My sister’s keeper
In my rural home, there was a 6 year-old girl who was sexually abused by her paternal grandfather, who happened to be HIV Positive. She informed her grandmother, who surprisingly threatened the little girl that if she reports the matter elsewhere, she would kill her!!!! Another story, is also that of a girl who was sexually abused by a man in her neighborhood whilst another lady was pinning her down. These two stories are just amongst the billion ones we hear each and every year where women help or facilitate in the abuse of other women and girls. It is, indeed a sad reality and this makes me wonder if ever, as girls we are going to fight for each other, be each others’ shoulder and mostly importantly each others’ keeper.
It is the stepmother who makes her step-daughter yearn for her dead or divorced mother everyday because of the ill-treatment she has to suffer in the hands of a woman like her.
It is women who conceals and cover up cases of rape against the girl child within the household.
It is a group of women in the neighborhood who makes the life of a teenage girl in that neighborhood terrible through being on her case every day. They forget that they, too, at some point were once teenage girls.
It is women who laugh and joke about a young girl who got impregnated and left alone by the boyfriend. Is it that hard to be there for each other?
It is women who justify the sexual abuse of a teenage girl arguing that she was dressed inappropriately thus she deserves what befalls her.
It seems like us, women, aid in the perpetuation of sexual, physical, emotional abuse against each other. This is so because we just can’t stand up for each other. Instead of fighting for each other, we fight each other. I believe the world is going to be a better place if we, as ladies start caring for each other, loving each other, be each other’s shoulder to lean on. From today onwards I’m going to be my sisters’ keeper.
The writer of the article is Melody Mutemasango, a young lady who has benefitted from Tariro’s girl education assistance programme. She is a holder of a Bachelor of Science Honors degree in Sociology (University of Zimbabwe).