Our work has helped this girl's village see and nurture the value of their daughters.
Christianity Today (CT) recently ran a book review titled, “Half the Sky is Falling.” The author discusses Maria Hvistendahl’s book Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys over Girls and the Consequences of Living in a World Full of Men. We discussed this book, and an appropriate response to this crisis, in an earlier blog entry, but the CT review warrants a little more discussion on the issue.
When we look at the current gendercide, it is important to note that sex-selective abortions, and other abuses that women and girls suffer, are symptoms of a deeper darkness. When we look at the current gendercide overseas, and the mistreatment of women and girls in general, it is important to dig for root causes. While we all want to cry, “stop killing fetuses,” as CT does, causes lie deeply buried, and require that we unearth strategic solutions.
There is a systemic, cultural force driving this gendercide. In places where we work, the birth of a daughter is marked by a somber grief. Sometimes families even hold a funeral-like time of mourning when a daughter is born. There is a deep-set contempt for women and girls that leads to a range of abuses. To address this mindset takes active, constructive engagement.
That’s why at She Is Safe we roll up our sleeves to build the capabilities and value of women and girls in some of the world’s hardest places. It’s why we see to their education, economic and spiritual nurture. It’s why we partner with indigenous women who understand their culture and desire change. It’s why introducing people to God’s love is central to all we do.
Instead of addressing symptoms, we create deep and lasting change by building up lives and demolishing the roots of abuse and exploitation.