This Saving Angel is highlighting some of the most inspirational quotes that we have read in various articles.
The quotes pose as reminders for us and our roles in the oppressive
cultures that we (un)knowningly
support. Cultures like that of Rape,
Violence against Women, Impunity, ‘Victim-blaming’ etc.
Quotes:
- "Wombs punctured with guns. Women raped and tortured in front of their
husbands and children. Rifles forced into vaginas. Pregnant women
beaten to induce miscarriages. Foetuses ripped from wombs. Women
kidnapped, blindfolded and beaten on their way to work or school. We saw
the scars, the pain and the humiliation. We heard accounts of gang
rapes, rape camps and mutilation. Of murder and sexual slavery. We saw
the scars of brutality so extreme that survival seemed for some a worse
fate than death"
- Rehn & Sirleaf, (2002). Women, War and Peace: The Independent
Experts’ Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and
Women’s Role in Peace Building. New York: United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM): 9. Accessed from the World Wide Web:
http://147.96.1.15/info/ucmp/cont/descargas/documento7201.pdf
- “Gender and empathy: Men shouldn’t need to “imagine if it were your wife/daughter/mother”” - Maya
- “Women are tag-marked as shameless transgressors for marrying without
the consent of family, seeking divorce, asking for a share in ancestral
property or refusing to cover hair, face, or body. Violence against
women surges whenever the patriarchal status quo or the traditional mode
is challenged” - Ragini Nayak
- “A few months later I realized the nightmare wasn’t over. I had become
pregnant from the rape. I went into shock again […] I felt enormous
shame and guilt […] The rape and then the trauma of the subsequent
choices I made as a result of being raped haunted me for years. I found
with the rape that my body healed, but my thought process and inner core
were deeply damaged […] I was the one who carried the emotional and
psychological burden of being victimized with me. Not the predators who
did this to me - I carried it” - Renee Devesty
- “Either we could be complicit in a culture that permitted the
mistreatment and harassment of women, or we could hold ourselves, our
friends and our family members accountable for the misogyny. We had a
responsibility to unlearn” - Joel Anderson
- “Women hold up half the sky” - Chinese Proverb
Impunity Worldwide
For as long as patriarchy has been around, so too has the issue of
Impunity worldwide. Millions of women suffer at the hands of their
nation’s oppressive regimes because of the use of Impunity. Impunity has
set free millions of rapists, murderers and ‘would-be’ convicts, while
the victim suffers from the stigma and the loss of life - literally.
India
In India, women more often than ever resort to committing suicide when
faced with having to make that decision of impunity. They cannot
withstand the stigma that results from being a rape victim, nor can they
ever imagine being forced to marry their rapist. This is exactly what
happened to a teen who recently committed suicide after being gang raped
and pressured to marry one of her rapists. The victim’s sibling told
Newscasts that the local police officers were pressuring her sister to
either accept money or marry one of the rapists.
Moreover, recently there has been an increase of ‘bus gang-rapes’. Days
after the death of Jyoti Singh Pandey, another girl was gang-raped on a
bus by 7 men. In saying such, there has been an increase of
‘victim-blaming’ which is also an element of Impunity. Forcing the
victim to take the blame for the rapists actions, placing the element of
shame on the victim and forcing the victim to make a choice of either
protecting their rights or loosing everything they have (whatever little
they may have). So many victims because they fear for their lives and
the safety of their family turn to committing suicide - this is their
life of impunity.
Guatemala
For Guatemalan women, suffering the consequences of not assenting to the
terms of impunity has resulted in their family home being burnt to
ashes, the death of their siblings, jail time or even death. The
documentary ‘A Killer’s Paradise’ (2007) documents in detail the reality
that so many women live with on a daily basis. A reality much see in
the recent death of 2 innocent girls whose bodies were thrown into the
Guatemalan streets. On January 16th, 2013, two girls aged 6 and 11 were
strangled while holding their rosary beads; on the same day in another
part of Guatemala, 2 other women were shot and murdered.
In the documentary, the producers follow the life of a recent rape
victim who’s father filed charges against her rapist. After her filed
charges, the Guatemalan police confronted her with a decision - either
she marries her rapist (impunity) or she her home gets burnt down. She
refused to marry her rapist and no sooner than that, her house was burnt
down and her family lost everything. Since then she has been living in a
shack - 4 cement walls with a galvanize roof. This is their life - a
life of impunity
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Oppression - Underlying Issue
Her name is Jyoti Singh Pandey and she was raped on December 16th, 2012 and passed away on December 29th, 2012.
There are no words to explain the emotions I was going through when I first heard of the rape. To be honest, part of me was like ‘Oh, here goes another victim of sexual abuse that the Indian government is going to stand by, and choose to do nothing about’. The other part of me was going through an emotional roller-coaster; something I experience every time I hear of a female being victimized horrifically in India. My heart breaks, a little part of me dies, and the enormous amount of respect that I once had for this nation diminishes a little bit more.
Protests and riots broke out all throughout India in the days to come in response to several things; her victimization, the government’s continuous lack of response to female victimization, the lack of protection and safety for the nation’s women, the government’s lack of acknowledgement, and more so years of continuous condemnation of the victims and protection of the offenders.
In truth, there are so many underlying issues that need to be addressed. Issues that for years the people of India have been raising awareness about, but for just as long the government has turned a blind eye towards.
Some of the underlying issues are (in no particular order):
- Patriarchy
- Human trafficking
- Domestic violence
- Red district
- Female genocide/foeticide
- Female genital mutilation
- Culture of rape & impunity
- Culture of respecting boys over girls
- Victim-blaming
- “Family role model” vs. “shame, anger, humiliation”
- Definitions & legalities/caste system
- Modern slavery
Every picture in this week’s edition paints a very disturbing reality that so many women live with on a daily basis in India. The patriarchal structures and institutions that still flourish within India support these violent acts that continue to happen against women. Moreover, because majority of the victims are of “low caste,” many at times they go unaccounted for, and as a result they never receive justice.
The culture of rape and impunity that has been a founding partner of all nations, allows the violent offenders to walk away from facing their victims, as well as having to face the punishment for their crimes. Furthermore, the culture of “needing” sons over having a daughter, is vividly expressed in families across the Asian continent, which has indefinitely affected the lives of girls even before they are born. For this reason and more, many girls are aborted, there are excruciatingly high female foeticide rates and if the girls are born, they are subjected to violent victimization from birth (female genital mutilation, forced prostitution, modern slavery etc.). Victim-blaming is one of the oldest methods of oppression; the onus is essentially removed from the offender and is placed on the victim. Ultimately, all of the shame and humiliation that comes with being a victim turns into a stigma that destroys the lives of the survivors.
Lauren Wolfe has said that the year 2013 is the year to end violence in all of its facets - violence against women, oppression, modern slavery etc. - and to be honest, I think she’s right. It’s obvious that we cannot entirely eliminate violence from the world in one year, but as a team we can collectively start a movement to destroy the patriarchal mindsets, cultures of rape and impunity, violence and oppression in all forms. It is important as members of our communities, that we raise awareness, share our stories and provide our children with the knowledge on how to tackle these forms of oppression. Some of our kids may be too young to understand the terminology that is used when discussing these forms of oppression. Nevertheless, we can still address these issues with them by showing them images, telling them stories in a simplified manner and explaining to them how at a young age, they can make a difference in the world by sharing their ideas through art etc.
The most important underlying issue that each of the above aspects fall under, is the issue of oppression. Oppression exists in so many ways - verbally, physically, emotionally, etc. - and it is oppression in all of its forms has been embedded within the roots of the social institutions and structures of our societies. We are oppressed in more ways than we recognize or even acknowledge; and because it is so habitual or 'natural' we many at times fail to think twice about it. For example, I was speaking to my Principal from High School who I met with after 5 years - I was telling her about Saving Angel and how important I feel it is to address these issues of oppression in all forms with our students and young adults while they are in high school. I mentioned that while I was in high school I felt sheltered, and I only realised that feeling until I was in University. The government deems what is acceptable to be taught in our school curriculum; they provide the administrators with the material and they provide us with education on everything but oppression. I expressed my deep regret for not knowing earlier about the devastating issue of violence against women in my own home country. Its true - if we do not look beyond what we are being taught in school, we are not going to learn/recognize/acknowledge any of these real issues that officials are not talking about. I only realised how sheltered I was in high school, when I was learning about the devastating reality so many women live with on a daily basis, while I was in University.
Ultimately, it is up to us to teach the future generation, to raise awareness about these issues, and to speak out about oppression in all of its forms, in order to end it. We can save so many lives by changing the outlook on forms of oppression like victim-blaming, the stigma associated with victims of (sexual) violence, masculinity, cultures of rape, patriarchy and impunity. Sadly it has taken India this long to admit they have problem – who knows how many other nations are in denial and how many millions of victims are still suffering at the hands of their oppressive regimes. Together let’s not let Jyoti’s legacy die in vain – let her sacrifice be the turning point for nations worldwide. Together let’s raise the awareness and destroy the mindsets that are in turn destroying us. Let us save more Angels.
There are no words to explain the emotions I was going through when I first heard of the rape. To be honest, part of me was like ‘Oh, here goes another victim of sexual abuse that the Indian government is going to stand by, and choose to do nothing about’. The other part of me was going through an emotional roller-coaster; something I experience every time I hear of a female being victimized horrifically in India. My heart breaks, a little part of me dies, and the enormous amount of respect that I once had for this nation diminishes a little bit more.
Protests and riots broke out all throughout India in the days to come in response to several things; her victimization, the government’s continuous lack of response to female victimization, the lack of protection and safety for the nation’s women, the government’s lack of acknowledgement, and more so years of continuous condemnation of the victims and protection of the offenders.
In truth, there are so many underlying issues that need to be addressed. Issues that for years the people of India have been raising awareness about, but for just as long the government has turned a blind eye towards.
Some of the underlying issues are (in no particular order):
- Patriarchy
- Human trafficking
- Domestic violence
- Red district
- Female genocide/foeticide
- Female genital mutilation
- Culture of rape & impunity
- Culture of respecting boys over girls
- Victim-blaming
- “Family role model” vs. “shame, anger, humiliation”
- Definitions & legalities/caste system
- Modern slavery
Every picture in this week’s edition paints a very disturbing reality that so many women live with on a daily basis in India. The patriarchal structures and institutions that still flourish within India support these violent acts that continue to happen against women. Moreover, because majority of the victims are of “low caste,” many at times they go unaccounted for, and as a result they never receive justice.
The culture of rape and impunity that has been a founding partner of all nations, allows the violent offenders to walk away from facing their victims, as well as having to face the punishment for their crimes. Furthermore, the culture of “needing” sons over having a daughter, is vividly expressed in families across the Asian continent, which has indefinitely affected the lives of girls even before they are born. For this reason and more, many girls are aborted, there are excruciatingly high female foeticide rates and if the girls are born, they are subjected to violent victimization from birth (female genital mutilation, forced prostitution, modern slavery etc.). Victim-blaming is one of the oldest methods of oppression; the onus is essentially removed from the offender and is placed on the victim. Ultimately, all of the shame and humiliation that comes with being a victim turns into a stigma that destroys the lives of the survivors.
Lauren Wolfe has said that the year 2013 is the year to end violence in all of its facets - violence against women, oppression, modern slavery etc. - and to be honest, I think she’s right. It’s obvious that we cannot entirely eliminate violence from the world in one year, but as a team we can collectively start a movement to destroy the patriarchal mindsets, cultures of rape and impunity, violence and oppression in all forms. It is important as members of our communities, that we raise awareness, share our stories and provide our children with the knowledge on how to tackle these forms of oppression. Some of our kids may be too young to understand the terminology that is used when discussing these forms of oppression. Nevertheless, we can still address these issues with them by showing them images, telling them stories in a simplified manner and explaining to them how at a young age, they can make a difference in the world by sharing their ideas through art etc.
The most important underlying issue that each of the above aspects fall under, is the issue of oppression. Oppression exists in so many ways - verbally, physically, emotionally, etc. - and it is oppression in all of its forms has been embedded within the roots of the social institutions and structures of our societies. We are oppressed in more ways than we recognize or even acknowledge; and because it is so habitual or 'natural' we many at times fail to think twice about it. For example, I was speaking to my Principal from High School who I met with after 5 years - I was telling her about Saving Angel and how important I feel it is to address these issues of oppression in all forms with our students and young adults while they are in high school. I mentioned that while I was in high school I felt sheltered, and I only realised that feeling until I was in University. The government deems what is acceptable to be taught in our school curriculum; they provide the administrators with the material and they provide us with education on everything but oppression. I expressed my deep regret for not knowing earlier about the devastating issue of violence against women in my own home country. Its true - if we do not look beyond what we are being taught in school, we are not going to learn/recognize/acknowledge any of these real issues that officials are not talking about. I only realised how sheltered I was in high school, when I was learning about the devastating reality so many women live with on a daily basis, while I was in University.
Ultimately, it is up to us to teach the future generation, to raise awareness about these issues, and to speak out about oppression in all of its forms, in order to end it. We can save so many lives by changing the outlook on forms of oppression like victim-blaming, the stigma associated with victims of (sexual) violence, masculinity, cultures of rape, patriarchy and impunity. Sadly it has taken India this long to admit they have problem – who knows how many other nations are in denial and how many millions of victims are still suffering at the hands of their oppressive regimes. Together let’s not let Jyoti’s legacy die in vain – let her sacrifice be the turning point for nations worldwide. Together let’s raise the awareness and destroy the mindsets that are in turn destroying us. Let us save more Angels.
Who is Angel?
I remember a couple years back meeting the most amazing little girl –
her smile so radiant, her eyes filled with so much promise for a future
of happiness.
When I first saw her I was instantly taken over by the sweet sounds of her voice and her chubby cheeks. She was 2 years old at the time, but she experienced so much more than what a normal 2 year old should. Her name was Angel; she originally came from China; her parents abused her, sold her and used her as compensation for drugs and as a pass to move across borders. When they were caught for the first time in America Angel was taken into foster care while her parents stood trial. After their trial they were able to gain custody of Angel – but her story doesn’t end there. Angel’s parents sold her again to get across the Canadian border and once they were caught again, Angel was taken into foster care one more time – landing in the home of one of my relatives where I met her for the first time.
We all knew that it was a matter of time before the verdict was released, and as we waited in anticipation, we became attached to this amazing little girl. In between the first meeting and the news of the final verdict I saw her a number of times – her story changed my life and her smile left a print in my heart. One day when I went over to my aunt’s house hoping to play with her, I found out that her parents won custody of her again and during the day, her parents took her from my aunt’s home. I was heartbroken because I had become so attached to Angel – but more than that, I was disturbed at the fact that the legal system failed this little innocent girl once again. Not only did the American system fail her but the Canadian system failed her, and I think that’s when I realised that one day to come I would want to do something about this issue. Years later and as I look around the world, the images paint a very horrific picture. God only knows what happened to Angel once her parents took her away – I’ve always wondered. I wonder if she was sold again, if she was abused even more, what her life had become, more so I wonder if she lived to see another day, and because of that my heart breaks everyday to think that there was nothing I could do to save her.
See, the problem is that there are so many underlying issues that come with Angel’s situation - and for many of us who have not been touched by a child like Angel or who are unaware of the extent of these issues, we tend to think that this isn’t such a big problem. But it really is – millions of girls and women are being abused, murdered, tortured, raped, trafficked etc. and the disgusting thing is that millions of individuals who have the power to do something about this issue turn a blind eye and have complete disregard for these girls and women. Violence against women and girls has not just been a recent problem – it’s been a problem since the creation of patriarchy. Millions of women and girls like Angel suffer at the hands of individuals who promote and sustain the patriarchal culture – and to be honest it’s not only men who are committing these violent acts, its women as well. The question is what can we do about this? How can we help? The answer – unifying our voices to put an end to this disgusting horror so many women and girls live. The answer – to join hand in hand with many other established charities, foundations, organizations to end violence against women and girls – to educate, protect, provide and promote gender equality and safety.
Growing up as a girl I was unaware of the extent of this issue – in fact, I believed that Canada was a country that stood for gender equality, and that women were respected and protected just as much as men were. Little did I realise how naïve I was. There exists a very devastating history of violence against women within Canada, and even till this day it is excruciatingly visible how worse the issue of gender-based violence has gotten. Until recently, I had no clue that thousands of Aboriginal women have been missing for years, and despite the efforts of many focus groups/foundations and lobby groups (such as Sisters in Spirit,) these women still remain missing and possibly dead. Lobby groups on numerous occasions have demanded that the government and the UN get involved and help save these women, but responses can only be seen as promising.
To be honest, we live in an era where technology has allowed for us to unite as advocates worldwide for the protection of children and women. As a result, we have within our hands the power to raise awareness about these issues and work towards eliminating them. I know that we cannot erase history, and it’s often very difficult to change the views of individuals who have been supporters of historical values like patriarchy. But the first step to creating a worldwide solution to these issues starts by raising awareness and uniting communities within states/countries on a daily basis. By getting children of all ages involved within their schools – teaching them about these issues, raising awareness, having fundraisers to help provide support for victims/survivors etc. Also, by uniting adults of all ages, and of all religions/cultures to unite, in order to help raise awareness and stop this “patriarchal” belief from spreading through future generations. Unless we as the future do not show to our respective government officials that these issues need to be addressed because they are important, they will not make the effort to make a change. Creating Saving Angel was the first part of accomplishing my goal – working with schools to raise awareness about these issues is actively, the second part of accomplishing my goal. By raising awareness and teaching the future generation about issues such as female genital mutilation, human trafficking, domestic violence, the red districts etc. we can provide them with the knowledge, tools and power to help destroy these devastating acts of violence against children and women. In the end, the more united we stand, the more power we can accumulate, and the more Angels we can save.
When I first saw her I was instantly taken over by the sweet sounds of her voice and her chubby cheeks. She was 2 years old at the time, but she experienced so much more than what a normal 2 year old should. Her name was Angel; she originally came from China; her parents abused her, sold her and used her as compensation for drugs and as a pass to move across borders. When they were caught for the first time in America Angel was taken into foster care while her parents stood trial. After their trial they were able to gain custody of Angel – but her story doesn’t end there. Angel’s parents sold her again to get across the Canadian border and once they were caught again, Angel was taken into foster care one more time – landing in the home of one of my relatives where I met her for the first time.
We all knew that it was a matter of time before the verdict was released, and as we waited in anticipation, we became attached to this amazing little girl. In between the first meeting and the news of the final verdict I saw her a number of times – her story changed my life and her smile left a print in my heart. One day when I went over to my aunt’s house hoping to play with her, I found out that her parents won custody of her again and during the day, her parents took her from my aunt’s home. I was heartbroken because I had become so attached to Angel – but more than that, I was disturbed at the fact that the legal system failed this little innocent girl once again. Not only did the American system fail her but the Canadian system failed her, and I think that’s when I realised that one day to come I would want to do something about this issue. Years later and as I look around the world, the images paint a very horrific picture. God only knows what happened to Angel once her parents took her away – I’ve always wondered. I wonder if she was sold again, if she was abused even more, what her life had become, more so I wonder if she lived to see another day, and because of that my heart breaks everyday to think that there was nothing I could do to save her.
See, the problem is that there are so many underlying issues that come with Angel’s situation - and for many of us who have not been touched by a child like Angel or who are unaware of the extent of these issues, we tend to think that this isn’t such a big problem. But it really is – millions of girls and women are being abused, murdered, tortured, raped, trafficked etc. and the disgusting thing is that millions of individuals who have the power to do something about this issue turn a blind eye and have complete disregard for these girls and women. Violence against women and girls has not just been a recent problem – it’s been a problem since the creation of patriarchy. Millions of women and girls like Angel suffer at the hands of individuals who promote and sustain the patriarchal culture – and to be honest it’s not only men who are committing these violent acts, its women as well. The question is what can we do about this? How can we help? The answer – unifying our voices to put an end to this disgusting horror so many women and girls live. The answer – to join hand in hand with many other established charities, foundations, organizations to end violence against women and girls – to educate, protect, provide and promote gender equality and safety.
Growing up as a girl I was unaware of the extent of this issue – in fact, I believed that Canada was a country that stood for gender equality, and that women were respected and protected just as much as men were. Little did I realise how naïve I was. There exists a very devastating history of violence against women within Canada, and even till this day it is excruciatingly visible how worse the issue of gender-based violence has gotten. Until recently, I had no clue that thousands of Aboriginal women have been missing for years, and despite the efforts of many focus groups/foundations and lobby groups (such as Sisters in Spirit,) these women still remain missing and possibly dead. Lobby groups on numerous occasions have demanded that the government and the UN get involved and help save these women, but responses can only be seen as promising.
To be honest, we live in an era where technology has allowed for us to unite as advocates worldwide for the protection of children and women. As a result, we have within our hands the power to raise awareness about these issues and work towards eliminating them. I know that we cannot erase history, and it’s often very difficult to change the views of individuals who have been supporters of historical values like patriarchy. But the first step to creating a worldwide solution to these issues starts by raising awareness and uniting communities within states/countries on a daily basis. By getting children of all ages involved within their schools – teaching them about these issues, raising awareness, having fundraisers to help provide support for victims/survivors etc. Also, by uniting adults of all ages, and of all religions/cultures to unite, in order to help raise awareness and stop this “patriarchal” belief from spreading through future generations. Unless we as the future do not show to our respective government officials that these issues need to be addressed because they are important, they will not make the effort to make a change. Creating Saving Angel was the first part of accomplishing my goal – working with schools to raise awareness about these issues is actively, the second part of accomplishing my goal. By raising awareness and teaching the future generation about issues such as female genital mutilation, human trafficking, domestic violence, the red districts etc. we can provide them with the knowledge, tools and power to help destroy these devastating acts of violence against children and women. In the end, the more united we stand, the more power we can accumulate, and the more Angels we can save.
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