It is true that even here in America there are a lot of issues with how victims of rape are treated, but I don't think it can really compare to the kind of story in this article about Afghanistan. It is well know that women hold little to know power even over their own bodies in Afghanistan and in many cases a woman can be imprisoned for being raped because it is seen as having sex out of wedlock. In this case, the article title seems to be a positive and unexpected one, a rape victim having been imprisoned is being pardoned. In reality, upon reading the article it is apparent that it is actually a tragic story. The woman is only being released because she has agreed to marry her attacker. Not only was she raped, impregnated as a result, gave birth to the child behind bars, but now her only option for getting out is to marry the one who put her in the situation and exerted power and control over her. The worst part? The attacker was a member of her family, though it is not disclosed who he was. There was a film made about the events, but the European Union blocked the documentary from being released to protect the women it featured. We are fortunate to not have to deal with these extremes in victim treatment, but there is room for improvement all around.
No comments:
Post a Comment