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FORD VISITORS PROGRAM
Between 1994 and 1999, the Ford Foundation sponsored a visitors program to bring women from the geographical "Third World" (or "Global South") and women of color in the United States to the University of California, Davis. Along with actively participating in the Gender and Global Issues seminar these women pursued a short-term project specific to their goals during their 12 week residence at the University. Our goal with this program was that this experience would benefit the women who participated, their communities, and also enrich the campus with a fresh perspective.
We no longer administer this program. Listed below are the amazing women who were our Ford Visitors in the past.
1998:
Saramaria Archila (New York, New York) is a former attorney and professor of law at Universidad Externado de Columbia. As a constitutional scholar she was forced to flee Columbia in the late 1980’s. In 1991, Ms. Archila founded a cultural center in Queens, New York with funding for the Hispanic Federation of New York. Through the center she established the Latin American Immigration Center (LAIC), which was to build a community based organization to give Latin immigrants a political voice and presence in politics. The LAIC also promotes cultural understanding between Latin and other immigrant communities. Ms. Archila’s early research on migration discovered that more Latin women apply for permanent residence in the U.S. than do men. While at UCD, Ms Archila explored the varied stories of immigrants in the Latin community. Her project focused on documenting the immigration tales of differing social classes and gender perspectives. It was her hope that her research would be empowering to women in the Latin community and herself.
Sih Handayani (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) is the chairperson of Seketariat Bersama Perempuan Yogyakarta (SBPY). SBPY is an organized founded to promote the awareness of women issues in government and society. As part of SBPY, Ms. Handayani actively pursues networking with NGO’s concerned with women’s issues. Her goal is to promote women’s rights throughout the world, but especially women who are experiencing economic deprivation. The ultimate goal is to empower women with the tools and skills necessary for them to achieve independence and equality. While at UCD, Ms. Handayani focused on women’s rights and empowerment issues regarding domestic workers both in her own country and also of Indonesian women employed overseas as domestics. The goal is to develop a program that empowers domestic workers with knowledge of the rights and the will power to become a voice and advocate for equality and change.
Fe Caridad M. Sariente (Pasig City, Philippines) started her career in the corporate world of international business, working for a major investment firm in Asia. In 1990, she joined WomenHealth Philippines, initially as a business manager and accountant. Working at WomanHealth spurred her into several arena’s both locally and internationally regarding the treatment of women and their place in society. Ms. Sariente has represents WomanHealth on several human rights committees, NOVA (Network Opposed to Violence Against Women Migrants, Task Force on Sex Trafficking in Asia, and an HIV/Aids Support Network). Her position as a business manager and accountant has turned into a strong advocacy for women’s rights and justice. While at UCD Ms. Sariente explored human rights issues for women migrants in Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. Her project sought to focus on contradictory national laws and non-conformity with basic human rights supported by the United Nations, with the aim of highlighting the difficulty women migrants face and identifying the underlying reason women migrate.
Can Tang (Beijing, China) is employed by the Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Beijing. She has been involved in several projects and research efforts on issues and forces affecting women and internal Chinese migration. Past projects include a study of women migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta of Southeast China, and a study of “housemaids” in Wuwei County, Anhui Province. These studies led to the publishing several corresponding papers. Additionally, Ms. Tang was researched and written on sexual harassment in China and a comparison between China and the U.S. regarding sexual harassment and the respect of women. Currently, she is working with immigrant and migrant communities in Beijing and fostering a greater understanding between migrants and the “permanent” populace.
1996:
Fatma Abeyd (Nairobi, Kenya) is the Executive Director of Kenya Anti-Rape Organization. Founded in 1990 by Ms. Abeyd, the organization is a crisis center for victims of sexual abuse and gender violence. Additionally, both the organization and Ms. Abeyd serve as outreach workers, community liaisons, and legal rights activists. As a woman’s advocate, and a strong forceful woman, Ms. Abeyd has several times confronted the bias against women so prevalent in Kenya, “from the family to the courts.” Concerned with the lack of power women have in politics and the legal system in Kenya, Ms. Abeyd hopes to develop a project that focuses on ways to lobby and change the political structure. In addition to her national goals for her research, she hopes to become involved with projects that seek to increase the economic potential of women and raise the level of local community awareness towards the struggle of women in Kenya.
Sara Antrobus (Gauteng, South Africa) is a councilor and advocate with People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA). As a councilor with POWA, she assists women in abusive relationships, and provides guidance for rape victims. In conjunction with POWA, Ms. Antrobus has initiated an advocacy program with the local magistrate and prosecutors office to act as a court assistant and consultant in rape and abuse cases. Additionally, POWA acts as a judicial watch dog for women in the legal system. Having grown up in South Africa under Apartheid, Ms. Antrobus is excited by the new ANC led government. However, she knows that the only way to ensure equal rights and justice is to be a strong advocate always pursuing gender equality. To that end, while at UCD, Ms. Antrobus she intends to research current methods of attaining equality and justice for women, through increased education, economic opportunities, and other empowering activities. Her goal is to examine feminists ideas developed in the “Third World” with an eye toward education, culture, social, and religious evolution.
Marisol Reyna (Estafeta Zona 4, Panama) has been working with women in crisis situations throughout the 1990’s. In 1994, she began working with Centro de Mujeres contra el Maltrato (CEPAM). At CEPAM, Ms. Reyna serves as a councilor to women and children in crisis stemming from domestic abuse. She is an important part of CEPAM developing and administering self-help groups, preparing and presenting seminars to NGO’s and government groups, and working in CEPAM’s research center on programs and projects relating to the impact of domestic violence on children. During her stay at UCD, Ms. Reyna wants to research and develop an educational program, that seeks to assist children witnesses to domestic violence and develop educational outreach programs to heighten the awareness in Panama of domestic violence.
Lisa William Zigmond (Davis, California) is a recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz. Ms. Zigmond is one of the first U.S. based advocates that GGI has invited to participate as a visitor. She has been active in the human rights arena holding several positions with Amnesty International both in the U.S. and Central America. Currently, Ms. Zigmond works for the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center, a branch of Harper House the only women’s shelter in Yolo County. At the center, she works as a counselor and advocate for abused women and their families. Additionally, Ms. Zigmond works with the Latina Outreach Program were she performs many of the same duties as at the center, but directed toward a Spanish speaking clientele. In coming to the Ford Program, her goal is to broaden her knowledge of domestic violence issues and come to a greater understanding of the women faced with the problems of abuse and violence.
Paola Zuniga (Managua, Nicaragua) works as a writer, editor, researcher, and communications director for Fundacion Puntos de Encuentro. The center is a non-profit group producing a feminist oriented bi-monthly publication La Bolentina. The magazine is to provide a forum for debate around issues regarding women and gender in Nicaragua. In addition to her duties at the center, Ms. Zuniga works with the Women Against Violence Network. Here she has helped develop educational material to inform battered and abused women of their rights and where they can go for assistance and escape their abusers. Additionally, she has developed annual campaigns to raise awareness on domestic violence in the country through workshops, self-help seminars, debates, and the media. At UCD, Ms. Zuniga hopes to pursue research that will help develop an educational program for women that will assist in the changing of attitudes towards domestic violence and empowering women. Her goal is to identify programs currently being applied in the U.S. and elsewhere and adapt them to her home country.
1995:
Irene F. Fellizar (Manila, Philippines) is the Project Manager for Kabalikat ng Pamilyang Pilipino Foundation Inc. Kabalikat is involved in research and outreach into the Filipino “sex-worker” community. Primarily concerned with AIDS prevention and education, the foundation sponsors workshops and training seminars to workers on basic health care, hygiene, and prevention of STD’s. Ms. Fellizar has been employed by the foundation since 1989. Prior to that she worked with various government, non-government organizations, and research groups on social issues. She has been an active social worker since 1976. Her current position with the foundation has her organizing and implementing training workshops, operation and drop in out reach center, and actively raising funds for the group. By 1994, the foundation had held workshops and seminars for up to 6,000 workers in the Philippines, ages 10 to 18. The efforts of Ms. Fellizar and the foundation have gone along way to the education and prevention of AIDS and other STD’s amongst workers in the Philippines.
Eniffa Nkata (Limbe, Malawi) is a Registered Nurse employed at the Mwaiwathu Clinic, an out-patient care facility, in Blantyre, Malawi. At the clinic Ms. Nkata is responsible for the care of patience on the floor, dispensation of medicines, and the smooth flow and daily operations. In 1994, she was the only nurse on staff at to clinic. Her role as nurse includes health education and outreach to the clients. AIDS is increasingly a source of patient health crisis, and Ms. Nkata has become an active educator and supporter for AIDS patience in her area. In 1995, as part of her work and preparation for attending UCD, Ms. Nkata began a survey of Malawian attitudes toward AIDS education and awareness. It was her hope to use data from this survey and a subsequent survey in the Davis community, to identify social and cultural attitudes that might be use in the creation of more effective outreach programs in Malawi.
Bojana Pinter (Ljubljana, Slovenia) is a Physician working at the University of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ljubljana. Dr. Pinter is actively involved in creating a new program and out reach education system to adolescents in Slovenia. She is part of a research group of physicians working to identify and establish workable programs for Slovenia. Additionally, Dr. Pinter has published several articles on family planning and sex education issues in various European journals. Her current focus and while at UCD has been to expand her knowledge and work skills with AIDS and STD education for adolescents.
Felicia Sakala (Lusaka, Zambia) is a Registered Nurse working for the YWCA in Lusaka. Ms. Sakala has been a nurse since 1975 working with various government and private hospitals and departments. She is responsible for the identification, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health care projects throughout Zambia’s YWCA system. Other duties include the management of office operations and serving as an instigating officer integrating gender issues into community based programs. In addition to her duties at the YWCA, Ms. Sakala represents her group on various boards and foundations (Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia, World AIDS day, and World Health Day). She was selected to represent her government and serve on a committee discussing gender issues in Southern Africa for SAPES (Southern Africa Political and Economic Series), a group that meets in Harare, Zimbabwe.
1994:
Tseghereda Ghiorgis Berhe (Asmara, Eritrea) currently works with the Department of Agriculture, Eritrea. She has been an agriculture extension worker since 1982, beginning her career with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia. Her work in Eritrea has her involved with small scale subsistence farmers establishing new farming techniques, water management, and soil conservation. Part of her work is to identify and work with women farmers in her region. A major focus of Ms. Berhe’s work is to establish and implement afforestation programs and researching the effects of deforestation on Eritrean farmers, with a special emphasis on identifying the impact on women in Eritrea.
Sandhya Chatterji (New Delhi, India) is employed by ETC Consultants, a subsidiary of ETC Foundation, Netherlands. As a consultant, Ms. Chatterji is responsible for the evaluation of several bi-lateral missions in India. Her primary responsibility is to monitor and evaluate the effects of aid programs on women. In April 1993, she began work as a coordinator for an environmental fund for NGO’s in India. The aim is to establish a selection criteria for environmental projects that place their primary efforts at mitigating or alleviating the impact/burden on women in India. Prior to her work with ETC, Ms. Chatterji worked with other NGO’s on women’s development and environment issues in India.
Kebede Aregawi Kibra (Tigray, Ethiopia) works for a non-governmental agency Relief Society of Tigray (REST), as the Head of the Women’s Desk and Deputy Director of Operations. Ms. Kibra has been actively involved in agriculture extension services, beginning her career with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia, in 1981. Now at REST, Ms. Kibra is continuing her extension work, but now more directly servicing the needs of women in her region. Her objective at REST is to increase the awareness of women to ecology and the environment by disseminating both modern and indigenous technologies. Additionally, as a women’s activist, Ms. Kibra is involved in increasing local women’s knowledge and active participation of women in local and national politics.
Kemerwa Alinemary Rukaaka (Kabale, Uganda) works for ICRAF/AFRENA, as a coordinator of women’s agro-forestry projects. Ms. Rukaaka is in charge of various aspects of AFRENA’s agro-forestry program. She holds workshops and training seminars aimed at providing technical assistance to women farmers in the Kabale region. Additionally, through her workshops and AFREA’s programs, technical training and assistance is given to increase the economic potential of participants through the coordination of women’s groups and other economic cooperatives. In addition to business and technical training, Ms. Rukaaka provides training on various environmental issues, such as soil conservation, deforestation, alternate and/or integrated cropping techniques.
