http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/18/imo-view-stop-violence-against-women.html
Within hours, we will be commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March 2013. It coincides with the UN Commission on the Status of Women’s focus to bring an end on the “pandemic” of violence targeting females worldwide. It is recorded that up to 7 in 10 women globally, or 70 per cent, would be beaten, raped, abused or mutilated in their lifetime. The UN Women Executive Director called on the international community to deliver on their commitments and to protect women’s right to live free of violence.
For me personally, I am embittered by the fact that until today, violence against women and girls is still rampant all around the world. They are subject to appalling hostility justified in the name of religion, culture, and tradition. Practices such as gender discrimination, imprisonment, maiming, femicide, torture, even death, are ingrained as culturally authentic, required by religion, or sanctioned by time-honored tradition.
A worldwide condemnation hailed towards religious extremists who cowardly shot a 15-year-old Pakistani girl on her way home from school. Malala Yousafzai was a vigorous campaigner on education for women. Taliban considered the act against the scriptures! What a twisted sickening rationale. It is their act of brutality which grossly transgresses the teachings of their religion.
Following the Arab Spring, women across the Middle East are now bracing themselves against the harsh core reality that they remain as second class citizens. They had actively participated to thwart the autocratic regimes, yet the now ruling governments seem impatient to curb women from the mainstream of politics, economy, and any other aspect of life, in the name of religion. It is really disheartening to see the widespread misuse of religion to excuse or condone abusive behaviors towards women.
Meanwhile, images of domestic violence almost always wind up putting women as victims. The man seems to have complete control over the lives of a married woman, as reflected in a number of tragic stories in Afghanistan, Mali, India, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and many other countries where traditions and culture embedded in the deep rooted patriarchal societies reinforced by false and misguided interpretations of the religious texts take reign.
It is also nauseating to learn that more and more women suffer a life time trauma and humiliation from rape. Many tragically lost even their lives under this monstrous crime. The gang rape and death of a 23 year old medical student in India, the gang rape of a high schooler in Steubenville-Ohio, the rape of 17-year Sout African girl, and the repeated sexual assault on the Indonesian fifth grader were only the tip of the iceberg of the massive violence directed against women. Rape is theologically, socially, morally and ethically wrong and constitutes as a heinous crime. It is the most atrocious physical, psychological, and spiritual violation of one person by another.
What is more sickening is the use of rape as strategy of war in the conflict- ridden countries such as Colombia, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Mali, and Syria, among others. In these countries, women and girls alike continue to suffer the horror of high levels violence and helplessness. While, the sadistic perpetrators got away, the victims were routinely blamed and made to feel shame for the violence committed against them. None they could turn to. Often, they feared for their life if they reported the crime. Often they sought in vain for justice.
For that reason, it is imperative for us to ask how many more women and girls need to be violated and ruined? How many more families need to suffer? It is time for us all to say enough is enough.
Commemorating the IWD, let us work together to stop VIOLENCE against women and girls. Let us say it aloud today and the days onward. Let us stand together campaigning NO to rape and sexual violence, NO to human trafficking and sexual slavery, NO to murders committed in the name of honour or passion and NO to femicide. NOT in the name of religion, culture, nor tradition.
Within hours, we will be commemorating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March 2013. It coincides with the UN Commission on the Status of Women’s focus to bring an end on the “pandemic” of violence targeting females worldwide. It is recorded that up to 7 in 10 women globally, or 70 per cent, would be beaten, raped, abused or mutilated in their lifetime. The UN Women Executive Director called on the international community to deliver on their commitments and to protect women’s right to live free of violence.
For me personally, I am embittered by the fact that until today, violence against women and girls is still rampant all around the world. They are subject to appalling hostility justified in the name of religion, culture, and tradition. Practices such as gender discrimination, imprisonment, maiming, femicide, torture, even death, are ingrained as culturally authentic, required by religion, or sanctioned by time-honored tradition.
A worldwide condemnation hailed towards religious extremists who cowardly shot a 15-year-old Pakistani girl on her way home from school. Malala Yousafzai was a vigorous campaigner on education for women. Taliban considered the act against the scriptures! What a twisted sickening rationale. It is their act of brutality which grossly transgresses the teachings of their religion.
Following the Arab Spring, women across the Middle East are now bracing themselves against the harsh core reality that they remain as second class citizens. They had actively participated to thwart the autocratic regimes, yet the now ruling governments seem impatient to curb women from the mainstream of politics, economy, and any other aspect of life, in the name of religion. It is really disheartening to see the widespread misuse of religion to excuse or condone abusive behaviors towards women.
Meanwhile, images of domestic violence almost always wind up putting women as victims. The man seems to have complete control over the lives of a married woman, as reflected in a number of tragic stories in Afghanistan, Mali, India, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and many other countries where traditions and culture embedded in the deep rooted patriarchal societies reinforced by false and misguided interpretations of the religious texts take reign.
It is also nauseating to learn that more and more women suffer a life time trauma and humiliation from rape. Many tragically lost even their lives under this monstrous crime. The gang rape and death of a 23 year old medical student in India, the gang rape of a high schooler in Steubenville-Ohio, the rape of 17-year Sout African girl, and the repeated sexual assault on the Indonesian fifth grader were only the tip of the iceberg of the massive violence directed against women. Rape is theologically, socially, morally and ethically wrong and constitutes as a heinous crime. It is the most atrocious physical, psychological, and spiritual violation of one person by another.
What is more sickening is the use of rape as strategy of war in the conflict- ridden countries such as Colombia, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Mali, and Syria, among others. In these countries, women and girls alike continue to suffer the horror of high levels violence and helplessness. While, the sadistic perpetrators got away, the victims were routinely blamed and made to feel shame for the violence committed against them. None they could turn to. Often, they feared for their life if they reported the crime. Often they sought in vain for justice.
For that reason, it is imperative for us to ask how many more women and girls need to be violated and ruined? How many more families need to suffer? It is time for us all to say enough is enough.
Commemorating the IWD, let us work together to stop VIOLENCE against women and girls. Let us say it aloud today and the days onward. Let us stand together campaigning NO to rape and sexual violence, NO to human trafficking and sexual slavery, NO to murders committed in the name of honour or passion and NO to femicide. NOT in the name of religion, culture, nor tradition.
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