by Kara Furlong
Kristin Fleschner, a resident of Terre Haute, Ind., has been awarded the 2004 traveling fellowship at Vanderbilt. The fellowship, funded by 1981 Vanderbilt alumnus Michael B. Keegan, will provide $10,000 for a year of travel and study throughout Africa.

Fleschner graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt in December 2003 with bachelor’s of science degrees in anthropology and Human and Organizational Development. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George S. Fleschner of Terre Haute.

Fleschner plans to use the fellowship to travel and conduct research in Botswana, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa, studying the issue of sexual violence against African women and children and the spread of AIDS.

“War has created an environment across Africa in which violence is accepted. Rape, a common violent crime against women in Africa, is even more devastating to women living in populations where 20-50 percent of the male population tests HIV-positive,” wrote Fleschner in her fellowship proposal. “Human Rights Watch released a study in November 2003 stating that violence and discrimination against women is fueling the African AIDS crisis.”

Even more startling is the incidence of child rape in Africa. “In one rape court in [the Johannesburg district of] Soweto, 70 percent of the rape cases are child rape,” notes Fleschner.

African courts are attempting to address the rape problem by strengthening the penalties for convicted sexual offenders, and South Africa has established 36 “rape courts” in which specially trained judges and prosecutors only handle sexual violence cases. However, the epidemic persists due to lack of funding and resources among law enforcement, a generally unresponsive court system and widespread poverty.

Fleschner plans to attend rape court sessions and observe how the justice system deals with, or fails to deal with, violence against women and children. She will use the knowledge she gains to assist nongovernmental organizations in utilizing their resources to fill the gaps created by the inadequate justice systems. She also hopes to facilitate relationships among the nongovernmental organizations in various countries so that they might share experiences, failures and successes, and methods of addressing the violence.

During her time at Vanderbilt and in the Nashville community, Fleschner participated in several activities that have helped prepare her for her fellowship in Africa. As an intern in the Nashville district attorney’s office, Fleschner served as a coordinator within the domestic violence division of Victim Witness Services. Her responsibilities included interviewing domestic violence victims, educating them about the justice system and preparing them for testimony. As a volunteer at the Nashville Ronald McDonald House, Fleschner was trained in Play Therapy, which is designed to promote physical and emotional recovery for children through age-appropriate activities and games. A similar therapy is implemented in Africa to help recovering child rape victims.    

Following her year in Africa, Fleschner plans to pursue either a law degree with a focus on women’s issues or a Ph.D. in gender relations. “I plan to dedicate my future to women’s rights advocacy, and I believe it is a duty to consider and learn from all cultures, not simply my own,” says Fleschner. 

Posted 6/2/04