Down with oppression of women

INSIDE OUT: .When we are done worrying about bad governance and social injustice, when nature decides to give us a break from its disasters, some people decide to turn against others committing atrocities that leaves you in deep shock.

The clock ticked one minute past midnight on first of January 2013, I was planning to go to sleep leaving behind the jubilation coming from the streets. Unfortunately, minutes before, I was going through my messages and read more information about the young Indian lady who died after succumbing to her injuries. Raped by six men, beaten, tortured and thrown out of a moving bus, she could not have had a more gruesome ending to her short life.

This young victim was also a medical student, who one day could have saved the lives of many, including the miserable beasts who decided to commit such an atrocity that brought a whole nation to the brink of a rebellion.
No, it is not the first time that such an act of violence is committed against women, but it took this horrific crime to once again bring to light the issues women are dealing with on daily basis. I was once talking to a social worker dealing with victims of rape who are escaping the rebels in Congo. He was almost in tears while telling me stories some of these women go through, and never think for one moment that they are less important or painful stories; each one is like a sharp knife pierced in our hearts.

One such story depicts the life of a woman who lost her husband when rebels attacked their village. She was gang raped and tortured and left to take care of her now orphaned children. She fled her country and found her way to one of the refugee camps. Life is not very rosy in such camps, as the days went by, she had to turn to prostitution to be able to feed her children.

The social worker told me that after the trauma of gang rape, one of the hardest things to do is to turn to prostitution, because she is reminded every single time of her horrific ordeal. He then told me that so far, this story might sound like many, but what made him cry was that this woman accepted in her already stretched household, other orphans who had no parents at all, she also fed and took care of them in the same way with her own children. “How can you have such a generous spirit when everything has been taken away from you?” he wondered.

In some countries such as Cambodia, little girls, at the tender age of only three are sold to brothels. These little children become sex slaves to monsters in the shape of humans who are not only cruel but utterly stupid, some of them believe that sleeping with such minors will bring them wealth and health.

Unfortunately, people from the western part of our world, who talk about justice and human rights in their countries, and who take the neighbour to police if their dog trespasses their garden, are the same people who come to Far East countries to indulge in the booming industry of child prostitution.

An activist helping victims of such slave trades, said that some cultures in the world suppressed women and considered them second class citizens. So, when they encouraged such industries she would understand, but never could she fathom the fact that Westerners who boycotted purchase of ivory and endangered animals’ skin, could prefer the protection of animals than human beings. Without demand, there is no supply.

It is becoming harder and harder for me to finish this article. Someone once asked what situation in life would bring the devil out of me, I replied, the sight of a helpless child being abused and beaten by some savage adult.

Now I cannot imagine what will come out of me if I encountered such people who use children in these industries. For now, I will work on managing my anger by remembering that one day, justice will prevail.