February 22, 2011
7:10 p.m.
Kenya schoolgirls have been facing abuse from males for years now. In July 1991, 300 boys broke into the girls’ dormitory and raped 71 girls between the ages of 14 and 18. In March 2000, 26 girls were burnt to death in an arson attack on their dormitory and in March 2006, 15 schoolgirls were raped at nighttime. This is a cycle and it is destroying the hopes and dreams of Kenya’s schoolgirls. The effects of mass rape attract media attention, yet they camouflage the everyday bullying, humiliation, and violence that is happening in schools mostly against females. Males do this because they know they will get away with it and they don’t fear an authority figure. When this happens to girls, it destroys their self -esteem and causes them to do poorly in school. They can’t focus on school and are too afraid living in fear of the males around them. Violence in Kenya schools has many causes, from cultural beliefs to negative stereotypes of women.
We must teach Kenya women that violence towards them is not acceptable. It’s sad that they think it is and that they have no rights as a woman. Girls being abused in school raise the risk of Aids/HIV, which is a global problem in itself. Girls are affected by this long-term emotionally and even some commit suicide. This problem is a global issue because we see from this that women are still treated inferior to men and men think they can take advantage of women. Women are no different from men and deserve the same hopes and dreams as anyone else. They should be treated equally and not be judged due to their sex and gender. People should be accepting this change and learning it is the new norm too cultures all over the world. If you beat or treat a woman badly, it is not accepted like it used to be. Men especially need to start to realize that before they get themselves into trouble. School is a place for people to learn and feel comfortable and supported. It is not a place people should fear and if they do we aren’t going to be able to educate the world and improve people’s skills and knowledge.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2010/dec/06/kenya-schoolgirls-rape-bullying-deaths
2 comments:
I completely agree with you.
It is terrible, recently a HIV infected teacher raped five pupils between 7 and 13 years, police had to intervene from a mob that was out to kill him, I hope he gets life imprisonment for that terrible act! How could he, a teacher yet we entrust our children with them the whole day!
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