Dear Amy;

I was born and raised in a country where women had no rights. I left my country a long time ago I now live in USA. I have heard so many horrible things that women face in this world. I have lived in a lot of countries and seen a lot. I have recently found the remaining of my family whom I have been separated from since 1989 due to a civil war in my country that killed my mother and father. My mother was women's rights activist she believed women should be treated with respect and dignity. In my country that belief was not excepted and still isn't women are struggling because of poverty and inequality and it hurts to watch women go through that. I recently spoke with a mother of four children whom escaped from her husband. She is only 20 years old with four kids she was married off to a man when she was 15. Now that she is 20, her husband decided he is going to get another wife who is younger then left her. I wonder how young do they have to be for these kind of men. Nothing is young enough for them I gather, so my question is I want to help that woman and after her I want to help women in similar situations or even worse situations. What I want is to start a movement for women in third world countries whom are being forced to get married at early age just to be tossed to the side. I want the immigration laws to be changed and women of third world countries whom are suffering. Those who can escape their countries should be given an amnesty or asylum because people from all over the world are given an asylum or amnesty in this country due to a political or religion reasons. Why can't women like that women or so many others in similar situations get help? Please let me know if there is anything you know or aware of that I can do to help this women.

Thank you in advance.

From a women desperate to help.

There are several organizations who are attempting to help the exact women that you want to help, such as The Global Fund for Women, the Center for Women's Global Leadership and Equality Now. I suggest that you contact any of these groups to learn more about how you might be able to help/get involved. Also, I know that this is such a difficult issue -- a friend of mine's aunt was Sally Mugabe, who was married to President Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) until she died. Sally worked hard to eliminate the "bride price" that was instituted in Zimbabwe but she found so much resistance among the women, because to not have the price they felt "cheapened them." Of course this is entirely wrong, but the power of society has such a stranglehold on our lives and our perception of right and wrong. I hope that your work won't confront this same resistance.

Good luck,

- Amy