Women Can "Live" in America
The New Year always invites reflection, and as The Peoria Woman celebrates its 12th anniversary, I am privileged to be the owner and publisher of three of central Illinois’ resource magazines. And as a woman—a business owner in particular—I’ve read with interest the recent "liberation" of sorts for Afghan women with the collapse of Taliban control.
I can’t imagine the many injustices and hardships endured by women in some parts of our world. To be ignorant of a lifestyle where freedom and equality is normal is a sad thing, but to take away the freedoms of educated, productive women, to reduce their existence to that of property best "controlled" by isolation and hold them prisoner for the sole reason that they are women, is not only abuse, it’s insane.
It is reported 70 percent of Afghan teachers were women forced to quit working. Girls were not allowed to stay in school after age 8. In efforts to keep women out of sight, they were forced to cover themselves with a heavy burqa, and even paint the ground floor windows black so women could not see out, or be seen. We haven’t been told much yet about the physical abuses endured.
The war these women face to gain independence is unlike any faced by the majority of American women. The atrocities committed against women are just now being revealed, but the trauma will take years—maybe even generations—to overcome.
This month’s interview with Martha Herm, executive director for The Center for Prevention of Abuse, shows us that violence against women happens here in central Illinois as well. Last year more than 5,000 individuals were helped, and the numbers increase. "When the agency was formed 25 years ago, it was taboo for a woman to admit she was a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault because society blamed her.
"It was the right of her partner to ‘keep her in line’ with force or take advantage of her poor judgement by raping her if she were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Martha said. Similarly, Afghan women speaking out say their husbands claim the Koran gives them the right to treat their wife however they want.
Last month at the Texas Conference for Women, feminist activists warned that war would stall or halt the battle for women’s rights continuing in this country, as media attention turns to the male-dominated acts of heroism. Scholars remembered the end of World War II when women were forced out of the work place and back into the home despite achieving skills and competence.
Media attention on the plight of Afghan women will surely enhance our awareness of injustices and our intolerance of violence.
Education is key to breaking the cycle of abuse and preventing it for future generations. Why do young boys join groups such as the Taliban?
Why are young men and women particularly vulnerable to family violence and abuse? "A child raised in an abusive household is 1,000 times more likely to be an abusive adult. And a child’s world-view is pretty well set by age 10," said Martha.
My hope for this New Year is that lives will be saved at home and in the Middle East by being more alert, aware and intolerant of abuse and violence. I support The Center for Prevention of Abuse programs because their focus is on prevention and eliminating the root causes of abuse.
While celebrating our anniversary and acknowledging that America is just one of a few countries where women can succeed, The Peoria Woman will continue to work toward the goal of equal acceptance and opportunities for women in the workplace, and continue as an educational resource for and about women. TPW
I can’t imagine the many injustices and hardships endured by women in some parts of our world. To be ignorant of a lifestyle where freedom and equality is normal is a sad thing, but to take away the freedoms of educated, productive women, to reduce their existence to that of property best "controlled" by isolation and hold them prisoner for the sole reason that they are women, is not only abuse, it’s insane.
It is reported 70 percent of Afghan teachers were women forced to quit working. Girls were not allowed to stay in school after age 8. In efforts to keep women out of sight, they were forced to cover themselves with a heavy burqa, and even paint the ground floor windows black so women could not see out, or be seen. We haven’t been told much yet about the physical abuses endured.
The war these women face to gain independence is unlike any faced by the majority of American women. The atrocities committed against women are just now being revealed, but the trauma will take years—maybe even generations—to overcome.
This month’s interview with Martha Herm, executive director for The Center for Prevention of Abuse, shows us that violence against women happens here in central Illinois as well. Last year more than 5,000 individuals were helped, and the numbers increase. "When the agency was formed 25 years ago, it was taboo for a woman to admit she was a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault because society blamed her.
"It was the right of her partner to ‘keep her in line’ with force or take advantage of her poor judgement by raping her if she were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Martha said. Similarly, Afghan women speaking out say their husbands claim the Koran gives them the right to treat their wife however they want.
Last month at the Texas Conference for Women, feminist activists warned that war would stall or halt the battle for women’s rights continuing in this country, as media attention turns to the male-dominated acts of heroism. Scholars remembered the end of World War II when women were forced out of the work place and back into the home despite achieving skills and competence.
Media attention on the plight of Afghan women will surely enhance our awareness of injustices and our intolerance of violence.
Education is key to breaking the cycle of abuse and preventing it for future generations. Why do young boys join groups such as the Taliban?
Why are young men and women particularly vulnerable to family violence and abuse? "A child raised in an abusive household is 1,000 times more likely to be an abusive adult. And a child’s world-view is pretty well set by age 10," said Martha.
My hope for this New Year is that lives will be saved at home and in the Middle East by being more alert, aware and intolerant of abuse and violence. I support The Center for Prevention of Abuse programs because their focus is on prevention and eliminating the root causes of abuse.
While celebrating our anniversary and acknowledging that America is just one of a few countries where women can succeed, The Peoria Woman will continue to work toward the goal of equal acceptance and opportunities for women in the workplace, and continue as an educational resource for and about women. TPW