International Women's Day
Today is the International Women's Day and the United Nations' theme for International Women's Day in 2007 is "Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls."
I have been abused physically and psychologically for more than 18 years and I am still trying to come to term with the loss of a baby and the fact that I ended up and let myself be involved into a such sordid and sad situation, this was so far from my education (university, so easy access to information) or my bringing up (aristocratic background with grands-parents who were free thinkers). By saying this I want to stress out that it is affecting all the strates of society. How was is possible that I ended up in such a mess and let someone strip me of all dignity and self-respect to such a point that i was gradualy leaving the world we are all living in?
Now I see that people knew about it but they never came to me when myself I was desesperately looking for a small gesture. I knew something was wrong but could not get out of that situation.
Sorry for having being personal but I wanted to speak my mind, because I am sure that around you there are women in this situation, expecting, waiting from something from you.
Oh of course, it is a delicate situation, because I can see myself that at the time, shame was involved and it is not easy to let the world know the distress you are in, you might face rejection when you are only trying to help an abused woman. But please, just try to build a relation of trust. I was looking for an opening.
Please know also that in case of domestic abuse, the "abuser" can deliberately hurt physically women in such a way that it will not show.
Now more facts:
Some of the issues the U.N. and International Women's Day have focused on include the following:
About 25,000 brides are burned to death each year in India because of insufficient dowries. The groom's family will set the bride on fire, presenting it as an accident or suicide. The groom is then free to remarry.
In a number of countries, women who have been raped are sometimes killed by their own families to preserve the family's honor. Honor killings have been reported in Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and other Persian Gulf countries.
According to UNICEF, 100 million to 140 million girls and women have undergone some form of female genital mutilation. Today, this practice is carried out in 28 African countries, despite the fact that it is outlawed in a number of these nations.
Rape as a weapon of war has been used in Chiapas, Mexico, Rwanda, Kuwait, Haiti, Colombia, and elsewhere.
As someone working closely with Africa and Africans and HIV programs, I would like just to say once again that the situation of women there is critical, regarding AIDS on top of other issues. Some women I met there and I talked with told me that they were just an object, focus group discussions have shown that there is a shift in mentality and that they start to challenge masculine behaviour regarding faithfullness for instance and some of the fundments of the african way of living and thinking.
Lots of Love and Light to You All with a very special thought and a prayer for all the people in distressfull situation. And may they find the Light somewhere on their path like I did.
Angel Rainbow Warrior