Thursday October 1, 2009
The Associated Press published an article today about a 19 year-old woman from Afghanistan who recently fled the home of her abusive cousin-husband and father-in-law, leaving her 2 year-old son. The Afghani government is primed to pass legislation that would allow women to prosecute their husbands for abuse. The Elimination of Violence Against Women Act in addition to making spousal abuse illegal (no it’s not illegal now), would also outlaw the battering of females and prevent child-marriages. Some conservative government officials are calling for a less-harsh punishment for offenders, suggesting instead the husband be “asked to leave home temporarily.” The proposed law has already been diluted by members of law enforcement, intellectuals, and members of Parliament, as it still allows rape victims to be jailed for adultery…
Umm…I’m not sure how many more of these articles I can read and then analyze. I don’t understand how it is in the best interest of the child(ren) to be in the custody of the same person who beat their mother to the point that she took her reputation, not to mention her life into her own hands and ran away. In connection with the movie about the women in the Congo, I need someone to explain to me how it is a females fault if she gets raped. Especially in a society like that of Afghanistan, with such strong patriarchal constructs. Women aren’t allowed to do anything without the protection of a male relative, if this is idea of feminine weakness is so key and worth protecting, then why don’t the men who weren’t there to stop the rape get put in jail with her? I’m starting to believe this isn’t a legislative issue; you’ve got to back it up. Society must be entrenched in the belief that women are important, as propagators of life, nurturers, and the anchor of the family. I could almost deal with restrictions in dress and travel limitations if there was some kind of respect involved.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWjK606iU0F05tQc2ldaPUeLL9AwD9B2F3SG0
1 comment:
I agree with your point of view. I have no idea how women can be blamed and especially jailed for getting raped. Um hello! Its not like they went out and just had illegal sex, they are victims of a crime! The one who raped them should be the one in jail, not the woman.
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