Hong Kong charity to use social media to raise awareness of women affected by poverty in Asia

Online, May 13, 2010 (Newswire.com) - May 13, 2010 - This summer, Hong Kong registered charity project WISE will use social media including YouTube, twitter, blogging and facebook, to raise awareness around the world of the extreme difficulties that women and girls face in Pakistan, Indonesia and Thailand. The project is run through The Asian Human Rights Commission and The Asian Legal Resource Centre - an NGO with General Consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Danielle Louise Spencer, the founder of WISE, will visit and help impoverished women who have been subject to physical, mental or sexual abuse to gain a voice through making films. Women including sex workers, trafficked women or ex-drug offenders will be invited to Karachi, Jakarta and Mae Sot to participate in the video project. The resulting footage will be broadcast on a special YouTube channel and shared globally through social media.

Danielle, a female filmmaker and community worker will travel to each location and train ten women, so that they can share their experiences on film long after WISE has left the area - and encourage other women to do the same. Even the act of filming will help the women, as video is a means of expression. These brave women, who mostly live in constant fear and danger, will also feel they are being listened to. The first stage of the project will take place in the following areas:

Karachi: 11 July 2010

Jakarta: 31 July 2010

Mae Sot: 1 - 18 September 2010

Danielle founded WISE in 2009: "Poverty affects women and girls the worst. But if we don't know about their terrible experiences we will not be able to combat them. We wanted to create a project that empowers women to share their stories within their communities, while educating the world of their plight. Speaking out publicly brings change. We want these women to have recognition and validation. We also hope to be the catalyst for local NGOs, press and officials in each community to tackle the issues in their areas.

"I believe it is our duty to invest in women and girls. The public can help us by donating computers and video cameras so that we can record and transmit the work that we do. So far four laptops and six video cameras have been donated. But we need as many as we can get. We also hope to raise a further HK$150,000 to fund food, accommodation, flights and transport and technology for another three month project which will involve training another 30 women to run this project in their communities. Corporate donations are welcome and any company who donates will receive publicity on our promotional materials including website, social networks, media releases and on all videos. Just a small sum of money can transform the lives of many women."

WISE has received some support from Hong Kong based companies and a huge amount of support from individual donors.

Danielle hopes to run the project in at least 10 different locations, working with over 100 women but reaching millions of people through social media. Because of the way the project works, thousands of women could be taught to make films - as the knowledge and training given to the initial ten women by Danielle, is passed on in the community.

To make a monetary donation for this project please go to http://www.ammado.com/nonprofit/wiseahrc and email Danielle on danielle.spencer@ahrc.asia if you have a video camera or laptop to donate or if you would like to sponsor this activity.

Ends

If you would like more information about WISE or to interview Danielle Louise Spencer about the project please email Mandy Queen of CRED Communications Ltd at mandy@credcommunications.com or call Mandy on +852 96847365.

Connecting with WISE:

You can find out more about WISE, the Women's International Shared Experience Project at:

Website: http://www.wisevoicesthroughvideo.org/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/WISEAsia

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/WISEahrc

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95263026695&ref=ts

About Danielle Louise Spencer

Danielle Louise Spencer is a skilled producer, director, editor and fundraiser from the UK who has worked in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and the UK. Prior to setting up WISE in 2009, she was the event and fundraising manager for Christian Action, Hong Kong. Danielle has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for women's charities in Hong Kong from organizing the benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues between 2007 and 2009. She has also spent some time as a teacher and a youth worker.

Danielle committed herself to using her broadcasting skills for a good cause after spending some time in Los Angeles, a place she found shallow: "The turning point for me was when I was at a Hollywood producer's house and he was holding a party for a Masai warrior who had travelled to the US to talk about the droughts in Kenya and raise cash... and all I could think was "I'm not supposed to be here - with people who don't know where Kenya IS - I'm supposed to be there or somewhere where I can help people"."