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Sierra Leone has been dubbed one of the worst places to be a woman, with a Gender Inequality Index rating of 0.65. On a one point scale 0.65 is a high score for a country to have and the higher the number the more gender inequality (Chen). Being born a girl in Sierra Leone means an existence of limits and traditions that make it significantly harder to live a long and happy life (Okeowo). These traditions along with a lack of education for young women leads to the difficulty that women are faced with in Sierra Leone (Addressing).
The Bondo, a very prominent tradition through Sierra Leone, is a secret society of women that perform a ceremony to bring girls into womanhood. This tradition takes place in a secluded area of the forest called the Bondo bush and there, young girls go through genital mutilation (O’Carroll). Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation at 90% of women having had it done to them (Okeowo). Bondo is seen as a vital part of growing up and girls must go through it before they are given respect. The soweis, the women who hold the most senior rank in the society, keep the girls in the Bondo bush after cutting them to teach them what it means to be a “good wife”. That when they are married they must do the laundry, cooking, cleaning and get on well with everyone in their husband’s family and serve them (O’Carroll). The practice of genital mutilation also aims to limit a woman’s sensuality and is both emotionally and physically damaging (Okeowo). For girls who undergo Bondo, it is rarely their choice, parents make the decision and the girl does not have a say. Young girls live in fear of being taken from their house in the middle of the night to the Bondo, some girls run, but there is a Bondo established in every town which makes it very difficult to get away. Girls who do not go through Bondo are ostracized by everyone in the community (O’Carroll).
Furthermore girls are also limited by their limited access to education. Education for girls is regularly being taken away and undervalued in Sierra Leone. If girls refuse to go through Bondo they may be taken out of school as a punishment (O’Carroll). Recently Sierra Leone’s ministry of education has banned pregnant girls from attending school because they believe it will set a bad example for other students. This in reality is just hurting these young pregnant girls (Okeowo). Teenage pregnancy is not uncommon due to a lack of contraceptives and sex education as well as a higher rate of rape (Addressing). Most often the pregnancy for these girls is far from a choice, yet they are being punished for something that is already burdensome by not allowing them to go to school. These girls want to learn and go to school because often it is their only refuge from all the dangers of the world in which they live (Okeowo).
0.65 looks like a small insignificant number, but in terms of equality it means a lot. On a one point scale with one being the most inequality it is a very significant number that displays the lives of women. This number both reflects the traditions of a developing society and reflects the progress being made.
Bibliography:
Addressing the Challenge of Women's Health in Africa. Publication. N.p.: World Health Organization, n.d.
World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, 2015. Web. I know that this source is reliable because I have heard of it many times and I additionally looked up some more information on it to be certain. The World Health Organization is a well respected organization with a great deal of informative and helpful articles. The report is in favor of helping women in Africa become healthier and have better more comfortable lives with access to help for reproductive health. There are a lot of just facts in the report though which makes a good majority of it rather neutral and simply informative. I will use this in my introduction to talk about the background of the issue.
Chan, Margaret. "On the road to health equality: investing in women and the people of Africa." Harvard International Review, vol. 36, no. 1, 2014, p. 10+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Accessed 6 Mar. 2017. I know this is a reliable source because I found it through the online databases. This source discusses how to better help women in Africa and how helping women would increase the quality of life not just for women, but for everyone in the community. The article discusses solutions and goals for helping women with their rights, especially reproductive rights. I will use this in talking about the Gender Inequality Index.
O'Carroll, Lisa. "Sierra Leone's Secret FGM Societies Spread Silent Fear and Sleepless Nights." Women's
Rights and Gender Equality. Guardian News and Media, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. I know this source is reliable because I have heard of The Guardian and know that it is widely seen as a reliable source. This article shows both sides of the argument on female genital mutilation. It discusses the Bondo which is a secret society of women who have quite a bit of power and believe in female genital mutilation as it is a tradition. I will use this source in my paper to show why female genital mutilation is occurring in the first place and show the opposing point of view.
Okeowo, Alexis. "For These Girls, Danger Is a Way of Life." National Geographic. National Geographic,
23 Feb. 2017. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. I know this source is reliable because I was assigned to read part of it for my AP Human Geography class and it is published by National Geographic. This article tells the stories of young girls and mothers in Sierra Leone and how life has treated them. The article is mainly facts, but it certainly leans towards the protection of these young girls and it will help society as a whole. This also talks briefly of female genital mutilation and how it fits into society. I will be using this in my hook and throughout my paper to talk about specific cases in Sierra Leone and education.
