Today, as I was driving home from the office I heard a great radio interview on American Public Media’s Marketplace with the founders of “Half the Sky” – here is how they describe their work:
Half the Sky lays out an agenda for the world’s women and three major abuses: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence including honor killings and mass rape; maternal mortality, which needlessly claims one woman a minute. We know there are many worthy causes competing for attention in the world. We focus on this one because this kind of oppression feels transcendent – and so does the opportunity. Outsiders can truly make a difference.
Suzanne Brown-McBride began her work on behalf of sexual assault victims in 1991 as a community education specialist and advocate. Since that time, she has managed and directed sexual assault and domestic violence service programs in Oregon and Washington State. Before beginning her tenure as Executive Director of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) in 2006, Suzanne served as the Executive Director of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs in Olympia.
Over her career, Suzanne has focused her efforts on the development of effective public policy and legislation related to sexual assault victimization, the supervision of sex offenders, and community responses to violence.
Suzanne is a gubernatorial appointee and Chair of the newly created California Sex Offender Management Board, as well as an appointee to The California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery. She is a founding member of the Steering Committee for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and a Board Member of the Council of State Governments Justice Center.
In 2002, Suzanne was honored to receive the “Outstanding Contribution to Victim Services Award” from the National Crime Victim’s Law Institute. In 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger selected Suzanne to receive his “Governor’s Crime Victim Advocacy Award” for “Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Victim Rights”.
