After watching the videos and reading the chapter for this week, the most profound point that stood out to me was Mahabouba’s story. This woman is truly remarkable, in my opinion. As a thirteen-year-old girl she was sold to be a second wife, then was impregnated by her owner, and eventually suffered fistula due to her lack of medical care during her delivery process is a horrific situation to go through. All of these terrible things happened to her completely out of her control, and I think that’s what makes this so upsetting to me. She thought she was choosing a better life for herself by working for a man and earning more money, but instead he put her through agony. What really stands out about Mahabouba is what she makes of herself after everything she had gone through. After being unable to walk and fighting for her life against hyenas, she makes a significant turn around and works her way to the position of senior nurse’s aide. Mahabouba’s story is so inspiring and empowering. To be able to make such a huge improvement in her life is something that I think everyone can admire.
When Nick Kristof says that statistics have more of a dulling effect but hearing individual stories is what really urges people to do something about what they’ve heard: I completely agree. While reading the chapter I found that the parts when statistics were being listed off and large numbers were written on the page, I had no real emotion or feelings towards the situation or the number of people in that situation. On the other hand, reading the stories of Mahabouba and Simeesh I was better able to understand to their circumstances and get a more realistic feel for what they went through. (Note: Obviously not being able to fully understand or feel what they actually went through.) Does anyone else feel this way? Are there ways that you are able to get more knowledge just from reading statistics?
Another point I thought was interesting from this chapter was towards the end when it talked about some of the most effective approaches to improving mortality rates were not medical related. The statistic stated that a way to reduce pregnancies in young girls was to subsidize school uniforms for them, thus keeping them in school longer which then means that they would delay marriage and pregnancy until they are more suitable to do so. I think this is a valid point and has the potential to really work in many places, but there are several areas that would not be able to afford a uniform even if it was only $6. Does anyone else agree or disagree with what the book said? Any other comments on school uniforms potentially effecting girl’s later lives?
All references from Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Krisof and Sheryl WuDunn, Chapter 6: Maternal Mortality – One Woman a Minute (p. 93-107)
When I was reading the statistics the numbers did not mean anything. In truth I probably skipped over most of them. After reading this chapter I really wanted to help but as it ended in statistics it became seemingly impossible. By individualizing it and putting in personal stories it appealed to me more because I have more empathy for a story compared to a number.
ReplyDeleteThere is never an easy way to combat a huge issue. A uniform could have the potential to keep girls in school but will that stop them from getting married. What is too young to get married? There is no right answer. Every answer is based on an opinion which is shaped by our culture. The cultures that we live are all different. In some it may be acceptable to marry young and at one time that was the norm in America too. The only thing that is different is our change in mentality. Uniforms may help a few girls but it will not help the big picture. Parenting, lack of education, culture, morals, and sense of self all contribute to this phenomenon. As education increased in America the maternal mortality rate dropped. As education became the norm culture changed to allow women into the work force and attend school. As education increased so did sense of self or individualism. All of these things got better due to education but from whose point of view? It is all opinion based. So many things circle back to education but even then it cannot solve everything. Education can give us new ways of looking at the world differently but we can never see the world the same as the person next to us. Because this dilemma exists there will never be an agreed upon right answer.
The age of adolescents only exist in industrialist countries. In places that lack this standing there is believed to be childhood and then adult hood. Who are we to say they are wrong? In truth, there is no right answer to any problem. What is okay for one country is not okay for another. For so long people have left things to handle themselves and more than once this has caught up with us. The problem of maternity mortality is as bad as it is because no one took the time to pay attention. In countries like Africa the mindset is now in place. Changing people views is never easy especially because there is no right answer. All we can do is save the people that we can and try to prevent deaths. Combatting this issue will slowly lower the mortality rate but without a change in view point women will continue to marry early and have babies because that has been the fact of life for centuries. That has been the norm. As we have evolved, humans have not only changed physically but mentally as well. Only now has that rule began to change. It will not change overnight and tomorrow may not be better but the ones we can save today will have to be enough until they can all decide for themselves what is good or right for them as individuals.
I felt the exact same way as I was reading the statistics in the chapter. As I read through I thought “oh yeah numbers” and didn't really feel anything towards them. I feel as though I’m always much more affected by statistics when I’m not reading them. For example, if I watch a video of one of these woman’s stories and throughout the video they mention the number of woman’s throughout the world that also have that disease, or have also been trafficked, it makes a much bigger impact on me. When I’m able to see a picture in my head of it I begin to understand it, instead of just reading it from a book.
ReplyDeleteI feel that numbers from statistics cannot really show anything to me. All I learn from statistics are numbers, but I learn how harsh the girls' lives are from reading their stories. I don't think that uniforms would help with reducing pregnancy, but I think that policies from the government would. School uniforms are just some kind of clothes that you wear to show your belonging, and students can still get pregnant if they want to. However, if there's law says that students cannot be married, and people can't get pregnant without mirage, people will follow the law. And the rate of pregnancy will be reduced, because people don't want to get in any trouble.
ReplyDeleteI think statistics are just supposed to be eye openers, and not really something to relate to. Kristoff does an excellent job telling the stories of these women which in result can help produce change for these women. If some gave me the IMR of some third world country it wouldn’t mean much because I wouldn’t know why it’s a high number. Kristoff introduced to me the awful problem of fistula that has driven up the IMR, but with real life stories.
ReplyDeleteWell before today I didn’t know what fistulas was. When I read the article about what fistulas was it made me depressed and I felt so sad for Mahabouba when I read her story. But I also find her story inspiring how she found courage to fight off the hyenas and got away from the village. Even though she changes her life physically around this will always impact her life. Many people are not so lucky that this will impact their life in a positive way, by helping them get a job. Mahabouba also can help other people in her everyday life and they don’t have anything to hide.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your first paragraph, I drew a connection to Mahabouba and what we have talked about last week with unreasonable people. We defined unreasonable people as those who don't just grin and bare it, but take a stand and find their voice. I saw Mahabouba as a unreasonable person (in a good way of course) because instead of taking the abuse of her "husband" and his other wife she wanted to better herself and her expected child. Even though she had shelter and food, the condition's in her mind were not suitable enough and I agree in her action of running away. Unfortunately this lead to the tragic death of her baby and her getting a fistula. It is hard not to wonder if this would of been the same outcome if she "grinned and bared it" with her "husband." Would he of gotten her medical care and her baby still be alive and her health better (but yet still abused)? It was as if she traded one bad outcome for another one, but yet it was her freedom that was more important (and I agree).
ReplyDeleteIn response to the question you posed; I agree with you and Nick Kristof about hearing about someone's personal story that brings up a social or global issue that makes you more understandable and relating to it and wanting to do something about it then hearing a statistic. To me, a statistic is just a number, but a story has a person, a real person who is not a number but who has a name. To me this is more effective to get something done. I care more and would do more for a person then just a number. A name helps you personalize something which makes you emotionally connect with the issue.
I also connected strongly with Mahabouba. I thought that she was a very brave woman, or I suppose a very brave child considering that she was only fourteen at the time of her struggle. The thing that made me admire her the most was her spirit. She, at the time, had wanted to die. After she was shoved into that little hut at the edge of the village, the door stripped away so that the animals could come and get her at night, she did not stop fighting. She couldn't even stand and yet every night she fought off animals so that she could survive. I found this especially compelling because she had wanted to die before that, but her will to live overcame her. She crawled to help on her hands because she couldn't stand. She was one of the most inspiring stories that I think we have read about so far in the book, and I completely agree that she was someone that everyone can admire.
ReplyDeleteI can also agree with you when you say that the statistics say less to people than the stories. I feel a little bad in thinking this way, because the statistics are supposed to show how large a problem is, and how many people are affected by it overall. But when I read them, it just feels like I am reading numbers. It is hard to connect those numbers to the fact that they are actual people that are suffering. When I hear the story of one individual, it is easier to put myself in their position and understand more of the problem and how it is actually affecting people.
I completely agree with the inability to sympathize with large statistics. When they are talking about hundreds of thousands of people at a time, people have a hard time comprehending those numbers, and what they really mean. Instead of talking about these statistics, we need to see more stories like this, where we can hear directly about these stories and empathize with them. For example, the story of Mahabouba meant more than any mere statistic would. We could understand this on a personal level, and imagine what she went through.
ReplyDeleteStatistics are not irrelevant and do help to show the magnitude of the problem without delving into every story, yet to here the stories from the women is what truly touches the soul. Kristoff did great at producing an informative & passionate piece. I see nothing wrong with uniforms, obviously I would have felt different if I had been told that I had to wear them. Maybe a uniform rental? I don't think that will curb many problems however. Adolescents are always going to seek a mate, laws or no laws. It's "Nature"
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you wrote about the statistics just being written on a page, as to hearing someone's story. Stories are, and tend to be, a lot more powerful than just facts. Although the statistics may be true, interesting, and crazy to understand, a story is much more relatable (but like you said, not that we would be able to FULLY understand what these women are going through). Even the videos with interviews, in my opinion, are more easy to connect to because you can see a person physically, and hear their story, rather than reading about women in general in a specific country. Statistics though, do usually shock me in how high the numbers can be.
ReplyDeleteAs to the uniforms, I do agree it may keep women from having sex or being forced into certain situations. To think about most school uniforms, some may come across unflattering- fashion wise. Most school uniforms are not about having students look their best, sexy or provocative. They are usually covering most skin, and are modest. I'd hope that those men searching for women wouldn't as easily approach a girl in school with uniform, as he would another uneducated girl who may have less clothing on. Does that make sense? Also, to go along with being in school, the girls will be more informed about sex and education to keep them aware of what's going on and safety precautions. I don't think school would ever be bad or make anything worse for these girls in these countries.
I totally agree with the idea of reading a story is more interesting that just reading a bunch of statistics and numbers. I was more inclined to read the story and skim the parts where it had statistical numbers involved. I partially agree with the book when it said that they would give them school uniforms so they would stay in school longer and not be more prone to having a pregnancy. I feel that it helps a little but on the other hand it’s not going to get through to some of them. I feel that in their minds if they don’t want to go to school they probably won’t. There is always that few in the crowd.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement about the statistics. I found myself skimming through the part that involved the numbers and statistics. The real stories are what drew me in and made me want to read more.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that before I went and read the information on the website provided, that I didn't know what fistula was. This is a horrible and preventable disease for women to have to deal with. On top of losing your baby (most of the babies, 70% die during delivery) they are not accepted from their families and sent off and left to die.
As for the uniforms, “Another point I thought was interesting from this chapter was towards the end when it talked about some of the most effective approaches to improving mortality rates were not medical related. The statistic stated that a way to reduce pregnancies in young girls was to subsidize school uniforms for them, thus keeping them in school longer which then means that they would delay marriage and pregnancy until they are more suitable to do so.”I don’t see how having uniforms will keep girls in school and postpone marriage and pregnancy.
I think our authors would agree with you that personal stories mean more than statistics sometimes, which is why they present both to you (but heavy on the stories, clearly). With the uniform idea, it is more about an indirect solution than a direct one. For example, we know that if women stay in school they are more likely to delay marriage and childbirth. This is good because they can be more physically developed, and perhaps even more stable economically when they choose to marry and raise a family. And education can help them realize they have a choice in the matter. As we all know though, keeping girls in school can be tricky, and lack of funding or transportation can be reasons why girls may drop out. If a girl can't afford a uniform, they might be likely to drop out of school. If we could provide $6 (which may be a lot to a poor family in India, but not a lot to us) then we could keep her in school. This is a prime example of a "creative solution" that tries to tackle a big problem from a different, smaller angle.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you brought up some of the effective approaches to improving mortality rates in your blog post. I agree with the author of our book that it should be considered an international scandal that the lifetime risk of childbirth in a poor country is one-thousand times higher than in the West (99). This statistic is shocking, but this number does not even consider those who are seriously injured during the birth of the child. For each woman who dies in child birth, ten more suffer from significant injuries caused by child birth. But the real slap in the face is that the economic cost of caring for these injured women costs approximately 750 million dollars per year. This money could instead be spent on preventative health care and education, but instead of fixing the entire system by educating these women, they’d rather put a band-aid on the problem? This seems to be the driving force behind Allan Rosenfield’s initiative to change the model of care in Nigeria. More doctors with more medicine may seem like a solution to most, but the real solution comes from public health specialists who create preventative programs to help these women before they are in injured. Great post, Alexandra!
ReplyDeleteIt is surprising that statistics do not have the same effect on our emotions as an individual story. When I was studying the Holocaust during WWII I ran into the same situation where I was more impacted by a particular story more so than the staggering statistics that did surprise me, but weren't as emotionally tangible in spite of the very real fact that 7 million deaths meant 7 million stories. It is important however to know the statistics as well as the stories though in order to understand that the single story is representative of more than one person. The moment we allow ourselves to only see one story is the moment we miss the story of millions of others as well as our perspective and tenacity to initiate change.
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