This has got to stop!
I’ve discussed the issue of female suppression and patriarchy in my post Beyond “The Patience Stone” Part I.
Now, I’d like to bring to your attention a video I recently became aware of. This video has gone viral because it is bringing awareness to an issue that affects the lives of approximately 15 million girls each year around the world.
That Issue Is Child Marriage.
In Beyond “The Patience Stone” Part I, I mention how a girl was given away in order to pay off a gambling debt. This sort of thing is commonplace in many countries including Yemen, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Brazil, Nepal, and many more. What’s even more shocking is it is also legal in some American States. In Massachusetts, for example, a girl can marry at 12 and a boy at 14. In Texas, a girl can marry at 14 but a boy must wait until he is 18. Crazy Shit!
Girls Are Getting Hurt! Click To TweetBesides the emotional damage these girls have to endure, they are also being physically damaged. There have been cases of young girls who have suffered internal damage from their husbands, sometimes twice their age. Sometimes these girls die from these injuries because girls are not seen as worthwhile. One account reported a 13 year old dying from complications in child birth. The youngest such victim was just 8 year.
The video shows how some Americans can be outraged that such a thing can happen in America. Well, sorry to say people, America is not the only place in the world. We have to stop being so complacent.
Here’s The Video
Please like and Share. Not for me, for the Girls[TheChamp-Counter]
Stumbling!
Thanks Janice.
I think we are on the same page but different paragraphs. Change needs to happen, and like all change it is slow to happpen because religion is wrapped into the mix. The culture needs to recognize that the tradition is no longer working for them. I think there needs to be a way for the families and the children that do not want to participate to have a safe way out. This is what I think we both are talking about. Protect the children and the families from the backlash of the community. This will raise awareness to the issue and hopefully begin the change.
Any society or government that goes in and tells anyone that what their doing is wrong is just not going to work. We know that because the world is full of historical records of one country coming in and taking over. Change needs to come from a place of love not judgement.
I agree they need to have a safe way out without backlash from the community. Using discernment we can come from a place of love and usher in change. 🙂 Joe
Yes, we are all brothers and sisters. the fact that they do not believe what we believe doesn’t make one person better than another. We are just different. If we want our brothers and sisters to see that a tradition is outdated or hurting their people, aggression is not going to get anyone anywhere. Thank you Joe. I’ve enjoied this conversation.
🙂
This is a very interesting video. I agree it isn’t right from our point of view but there are countries where this is a deeply set part of the culture and change will take time. Of course we think it’s wrong but the question needs to be asked. What gives us the right to judge another cultures traditions? Are we saying, I accept you as long as you believe what I believe and live the way I live? If that is the case then there are cultures where my son and his boyfriend would be murdered. There are cultures where my family I, being born witchs, would not be allowed to live. Where is the line drawn? Who gets to decide?
I understand what you are saying about “culture”. As Americans, we do a lot of “believe what I believe and live the way I live.” I also understand your point about your son and his boyfriend and your family being witches not being allowed in other “cultures.” But, homosexuality and being a witch is frowned upon by many “here” in America as well. The difference is we have laws that protect people’s human rights in America. Bringing awareness to things and taking action brings change. Remember, it was not too long ago that women weren’t allowed to vote in this country and African Americans were regarded as property. And, presently, we are still fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community. All because of “culture” or tradition (Christianity in this country). So, where do we draw the line? We draw the line when the basic rights of people are being violated. The majority of these girls do not want to be married off to some old man they never met before. And if they do, it’s because straying from tradition could mean exclusion from the community. Tradition or “culture” should not be an excuse to overrule the basic rights of an individual. As Graça Machel, widow of Nelson Mandela, says, traditions are made by people – we can change them. 🙂 Joe