Because My Culture Says So!

How many times have you heard people say, “I do it because it is my culture”? Many times, I assume. They say it all the time. You know, culture is great!! I love culture as well, because culture defines who we are. It gives us our identity. Culture connects us to our families, friends, and a history that is worth being proud of. Culture should make us proud as a people. It should make us feel human and feel wanted and needed. It should make us feel valued.

But wait, what about when culture is harmful? Should we embrace it?  Think about it?

In some communities, it is a cultural thing to discipline wives by whipping. Some women have been killed this way. In others, it is okay to perform female genital cuttings, - a process that involves  the trimming off of the clitoris, labia minora and labia majora and  sometimes sewing completely a woman's vagina leaving a tiny match stick size hole for natural fluids. This is done in order to protect her virginity and chastity. Some girls have died through such processes and many live with health issues that may include; pain, inflammation, swelling, urine retention, urinary tract infection, meatal obstruction and urinary strictures, keloids, dermoid cysts, introital and vaginal stenosis, neuromas, dysmenorrhea, hematocolpos, dyspareunia, infertility, obstructed labor during childbirth, hemorrhage, sepsis, infection, shock, and even death.[i]

In other cultures, it is alright to kill a baby girl after she is born just because the family is fearful of her dishonoring them when she grows up. In such societies, infanticide is alright as it is believed that girls are generally impulsive and likely to be promiscuous that the only way to prevent this is kill them at birth. In such cultures killing a woman who commits fornication, adultery or gets pregnant out of wedlock is common.  In some cultures, such a woman is buried alive or stoned to death.

In other cultures the birth of twins is an omen. Such children are to be thrown away in the forest and left for dead. Oh wait, did I mention that in other cultures it is alright to eat fellow human beings and of course wonderful to sacrifice humans? I could go on and on and on… Did I mention that rape is an acceptable cultural practice in some communities? This will be discussed in details in my next blog topic. I think the point is made!

While culture has positive benefits to the individual, it has its negative side as well. Culture can justify abusive behavior.

When culture undermines any ones welfare, especially health, it ought to be questioned. We should all do what we can to claim our human rights, and God’s creations. Our human worth is much more that what culture can offer. As rational beings, we should all claim our agency as individuals who can think for ourselves and make decisions for ourselves.  While we all love our families, communities, and our cultures, we should consider seriously what they expose us to. When they ask us to succumb to practices that harm us, we ought to stand up against them. Any culture that is proud of itself must protect the health and rights and general welfare of all its members.

Sometimes, this is not easy for some of us, though. That is why everyone needs a friend to turn to when situations like these happen. Be your sister’s and brother’s keeper. Be there for the unfortunate and for those who have no voice in society and probably don’t know how to resist abusive practices in their families, communities and societies in general. Say no to any form of abuse, Say yes to human rights.

Join us at WISO as we stand for the rights of all. We condemn any form of abuse whether cultural sanction or not. We stand for the welfare of the abused. We work to help empower them to say no to abuse. Join us and share your story. It can be inspirational to others. Support us in other ways to help change one life at a time.  Do not forget to visit our website at wiso2011.org and like us on facebook, tweeter, and share our concerns to all your friends. We can all make a change. Lives of millions depend on it. Remember, just one life at a time.

Peace!

WISO President
August 22, 2012

 

---

[i] Turner, Dianne. 2007. “Female Genital Cutting: Implications for Nurses” AWHONN accessed at http://nwh.awhonn.org

The Greatest Gift: Help Send a Girl to School!

Hello friends. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the support you give us for this worthy course we engage in. It means a lot to know that there are many of us out there who care for those who are underprivileged in society.

 I am writing this time with an appeal for one of the abused survivor, who has requested that her name remains anonymous. Because we believe in maintaining the integrity of our clients, I will call her Hope. Hope is in need of a lot of help. As you all know, our WISO organization seeks all ways to help girls, women, and even boys who are in distress. Hope finds herself in this situation.

 Hope was born in a rural community in Kenya in 1992. She has struggled to survive as a girl in a community that does not value women. While her desire has always been to go to school, her family's desire has been the contrary. As a girl, all she is expected to do is grow up quickly and get married to a rich old man who can give them a handsome dowry.

Hope has tried all she can to go to school and all indication show that she is a bright girl who can do very well if given an opportunity. She completed her primary education in 1997 where she excelled and hoped to join a good high school. Her father disagreed with her mother after he neglected the family and was unwilling to take her to high school. He had wished to marry her off after her primary school to obtain dowry from her marriage. This led to her parents’ separation which worsened her situation.

She was taken up by an African Independent Church rescue center where she got a sponsorship to join a local high school. Due to tuition difficulties, she was in and out of school. She was lucky to have been allowed to sit for her final exams in her final years. This kindness enabled her to earn good grades in spite of her difficulties. She scored good grades to secure a chance in a public university.

Hope has had a tough life and she has worked manual jobs to pay her tuition in order to get her diploma certificates. In 2010, she was admitted to a public University but she had to defer her studies due to lack of tuition. Her father refused to pay for her college fees because he does not see value girl education. He is not alone.  Most parents from her community marry their daughters off at an early age. Her father’s interest was to marry her off so her brother could use the dowry to marry his own wife.

Hope needs your help. She hopes that with little help, she can continue with her education at the university in August 2012. She needs about $800 for her tuition and upkeep annually. In order to transcend her abusive situation, she has to be made independent. We at WISO find this at the forefront of our mission. While there are so many girls out there that may be in her situation, we seek to help one individual at a time.

We hope you can join us at WISO to fundraise to send this girl to school. Even a $1 - $5 or what you can afford will go a long way to helping Hope. Visit our website at wiso2011.org to donate or you can also contact us at wiso2011@gmail.com if you have further inquiries.

Those who donate are promised to receive updates on Hope's welfare and you will also be invited for recognition at WISO events. The best of it all is the priceless feeling you get for helping someone in need. This is what we at WISO live for. In spite of abuse in our societies, there are great people out there who truly care and wish to support those who live with abuse. Be one of them. God’s blessings will be abundant as a result. As always, it’s always good to do good. Remember, knowledge is power, but action is powerful.

President WISO