Double talk

Not that I expect to make much sense out of the Conservative government's attitudes towards women -- more on this tomorrow -- but could somebody please explain how to reconcile its new-found fascination with maternal health around the world and its defunding of KAIROS, the ecumenical social justice agency?

Here's why I raise this:

According to the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), more than 8,000 women were raped by warring factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last year while over three million young girls are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide.

The U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that out of nearly 1,000 sexual abuse and over 1,500 domestic violence cases reported in Sierra Leone last year, there wasn't a single conviction.

"By the end of her lifespan, nearly all Sierra Leonean women will suffer some form of sexual or gender-based violence," says UNDP's deputy country director Samuel Harbor.

At the same time, nearly 250,000 child soldiers have been recruited in various conflicts worldwide, with girls at particular risk of becoming sex slaves, says the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon complains that 30 years after the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), "Women and girls are still suffering from the scourge."

"Violence against women and girls is found in all countries," he says, pointing an accusing finger at all 192 U.N. member states. 

Let's just focus on Congo, shall we?

KAIROS has fought long and hard to help rape victims in Congo, pushing for counselling and medical treatment while advocating for the distribution and use of emergency post-exposure contraception as well as anti-retroviral treatment for HIV.

But the Harpocrats fail to see the connection between contraception -- never mind abortion -- and maternal health.

So, as far as they are concerned, those women and girls in the Congo are just going to have to stand and deliver, even if it kills them.

But yeah. Canada's government really cares about maternal health.

Incidentally, if you want to see the award-winning doc The Greatest Silence, catch it March 2 in Toronto during the  Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.

Comments

[JR Jake]

The raping and mutilation of the women and children in poor countries is not the problem. You will find throughout history that countries who abuse and misuse those who cannot defend themselves, are rife with corruption and extremely poor leadership.

Leadership is not a word, it is a mantra based on culture present and past. Until people decide they want to leave the dark ages, we will continue to see this type of behavior manifested in the treatment of the people and the rule of their law. Anyway we want to paint it, until there is a global mindset these atrocities will continue sad to say.

[Jim M]

The following poem by Jewel called, You Are Not, sounds like it would be fair to address to the Prime Minister, along with the other world "leaders" (and their supporters) who pretend to care, but 'demonstrate' otherwise. http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/You+Are+Not/mujpE

[croghan27]

KAIROS was doing something - something concrete not faux-philosophizing about the state of the world.

If people do nothing, nothing changes and KAIROS was doing something - and will continue to in a truncated way. The Canadian government is happy, indeed encourages it by defunding such organizations, to let what is described above continue rather than try to rectify anything.