Somalia in the top 5 for worst place in the world for women

[Alpha Blondy]

utterly shameful.

 

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Targeted violence against female public officials, dismal healthcare and desperate poverty make Afghanistan the world's most dangerous country in which to be born a woman, according to a global survey released on Wednesday.

 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Pakistan, India and Somalia feature in descending order after Afghanistan in the list of the five worst states, the poll among gender experts shows.

 

The appearance of India, a country rapidly developing into an economic super-power, was unexpected. It is ranked as extremely hazardous because of the subcontinent's high level of female infanticide and sex trafficking.

 

Others were less surprised to be on the list. Informed about her country's inclusion, Somalia's women's minister, Maryan Qasim, responded: "I thought Somalia would be first on the list, not fifth."

 

The survey has been compiled by the Thomson Reuters Foundation to mark the launch of a website, TrustLaw Woman, aimed at providing free legal advice for women's groups around the world.

 

High maternal mortality rates, limited access to doctors and a "near total lack of economic rights" render Afghanistan such a threat to its female inhabitants. "Continuing conflict, Nato airstrikes and cultural practices combine to make Afghanistan a very dangerous place for women," said Antonella Notari, head of Women Change Makers, a group that supports women social entrepreneurs around the world.

 

"Women who do attempt to speak out or take on public roles that challenge ingrained gender stereotypes of what is acceptable for women to do or not, such as working as policewomen or news broadcasters, are often intimidated or killed."

 

The "staggering levels of sexual violence" in the lawless east of the DRC account for its second place in the list. One recent US study claimed that more than 400,000 women are raped there each year. The UN has called Congo the rape capital of the world.

 

"Rights activists say militia groups and soldiers target all ages, including girls as young as three and elderly women," the survey reports, "They are gang raped, raped with bayonets and some have guns shot into their vaginas."

 

Pakistan is ranked third on the basis of cultural, tribal and religious practices harmful to women. "These include acid attacks, child and forced marriage and punishment or retribution by stoning or other physical abuse," the poll finds.

 

Divya Bajpai, reproductive health adviser at the International HIV/Aids Alliance, added: "Pakistan has some of the highest rates of dowry murder, so-called honour killings and early marriage." According to Pakistan's human rights commission, as many as 1,000 women and girls die in honour killings annually.

 

India is the fourth most dangerous country. "India's central bureau of investigation estimated that in 2009 about 90% of trafficking took place within the country and that there were some 3 million prostitutes, of which about 40% were children," the survey found.

 

Forced marriage and forced labour trafficking add to the dangers for women. "Up to 50 million girls are thought to be 'missing' over the past century due to female infanticide and foeticide,", the UN population fund says, because parents prefer to have young boys rather than girls.

 

Somalia, a state in political disintegration, suffers high levels of maternal mortality, rape, female genital mutilation and limited access to education and healthcare.

 

Qasim added: "The most dangerous thing a woman in Somalia can do is to become pregnant. When a woman becomes pregnant her life is 50-50 because there is no antenatal care at all. There are no hospitals, no healthcare, no nothing.

 

"Add to that the rape cases that happen on a daily basis, and female genital mutilation being done to every single girl in Somalia. Add to that famine and drought. Add to that the fighting [which means] you can die any minute, any day."

 

Monique Villa, the chief executive of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: "Hidden dangers – like a lack of education or terrible access to healthcare – are as deadly, if not more so, than physical dangers like rape and murder which usually grab the headlines.

 

"In Afghanistan, for instance, women have a one in 11 chance of dying in childbirth. In the top five countries, basic human rights are systematically denied to women.

 

"Empowering women tackles the very roots of poverty. In the developing world when a woman works, her children are better fed and better educated because they spend their money for their family."

 

The survey was based on responses from more than 200 aid professionals, academics, health workers, policymakers, journalists and development specialists chosen for their expertise in gender issues.

 

Each country was also ranked in terms of six risk factors including: health, discrimination and lack of access to resources, cultural and religious practices, sexual violence, human trafficking and conflict-related violence.

 

In terms of individual risk categories, Afghanistan was deemed to be the most dangerous for health, economic/discrimination and non-sexual violence; the Congo is most plagued by rape and sexual violence; and India has most problems with trafficking.

 

"You have to look at all the dangers to women, all the risks women and girls face," said Elisabeth Roesch, who works on gender-based violence for the International Rescue Committee in Washington.

 

"If a woman can't access healthcare because her healthcare isn't prioritised, that can be a very dangerous situation as well."

 

The TrustLaw website has been in existence for some time, linking up local NGOs and social entrepreneurs with established law firms who are prepared to offer legal advice on a pro-bono basis. The groups are vetted by Transparency International.

 

More than 450 law firms are already involved including some from China. Among those that have recently benefited have been the charity Riders for Health, which delivers medicine to remote villages, and reviewed its contracts in Nigeria.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/15/worst-place-women-afghanistan-india

[Alpha Blondy]

we want 'our women' to be liberated from under the yoke of al-shabab. we demand our women are given equal opportunities in education and work. we demand our womens human rights are protected. we demand that our women are given the right to vote, to participate equal in society and to be treated with dignity, humility and respect. we demand our women are given the right to marry, the right to separate, the right to raise children.

 

but we will not tolerate NGOs and human rights organisation telling us how to treat 'our' women. for many, whats considered as 'basic rights' in the west is an obligation and not merely an expectation. for 'us' in particular, NGOs are nothing but neo-liberal organisations in disguise. they offer 'us' nothing new except to promote a wicked and whats indeed a detrimental ideology to 'our' very existence.

 

people of the south, join me in condemning the west of its abuses and indeed violation of women human rights. they have commodified their women for the self-gratification of sick, perverted middle-aged men. they have destroyed the women's sense of self by making her complete with the 'man', this is unnatural and indeed dangerous to our very survival. they have created wicked ideologies like feminism and political correctness to spread subversive messages.

 

we can see the decadence of the west, the contradictions and double standards. its rotting from within and very soon, a new world order will emerge that will right the wrongs of the west. already, we can already see manifestation of this.

[Jacaylbaro]

Ohhhh Poor Women ...

[Alpha Blondy]

lol@JB....

[nuune]

Alpha, what can you, as a gentleman, do for a Somali women!

[Jacaylbaro]

He can beat them dee ..........

[Alpha Blondy]

that's an excellent question nuune and its one i'm only too happy to express my opinions on. i've always been pro-women. that is not to say that i believe in adopting human rights concepts but for them to re-evaluate their position in society. a woman must define her position....too often women are reliant on the 'man'. they seek validation from men - often changing their physical appearance to meet the standard. women must have a sense of self. their own benchmark with which to measure their successes and failures against.

 

Somali women are and have always been the backbone of 'our' society. this new phenomena of emancipation masks a deliberate attempt to change the discourse. too often many of our women buy into these false ideas. What we really need instead is to offer women more opportunities in society, to allow them a free voice to express themselves, for them to be more proactive in achieving social change. feminist, by and large represent an engendered and bias viewpoint. they represent white, middle class, spinsters. why should a Somali women be forced to see things in a different lens, a lens so removed from her own experiences. unfortunately, there is a perception that all women are the same and suffer from the same injustices be it discrimination, sexual violence, etc. white women in their position of power have done more damage collectively to the women of the world, this is why american academics like bell cook (who herself is a dyke) argued for a more inclusive approach.....

[cynical lady]

JB- i see you’ve been missing your GBV awareness classes.

 

Nuune-Nothing.

 

p.s I must admit i am indeed surprised that Somali is in par with DRC, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.

[Jacaylbaro]

CL, He is the one missing those classes ......

[cynical lady]

JB- he needs more than that.... wuxuu garanayo ilahi aa oog. Lakiin you....u should know better. :-)

[nuune]

Alpha, how can a woman define her position, since your into them more and actively campaigning for their cause, can you elaborate more, I like to hear your humble opinion on this matter, I am sure you have come across countless women who were eagerly interested in learning more about your contribution to society in general, and very specific to women folk.

[Som@li]

how KSA not in the top list

[SayidSomal]

two things put somalia on that list:

1 - widespread FGM

2 - the indifference of the menfolk's and their wars - the effects of which are well known = lack of resources and social, health etc developments

[Valenteenah.]

Heh, hadey dumarka Soomaaliya ku nool ey cunto iyo caawimo ka sugi lahaayeen ragooda bari hore ayey gaajo iyo silic u dhiman lahaayeen inta badan. Those women are survivors and they do what needs to be done for their families. Waa bilaa shabaab or women's rights. Haduuna hadal u shaqeyn, budh iyo lacag ayaa u shaqeysa.

 

Lack of healthcare primarily and limited access to education secondarily are the biggest obstacles for them right now. The FGM practice adds to maternal death due to complications in childbirth.

 

If poverty and conflict eyna dhabar-jabineynin, Somali women would be the torch-holders for female empowerment. I truly believe that and have seen the evidence with my own eyes.

[NGONGE]

Stuff and nonesense. The majority of Somali women actively particapite in and prolong their own suffering. Somalia should be struck out of this list. Somali women are not as meek as those from other countries and play a huge part in maintaining the appalling conditions they live under. Naga daaya dee.