Even in the age of all out girl power and other feminist advocacy, there are still countries that conceive women as second class citizen. It’s not just about how they are treated or abused. They also barely have access to education, health care and even the simplest form of human freedom. According to the United Nation, these are the countries where it is not healthy to be a woman.
In HAITI, rape has not been a criminal offense until 2005. However, rape only becomes a crime if the victim is a virgin. Sexual assault and rape are part of Haitian woman’s life. According to the United Nation, it is not culture or tradition that put local females in jeopardy, but it is poverty. The limited value of women also pushes them to take their selves for granted. After all, they don’t have those rights like the men. Some of them even exchange sexual favors for money. Others just submit because of helplessness.
In MOLDOVA, Trafficking women for prostitution is a daily business. This small country located between Romania and Ukraine is the worst country to be a woman in Europe. Women are recruited and promised with a good salary and better self worth. Ironically, women can keep up with men in terms of getting a job in Moldova. However, it is their weakness that makes them vulnerable. They rather rely on their male counterpart for financial support. Domestication is the “only” job for women. Also, Moldovan culture says that when the man abuses his woman, it means that he loves her.
In NEPAL, A woman’s word is only half true. Females have no economic rights. Their only legal role is to become a wife and a mother. They actually marry at very young age. A marriage also means complete surrender to the man. Nepali women lack the basic emancipation and education. As a result, they cannot function normally without any aid from their husband. Also, it is hard to give birth in Nepal. It is one of the deadliest countries to bear a child. Only 1 out of 5 babies survives.
In PAPUA NEW GUINEA, traditional attitudes and customs dictate that women should be lesser than men. They don’t have enough access to information as well as basic health care in order to improve themselves. What’s worse - women are often accused of sorcery. If someone becomes sick or dies in the village, a woman is blamed. She will then be beaten, raped and even killed in some instances. Not to mention, women with HIV are growing in number in PNG. Its society does not believe in safe sex.
In SIERRA LEONE, women are only expected to live in their 40’s. The United Nation reports that the country has the worst gender inequality. It is also a normal fact that in every eight women giving birth, one always dies in the process or even during the pregnancy. Aside from deprivation, one third of Sierra Leone’s women have been sexually abused and raped. Such incidents have heightened during the civil war. Just lately, the government has recognized this issue. A law has been passed making wife-beating a criminal offense among others. However, enforcement is still in question.
In YEMEN, women have to be married even at the age of 12. This ultimately results in very poor health for babies and their mothers. Children are expected not to live long. Women, on the other hand, live a very restricted life. They have to ask their father’s or husband’s permission before doing anything like traveling.
Although international programs are pushing through to promote woman empowerment, it is still very hard to beat the local system. The greatest enemy is social belief, culture and tradition. If the women themselves will not change their minds, then the unfortunate drama will continue throughout generations.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Countries Where You Don’t Want To Be A Woman…
You think this is the age of women? Think again. Girl power is not still that powerful. Some countries are still treating women lesser than real human beings.
Even in the age of all out girl power and other feminist advocacy, there are still countries…
June 24th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Countries Where You Dont Want To Be A Woman…
You think this is the age of women? Think again. Girl power is not still that powerful. Some countries are still treating women lesser than real human beings….
June 25th, 2008 at 12:58 am
The situation in Moldova is not so bad as described above. This information is taken from US report, which is not describing the real situation.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Please do share the real situation out there. I would really love to write more about it.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Christine - even if some of these facts are “Overstated” - there are still things that need to be brought to people’s attention. I found this on Stumble, which means others will too. Hopefully, if anything it will encourage people to go out and do a little research to see what’s really going on. And you didn’t even touch on the genital mutilation and other atrocities happening all around the world. I would just love to see more information on where these facts/statistics came from.
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:13 am
Christine:
Check out the Virtue Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to help women and children in these areas of the world. I have sent your blog post to the founder Joseph Salim for him to read. He has great passion on this very subject…get involved…you may even want to help him in promoting his cause her on your blog.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:24 am
why isnt saudi arabia included??
July 5th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I spent many years working against sexual violence. Thank you for pointing out the things that are going on in this countries. The fact is, every country is dangerous territory to women. In the U.S., rape is rampant. Let’s all keep working toward the end of sexual violence. There are many groups in the U.S. and around the world that are doing this. One is Stop Porn Culture. A few others are RAINN and V-Day.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I’d bet Saudi Arabia isn’t on the list because she hasn’t been there yet.
Yes, these are terrible places to be a woman, which is why, when I hear US Feminists screeching about some lesbian drama queen’s feelings got hurt, I think US Feminists are ignorant, shallow, and whiny.
July 6th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Good, im glad that fucking Americans cant do anything to change ALL the cultures of the world.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Hello, actually i am from Moldova. Yes we have a lot of cases when girls are deceived and they are simply used as… you know. Our economic situatios is very bad, prices are high like in Europe, but salary is very small. And here a lot of cases - when girls falling in that situation - because they finding that way of earning very easy one. (terrible and weird, but if no any mental abilities - yes for them it is ok). Sad that some of them are really deceived. As for saying - if man beats the woman - he loves her - by the way - it is Russian saying. And that problem about “strong”man and weak woman - pity is very spread in former Soviet union Republics. But we are here.. and we will pass and we will win!! And that article - there is only seeds of truth about Moldova, why that report is not saying that our people in average more clever thatn average american person 8)))),
July 12th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Well, in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, women don’t want to live the western way of life.
Why didn’t you compare the rate of rape between USA and Saudi Arabia or even Yemen???!!
We appreciate our women, we take care of them. The woman in our life is either a wife or a family relative. Not a disposable body you through a way when you lose your appetite.
The real girl need to be taken care of tenderly. not to be pushed to the streets to work and struggle the life alone!!
Our women are princesses we work and to our best to keep them safe and happy.
If you live one day as a Muslim Girl you will understand what I’m talking about !
Wish you all the best
July 16th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I understand why some who post here are insulted by American lifestyle. But, please remember we do not all live the same. Don’t compare various lifestyles to movies, like some do, or what you see in pictures. Many are very conservative, with families that care for each other. My husband and I have been married 25 years this summer. We have taught our children to look for a mate that believes that marriage to one man/woman, a lifelong commitment. This is not as common as it used to be. But the man does not run the wife’s life as in some countries. Women have dreams, gifts and attributes that should not be suppressed.
I don’t want to change cultures to think and believe as I do, but I believe it is fair for all people to be treated with dignity.
And, Yes, I believe that all around the world many women are mistreated. No one should OWN anyone.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Hi Christine
… and in the UK women are expected to bring up children alone whilst holding down a job which pays below the minimum wage because men in this country do not respect the value of women and childrearing in society. The liberation of women never really happened - what happened was that men now feel free to be irresponsible.
Keep up the good work Christine - we need this type of thing on the front pages of newspapers. It needs to be in everyone’s faces. The ways that women are treated around the world are disgusting and shame should fall on the men that continue to perpetrate such evil.
It would also be good to get examples of cultures, matriarchal cultures, where the role of women in society - as women - is the cornerstone of of those cultures.
xx
September 16th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Obdoulla,
You think that Middle Eastern Countries like Saudi Arabia and Yemen treat women well? You take care of them and treat them like gold? Please….you control them and force restrictions on them that men would never allow forced upon themselves. Women in the US arent used up and thrown away, they are free to do what they wish and sometimes that includes doing what men do.
Perhaps rape happens here more often but perhaps (which is more likely the case) it just gets reported. Rape is a crime in the US not a shame on the woman! In certain Middle Eastern countries rape is never reported and if it is the woman is not believed. Then her family is shamed and so on….
I know of what I speak, I lived in the Middle East for some time and saw what injustice women had to bear! I actually had a young boy yell and scream at me and almost hit me with a rock because I had shorts on. It was hot out and I hadn’t yet gotten traditional clothing to wear!!!!
What gave this boy the right to do that as others looked on and felt he was right? In my city if I see a middle eastern woman wearing a full burka (which I have seen many times) no one harrasses her even though it isn’t what we believe. Why shouldn’t we force someone wearing a burka to wear shorts instead if that is our cultural clothing? Why not…because we respect other people and their freedoms!