Nightmarish tales of girl prostitution ... the plight of child brides ...

gang rapes in Bosnia ... the crushing burden of poverty and unemployment ... the ongoing despair of women refugees...

Memories of an international forum last month on women tumbled out as four Bermudians shared their experiences in China's Beijing.

But there were many other recollections, too.

The strength and hope of women coming together in force ... bonds forged which transcended race and religion ... fiery speeches ... the release of 20,000 doves of peace during the opening ceremony ...

For the four women, their trip to the Non-Governmental Organisation Forum on Women was a milestone in their sex's historic march to equal rights.

"We went to Beijing as works in progress. We came back whole,'' declared Ms Paula Cox, the Progressive Labour Party's Public Relations Officer.

Business and Professional Women's Club member Ms Patty-Ann Hill also returned in hope.

"Bermuda is changing. Women are on the move,'' she exclaimed.

To Opposition Sen. Neletha (Honey) Butterfield, the trip showed no group of women had a patent on pain, abuse and inequality.

"Beijing has moved me to another level in my growth of life. We must put aside envy, jealousy, gossip, putting down sisters especially those who are making inroads to help others, and those who are making a difference ...

they struggle too in their lives and respect should be given.

"Remember ... legislation does not change attitudes, attitudes change from within.'' For the fourth member of the group, Physical Abuse Centre director Mrs. Arleen Swan, the forum provided comfort -- and dismay.

Comfort because it showed Bermuda was on the right track in combating violence in the home.

In particular, it highlighted the need for a treatment programme for batterers -- something the abuse centre was pressing for.

Dismay because the horrors inflicted on women, and the problem of girl prostitution, were brought home through graphic testimony.

"We came to Beijing to make our voices heard,'' said Mrs. Swan.

The four relived the trip at a meeting last week at the PLP's headquarters, Alaska Hall, organised by Shadow Minister for Legislative Affairs and Women's Issues Mrs. Lois Browne Evans. Some 20 people, mainly women, turned up.

The hall was decked out with photographs and souvenirs from the visit, including fans, kimonos, T-shirts and posters, some bearing such slogans as "See The World Through Women's Eyes'', "Action For Equality, Development And Peace'', and "Making, Building A Better Tomorrow''.

And to add authenticity to the occasion, Chinese food, including rice and spring rolls, was laid on.

The four speakers, three of them clad in Chinese costume, told how they attended a series of workshops at the forum, many of which were held under tents.

Subjects included the economy, politics, human rights, peace and security, education, health, environment, religion, science and technology, media, arts and culture, race and ethnics and youth.

Ms Hill focussed on a workshop on construction workers.

She told how she shared a four-member panel on the workshop with women from Denmark, Afghanistan and Japan.

The discussion centred on blue-collar work, such as labouring, carpentry and mechanics.

"We were all asked a lot of questions,'' she recalled.

These covered such areas as training, safety, discrimination, sexual harassment, and unionisation.

Ms Hill said she told the workshop of her own experience of sexual harassment at work; She dealt with it by grabbing her tormentor's hand and warning: "If you continue to do this, I will break your fingers.'' The forum left her brimming with hope for women in the construction industry.

And it was time for them to grab the opportunities.

Sen. Butterfield said she had been deeply moved by the 10-day trip.

"There were voices of concern, voices of equal rights, voices of celebration and voices chanting peace and unity.

"As we looked at the world through women's eyes, the NGO Forum on Women in Beijing, China, saw women gathering from every part, every corner of the globe. Just what were they seeking? "There was pain in some eyes, there was worry in some eyes, there was joy in some eyes...There was strength, encouragement and peace within the eyes of women coming together.'' Sen. Butterfield described the opening ceremony.

"A packed stadium with thousands and thousands of women representing, I would say, the whole nation. We were there, a fresh start of love, friendship and equality.

"Performers of this event numbered over 5,000 Chinese young girls, boys, women and men.

"The most moving part was the release of 20,000 doves of peace. At this point women just embraced each other as tears fell from their faces and mine as we sang `we have to keep on moving forward'.'' Sen. Butterfield said women came to the conference for many reasons.

"They had concerns about conditions in which they live, move and work, women came because they were not only scared for their lives but other women and for the future of their families, men and their young people.

"Some women came because they had some answers and know-how's to protect ourselves from violence.'' Sen. Butterfield said her most interesting tour was to a middle school, with 1,300 children on the roll and about 100 teachers.

"Students have to maintain a 95 percent average in subjects, history, maths, music, PE, English, self story, chemistry, and politics.

"If they do not retain this average they are sent to another school until they reach 590 points that will enable them to return.

"There was some difficulty in seeing the computer lab. There was a language barrier as well.

"One interesting factor was that there was nothing on the walls in the classroom and the students started school at 7.30 a.m. and worked until 4 p.m.. Most of them walk or ride to school.'' Sen. Butterfield told of her experience at an education workshop.

"In large parts of Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, girls get much less education than boys.

"In some communities the attitude prevails that a girl needs no education to be a wife and a mother.

"Millions of girls are working in their home, fields or on the streets rather than in school.'' Sen. Butterfield relayed some of the testimonies of horror.

"The stories pour forth in an avalanche of horror. From Bosnia, young girls raped, gang raped, raped again, mutilated, murdered from Angola, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Mozambique.

"Women came with these stories . .. from Thailand, young girls stolen from their villages locked in prostitute houses serving 10, 15, 20 to 30 male sexual predators every 24 hours ...'' Sen. Butterfield added: "It was stated at the conference that it will take 400-500 years for women to be equal with men.

"Do we really want to wait that long? No! So we must start working together to achieve equality.'' Mrs. Swan said Bermuda was under-represented at the conference.

"More Bermudian women should have gone. It was an opportunity to experience and share the problems and situations of other women.'' It was noticeable, said Mrs. Swan, how groups from other countries were supported by their Governments. How different to Bermuda! Mrs. Swan said the conference was far from a holiday.

"Our days were very active. We worked, and took part in rigorous activities, attending workshops.'' Even before the trip, said Mrs. Swan, a barrage of adverse publicity had been fired at the conference.

It had cast a slur on the intentions of the forum.

"We came to make our voices heard. In some ways it's unfortunate that we have to do this. It's unfortunate that we have to make ourselves more visible.'' Mrs. Swan stressed, however, it was in everybody's interests for women to achieve equality.

"I do not believe men can be happy if women are not happy.'' One workshop struck Mrs. Swan, in particular.

Called "Men In Support Of Women'', it threw out a challenge for men not to use violence as a way of controlling women.

The idea of treating batterers -- as well as punishing them -- had already been taken up by the Physical Abuse Centre, said Mrs. Swan.

"It showed me we in Bermuda are right on target. A lot of our ideas were being supported.'' For Ms Cox the conference served a special purpose.

"The workshops and seminars gave us hope, gave us courage and gave us love to continue to go on fighting for our families, our sisters, our brothers, our husbands, our fathers, our boyfriends, and our communities.'' Ms Cox was keen to look beyond Beijing and the NGO Forum.

The challenge, she said, was for the world to demonstrate its commitment by taking a lead in the advancement of women.

There had to be a renewed and transformed partnership between women and men based on equality.

Drawing on a quote from Malcolm X, and giving it a twist, she said: "You don't stick a knife in a woman's back nine inches and then pull it out six inches and say you're making progress.'' Ms Cox said there was a relationship between discrimination against women and violence.

"Women's secondary status around the world sets them up as victims of violence and renders them powerless to challenge what is happening to them.

"If no one sees anything wrong with the abuse, no one sees any reason to stop it.

"In many countries violence and discrimination against females begins at birth.

"The delivery of a baby boy is greeted with celebration, a baby girl with mourning.

"In parts of the Islamic world, midwives have been known to abandon a delivery the moment they realise the child they have helped to deliver is of the wrong sex.

"Husbands are ashamed, women guilty. If a Moslem woman doesn't present her husband with a son, she may soon find herself divorced or learn that he has taken another wife.

"Rape has become a weapon of war. There are still arranged marriages in some cultures and where the young women object to their chosen party they can be beaten into submission. The lack of legal protection is evident in other countries.'' Ms Cox summed up the mood of women in Beijing.

"She came. She saw. She conquered ... That was the message. Against that backdrop, of the pattern of abuse against women globally, you can understand why the women at the NGO Forum felt they had a mission.

"We were there excited. We came with anticipation, but despite the satisfaction at being together and revelling in that -- there was a sombre side.

"We were grave. We were gingerly feeling our way because we knew we had a job to do. It was no holiday, it was no picnic.

"The world was focussing on Beijing and we wanted to prove them wrong.'' Ms Cox described the forum as a "milestone for women''.

"It was a signpost and a road map. We were in the business of trying to create a vision which we could impart to others of the urgency of action on these myriad of issues which were not just women's issues by societal issues.''