Composite: Women With Whom We Stand. Photo Elements courtesy: NESFC, sprsoroptimist.org, globalwomen.org.
Improving the Lives of Women and Girls

Domestic Violence in the Workplace
Human Trafficking Issues
♦ Soroptimist Initiatives
♦ NESFC Initiatives

Message from Alice Wells, SIA President
Re: William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act

 "As we contemplate our New Year’s resolutions for 2009, we can take this opportunity to commit to raising awareness about sex trafficking, and to advocate on behalf of the millions of women and girls being held in sexual servitude around the world.

January 11 is the National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness. To commemorate this day, please join us in signing a letter to U.S. President-elect Obama urging him to exert the full power of his presidency to support and enforce the newly enacted William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

 Click  here for the letter and to add your signature.

We will forward the letter, along with all of the signatures we receive, to President-elect Obama.

The historic Wilberforce Act increases penalties against traffickers; expands protections for trafficking victims; requires the Justice Department to produce a model law for states to use in investigating and prosecuting trafficking; provides federal law enforcement greater authority to prosecute trafficking cases; and clarifies that the law cannot be interpreted to say that prostitution is “a valid form of employment.”

By sending a letter to President-elect Obama, we have the opportunity to give voice to the most vulnerable and voiceless of women and girls—those being terrorized, tortured, held in isolated captivity and forced into sexual slavery—and to urge the new federal administration to ardently continue the fight against sex trafficking.

This is your chance to let President-elect Obama know how important this issue is to you.                

State of Ohio Trafficking Legislation

The Governor of Ohio signed the legislation early in 2009.
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Ohio Soroptimist Clubs Fundraiser to Benefit Gracehaven

During the first quarter of 2009, Soroptimist clubs of Ohio will be soliciting recipes for and compiling a cookbook to be sold at Spring Conference, Columbus, OH, during April. Funds raised from this project will benefit Gracehaven, one of the only trafficking victim centers in the United States. Anyone wishing to contribute material for the project may contact any NESFC member through January 15, 2009.

See Calendar for details about June "Walk-a_Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser walk to benefit Gracehaven.

Concerns about Privacy on the Internet?
With all of the innovations of modern computer technology come some issues of personal privacy when searching the web for information. ...Still another reason to utilize www.goodsearch.com as your search engine. Another alternative is emerging through http://startpage.com  The latter certifies not to log or retain your search history. At bare minimum, one might choose the "about:blank" setting from which to begin searches.

An established woman-owned entertprise can answer many questions regarding those things digital and "webful." Broad in it's scope, www.komando.com provides us many answers. If needed, one may contact Kim Komando directly through the site.

Be Aware of Your Options:  Writeer A. J. Johnston highlights privacy issues as presented in current ComputerWorld discusion of GOOGLE and Privacy Issues.
Premise of the magazine article is that "Google knows more about you than your mother does." See two downloads which follow.