Seventy per cent of all sexually violent crimes reported in Sierra Leone are of young girls under the age of 15 and Sierra Leone is not the only country to report that appalling statistic. If you take away the sexual autonomy of young girls and violate their bodies, minds and dignity, you will find that you also destroy the potential economic growth and wealth of the countries in which those girls reside. Need any proof? Look at Sierra Leone, (who have now declared a national emergency of sexual crimes against women) and you will see that it is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Don’t get me wrong, wealthier countries are not exempt from the horrific acts perpetrated by men, it’s just there are far more educated women who consistently fight for female rights in those countries and they cannot be ignored.
There is a simple fact: educate a girl, and you educate the whole community. Violate her and you will see her reflection in the lack of prosperity of that country. That poverty and degradation that you see, yep, that’s her crying out loud and clear for the world to see – but she is consistently ignored.
Here’s the thing, it takes a diverse set of people to run and hold a country that is accountable to its people. And don’t forget; mindset and culture have a great impact on how we see ourselves. On the flip side, mindset and culture are the instigators of many of our problems. As a world society, we need to make a shift on how we see and treat each other. What we see in our world today is the direct result of how we saw and treated each other yesterday. Not a good look.
With all the press around #Metoo, it’s horrifying to know that we’ve merely scratched the surface of insane sexual predators that consistently hold high office, or stature in our community. Is it that our sexual culture and education has been swept under the carpet for so long that it has mutated and warped itself into an incomprehensible beast that we find ourselves battling with today?
Women are not play things, they are creators of our destiny; women are not subordinate, they are leaders of the next generation; and women are not second-class citizens, they are infinite wealth creators. When we start to treat each other with respect, value and dignity, then maybe, just maybe, we will tap into a greater power of humanity including sexual transcendence. Are you game? The future is watching…
Head over to Sensum X podcast to hear about our guest’s experience on how their culture and upbringing affected their sexuality.