Blog#5- Brave Schoolgirls: Violence against Females

My blog article covers many social problems: violence against females, inequality, and violation of human rights. Could you imagine as a child, living where you risk your life by just walking to school? This is what several girls in Afghanistan are experiencing. According to the United Nations, approximately 185 attacks on schools and hospitals where carried out mostly by armed groups that are opposed to educating females.  These are the violent acts that some of these girls have had to endure, just for wanting to get an education. Some have been maimed by acid attacks, poisoned in their drinking water or have been targeted by bombers. Despite these malicious attempts, Afghan children are making significant changes to the once customary way of girls being deprived of an education.

There were only a million Afghan children attending school ten years ago and now there are 8.2 million according to UNICEF. One of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012, Razia Jan founded the Zabuli Education Center to provide a free education to 350 girls in rural Afghanistan.  Jan was filming at one school when there were 100 children killed in an attack at a nearby school (“Despite Deadly”).  Other factors also account for why some girls are not attending school. At home, some girls are being physically and emotionally abused. In Afghanistan, women have a low status and the violence against women evolved from poverty, local tradition, and the effects of war according to the U.N.violence against women. Afghanistan needs to protect these girls while they attempt to receive an education. Approximately about one-fifth of Afghans are between the ages of 7 and 12 years old and the article indicates that 57% of the population are children. The people of Afghanistan need to realize that the children are the future Afghanistan. The time to act on this issue is now to protect the children’s future.

To combat this global social problem President Obama handed down an executive order in August to address issues pertaining to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls globally (“Executive Order”). Some issues that were addressed were to bring recognition to gender-based violence and how it undermines the safety, dignity, and human rights of millions of individuals (“Executive Order”).  He also ordered the executive branch to develop a multi-year strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in countries where it is common (“Executive Order”).

The U.S. government, as well as other countries should continue to raise awareness of this dehumanizing and senseless act of “violence against females.” 

References

Torgan, Allie. "Despite deadly risks, Afghan girls take first step." CNN. N.p., 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/26/world/asia/cnnheroes-afghan-schoolgirls/index.html?hpt=wo_mid>.

Office of the Press Secr, . "Executive Order -- Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally." The White House. N.p., 10 Aug. 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/10/executive-order-preventing-and-responding-violence-against-women-and-gir>.