After experiencing the problems first hand in Nicaragua, Mary Ellsberg has devoted her life to advocating for women's rights and social justice worldwide. In her talk, Mary explains her experience and emphasizes the importance of protecting and maintaining basic human rights for everyone.
Mary Ellsberg is the Founding Director of the Global Women's Institute at George Washington University. As a public health researcher and life-long activist, she is committed to conducting research that shines a light on social injustice and contributes to improving the lives of women and girls worldwide. She left college during her senior year to join the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua, and stayed there for the next 18 years, working in community health and women’s rights programs. Dr. Ellsberg carried out the first prevalence study on violence against women in Nicaragua. Since then, she has authored more than 40 books and articles on violence against women and girls globally and was a member of the Core Technical Team of the WHO Multi-country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women. She continues to speak out and is proud to have been arrested twice last year with immigrant’s rights activists protesting the breaking up of families through deportation.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx