#IStandWithHer - Solidarity with my sisters world over

It was a wonderful evening after work that Thursday night and we were all relaxing at home with some sitcom and all of a sudden there was uproar outside our building. By the time we got there, an elderly woman was holding a boy by his shirt and shouting. When I get to her, she claimed she met the boy having sex with her house help.  When the boy was questioned by the vigilante group manning the estate where we stay, he claimed the girl invited him to their house on the guise that the elderly mama wanted the attention of the boy. And when the girl was questioned to ascertain or corroborate the boy’s claims, the girl denied the story. Seriously we could not agree if it was rape or consensual affair but the only thing we were able to ascertain was that the girl was a minor so agreeing on consensual or not was a serious case. I stand with girls in such web. #IStandWithher with girls who could not be believed because we could not ascertain the real truth of actions around them.

So many girls and women of African origin have been denied of their inheritance both at the death of their husbands and from their fathers side. From their husbands side because they do not have male children or because their male children are still very small at the death of their father. Their fathers siblings on their grounds that they are holding the properties in lieu to when the mail children grow up whereas they do not intend to give up such properties any time in their life time. So the family feud continues for eternity.

Girls and women that endured loveless marriages and union because they believe that marriage is for better, for worse. Girls and Women who remain in such unions because they do not want their children to be brought up in broken homes.

Girls and women who became single / social mothers for believing the lies told to them by men. Girls and women who has to fight with other girls and women for the men they feel they love simply because men refuse to sheat their weapon of mass destruction.

Girls and women who have given so much to their family by way of domestic chores and other forms of caregiving and are not appreciated. Those that gave their youthful years labouring to support their families only to be treated as outcasts because they are not married.

Girls and women who have been disinherited in any form because they are women. They cannot inherit at the death of their husband neither do they have any inheritance from their fathers because according to culture they belong to another family when marriage has been contracted.

Girls and women who have lived with terminal diseases and have survived. Girls and Women who has been disfigured in the course of the illness and still stay strong. Those that have refused to be properly treated because the treatment may change them in one way or the other because they want to remain original for their husbands and men.

Elderly lonely women who have branded witches and evil because they do not have wealthy children or in-laws to take care of them.

Girls and women who have succumbed to power imbalance in order to survive and give support to their families and those who have been tortured and killed because they refused to succumb or give in to power imbalance as a way of survival.

Girls and women who have been in permanent captivity and has been turned to domestic and sex slaves. Girls and women have been captured and raped as botties of war. Girls and women who has been killed for refusing to be taken as botties of war.

Girls and women who has fought so many live wars in different fronts and emerged survivors and conquerors and are now using their experience to build up other women to be conquerors and survivors like them or even better.

Girls and women who has been subjected to so many inhuman treatment and have been denied their rights because they are orphans and poorest of the poor.

Girls and women who suffer untold stress because their husbands are drunk and usually gets back very late in the night. Women with carefree husbands who do not fulfil their responsibilities towards their family.

Girls and Women who are refugees having lost their homes to violent arm conflicts. Girls and Women who are in IDP camps with out access to proper sanitation, water and shelter.

Girls and women who lose their children due to inadequate health facility and those that undergo miscarriages dues to different forms of violence they face every day of their lives

Girls and women who have lost their children to substance and hard drug use. Those have lost their children in arm conflicts. Even those that have lost their children due to poverty

Girls and women who may never see the four walls of a classroom or may never be informed and educated in one form of trade or another. 

Women issues are too numerous to be outlined in this short write up. Keep a date with us on the 16 days activism. #IStandWithHer.