Kids are Brutal

International Day of the Girl Child take 2. A year ago I had my first real event. It was more challenging than I expected. This year I thought things would be better; in a way it was, but what I found out was that kids are mean! My girls spent a month preparing for the event working on different songs, dramas, poems, dances, and speeches- all of which were original.  My girls did a great job showing off their creativity in practice, and I believed it would be a great show; however, standing in front of 300 students, it was not the case. The drama teamed performed and a poem was recited, the school was noisy, but responsive. Next was another poem to be recited by a form 1 girl; she was nervous as should be. Sadly, the whole student body saw that and started laughing. I went up to stand by her to give her some confidence, but the students just laughed even more! The poor girl started crying—and apparently from what I was told, people were making fun of her the rest of the day. My heart went out to her; it’ll be a long time before she ever gets back up there again. If that wasn’t bad enough, the next act to follow was by a group of form 4 girls who were to sing a song. About mid-way through, one of the girls hit a note that was a little off, and the WHOLE school started laughing at them. My girls couldn’t recover, and walked off the stage with their heads low. This day was supposed to be about empowering girls, yet it was quite the opposite. As I reflected on this event, I came to the same conclusion as I did a year ago…. Today just showed how much of a need there really is for girl’s empowerment and how much all of these kids need to feel confidence. To be honest, a lot of my days, I just want to sit back and cry. There is SO much work to be done here that can’t be fixed with simple events or workshops. It takes real effort and patience to make change happen and I’ll be lucky if I ever see it within my 2 years here.

Here is a speech that was made by one of my girls in Form 2:

                SWAGAA (Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse) was initiated by a group of women who were particularly concerned about the problem of abuse in Swaziland. The program was launched on October 12, 1990. The need for SWAGAA to introduce a program focused on girl children became evident in October 2007 when a national survey on violence against children and young women in Swaziland was conducted by UNICEF in partnership with SWAGAA and other local NGOs. The study indicated that approximately 1 and 3 females in Swaziland experienced some form of sexual violence as a child, nearly 1 and 4 women experienced physical violence as a child, and approximately 3 and 10 females experienced emotional abuse as a child.

                The formal existence of the Girl’s Empowerment Club in Swaziland began in February 2008. Through the facilitation of an open forum, a supportive network and accessible resources, the club gives the forgotten girl child a place to express her opinions on sensitive issues such as rape, forced marriage, and HIV/AIDS, as well as to communicate hopes and aspirations. The club is a place for the girl child to feel free, safe, and strong. It is a space that she owns and where she will find the guidance of mentors, role models, friends, and counselors.

                The most important person in the program is the Girl Child as a unique and special individual. As a club we respect the needs, values, rights, and opinions of each empowered girl on her journey to becoming an empowered woman. Remember- the girl child does not stay a girl child forever, so don’t underestimate her. Girls, You Are Special!!

And here are just some facts about WHY Day of the Girl Child is so important:

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•    Rape and domestic violence are a higher risk for females aged 15 to 44 than cancer, traffic accidents or malaria.
• According to the first survey of its kind released in 2007, one in every three female Swazis has experienced some form of sexual violence before turning 18. The figure rises to two out of three in the 18 to 24 age range.
• Before a new constitution was adopted in 2006, Swazi women had the legal status of minors, and were unable to own property or open a bank account without the permission of a male relative or husband.
•  Social, economic and cultural practices create, enforce and perpetuate legalized gender inequalities and discrimination in all aspects of women’s lives.
• Deeply entrenched gender inequities compound the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Swaziland. Women continue to be disproportionately vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Some blame worsening economic and humanitarian conditions in the country, along with the belief by some HIV-positive men that sleeping with a virgin girl can prevent AIDS, for the rise in violence against women and children. 
• In Swaziland, out of a total population of 1.1 million 186,000 people (estimate UNAIDS) are living with HIV or AIDS. Thirty-three per cent of the population is infected and 57 per cent of them are women.
• The cultural practice of polygamy, where one man takes several wives, has been identified by local HIV and AIDS activists as a significant source of transmission.
• Worldwide, girls constitute over half of the children out of school. Only 30 percent of all girls are enrolled in secondary school. In many countries, less than one third of university students are women.
• The average sub-Saharan African girl from a low-income, rural household gets less than two years of schooling and never learns to read and write, to add and subtract, as opposed to the average sub-Saharan African boy who fully completes primary education.