This sadly doesn't surprise me. It fits with the limited reporting of sex crimes in places like South Africa and Zimbabwe over the last decade or so. The latter is a country where there is the belief that sex with a virgin cures AIDs, for example, so to make sure the girl is virgin they'll rape a six year old. Then people wonder why societies in such countries are falling apart? Certainly, it's also tied to instability and military conflict, but it's part of the root instability, not purely a result of it in my opinion. What can be done about it? I wish I knew the answer to that.
(As a side note -- relatively insignificant compared to the massive tragedy of the crimes themselves, these are the countries that Shrub's "abstinence only" stance on birth control deprived of much of their already very limited means of sexual education, contraception, and STD prevention. The myths and misinformation around sex in many African societies also don't bear repeating -- I could start, but then I would rant, and it's not helpful. Married women taking part in educational programs where they've learned about condoms have been denounced by their husbands and stoned as adultresses, for example. Not for having an affair, but for knowing about condoms. Others were killed or cast out for asking their husbands to use protection because they already have more children than they can feed. Officially sanctioned sexual slavery exists. Organized gang rapes.. the list goes on, and on, and on.)
I think I'm going to go sit outside with a book. If I think about it too hard, I might be willing to join you in arson.
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Date: 2009-06-18 10:34 pm (UTC)(As a side note -- relatively insignificant compared to the massive tragedy of the crimes themselves, these are the countries that Shrub's "abstinence only" stance on birth control deprived of much of their already very limited means of sexual education, contraception, and STD prevention. The myths and misinformation around sex in many African societies also don't bear repeating -- I could start, but then I would rant, and it's not helpful. Married women taking part in educational programs where they've learned about condoms have been denounced by their husbands and stoned as adultresses, for example. Not for having an affair, but for knowing about condoms. Others were killed or cast out for asking their husbands to use protection because they already have more children than they can feed. Officially sanctioned sexual slavery exists. Organized gang rapes.. the list goes on, and on, and on.)
I think I'm going to go sit outside with a book. If I think about it too hard, I might be willing to join you in arson.