Bald Solidarity - The Issues

The Issues

We believe there exists a common thread through all the atrocities committed against women worldwide: The way in which women are viewed. Women are viewed as less than fully human, as property, as sexual toys, as unworthy of respect, self-determination, education, or a voice. We want to bring these issues to the attention of the global community, and paint them in poignant detail, until women are granted full personhood, in practice as well as in theory.

Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)

This involves the cutting away of the clitoris and labia for non-medical reasons. Health risks associated include shock, hemorrhaging, reproductive difficulties, urinary tract infections, and even death. FGM/C is most common in Africa, but is also practiced in parts of Asia.

** Between 2 and 3 million girls and women will have FGM/C performed on them this year. **

This issue is difficult to address because of the cultural sensitivities involved, as well as the graphic nature of the procedure. It is not a subject easily introduced into polite conversation. People and organizations from developed nations who oppose the practice have often been challenged as seeking to change fundamental aspects of the cultures in which this practice is prevalent.

For a short YouTube video about FGM/C click here.

For a helpful description of FGM/C from the WHO's (World Health Organization) website click here.

Sex Trafficking

This is most prevalent in east Asia, southeast Asia, and eastern Europe. Many young women are told they will be working as secretaries or housecleaners, and then are sold to a pimp or a brothel. It is also common for young girls to have their virginity sold, since the customer can then be confident that they are disease free.

These facts were taken from The U.S. Department of State "Trafficking in Persons Report" (2008)

Every year, more than two million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade.
It is estimated that 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year.
Traffickers prey most often on impoverished girls and women who are looking for a better life for themselves and their families.

She's 38 years old. Her husband has just died, her in-laws tell her that her children are no longer hers and she is no longer welcome in their home. She heads to the city, where her head is shaved and she begs for food with the other widows. It's tradition.

Hindu Widows

Hindu widows in India are traditionally considered a part of their husband's body, and when their husband dies, they are no longer considered fully alive. These widows are kicked out of their homes upon the death of their husbands, have their heads shaved, and are expected to beg for food until they die.

To learn more about them, visit this CNN article.

Also, check out this trailer for the movie "Water." It is an excellent film and it deals with this topic beautifully and poignantly.

Rape

There are many countries and situations in which a woman who has been raped will have no opportunity for justice, and her rapist will suffer no consequences.

In Darfur (Sudan), the Janjaweed has used rape as a tactic of war on girls as young as 4. Please see this CNN article for more information.

In Zimbabwe, women and girls as young as five are being raped as part of the political turmoil surrounding the recent presidential election. See this article from Telegraph for more information.

In South Africa, there is a practice of lesbians being raped to cure them of lesbianism. It is called "corrective rape."

Denial of Self-Determination

One of the greatest freedoms all people should be guaranteed is the right to choose the course of their own life. Unfortunately, many women and girls are denied this choice. It can take many forms, whether it is being forced to marry very young (or against their will), or not being allowed to leave the house without a male relative, or not being allowed to pursue a career in a certain field, like medicine or politics. Until every mother can say honestly to her daughter, "You can be whatever you want to be when you grow up," we have not achieved a truly free world.

Here's an article about a gypsy girl who wanted to be a doctor, but was married off at 15 instead, even though she begged her parents to let her continue her education. This is a poignant example of a denial of self-determination.