The Catch 22 of Marriage Equality and Personal Safety

 With all of the rallying to legalize same sex marriage in Hawai'i  this past week, I found this article fitting. Although same sex marriage is legal in South Africa, it does not stop the violence against gays and lesbians. The opening sentence was already a shocker for me as I read "Being a lesbian in South Africa can be a death sentence." I couldn't help but to wonder what would happen here in Hawai'i if (hopefully when) same sex marriage is legal?

The newspapers in South Africa are flooded with story after story of men and women being brutality beaten, raped, and murdered, however nothing is really being done to solve the problem. One of the worst parts of these stories is that the ones being targeted are the leaders and activists of LGBTI groups when they are trying to fight for their legal rights and bring knowledge to their communities. The numbers of lesbians being raped and murdered are only getting higher, and the repercussions for the perpetrator only get lower if it is found out that you are a lesbian.

Living by Gandhi's famous quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world" one women states “Even though you want to be the change that you want to see, there is fear that if I do this, what are my chances of survival?”. One word comes to mind. Wow. This hits way to close to home for me, this is a quote that I had just used as a caption under a picture I posted online of the rally. Although when I was rallying on the side of the road, I wasn't worried about my safety or more so my life.  

I don't understand how a country that has legalized gay marriage, could still have discrimination and hatred against people, so much that they fear for their lives. Bringing all of this full circle into a human rights perspective, not only is equality a human right, but so is personal safety.  

This shocking story

When Jurisdiction Intersects...

In the small South African town of Ulundi, falls under the jurisdiction of the Progressive South African Constitution and the Customary law. Under the Constitution, women are seen as equals to men. However, the old rooted Customary Law states that women can be property of men. Males are seen as the dominate sex, and women are subjected to rape, forced marriages, and much more. Women unfortunately have to rely on men for every day survival needs. Women are now demanding just the basic human rights of safety. South Africa: Law of the Land and the article to the left only briefly cover this horrific way of life.


What will it take to make a change in life for these women? It's so hard to believe that just an ocean away there are women that fear the walk to the bathroom, that are denied rights to education, and are forced to live under a law that suppresses them. Although here in America we have our own issues with poverty and sexual abuse crimes, women are at least seen as more then property to men in the eyes of the law. Women here in America are not denied the right to walk into a court room and press charges against a man that did them wrong. So unbelievable but so true.

Knowledge + Accessibility = Prevention

Once again the lack of knowledge and accessibility to sterile and safe facilities is leaving the women in Africa with life lasting compilations. Like the woman in the picture to the left, many other women all over Africa are left with obstetric fistula or also known as the poverty disease. This gut retching disease happens when women have a non sterile, long and painful birthing process with the end result often being a stillbirth and the inability to control their bladders or bowels. Many of these women were married off and pregnant by the age of 14, leaving the decision of where they will give birth to their husbands, mother-in-laws, or other relatives. So many of these women that are stuck in this situation have no money, no job, and no funds to pay for a facility where they can get adequate care to deliver their child. I was beyond shocked when reading this recently published article because I had never heard of such horrific way of living after giving birth to a child. Some of the women interviewed described a continues pain and burning, and if the pain wasn't bad enough the shame covers it all. Women with obstetric fistula have to live with the shame of soiling themselves anytime, anywhere. Some people comment of the smell or the piles of wet clothes that must be washed and rewashed.


Being that this is something that is preventable, what is the issue then? Why is this a continuous problem with women in Africa? The article Kenya: When Childbirth Leads to Disability and Despair states "prevention is the key." This sounds great, however how do we get these low income, poverty areas to a state where they have equal access to the facilities needed to prevent this from happening? With the abortion clinics and hospitals turning people away because of over crowding and the lack of knowledge and access to these facilities this will continue to occur. I believe that knowledge is power in situations such as these.
If more people knew about this rising issue, there may be a chance at
a change. A change that needs to happen very soon.

Abortion for Women in South Africa; A Catch 22?

The fact that free abortions are guaranteed at public hospitals and clinics around South Africa sounds perfect right? Considering that there are many women that can not afford or do not want to have any more children. However this "promised" procedure is not easily obtainable for some. These abortions will only be done if the woman is not over 13 weeks pregnant, and for many just to collect the money for the taxi fair to get to a clinic takes longer than that. Only half of the designated facilities that are said to offer the procedure actually follow through with it. Although this 25 percent increase over the last four years is a step forward, it is still leaving many women turning to unsafe, unhygienic abortions.

So great, the country gives a woman the right to have control over her own body and even says "we'll help you", but when the help is out of reach how does this really benefit these women? There is an easier access to these underground abortions and the advertisement for them is greatly pushed. Large posters posted near by to clinics and hospitals are seen by the two-thirds of women that are turned away for various reasons.

This is just unacceptable, and shows little care for the safety and rights of women. How many deaths from outside abortions will take to make safe abortions available to those who need it?