Marginalized commodities

Addressing the issues which affect women and the matters which make them second class citizens, is a problem that spirals and whirls around leading back to a single point (the beginning if you will). A problem that is rooted in cultural customs and traditions. It is the problem / injustice of valuating women based on an antiquated concepts which leave them as commodities, worth only what they can offer their male counterparts in the way of children (oft times male children). This is a complex environment where-by the exact reasons for valuing women is the same reason she is marginalized and belittled. I dare say, disenfranchised. She is prized for her ability to, submissively perform her cultural “duties” as child bearer. Yet the sword is double edged… For that same reason is her condemnation.

Countless countries make a practice of polygamy (men having more than one “wife”), which in turn causes surges in populations. In countries where men’s virility is based in the number of wives and children he has, it would seem to be a huge benefit to the “men” to follow customary traditions. (It has only been as necessary to do so by those who felt they had the most to gain from such subjugation). The strains of population and the effects this population has on resources are devastating, on many levels. However, the women in these environments risk ridicule, ostracism, and even being cast out of their homes if they are not compliant.

When populations are in need of modification, women’s wombs become the topic of patriarchal policy. In instance after instance one need not look too far to find evidence to support this fact. If a population believes there are not enough members of a said community (or there is projected to be a future deficit, with in a given generation) the demands are placed on her to procreate, where- by giving a false sense of value to those who comply and ostracizes those who cannot or “will not. In other instances, if a community is believed to have too many members (or it is projected to have a future surge within a given generation), the sanctions which are placed are strategically placed on the woman. The penalties are heavy and severe, for violating or choosing top make independent decisions on her own reproduction.

For this same reason, when countries, which consider themselves more progressive and places itself in the position of “Parental-Leader” to its people, have substantial population surges… Their answer is to impose laws which strip the natural reproductive rights of women, from them. In these instances, if a woman chooses to reproduce (conceive a child) without governmental consent she has one of a few options… 1.) abort the pregnancy (and there is no set time frame in which this is done. Whenever she is caught she will be forcibly aborted) 2.)Pay fines which can equal to 5 years salary and if unable to pay all property and possessions are taken and surrendered to the government (so it is obvious who benefits from this ) or 3.)Secretly give birth in unhealthy and of times unsanitary conditions (by way of going into hiding). This option runs the risk of trying to raise a child that is considered a non person who is not entitled to legal, educational or governmental options. This last option has led to extremes in familial decisions. One decision circling back to another horrific outcome.. Of which is the selling of the child (usually by the male “head of the household” and the child is usually a female child or a subordinate male child) to a trafficker, for less than one years salary.

This has led to a disproportion in gender (gender imbalance) whereby leaving one to two generations of males without options to marry “traditionally“. Thereby opening the market to traffickers, even further, to kidnap or purchase unwanted young girls for the purpose of future marriage. In patriarchal cultures where the male child is valued more highly than female children, the practice of aborting unwanted genders (female offspring) has increased exponentially (we have modern science’s free handed intrusion on reproduction to thank for this option). Entrenching the disparity in the appreciation of the plight of a women’s value.

To speak to gender imbalance and empowering women, from a matter-of-fact and more appreciative perspective, there is a logical solution. Polyandry…In this a woman has the option to have multiple husbands. This satisfies the fundamental need to group in family units and controls the population (Logic: A woman can only reproduce on average once per year or 18 months, not counting the nursing period where by the ability to reproduce is severely diminished. This in stark contrast to polyandry‘s opposite whereby one man can reproduce with “all” of his wives in the same time frame whereby having as many children as he has wives, in that same year.). This approach shifts the valuation of women from being possessions and second class citizens to being principal owners of their lives and existences.

As it stands in many countries, today, the voices of women are heralded as insignificant and often go ignored. It has long been time for a reconsideration of the patriarchal societal hierarchy and for that same pachrioracal societal hierarchy to relinquish the strangle hold that believes itself entitled to have, on the women it desperately needs for without whom, said hierarchy, could not survive. This would, in turn, cause a reassessment of traditional priorities and their relevance to the actual world around them. Yet, this seems more than logical. It is necessary. For what are traditions? They are guidelines set by ancestors, long since departed, created to assist them, in the world in which they lived, expected to be followed by their descendants. There is no crime or dishonor in adjusting and modifying those traditions to fit the present day and age… If we do not address and correct what is horrifically wrong, what are we truly leaving as legacy for our progeny?

What is more important, doing what is necessary to adapt, survive and evolve? Or preserving some false sense of superiority over a power source which you cannot, and will not be able to bridal, harness, restrain or contain? In essence the object of patriarchal divergence is their single most important (and necessary) being… WOMAN.
A call for addressing this maze of lunacy which surrounds the valuation of women, is not only over due but inevitable. Viewing women as commodities and our wombs as political platforms is no longer acceptable. I must reiterate. the exact reasons for valuing women is the same reason she is marginalized and belittled. I dare say, disenfranchised. Change comes in one or two ways, amiably and voluntarily or through struggle and conflict. This change must be met amiably.

Re-introduction of ~ Goddesses and Witches

It is amazing how one quotation from one book, at one moment in time, can so, absolutely, alter the corse of one's life... To be made whole and given clarity, all, in one instant. To have complete and total understanding of all things, intrinsic to ones life. There is no greater JOY....

This is the trigger, for my evolution, and I am pleased and honored to share it with you.. I pray the Goddess blesses you with the same energy which she has blessed me...

"There was something about the relationship she had with animals and with her children that deeply satisfied woman. It was of this that man was jealous. The animals can remember; for, like sight, memory is renewed at every birth. But our language they will never speak; not from lack of intelligence, but from the different construction of their speaking apparatus. In the world of man, someone must speak for them. And that is why, in a nutshell, Suwelo, goddesses and witches exist... "

- Alice Walker, The Temple of My Familiar

legalise prostitution for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa

This would be a very progressive and successful move, for the SA Gvmt. It would, also, go a long way in setting a platform to empower women and allowing them to make (safe and protected) decisions about their bodies and sexual choices, not only in their chosen profession but in their lives, in general.


The local authority in Durban wants legalised adult entertainment venues during the tournament.

But African Nazareth Democratic Movement (ANDM) president Thokozani Hlatshwayo said the proposal was "against the word of God". * Not everyone has the same "Concept of God", therefore spoon feeding people religion, through leagl policy, is abserd* Opposition parties fear that, if introduced, it could become permanent. The main opposition Democratic Alliance and the youth wing of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have condemned the suggestion. "Plans to legalise Durban's red-light districts before the 2010 World Cup should be condemned in the strongest possible manner," said Pat Lebenya-Ntanzi of the IFP youth brigade. She said the South African government was sending out mixed messages to young people. "On the one hand it preaches strong family values and moral regeneration, but on the other hand they want to legalise prostitution on Durban's streets. It doesn't make sense," she said. An additional concern is Aids - some five million people in South Africa are HIV-positive - making it one of the world's worst-hit countries. * Halting the spread of HIV/Aids is a matter of education and bringing a tabu subject out of the dark and addressing it in safe and mature enviornments. The spread of HIV/Aids has not deminished, thusfar, and policies have been in place to keep prostitution illegal. Family values and health are matters of indivisual responsibility.*


Durban's municipality said Germany had many adult entertainment centres during the World Cup in 2006, which were very popular with visitors. *For as long as there have been men and women, there has been a srtiving industry of sex. Making it a safe and common place enviornment, is now the matter.*It said while prostitution was illegal in South Africa, it could not ignore the fact that the sex industry thrives during major events like the World Cup. To address this, entertainment centres such as strip clubs and escort agencies would be located in special areas where they would be safe and easily accessible. Municipality Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo said a final decision had not yet been taken. "The national government will give us a lead in this matter, whether it relates to the 2010 Soccer World Cup or any other time for that matter," he said.

City officials admit that there are already young girls and women working as prostitutes on the streets of Durban. They say plans are already in place to help them operate in safe environments. *This option has been proven successful. Note: Navada (USA) and Ansterdam, where there are laws mandating health care and retirement plans for workers.*

In January, MP George Lekgetho called for prostitution to be legalised during the tournament.
"It is one of the things that would make it a success," he said. He told parliament that it would help cut incidences of rape. The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Johannesburg says his suggestion was met with derision by other MPs. But a group representing sex workers welcomed it.
"We would support any legalisation of sex work, particularly during the 2010 World Cup," Nicola Fick from the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force (Sweat) told the BBC.

The idea of legalising sex workers was first proposed last year by police commissioner Jackie Selebi.

The power of a woman

The power of a woman lies in her ability to rationalize, debate, forgive and move on to the heart of the matter.

What Every Woman Should Have

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..... how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... where to go..... be it to her best friend's kitchen table.. or a charming Inn in the woods.... when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

Ironing.... Cameroon

Geraldine Sirri was only nine years old when her mother started daily massaging her pre-pubescent breasts with a blazing hot stone to keep them flat -- and keep men's eyes and hands off her daughter. One-quarter of all Cameroonian women are said to have been victims of this painful "breast-ironing", as it is known.But ironically, the tradition was a mystery to many in the West African nation until a recent campaign to stop the potentially dangerous practice, aimed at delaying a young girl's natural development.Geraldine, now 19, will never forget those "very painful massages" her worried and otherwise well-intentioned mother administered with a "pestle heated on a fire", she says."After six days of massage with the hot pestle, she'd switch to another instrument, like a coconut shell, which would also be heated over the fire," she says."The practice involves using heated objects to massage the breasts to make them disappear," says Germaine Ngo'o, co-author of a joint Cameroon-German study on the issue.Ariane, who did not give her last name, recalls similar trauma, only that her mother's instrument was a stone dipped into scalding water and then used to "practically crush my breasts"."After that, my breasts would be wrapped with a stretchy fabric called a 'breast-band'. The aim of this practice was to keep my chest flat so I would not attract men," she says.The campaign, like the study, is a joint effort involving the Germany Agency for Technical Cooperation, an international group for sustainable development that works mainly for the German government.

The agency works with the National Network of the Associations of Aunties (Renata), one of what are said to be many home-grown women's support groups in this country of 17,3-million just south of Nigeria.The campaign's pamphlets and posters were designed to warn about the dangers of a questionable practice -- but also exposed what turned out to be a national secret."I couldn't believe that such a practice existed. I never before heard about this 'breast-ironing'," says one university professor."In my tribe, there was never any such phenomenon and even with my girlfriends, it never came up in conversation," says an equally incredulous Georgette, a restaurant manager who gave only her first name."But it nonetheless is a practice that affects one girl in four," says Ngo'o. "Twenty-four percent of all the girls in Cameroon have been subjected to this phenomenon and carry the consequences."Bessem Ebanga, executive secretary of Renata and herself a victim of breast-ironing, said the practice occurs in all the country's 10 provinces, crossing religious and ethnic bounds."Though the top prize goes to Littoral province where it affects 52% of all girls," she says. "The aim of Renata is to prevent young girls from being subjected to what we were."Unlike many African countries, Cameroon enjoys relative political stability and has a highly rated educational system and one of Africa's highest literacy rates. But on the social spectrum, teenage pregnancy is a real problem here, as elsewhere in the region."It's all because breasts are a sign of puberty and that worries parents," says Flavien Ndonko, Ngo'o's co-author. "Our study found that the practice of breast-ironing exists in practically all tribes, using objects as diverse as stones, spatulas, herbs, pestles, or heated banana peels."Beyond the uncertainty of whether it works, "the practice generally traumatises the young girl and creates other problems", says Ndonko, citing a litany of "infections, cysts and even cancer", while other victims later find they are unable to breastfeed their babies."The breast is a sign of growth and it is useless, even dangerous to attack the physical integrity of a young girl," says Ndonko.The campaign's slogan says it all: "Breasts, a gift from God. Let them develop naturally."

-- Sapa-AFP

DRC Horrors... This Must End

My opinions and views are, oft-times, considered radical, however in the cases of violence against women and our daughters (children in general), I believe my views are not radical enough....

How can we, as human beings be aware of such atrocities and turn a blind eye... Not Attempt every possible thing to prevent and stop the horrors that befall our women, as a result of MENS WARS.....?

Just one Case of Millions.... (please don not think this case unique)

Lucienne M’Maroyi is a 24-year-old woman who has been separated from her husband since she was raped. She is in the Bwirhonzi group of Walungu, the mother of three daughters, the third of whom resulted from her rapes as a sex slave. She named her baby Luck because the people with whom she was taken in the bush were killed, but she was lucky not to have been killed along with them.

“My husband was on a trip to Bukavu when some Interahamwe broke into the house where I was staying with my sister-in-law at around 9 pm. It was in December 2006. They came with flashlights. I had my baby in my arms. They pulled it away from me and threw it aside. I was alone in the house. They left the kids behind, and they stayed with a neighbor. It was a blessing that they did not rape my daughters—they were so young and small, it would have been the worst tragedy for me. They pulled me and tied my arms behind my back with a rope together with my sister-in-law. They dragged us out and brought us to the home of another family where they collected other people. They also took my brother with us. Soon there were five of us. On the way they shot one elderly woman because she could not walk fast enough.

”When we got to the bush, they pulled me down to rape me in front of my brother. They gave him the flashlight to hold. As he hid his face in shame, they struck him with a gun and pulled him away to kill him.

“When they were about to kill me, one of them said I resembled his sister and that I would become his wife instead. They killed another woman. We were beaten many times. As we were swollen because of the walk and having been beaten, one of the men warmed water and gave it to us so we could massage ourselves. They sent a woman to us with food. Fortunately, to my surprise, it was my sister whom we mourned and thought had died. She had been taken at the time they killed my father. She told me she was ill and that nobody would allow her to get treatment. She was also pregnant.

“My sister-in-law was killed during a dispute between two men who wanted to have her as a wife. They decided to solve the problem by killing her.

“Another woman was impregnated. She tried to abort the baby, but she bled too much and died due to lack of access to medical treatment. I remained alone with my sister. I was also pregnant with this baby, Luck, whom I delivered in October 2007. I spent three months and a half with these people as a sex slave.

“I escaped when my elder sister was in labor and was being sent to the maternity clinic. They asked me to take her there, but took my clothes off so that I would not run away. I wore only pants. On the way, we met a government soldier whose wife gave me clothes to put on. They also made porridge for us. Unfortunately my sister died during her delivery. I kept the baby until its father came and took it to Bukavu.

“When my husband heard I was back, he said he would not remain with the Interahamwe’s wife. He stopped me from coming to his farms. I had to live at my father’s old friend’s place, where I sleep with my children on the floor in their sitting room.

UN classifies rape a 'war tactic'

The UN Security Council has voted unanimously in favour of a resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war.
The document describes the deliberate use of rape as a tactic in war and a threat to international security.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said violence against women had reached "unspeakable proportions" in some societies recovering from conflict.
The UN is also setting up an inquiry to report next June on how widespread the practice is and how to tackle it.
Human rights groups hailed the resolution as historic.
'Silent war'
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan said China, Russia, Indonesia and Vietnam had all expressed reservations during the negotiations, asking whether rape was really a matter for the security council.
But the US-sponsored resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council.
It's a very effective weapon, because the communities are totally destroyed
Maj Gen Patrick CammaertFormer UN peacekeeper
Raped for opposing Mugabe
It described sexual violence as "a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group".
The document said that the violence "can significantly exacerbate situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and security".
During the debate in the council, Mr Ban said: "Responding to this silent war against women and girls requires leadership at the national level."
"National authorities need to take the initiative to build comprehensive strategies while the UN needs to help build capacity and support national authorities and civil societies," he added.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the world now recognised that sexual violence profoundly affected not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations.
Other speakers identified the former Yugoslavia, Sudan's Darfur region, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Liberia as regions where deliberate sexual violence had occurred on a mass scale.
Deterrent?
The former commander of the UN peacekeeping force in eastern Congo, Maj Gen Patrick Cammaert, told the BBC he had personally witnessed its impact.

A womens' campaigner on the extent of rape
"It's a very effective weapon, because the communities are totally destroyed," he said.
"You destroy communities. You punish the men, and you punish the women, doing it in front of the men."
In the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, some 40 women are raped every day, our correspondent says.
Sometimes women are even raped by peacekeepers who are supposed to be protecting them, she adds.
The question is whether those in conflict zones who use rape in war will be at all deterred by the new measures, she says.

V-Day

V-Day Founder Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) launches “Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource, Power To The Women And Girls Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo” in Glamour Magazine


V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues. In 2007, more than 3000 V-Day events took place in the U.S. and around the world. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $50 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 5000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina. http://www.vday.org

V-Day

V-Day Founder Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) launches “Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource, Power To The Women And Girls Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo” in Glamour Magazine

V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues. In 2007, more than 3000 V-Day events took place in the U.S. and around the world. To date, the V-Day movement has raised over $50 million and educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it, crafted international educational, media and PSA campaigns, launched the Karama program in the Middle East, reopened shelters, and funded over 5000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina. http://www.vday.org

Polyandry

This particular post will focus on a more narrow and discrete topic: From a feminist perspective, is polyandry more or less acceptable than polygyny?

Let’s start with a very quick history and terminology lesson. Polygamy means taking more than one spouse, either husband or wife. Polygyny means one man taking multiple wives. Polyandry means one woman taking multiple husbands.

In the Mormon context, there are two twists to these definitions. First, the term polygamy is often used informally, to mean polygyny. Second, the term polyandry is typically used to refer to the practice of male-initiated marriage and sexual relations with already-married women. As a definitional matter, “polyandry” need not be limited to male-initiated bonds, and in some polyandrous societies, women have freedom to choose their mates. However, Mormon polyandry as practiced in Nauvoo (and later to a lesser degree in Utah) did not accord women such freedom. Rather, a small subset of already-married women were approached and asked to become the plural wives of other men, while simultanously remaining in their existing marriages.

From a feminist perspective, polyandry creates new wrinkles.

On an initial examination, polyandry has some potential to be a pro-feminist piece if the polygamy puzzle. For one thing, it adds a very satisfying “sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander” aspect to the discussion. The system of Mormon polygyny institutionalized yet another gender-based double standard. This double standard placed the brunt of the emotional costs on the plural wives, who were expected to share their husbands. Under polyandry, the costs of spouse-sharing are distributed at least somewhat among both sexes.

Second, polyandry probably fosters male empathy towards women forced to share spouses. Polygamous marriages often created tension and unhappiness in women, who dealt with difficult emotional turmoil. Similarly, we read of tension and unhappiness felt by men who were in polyandrous marriages.

polyandry potentially allows more freedom for women to enter into fulfilling relationships

On all of these counts — lessening of the double standard, greater burden-sharing and probably empathy from men, and broader relationship opportunities for women — polyandry seems like a clear gain for women