Respecting different cultures

Domestic violence: Approximately 70-90 per cent of Pakistani women suffer from domestic violence and nearly 50 per cent of women who do report rape are jailed under the Hudood Ordinance which criminalises extramarital sexual relations including rape, according to a 2005 report of the Peace Council of Pakistan, issued recently.

The same report also says how 'honour killings' and 'stove deaths' of women slip away from being investigated. It seems when a woman is doused in kerosene and killed, it is being reported as an 'accident'. Some of the reasons for such murders are women failing to give birth to a son and disobedience.

This information is very relevant and interesting for the Sri Lankan women who strive for better living standards with other South Asian women. When considering the statistics published in this report it is obvious that Sri lankan women enjoy a more secure and healthy life.

But we cannot be satisfied with what Sri Lankan women enjoy at the moment because we have to strive for a higher quality of life in order to ensure a safer and healthy life.

Sri Lankan women should be proud of their rich cultural heritage which protects and honours women. We should protect and promote our culture in order to protect women. When comparing with certain other countries, Sri Lankan women enjoy a better life without any psychical torture carried out in the name of culture or religion. We can also be proud of our male community because they hardly pressurise women to follow unhealthy practices in the name of culture or religion.

'Female genital mutilation' (Female genital circumcision) is a highly unhealthy practice which takes place in some African countries, which causes severe health problems to women including death and permanent disability.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) some of the immediate health complications of this practice are severe pain, shock, haemorrhage, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissue. Haemorrhage and infection can cause death.

Among the long term consequences are cysts and abscesses, keloid scar formation, damage to the urethra resulting in urinary incontinence and difficulties with childbirth and depression.

The most disappointing factor is to see how some well-educated African males such as some journalists promote this unhealthy practice in the name of their culture.

Once there was a heated argument on this topic within a group of Global journalists from 20 countries reading for a Masters Degree in a certain university in a non-African country. It was unbelievable how some well-educated African male journalists supported this practice, which sometimes causes death to innocent African women.

It was sad to see how such journalists saw other female journalists who opposed female genital mutilation as 'ignorant and uninformed persons'.

But there are admirable things in this same African cultures. For example in Uganda the bridegroom gives a dowry (money, property etc.) to the bride's parents when he gets married to their virgin daughter ! What a fantastic cultural practice. Therefore, we can't differentiate cultures simply as 'good' or 'bad'.

When people's health and culture clash the results are not very good at all. We have to encourage Sri Lankan women to read and understand other 'cultures' in the world and compare it with Sri Lankan culture in order to make them aware of the values and richness of our own traditional Sri Lankan culture.

Therefore we are bound to protect our culture in order to ensure the safety and well-being of Sri Lankan women.