Thursday, November 02, 2006

STOP THE VIOLENCE


Today I am ashamed to be an Indo-Canadian. My heart breaks for the injustice that traditional Indian values inflict on women. Stop teaching your daughters that their life is no life unless they are married. Stop teaching your daughters that they should be subservient wives and do as their husbands family says even when she is being abused. Stop teaching your daughters to be martyrs. Start teaching your daughters about independence, self respect, and dignity. Educate them. Empower them. I hang my head in shame as three women are murdered. Three mothers are murdered. What will it take for cultural norms and values to change? The answer isn't simple. We need to change the mentality that many South Asians have about women being less worthy then men. We need to change thought processes of those men and women who find power living in ignorance. We need to teach men how to deal with feelings of anger or frustration without causing physical pain to another person. We need to stand up for those who are not strong enough to defend themselves. We need to teach and preach our young children so they can look forward to a future without the fear of abuse. If someone you love is being abused or harmed mentally or physically please stand up, speak up and make it your problem. Advocate for them. Teach them about the cycle of abuse. Report it to the police. Report it to the ministry. If there is a child involved, that child is in more danger living in a home with violence. Save a life. Stop the violence. If she can't, you can.

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