Recently, I read about Naseeba, a 25-year old mother from Pakistan who ran away from her abusive husband who beat her daily. In August 2009, a tough new law was passed by the National Assembly against domestic violence. For women like Naseeba, who have never been to school, they have no idea such a law exists. Even with the law in place, it is unlikely that many women will act on it.
With proper education, both boys and girls can learn how working together can have a bigger impact on society, instead of boys later taking part in domestic violence and “honour killings”. “An `honour’ killing is carried out because the `honour’ of men in the family is perceived to have been injured. Often, these killings are just a pretext for murder motivated by some other petty matter,” said I.A. Rehman, secretary-general of HRCP. Generally, when a woman seeks divorce or presses charges, her husband’s family will come after her or her husband will attack her by raping her, beating her, or burning her with acid.
In 2008, there were at least 7,571 incidents of acid attacks, spousal beatings and other violence against women, according to The Aurat Foundation, a women’s rights group. These are only the events accounted for. Still, people in power continue to defend these attacks, or pretend like they don’t really exist and that they are completely made up.
What does this all stem from? Religion? Society? Education? In Stones into Schools, Greg Mortenson explains how many fathers are reluctant to allow their girls to go to school, because of the dowry they will earn for the family, or that they have to take care of their siblings. And what we learn is that it only takes one person to make a difference. Sending boys to schools, instead of mullahs, and girls to school, instead of doomed marriages seems like the real key to ending the violence. I don’t know much about Islam, but I can’t imagine that arranging doomed marriages make either member happy, men or women. In 100-150 words, share your thoughts on Stones into Schools. Why do you think some cultures elect not to educate everyone to happiness and prosperity?
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