Wednesday Focus on Women - The girl child is a force to be reckoned with

 

 

EMPOWER A GIRL CHILD

As we commemorate  the day of a girl child, we need to reflect on issues that  affect girls all around the world on a daily basis.

Child marriages

I cannot imagine the horror of being a wife at the age of 12years to a man who is in their thirties. Stats say approximately 39% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa are married before the age of 18. Which is unacceptable, it results in these young girls not attending school because of the role they have been forced to take.  Parents find themselves sending off their daughters because of the high levels of poverty. If this isn't curbed soon, the number of girls that are married off will be doubled by 2050. That is why organisations such as Girls Not Brides, are working hard to ensure that this all changes.

Menstrual hygiene

Millions of girls all around the world miss out on weeks of school each month because of the lack of sanitary pads. Girls are not comfortable speaking about menstruation due to the stigma that has been attached to it. This is not only a hygiene problem but it is a human rights issue. Pads need to made more reachable to women who cannot afford them, clinics, hospitals should provide them for free. If a child misses a week of school it my sound not much but it has a huge impact on the child as they have to catch up with the rest in order to be on the right track. If you are able to donate sanitary pads to a girl in need, you must know that you would've have restored her dignity and contributed towards her future in a positive way.

Social in discrepancies

There are many social problems, we face as girls from a young age till we are older. Such as body shaming. I remember growing up in my primary school days, I used to be teased about my complexion because I was dark. I reflect on how painful it was to hear people comment on the colour of my skin, something I couldn't change about myself. It used to affect me in a deep way that eventually I got used to it, learning how to ignore people and internalise it all. If I could go back and speak to the 10-12 year old self. I would definitely tell myself that I am beautiful just the way I am, and that I don't need the approval of others. Sadly these are struggles that many young girls still face even today. We need to emphasize on the facts that it is okay to be different, it needs to be celebrated. Self acceptance and appreciation is very important, in that way you will never seek the approval from anybody else. We need to instil this in girls from a young age, the media should also play their role in terms of stopping the creation of how a woman should be or even look like. We are enough as we are.

The fight of equality continues, in most countries girl children are forbidden from attending school. They are rather left at home, to do all the house chores while the boys attend school or play with others. This creates inequality and encourages boys to continuously see girls/women as only belonging in the kitchen. If this is not curbed from the young age, then we will be fighting this for years to come.


A poem by unknown

GENDER EQUALITY

People are talking about

gender equality since long

But they are taking

 its meaning in wrong.


'Time is bad' by saying this

So many restrictions are

imposed on me.

 Equality is when

 No fear will torture me.


I will consider the equality

When from college to home

 I can go alone

without facing any gazing eyes

and bad intentions of some morons.


'You are a girl' by hearing this

 I won't have to compromise

Equality is when

My good and bad I can decide.


When there will be

 no discrimination among girls and boys

I will consider equality

When I won't be treated as a toy.


Only judicial laws

 can't give me right of equality

There is a need of changing the narrow mentality.

How will you be making a change let's share :)

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