Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Women's Human Rights Are Key to Successful Reconstruction in Haiti
In the traumatic weeks after the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, survivors have endured the loss of loved ones, severe injuries, shortages of food and water, collapsed homes and constant fear of renewed aftershocks. Through it all, we have witnessed the dignity and resilience of the Haitian people and the solidarity of women's rights activists throughout the region and the world. Haitians have dug neighbors out of collapsed buildings, cared for orphaned children and shared dwindling food supplies. A network of women's organizations-in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the broader Latin American and Caribbean region and around the world-have come together with MADRE to provide urgent medical aid and reproductive healthcare, document human rights abuses and give Haitian women the means to raise their voices.
Today, as disaster response shifts from the search-and-rescue phase to rebuilding and reconstruction, Haiti is at a crossroad. It could recreate the status quo ante of economic misery, predatory government and widespread human rights abuses; or rebuild in ways that promote human rights and true development, including much-needed resiliency to disaster.
Realizing the latter vision will require the effective participation of Haitian women in the rebuilding process. In a society devastated by disaster, the opportunity to participate in relief and reconstruction efforts is a means to empowerment through access to jobs, resources and skills-training. Participation in the reconstruction process must therefore include Haitian community-based and women's organizations, which represent the majority of the population, those most deeply impacted by the disaster and those who have been historically excluded from decision-making in Haiti.
Right now, there is a window of opportunity to ensure that Haiti's reconstruction process upholds the full range of women's human rights and uses gender awareness as a starting point for successful recovery efforts. Nothing less than the future of Haiti is at stake.
Women's Organizations Must Play Leadership Roles
After such a disaster, women are confronted with many challenges. They face an increased risk of sexual abuse and violence, particularly at the hands of an intimate partner. They lose essential access to reproductive healthcare services. They may be denied property rights to rebuilt homes. They may be passed over in aid distributions that target male heads-of-household. Haitian women's organizations are uniquely positioned to recognize and respond to these threats, which may go unnoticed if a so-called "gender-neutral" approach is adopted for humanitarian aid and reconstruction.Reconstruction efforts that operate in partnership with community-based women's organizations can mobilize Haitian women's expertise-as first-responders, caregivers, farmers, teachers, healthcare providers, income-earners and human rights defenders-in the service of broader efforts to rebuild communities. Women can and must play leadership roles, drawing from their knowledge of environmental resources to support agriculture or tapping into informal but vibrant social networks to efficiently direct needed support to the most vulnerable, including children and the elderly.
For decades, MADRE has worked with local women's organizations in Haiti and worldwide, partnering with them to meet urgent community needs in ways that advance human rights and social justice for the long-term. This is the model for successful reconstruction in Haiti today.
- Posted in
7 Comments so far
Show AllI agree that women's organizations in Haiti need to be involved in the reconstruction efforts. And, my hat's off to Madre for stepping up to the plate, so to speak. I am an advocate for women's rights -- everywhere.
However, there are some organizations and churches that do NOT support the rights of women. In 2003, I learned, by chance, that the church (The Missouri Synod Lutheran Church) in which I was confirmed as a young person, sends missionairies to Haiti. This church continues, to this day, to preach and teach submission of women -- here in the United States, and around the world as well.
In 2003, I attended a high school reunion in Red Oak, Iowa, my first, and reconnected with Deborah, the daughter of my pastor. For a while, we had a lively correspondence, looking back on old times, sharing our lives, etc. From Deborah, I learned that she and her husband were traveling around the United States, speaking to congregations in order to raise money to send a delegation of missionairies, including themselves, to Haiti -- hoping to build a church there. Evidently, they were actively building a congregation of Haitians in order to spread the word.
BTW, years ago, I was kicked out of the church for some slight indiscretion -- my marriage did NOT take place in THE church. The authorities notified me by registered letter that I was no longer a member.
Back to the story -- I was fascinated by the purpose of wanting to help people in Haiti, and I knew that Haiti was poor, the socioeconomic upheaval, and a little bit about the coups in Haiti, etc. Deborah told me that when she returned home, she would send me her daily log, which she did. Several days into the journey, Deborah was working with the women, and one woman spoke up and felt that she had something to offer other women -- organizational skills, articulation, ideas, etc. This woman had hopes of helping people, women, in a similar way that her husband was speaking to the men. Without hesitation, Deborah turned to the woman, and said, "You will be submissive to your husband." Then, Deborah told the woman that she would NOT take a leadership role like that -- the church forbids women to have leadership roles.
I fired back -- of course, talking about the death and destruction in Haiti, the rapes, etc. I also addressed the hypocrisy of Deborah telling other women to stand down, while she, herself, took a leadership role.
Needless to say -- our correspondence came to a screeching halt. I have no idea if the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church continues to be active in Haiti, but missionairies are persistent, especially when they are in conversion mode.
Whenever I think about Haiti, I can't help but think of Deborah's work in Haiti, and the church's insistence that women should be silent.
MADRE: Thank you for all you do to assist women and children!
While I recognize all of this subjugation of women STILL goes on via the Church and other such organizations , it very hard to understand WHY it goes on. Now I am not asking for an answer. I know it...its just hard to put oneself in that frame of mind.
That I find it difficult to do so means as a person I have to try and be even MORE aware of the institutions that promote such nonsense so I thank you for your posting.
GwNorth: Thank you so much for your reply!
Sioux Rose
KAY: Thank you for sharing such an interesting post.
Why the "Submission of women" is to establish the MALE as the HEAD of the family. This hierarchy starting with God, the father, then leading to the husband as per the MALE chain of command, is the crux of patriarchy. Here is where the basis for equality breaks down. Once one gender is "spiritually defined" as inferior to the other, the basis for all other prejudices and ism divisions gets fueled.
I truly believe that the way to heal our world and disabuse MARS (and his followers) of the notion that male power is a god-given rite, is to begin to see couples working in TRUE partnership. The balance between Venus (the Divine Feminine) and Mars (The Divine Masculine) is essential to weaving back together what has been brutally torn asunder, so much so that the exaltation of the military as the force with the power of destruction replaces due credence for life and the life-giving/life-nurturing faculties that generate from the female side of "the force." Our world is out of balance, and much of the problem starts with the family as top-down model as prototype. The Roman Catholic church IS misogynistic, and its use of sex as the great evil (Garden of Eden) and taboo has crippled genuine human passion and romantic, sensual love for centuries. These wounds are carried and in extreme examples lead to priests who take advantage of youngsters, and twisted serial killers who must kill to experience orgasm. It is time for VENUS to take her rightful place as a counterbalance to Mars rules!
Hi Sioux Rose!
Thanks for your comments. I am, of course, well aware of the heirarchies that place men in power -- governments and churches, etc. I will tell you that I was quite flabberghasted by Deborah's quick response -- to put the Haitian woman in her place -- less worthy than her husband and men in general.
With the religious right pounding away at policies in this country, we women, especially, see and feel the results of their efforts to constrain women whenever they can.
Anyone who is really interested in learning more about the "backlash" against women in this country can pick up the meticulously documented book, written by Susan Faludi, titled simply, BACKLASH. Sioux Rose, I know that you and I have spoken about this book on previous threads.
Currently, there is a foreign film, just released here in the United States, directed by Michael Hanake, one of today's most provocative directors, THE WHITE RIBBON. This film, which I have seen, is a meticulous examination of patriarchy, and the hierarchies that support patriarchy. This year, the film won the Palm d'Or at Cannes. Although it takes place at the turn of the 20th century, the stories continue to be relevant. Following the film, I had some very interesting conversations with other people who were sitting in the audience. We were all gripped by the film, and recognized the relevance to today's world.
"I am an advocate for women's rights -- everywhere. "
Seconded
Thank you MADRE, There are so many Christian Churches that offer humanitarian aid that would not be needed ( except in natural disasters and wars ) if it were not for the subjugation of women by these same churches. Overpopulation is why so many of the poor countries are poor. The corporate ruling class love the churches denial of reproductive freedom for women because it allows them to exploit the masses. The greater number of people who need jobs the less corporations need to pay them and the greater are corporate profits. I always thought that Haiti was predominately Catholic, I must be wrong. The Catholic church bans contraception and sterilization and abortion even to save a woman's life. It is the only religion I know of that totally denies the woman's human right to life in these circumstances. This makes women second class citizens. Women's Human Rights Are Key to Successful Spiritual, Economical and Educational development in any society.