About thirty minutes ago I read in today's Star newspaper of a case yesterday, (Friday), where a single mother in her 30's died giving birth to a baby girl in a toilet in a factory near Melacca.
She bled to death.
The newspaper report is an afterthought.
Its not on the front page, or second page, or fifth page, but hidden away, almost like the newspaper is not interested in the issue but will report it cause there ain't much news really apart from the Bersih rally and stuff.
I don't know the circumstances.
I don't know why she was a single Mum.
I don't know what the issues are with her pregnancy.
I don't know why she chose to give birth in a factory toilet
But I do know one thing. SHE AND HER NEWBORN BABY GIRL DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THIS!
There is no excuse in any society for this to happen.
There is also no excuse for the media to almost ignore this.
This should be front page news.
So should domestic violence.
These issues should be reported. They should be front page news.
These issues should be condemned by all decent society.
These issues should be condemned and addressed by the Government and the agencies empowered to protect its citizens by investigation, and prosecuting all violators to the full extent of the law. And by enacting measures to protect women like this from meeting their death in such an inhumane way.
Every time. Without fail.
Society has lost a woman. A woman who was working for her life. Who was bringing a gift of new life into the world. She was someones daughter. Someones sister. Someones friend.
And we, (yes we, all of us), lost her in a most traumatic and disturbing way.
Disturbed. You bet I am.
And now she is nothing more than a post note in a newspaper.
I know my blog is about voluntary work, but I see girls on the street, homeless and afraid when I'm with Reach Out. And this is why this tragedy disturbs me.
We try and help. But what happens to the ones who fall through the net that we and other NGO's don't see and therefore cant help?
Are they destined to die in toilets, afraid, alone, ignored, in pain, abused?
I started White Ribbon in Malaysia to empower men to stand up against abuse to women and girls. Women also need to stand up against this. I still believe that men and women can be empowered to stop these types of events that I discuss above from happening. But we need to really, really push this hard.
Before another girl dies unnecessarily.
I agree Peter. Society will react in a way that says "serves her right for having a baby out of wedlock". Last year, a university student died in her room the same way. I felt so sorry for her and this latest one too. Too often, girls face unwanted pregnancies alone. I wonder how difficult it is for them...abortion or carry full term and then dump into toilet or garbage can. Why are they forced to dump the babies after full term? And where are the men who made them pregnant? People make mistakes, commit sins, whatever..but if even Allah is forgiving, and even the Prophet SAW turned away a woman who wanted to be punished for illicit sex so many times until he had no choice,and even pious people are led into temptation in scriptures, so who are we, the normal, faulty humans to judge. Raudatus Sakinah, a muslim organisation helps such girls, to care for them till childbirth and then let them decide to raise their babies or go back to school/families after giving their babies for adoption to well screened couples. This gives them a chance to have a life and not be made to suffer for one mistake in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI pity the girl who died in the toilet alone...may Allah have mercy on her and her baby...she certainly did not have to go through it alone.