I came across an article today, "Human-rights abuses undermine fight against AIDS, World Health Body says", a title that effectively summarizes what is reported.
More in depth, women, intravenous drug users and homosexuals are hindered from receiving treatment, because of possible persecution in their countries.
In Eastern Europe, where AIDS is prevalently spread through intravenous drugs, most who are unaffected are left untreated (1 in 4 with AIDS are imprisoned).
Social stigma also plays a role in discouraging women and girls from seeking antiretrovirals for fear they will be cast out of families and communities.
The article managed to brew an even larger outrage within me, an anger that existed for many years: Gender inequality. Skipping the glass ceiling, because I think I've dealt with it enough (and have witnessed companies taking it too far), I wish to address the gender dichotomy in 3rd world countries. Women comprise most of the impoverished, stuck in a cycle largely caused by discrimination. Women are pushed aside when education, food, and other necessities are distributed among members in poor families. Lack of awareness and education trap females within poverty's grasp and hence the poverty cycle continues rolling.
Countries around the world consider women property. Heinous acts upon them are considered socially acceptable, such as in India bride burning (bride's family refuses to pay additional dowry, so the husband's family burns the bride). In parts of Asia, rape victims,usually women, are looked upon as distasteful and ostracized. In China, the majority of babies up for adoption are girls. In Indonesia, if couples cannot bear children, women are blamed for being impotent. I haven't even considered sex slavery which is a multi-million dollar global market. In multiple other countries, we hear more of these outrageous--but not so outrageous in these countries--stories.
Now, I'm starting to realize the full impact of what it means to grant women their ability to work. It means financial freedom and independence, especially an out from the property perspective. No longer can their men decide and announce that everything women have is soley based on the men's work. I've seen the effects of relying on the husband for sustenance: My grandpa (not the one who passed away) provided most of the family's resources and now that my grandparents are in retirement, my grandma is restricted from spending money as it is grandpa who worked for it.
What to do about this injustice?
There's a TED video about a women in India who has survived an 8-people gang rape and how she was fueled by anger to co-found an organization that saved over thousands of women and children from sex slavery.
This has taken me much longer than usual to compile my thoughts, what was previously a jumble of anger buzzing around in my head.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Muse of July 20, 2010
Countless choices and countless forces constantly wage wars to beseech us.
Discussing with my friends about my grandpa having passed away yesterday certainly stressed an aspect I've been overlooking these days. Ever since his death transpired, I've been asking people how to complete this phrase, "Life is short..." One answer that peeled back my eyes and that struck me like a pan on my head was: "Life is short, don't waste time worrying about what people think of you. Hold on to the ones that care, in the end they will be the only ones there."
It's true that reputation is important and it's true that career is important, though this quotation ripped away the superficial. It coerced me to look at the significant, to consider what is it that makes me absolutely happy, instead of being caught up in the so-called "rat race". Come to think of it, all those networks we create and the auxiliary people we befriend pretentiously most likely won't be at our side during our crises. They won't be there at the hour we breath our last breaths, wishing us a peaceful passage from the living and reassuring us to not be afraid for what is to come.
The experience left me with the sense that I probably have my priorities wrong and should follow the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of my time on the top 20% things that are most important to me (helping others is important to me) and 20% of time on the other 80% that is next in line. Seriously, I need to focus on what is meaningful to me instead of what is thrown my way. Life is too short to meddle shoulder high in things we can drop at a moment's instance for our passions. Life is too short to be swayed whimsically by people's thoughts of us.
Here's a tidbit from my mind from yesterday. People usually have only a few major thoughts that circulate in their heads everyday. The 80/20 rule is also applicable here. If I am able to pinpoint what I am thinking most of the time and harness what I really want to progress towards, think of the immensity of this tactic!
On another note, here's an excellent article that prescribes actions to save time and revamp productivity: "Top Ten Time Sucks" http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-slow/201007/top-ten-time-sucks-and-what-do-about-them
Particularly I like their talk about how we are becoming more reactive but not more proactive, which definitely ties into my reflection.
I've forgotten to write in my previous post about Y, about the counter-intuitive fortune of having a friend who challenges me, and allows me to re-evaluate myself. Maybe this is the effect of having sleep-overs with people. =D
Discussing with my friends about my grandpa having passed away yesterday certainly stressed an aspect I've been overlooking these days. Ever since his death transpired, I've been asking people how to complete this phrase, "Life is short..." One answer that peeled back my eyes and that struck me like a pan on my head was: "Life is short, don't waste time worrying about what people think of you. Hold on to the ones that care, in the end they will be the only ones there."
It's true that reputation is important and it's true that career is important, though this quotation ripped away the superficial. It coerced me to look at the significant, to consider what is it that makes me absolutely happy, instead of being caught up in the so-called "rat race". Come to think of it, all those networks we create and the auxiliary people we befriend pretentiously most likely won't be at our side during our crises. They won't be there at the hour we breath our last breaths, wishing us a peaceful passage from the living and reassuring us to not be afraid for what is to come.
The experience left me with the sense that I probably have my priorities wrong and should follow the 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of my time on the top 20% things that are most important to me (helping others is important to me) and 20% of time on the other 80% that is next in line. Seriously, I need to focus on what is meaningful to me instead of what is thrown my way. Life is too short to meddle shoulder high in things we can drop at a moment's instance for our passions. Life is too short to be swayed whimsically by people's thoughts of us.
Here's a tidbit from my mind from yesterday. People usually have only a few major thoughts that circulate in their heads everyday. The 80/20 rule is also applicable here. If I am able to pinpoint what I am thinking most of the time and harness what I really want to progress towards, think of the immensity of this tactic!
On another note, here's an excellent article that prescribes actions to save time and revamp productivity: "Top Ten Time Sucks" http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-slow/201007/top-ten-time-sucks-and-what-do-about-them
Particularly I like their talk about how we are becoming more reactive but not more proactive, which definitely ties into my reflection.
I've forgotten to write in my previous post about Y, about the counter-intuitive fortune of having a friend who challenges me, and allows me to re-evaluate myself. Maybe this is the effect of having sleep-overs with people. =D
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