Half the Sky last posting

"Women hold up half the sky."   - Mao Zedong

Under half the sky in modern time, countless women suffer and even die in the name of tradition. many of those villainies have done by males, but it is quite devastating that many times it is conducted and repeated by women--usually mothers. I believe it is not because mothers from countries in Africa and the Middle East don't love their children enough, but partially because of a social climate and mostly because of the lack of education. Therefore, I couldn't agree more when the author stressed the importance of understanding of cultures for effective relief activities and how education can make changes.

In order to make effective changes, understanding of the culture is prerequisite to indiscriminate relief activities. Otherwise, all the money and effort we pour would be in vain. For example, I remember a story of angry Afghan women when an Western aid group distributed soap for their hygiene and health because in Afghanistan, washing with soap implies post-coital activity, which seemed like the aid group treated them like promiscuous women. F&G made the same mistake with the FemCare project. Cooperation with natives is necessary, in that sense. They know better about their culture, and people tend to be more open-minded and feel less hostility when someone with the same ethnic root appeals.

“This is our culture!...We all want it. Why is it America’s business?" a Sudanese midwife said when UN carried on a campaign against FGC (Female Genital Cutting). Maybe she is right. If those girls learn about the danger of FGC and their right to choose but still want it, it is non of our (the world's) business. However, majority of them are not educated on the danger in birth due to FGC and have no right to choose. Especially, mothers force their daughters to get FGC because they believe it will harm their daughters' marriage prospect.

What we should do to save those girls is not chanting "No FGC". I believe that it is not our job to to judge if their culture and customs are good/bad or right/wrong because we never lived in it. But, our job is providing continuous attentions and supporting local organizations so that they can make changes for themselves. The author also admitted that many successful projects started within the society. It will probably take time but I'm sure it would be faster than keeping enforcing our standards to them.