Idolizing Africa- Part 3

In my last post, I very mildly touched on violence against African Women. Briefly. Well, this subject needs it's own post!

When circumcision debates occur, Female Genital Mutilation is always brought up, always. I wanted to take a look at this practice. FGM is usually done between infancy and age 15, with the typical being 7-10 years of age. This is done to deter women from having sex before marriage and to keep them faithful to their husbands.  This actually puts a woman's health at risk. The practice is so incredibly disturbing. Most are not done under a medical professional. Usually someone like a Traditional Birth Attendant or an herbalist or an elderly person in the community. These poor girls are held down by multiple people while sharp objects are used to remove part or all of the external genitalia, and possibly injure the genitals. There is so anesthesia or antiseptic used and sometimes the same object is used upon multiple girls (increases risk of HIV transmission). Up to the 50's, clitoridectomy was even practiced in The US and Western Europe as a way to treat hysteria, masturbation, nymphomania, epilepsy, etc. Depending upon the procedure, risks vary. The most risky form of FGM is infibulation, where the clitoris and inner labia are partially or totally removed then the outer labia is sewn together. When a girl has this done, she often has to be cut open in order to have sex with her husband on her wedding night. Many have to be cut again during childbirth. In some communities, after childbirth, the edges are sewn back together. In the Sudan, 10 to 30% of girls die from FGM.

Child trafficking is an enormous problem in Africa, mostly due to poverty. Some children are used for child labor. Most female children are used for domestic duties and sex slaves.  This makes me want to cry. I look at my children and cannot understand how another human being could treat a child that way. Some adult women are lured into the sex industry. Girls are sometimes stripped of all clothing and shoes so they cannot escape from where they are. Many still don't even have breasts, they are that young. Some people are trafficked for muti (killing in order to use body parts to incorporate into medicine or witchcraft) and organ donation. This is done to people of all ages (yes, including babies and children). More than 90% of those caught up in human trafficking endure physical or sexual violence. In various areas, law enforcement looks the other way. Some people are able to run away to other areas or to refugee camps. Often times, children are sold by their own parents. Some children are kidnapped. In some countries, boys are turned into soldiers. When rebels raid a village, they will gather up children. These children witness their fellow captives being maimed and killed in front of them. They themselves are harmed when showing fear. Some of these children have witnessed their families being killed while others are forced to kill their family. Many child soldiers are under 12. As a mother, I cannot fathom this.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, an average of 54% of women are abused by their husbands. 46% are abused in front of their children. Due to discriminatory laws and dismissive police, the problem is compounded. There is a stigma attached to domestic violence, so many women remain silent. Women are beaten, raped, and even murdered for minor things that an abuser sees as a transgression, much like domestic violence situation's in the rest of the world. The main difference is we have resources to help us, unlike many of these African women. Acid attacks are on the rise yet not taken seriously. This should make us all sick! Unfortunately, abuse is seen as a part of marriage. How sad that you can expect to be beaten or raped by your husband for any reason that he may deem necessary.

I'm not done with this series yet, but for these subjects, I think I am. This has been a hard one. I've had to walk away and catch my breath and stop the tears. To imagine this stuff going on over there hurts my heart. I look at my nice cushy life and think about all the ways in which I am blessed to be living where I am. I look at my children and cannot imagine them enduring anything that these African children do. I'm glad that there are so many domestic violence resources around us so women can actually get the help they need. In America, we're privileged. I look at many of the things American women whine about and think "You have no idea how lucky you are and how good you have it". I see Human Rights discussions taking place about things that really aren't true Human Rights issues, they're perceived issues. That statement will probably get me flamed, but, so be it. I think that many women need to gain some perspective and in the famous words of The Feminist Breeder "Check your privilege".

Idolizing Africa- Part 2

In my last post, I addressed some basic issues regarding pregnancy, birth in Africa as a whole. There are developed countries and developing countries, which means demographics are different leading to many discrepancies between countries in regards to maternal health. There are many facets of maternal health that really need addressed. When I got the idea to write about this, I figured, no biggie, little blog post, but now I am completely immersed in this and learning all that I can. My heart is so very heavy for what I know is going on.

One of these issues in reproductive care. Lack of family planning resources has a direct impact on maternal/child health. This basically means that without contraception, women and their families are negatively impacted. Ways in which they are negatively impacted are the maternal mortality rates. The more pregnancies she has, the greater her risk of dying. If the mother is HIV positive, the more babies she has, the greater risk of her baby contracting the disease. The less babies the woman has, the more financially secure the family will be. In unplanned pregnancies are reduced, there will be less need for unsafe abortive procedures that, again, put her life in peril.

In different regions, the use of modern contraception varies. In Western Africa the use is 8%, Eastern 20%, Middle 7%, and Southern 58%. Even different countries within these regions vary. Economic status directly impacts contraceptive use. Wealthier women are more likely to use modern family planning methods. This leaves poorer women at a disadvantage. This means they are less likely to be able to access family planning information. This status difference also determines abortion rates. If you have less access to contraception, you are far more likely to resort to abortion.

Sadly, in some African areas, women have no control over their reproduction. Some women deal with sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, incest, abduction, and early marriage.  Africa has some of the highest levels of physical and sexual violence against women. This also leads to higher HIV infection rates (which also impacts maternal mortality and infant/child mortality).

In regards to abortion, in 2008, 6.4 million abortions were performed in Africa, with a mere 3% done safely. 3%!!! 14% of the women included in the maternal mortality statistics were due to unsafe abortion procedures. 1.7 million women annually are hospitalized due to unsafe abortion. 90% of African women live in areas where there is either little on no abortion access leaving these women with little to no options for safe abortion. Abortion is illegal in most African nations. Women are desperate enough that they drink bleach, have catheters inserted into their uterus, have crochet hooks inserted, etc. What happens when Mom dies due to complications from an unsafe abortion?

In conclusion, these women are at a huge disadvantage. We, in developed countries, should be beyond thankful that not only do we have access to family planning services whether it be Planned Parenthood or our own personal OB/GYN. We have access to education regarding every choice there is when it comes down to it. If we truly care about women, we would find out what we can do to help them access family planning services as it directly impacts maternal mortality.

Idolizing Africa- Part 1

I've been silently reading and pondering many things lately. One of those things happens to be the glorification of African mothering. The more research I do, the more I feel this needs to be broken up into a series. There are too many issues to touch on in one post.

We see photos of these women breastfeeding and wearing their babies, people commend them and give praise, oftentimes saying things about natural mothering. They see women in Africa that give birth outside of hospitals, using that to say how safe and beautiful and natural that birth is. Guess what?? We are privileged as hell to live in countries that have access to things African mothers don't. To pick up on this and hold it up as how mothering should be, to me, is incredibly racist and classist. Did you know that many organizations are trying to help with healthcare initiatives?? How many in this camp know about various morbidity and mortality rates? Do they care, at all?? If you want to hold this culture up as to how things should be, perhaps you should know exactly how things are for these mothers.

According to Life For African Mothers, 287,000 women died in pregnancy and childbirth in 2010. Holy crap! Nearly all could of been prevented. The top 4 causes of death are Postpartum Hemorrhage,  Pre-Eclampsia and Eclampsia, Infection, and Unsafe Abortion. This angers me, as a woman, to know that these women are dying from these things in numbers like these. I am completely flabbergasted. The WHO says that in developing countries, the maternal mortality rate is 240/100,000 while it is 16/100,000 in developed countries there.  One of the largest issues in the developing African countries is lack of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. These women who die, their babies are 10X more likely to die within the first two years (UNICEF). Half of them don't even have access to a skilled birth attendant. Safe Motherhood should be a priority here!

Mortality is not the only thing we should know about. We should also know about childbirth complications and morbidity. The WHO estimates that over 2 million women in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from Obstetric Fistula. These are caused by prolonged and obstructed labors. Although all women are at risk, the highest at risk are female genital mutilation victims, underage child brides, and teens.

For African babies, the numbers are staggering. More than 3 million babies die every year and 2.6 million are stillborn.  According to World Birth Aid, in central Africa, the neonatal mortality rate is 74/1000. Can you imagine?? Sub-Saharan Africa itself accounts for 33% of global neonatal deaths. Most of these deaths occur during labor, delivery, or within 48 hours.

The discrepancies between countries is rather eye opening as well. I will be looking at different countries and addressing other various issues that influence maternal health. Right now, I just want the bare bones information out there. The more I read, the angrier I feel at the plight of these women. It truly disgusts me to know of their plight and then look at women around us that are angry because birth has "become medicalized". Well, as we can see, there is a reason for that. As privileged women complain and cry trauma because they had a c-section that saved either their or their babies lives, there are African women enduring days of labor only to give birth to a dead baby while suffering disability due to the birth or enduring a long labor, giving birth, then succumbing to blood loss hours later while all anyone can do is watch as she slowly slips away. I see Human Rights conferences held, but the main issue is protecting crappy midwives. When will this camp look at these African countries and say "These women matter". They have a right to health care and a right to SURVIVE. Nobody should have to die a preventable death due to lack of resources. So, the next time you see someone glorifying birth in Africa, lets shed some light on what it really means to be a pregnant African woman.