues such as global poverty, education and health.
Women Beyond Borders supports working against the culture of violence that allows for women to be abused and murdered. Creative writing senior Catherine Traywick is one of the co-founders of the organization at ASU.
Traywick says she thought there needed to be a student organization at ASU geared toward international women's issues. She says she thinks international women's issues are a worthy cause to take on and stems from her personal experience growing up in the Philippines.
"I came to ASU for college and saw the differences between what we have here and (in the Philippines) and it helped me realize that there are so many resources here," she says.
When Traywick came to ASU, she joined Amnesty International. But her passion and calling is in international women's issues.
"Being part of Women Beyond is satisfying and fulfilling on a lot of different levels," she says. "I want to do it for the rest of my life."
Since 1993, 430 women and girls have been murdered in Juarez, Mexico, not including the number of women reported missing. The city is located across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Many of these victims have been raped, beaten to death and mutilated. Autopsies have revealed some women were tortured for days before being killed, while many are still missing.
It is unknown who is responsible for these murders. The local authorities are not taking the proper measures to prevent such violent acts from occurring.
Women Beyond Borders at ASU supports ALDEA, an organization that provides opportunities for women and families to develop the handicraft center. The group provides funding toward prevention and intervention programs.
The group also helps the women in Juarez protect themselves by providing free pepper spray and self-defense literature to the women who live and work in the community.
The organization, consisting of 12 active members, took its first trip to Juarez in September. During the trip, the organization met with different groups to discuss socioeconomic factors and femicide.
The group's main intention is to help finish constructing a handicraft center where the abused women can develop products to sell and help themselves climb out of poverty. The group has also applied for grants to help the center.
Women Beyond Borders not only helps women across the border in Mexico, but they also provide aid to women overseas.
Women Beyond Borders works with the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). The group focused on Afghanistan its first year at ASU and managed to raise $25,000 for women's health, education and economic programs.
The organization sells crafts made by Afghan women, which helps generate income for the women who would otherwise have no other form of financial stability.
The group has a Speakers Bureau with a goal to raise awareness about global women's causes while promoting local activism and volunteerism in the community. They make presentations in classes at ASU and at conferences while emphasizing their work with the Women of Afghanistan and the Women of Juarez.
Women Beyond Borders usually spreads awareness for its cause through word of mouth and a listserv of 300 dedicated members. The group also receives support from ASU organizations such as Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.), V-Day, Local to Global and Women's Coalition.
Traywick says the organization makes an effort to raise awareness by setting up tables for important events and posting announcements on their Web site, wbeyondb.org.
The group has won numerous awards from the ASU Student Organization Resource Center for their work. They won two Hall of Fame Awards for "Most Promising New Student Organization" in 2006 and "The Social Consciousness Award" in 2007.
In addition, Women Beyond Borders won an "Outstanding Achievement and Contribution" Award from the ASU Commission on the Status of Women.
Traywick says the issues that affect women internationally still have an impact on and are still relevant to women in the U.S because no woman is free until all women are free. She says students should be more aware of how prevalent violence is against women in our communities and how it's manifested.
"People think violence happens else where and are not aware of the subtle reasons," she says. "Violence against women affects every person in a community, not just women."
Correction:Since 1993, 430 women and girls were murdered in Juarez, which doesn't include the number missing. Also, Women Beyond Borders is working with ALDEA, an organization that provides opportunities for women and families, to develop the handicraft center, not Casa Amiga. Finally, Women Beyond Borders is a student organization at ASU that works with small women's organizations around the world. The group does not exist on any other campus at any other level.
