Being a woman that was born in the United States, I truly had no idea what women in other countries go through. Through a friend of mine named Hellen, I learned the horrifying truth.
Being born a girl in Uganda can be a terrifying experience throughout their lives. Rape of young girls is rampant. They have to be careful and diligent at all times. Simple things like walking to school, going to the market or fetching water can turn into a horrible situation of being attacked and raped. The victims are many times ashamed and do not tell. If they do tell they are forced to believe they brought it upon themselves and their attackers walk away, only to do it again to another unsuspecting young woman.
Many times these rapes end up in pregnancy which is another issue as the hospital system is ill equipped to deal with any complications that may occur during the pregnancy. Once the baby is born, then there is no money to care for the child and give them the life they deserve.
Young women in Africa should have access to birth control methods to stop this from happening, They need the protection of the police to be able to report these crimes without fear of retaliation. Their voices need to be heard!
In addition, all girls and women should have access to sanitary products. Menstruation is a normal part of any woman’s life. Without the proper supplies, they are unable to live normal lives. My question is why does a normal human function cause a woman to have to lead a life where they are unable to do normal things, such as attend school? Each month, millions of girls miss many days of schools because they lack the basic supplies needed to help with the normal process of menstruation their body is going through. What is needed to open the eyes of people and realize that these very women are the future of Africa and need to be treated that way.
Yours Truly
Tammy Morrison
www.facebook.com/tammymorrison01
