I have had arguments with some of my male friends who believe that there is no longer a need for activism aimed at achieving gender equality, because women are advancing and are not facing the same obstacles, they faced in the past years. Who can blame them for believing this? They watch women and girls vote, go to school, and take up leadership roles. However, the alteration they notice is mostly on the surface and is not always systematic.
Women continue to face inequity and discrimination, are dying at the hands of men in cases of domestic violence, are held back by cultural factors, religious and societal values in workplaces and businesses, are underrepresented in politics and major decision-making spheres, are at a high risk of poverty, and remain one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, who continue to face particular risks during disasters or crises.
Recent events in the country show that, while everyone is coping with the country's economic woes, women face the brunt of it. Months ago, we were talking about human trafficking victims, (all women) who are still trapped in Oman to this day; a month before that, Aljazeera exposed how women along the lakeshores were forced into transactional sex (fish for sex trade); and now, we just learned ( via Platform for Investigative Journalism-PIJ) of a shocking trade occurring in our midst.
According to PIJ, Malawian women are being trafficked to China as Chinese males want to avoid rising bride prices in their country. Malawian women have become victims of this trade through arrangements made by their parents (through force and bribery) or through agents specializing in this trade. As if things couldn't get much worse, some of these women were reported to be underage when they were trafficked to China.
In addition to being trapped in loveless marriages, a foreign nation and culture, some of the women experience abuse from their spouses. These women are stuck and have no option of ever escaping this nightmare as they lack the means to do so. One of the victims, Ethel, in an attempt to liberate herself enlisted the help of a Malawian lawyer who is now working with the Chinese Embassy to put an end to the trade and all parties involved. Hopefully, this will result in tangible action against this trade.
All of this is a reminder that visible strides in women’s rights, gender equality/equity and inclusion should not fool us into thinking that things have gotten universally better for women and girls. Addressing big problems like this now and in the future in our society requires that our society, government and all responsible bodies tasked with protecting human rights and welfare must first and fore most acknowledge that women and girls remain one of the most vulnerable groups in our society and face particular risks in times of economic crises or disasters which puts their lives in danger.
Furthermore, women and girls must be made aware of the dangers surrounding them. They must be given the required knowledge and abilities to identify when their rights are being violated and be provided with information of where to seek assistance if they end up victims of illegal enterprises or exploitation.
Full story covered by PIJ https://www.investigativeplatform-mw.org/inside-a-secret-trade-of-malawian-brides-to-china/
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