Women And Children As Usual Are Victim Of Violence, Acts Of Terrorism
Women and children have been facing the brunt of violence and acts of terrorism committed by security and forces and terrorists in tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border. The women and children have been running with tears in their eyes to save themselves. According to a rough estimate thousands of women and children either been killed or maimed during the fighting. Thousands have been living in the camps waiting for a savoir.
According to a newspaper comment, the battle for Swat is taking longer than expected. A month ago we were told that it was all over bar the shouting, that there were just 'pockets of resistance' and it would 'soon' be safe for the IDPs to return to their homes. Some have, but the majority have not and they remain marooned in the camps and schools and private homes. There is still no date for their return apart from a vague suggestion that it will be 'this month.' As the battle for Swat grinds on, the battle for Waziristan is slowly gathering pace and that will produce its own fresh crop of IDPs. Resources are stretched dreadfully thin, the aid agencies are struggling and running out of food and money; and the monsoon fast approaches. In the midst of all this misery life goes on – indeed new life in the form of babies is a daily occurrence for the IDP communities.
There are about 35,000 pregnant women who will give birth within the next seven months among the 3.5 million displaced. The majority of them have previously lived their lives in the seclusion of purdah. Despite multiple pregnancies and births many of them have never received medical attention during pregnancy nor given birth anywhere other than in their own homes. Giving birth in a tent is not an option anybody would choose, and pregnant women in droves are now attending the mother-and-child centres set up in the camps; paradoxically benefiting from their misfortune. Treatment is free at point of need, more babies are being delivered safely, mothers are being correctly advised about vaccination, and the M+C centres are close to their patients. This (relatively) bright spot must be balanced against health workers reporting that women are chronically depressed, fearful, experiencing difficulty with lactation, have a high incidence of urinary infections and many are malnourished. As military operations continue to deny them a return the plight of this group can only worsen, as will the pressure on the medical services that already are barely able to cope. They will eventually return to lands ravaged by war. Even more sadly, the basic services they can avail now are unlikely to be available on their return home; and women remain the eternal losers in the battles fought by men.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=186759
According to a newspaper comment, the battle for Swat is taking longer than expected. A month ago we were told that it was all over bar the shouting, that there were just 'pockets of resistance' and it would 'soon' be safe for the IDPs to return to their homes. Some have, but the majority have not and they remain marooned in the camps and schools and private homes. There is still no date for their return apart from a vague suggestion that it will be 'this month.' As the battle for Swat grinds on, the battle for Waziristan is slowly gathering pace and that will produce its own fresh crop of IDPs. Resources are stretched dreadfully thin, the aid agencies are struggling and running out of food and money; and the monsoon fast approaches. In the midst of all this misery life goes on – indeed new life in the form of babies is a daily occurrence for the IDP communities.
There are about 35,000 pregnant women who will give birth within the next seven months among the 3.5 million displaced. The majority of them have previously lived their lives in the seclusion of purdah. Despite multiple pregnancies and births many of them have never received medical attention during pregnancy nor given birth anywhere other than in their own homes. Giving birth in a tent is not an option anybody would choose, and pregnant women in droves are now attending the mother-and-child centres set up in the camps; paradoxically benefiting from their misfortune. Treatment is free at point of need, more babies are being delivered safely, mothers are being correctly advised about vaccination, and the M+C centres are close to their patients. This (relatively) bright spot must be balanced against health workers reporting that women are chronically depressed, fearful, experiencing difficulty with lactation, have a high incidence of urinary infections and many are malnourished. As military operations continue to deny them a return the plight of this group can only worsen, as will the pressure on the medical services that already are barely able to cope. They will eventually return to lands ravaged by war. Even more sadly, the basic services they can avail now are unlikely to be available on their return home; and women remain the eternal losers in the battles fought by men.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=186759
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Muhammad Khurshid on
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My dear friend bev leskiewicz,
A lot of thanks for feeling the pain of women and children. They are really in pain. The violence and acts of terrorism have been putting them in great difficulties. But you have felt the pain. Thank you very much for your kindness. -
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Visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband looks at signs held up by IDP childern during his visit to IDPs camp in Swabi district of North West Frontier Province.
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Permalink Reply by Houcine Brahmi on
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Indeed it is terrifying to listen and see this suffering of children,women and the old.
I hope that god protects this people. My ever question it's when the war is going to finish and how we can help these poor persons. -
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My dear friend Houcine, a lot of thanks for your kind comment. Like many people I am feeling helplessness to save these people. I am helpless to save myself. Today again the US drones have carried out two attacks in Waziristan tribal region killing several people.
At least 25 militants were killed in a suspected U.S. drone attack in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region on Wednesday afternoon, intelligence officials said.
It was the second such attack of the day.
"We have reports that 25 militants have been killed," an intelligence official said.
Another intelligence official said 25 to 30 militants were killed when their convoy of vehicles came under attack.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=82432
Seventeen people were killed when one more US drone launched an strike in South Waziristan Agency on Wednesday.
According to the correspondent of Geo News, the drone targeted a convoy of militants, killing 17 people and destroying completely 5 vehicles.
Some of the people in the convoy were also injured while there is a possibility of the death toll to mount.
It may be mentioned here that it is a second drone strike in South Waziristan in a single day. The total death toll from the two strikes has reached 26.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=82436 -
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thank you all activists of peace, I ask you more patience, and I m sure that God the great will help you
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Really I am very sad, to see in medias the Pakistani children suffering in zones of conflicts. So we shout all to high voices to stop the war above all and to make the necessary to help these angels and their mothers. the war can never solve problems, but with wisdom we can make every good things. Focused choices to educate these children and to create employments, notably with the intensification of the small and middle enterprises
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Permalink Reply by Weavre Cooper on
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This situation is unacceptable, to me and to many others in the world. It is our responsibility to do everything in our power to ensure that the women and children in Pakistan and throughout the world--as well as their brothers, fathers, husbands, and sons--have access to all the necessities of life, including adequate health care.
We cannot tolerate violence anywhere, in any form. We must speak up, heal the harm that has been done, and do the hard work of building a better system based on communication and mutual problem-solving instead of violence and conquest.
Thank you for continuing to inform us about these issues, Muhammad. I appreciate everything you do to promote peace and to educate the world about the circumstances in which your neighbors are living. -
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Getting Burned in Pakistan: Report Finds Acid and Burn Attacks Against Women on the Rise
Source: http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/getting-burned-in-pa...
(Note: I did not write this article, just read it and thought it was worth sharing here.)
In Pakistan, like in many other South Asian countries, honor is a virtue that is not only valued but demanded from society, especially from women. Women who “dishonor” their families face severe consequences at the hands of a strongly patriarchal society who continues to see women secondary to men.
A new report from the AGHS Legal Cell has found that violence against women in the form of burning and acid attacks is on the rise in the country. Women who are seen as dishonoring their families are often the targets of these attacks.
Walking in public with a man who is unrelated to you could illicit an attack for it is often presumed that the woman is committing adultery. Fleeing an arranged marriage or a relationship where a woman is unhappy or being abused is another common reason for the attacks.
According to the report, from April to June of this year more than 220 women reported being burned, 40 of whom died as a result of their injuries which can be extensive. When acid is thrown in a person's face, skin tissue melts on contact exposing the bone below the flesh that may also dissolve from the acid. If acid reaches the eyes, they are permanently damaged often leaving survivors with the use of only one or no eyes.
What's worse? According to the report women are not being given appropriate medical care and few seek legal action after being attacked. Many cases are also not even reported to police so the actual numbers of victims are far worse than we think.
"Violence against women in Pakistan is endemic," Nisha Varia, deputy director of women's rights division at Human Rights Watch told The Media Line.” "We try to apply pressure so that the government recognizes these crimes, prosecutes the perpetrators and provides services to the victims."
Acid and burn attacks are also not only isolated in Pakistan. It is also common practice in Bangladesh, India, and other South Asian countries. In Bangladesh, the Acid Survivors Foundation has been working for nearly ten years to eliminate acid violence in the country where there is currently an acid attack every two days. A similar organization also exists in Pakistan.
Violence against women exists everywhere. We know this. I also know that I can no longer sit idly as governments around the world fail to protect these victims.
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(Note: I did not write this article, just read it and thought it was worth sharing here.) -
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As the article I just posted exemplifies, people traumatized by systemic violence are often more likely to commit violence themselves. If we tolerate the abuses being committed against men, then abuses against women will increase even more.
In other words, if we want to protect the women and children, it's absolutely critical that we also heal the emotional wounds suffered by men. -
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Permalink Reply by Patriciainsweden on
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The more I read about all "OUR" human misery specially where children and women are the"greatest" losers the more I believe in the "coding and decoding" Peace messages project which has been run by the Peace Summer Camp in Pennsylvania and the little Patriots ( in the age of 5 up to 11) .
These children´s is in deed a prove of their Civil Courage which is already being followed by children from different countries...by following a diagram called Madeleine´s communication system the children are "playing" the most serious GAME ever on behalf of the tearful and toyless children specially in Pakistan where we´re keeping our 2FOCUS". -
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