Monday

Stop violence against women and children!

It is really disheartening to read the newspapers everyday to see news of women and young girls who were abused, raped and murdered.

What is happening to this world that women and young girls are no longer safe even in their own homes?

The bigger question is what are the decision makers/ policy makers / authorities actually doing about it?

What about the general public? Many have become so jaded that such gruesome news no longer bothered them.

I do not have the actual figures but I am sure that every minute of everyday, a woman or a young girl is being abused, sexually harassed, raped or murdered. Many women's groups and non-governmental organisations have been fighting this cause for a long time and despite wide proclamations by politicians and such on how they will fight to protect women and children, the violence continues.

I personally feel these inhuman violence against women and children started with how children were brought up.

Those who prey on women and children obviously started out as children just like the rest of us. And we all know, all babies are born innocent and helpless. So, how do these adorable little bundles of joy turned into blood-thirsty, evil monsters?

I do believe that every child is innocent and not capable of evil deeds (except for the ones in movies in The Omen).

The turning point probably stem from how they were brought up. Their childhood experiences and what they were taught from young. It could also be like an egg and chicken cycle as some could have been abused as a child so, without proper counseling and help, they too grow up to become abusers themselves.

Then there is discipline and environment influences.Children should be taught from young to respect each other and not to use violence to solve problems or disagreements.

Fighting is never the answer. They should be told in no uncertain terms that using brute force to get their way is very wrong.

Boys should be taught to treat girls with respect and as equals.

In this modern times, it is just so wrong to teach boys that girls are only good for cooking and keeping house and that they should be under the control of men. I do know of certain Asian cultures that still teaches boys to treat girls as nothing more than a maid or worse. Some cultures still considered women as the lesser being, have no rights to say or do anything without the permission of men and if anything were to happen to them, it is their own fault for not obeying the men.

This is what really get me. Despite all the efforts by so many groups, we still live in a men's world where male supremacy seemed to rule us all. You may disagree with me but just stop and look around. Yes, there are many women holding high positions in huge corporations or in governments but there are also millions other women who were abused, suppressed, not given minimum wage, sexually harassed and generally being treated as nothing more than scum.

Can we actually use the few great women of our time to reflect the actual status of women all over the world? It is just like saying all Americans are multi-billionaires just because Bill Gates is an American.

That said, I just wish to end this post by wishing for more women to start standing up for their rights, to start fighting for justice for themselves and their children and to move and initiate change for a better future.

Let's stop violence against women and children together!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I hear your anguish and I feel your despair.

As a former battered woman, I know that I was trapped in my prison by a culture established and maintained by the Judeo / Christian / Muslim ethic. These religions must be transformed or erased before you will see and end to the barbarity.

There is another way.