up early today, as i decided not to go to bed after sahur and get some work done instead. i turned on bbc world on the telly and just managed to catch the beginning of Panaroma: What are we fighting for? This short programme by Jane Corbin investigates whether UK presence in Afghanistan has helped the plight of women.
the report was painful to watch early on a sunday morning, especially right after i had washed and hung the laundry out to dry, while surfing the internet and finishing some work. my heart went out to these uneducated women who have no choices in life, no rights at all to determine how their lives should be lived. at the mercy of the men in their lives. lucky if their brothers, fathers and husbands treat them kindly and doomed if they did not.
my heart went out to a young girl, barely 25. she was in a french NGO hospital for treatment of burns. she had poured oil on herself and set herself alight. she told her story- of being sold by her brothers when her protective mother was away, to a man who initially took care of her well. 2 years into the marriage, he started beating her day and night. And one day out of desperation, she poured cooking oil on herself when he was beating her, threatening to set herself aflame if he did not stop beating her. she hadn't intended to burn herself. but when her husband said,' look, she's wasted 20 afghani worth of oil, and hasn't even burned herself'. She snapped, took a match and lit herself on fire. She was one of the lucky ones who arrived at the hospital in time for treatment. Many of these girls die.
The hospital receives up to 20 cases a day.
The thought terrifies me. in this holy month of ramadhan, i have much time to reflect, and i'm so thankful that i was born into a family and a society which believes in educating girls, and that we can be more than just slaves to the family and our place in life beyond the kitchen alone. i'm definitely going to get involved in this issue, if i can.
*sigh* and i was just complaining to hubby, that he hasn't been helping me enough @ home.Labels: eveel ramblings