Ni Putes Ni Soumises Celebrates International Women's Day and Announces MEDEF Partnership

On Monday, March 8^th, 2010, Ni Putes Ni Soumises (NPNS – Neither Whores Nor Submissives), a women’s rights organization with headquarters in Paris, France, celebrated International Women’s Day with a host of activities and dignitaries.  The President of Ni Putes Ni Soumises, Sihem Habchi, announced the launch of a partnership between NPNS and MEDEF in France.  The head of MEDEF, Laurence Parisot, was on hand for the announcement.  MEDEF is the organization that represents employers in France.  The goal of the partnership is to assist women victims of violence to transition back into society and gainful employment.  Additionally, the participants enjoyed an exhibit of portraits by the artist Betsy Damez.  Ms. Damez painted the portraits of both women survivors of gender violence and women’s rights activists, including Lubna Al Hussein.  Ms. Hussein was also on hand for the presentation.  Ms. Hussein is the famed Sudanese journalist who risked 40 lashes of the whip by wearing pants in Khartoum.  Ms. Hussein chose to challenge the discriminatory Islamic indecency law.  After having fled the Sudan in a burqa, she is now touring Europe, promoting her book about her harrowing experience.