We should all lend a hand to stop human trafficking, sex trafficking, child prostitution and violence. Instead of saying, it´s not involving me, so not my problem.

Original Article : What it´s like to be a mum and wife at 13 : The vicious cycle of Child Marriage  (Clickable Link)

What it’s like to be a mum and wife at 13: The vicious cycle of child marriage

• 17 HOURS AGO FEBRUARY 17, 2015 10:19AM

Young mothers often struggle with labour and breastfeeding. Source: Supplied

They are only girls, but they already have children of their own.

Many of the babies are born with complications, far from the nearest hospital, and the mortality rate for mother and infant is sky-high.

Nor does the future look rosy. The daughters of these child brides are born into a cycle of systemic abuse, violence and poverty.

“I thought I’d have a better life, but at the end, it didn’t turn out that way,” says Aracely, who was married to a 34-year-old when she was 11. When she was four months’ pregnant, her husband left, declaring the child wasn’t his. Now 15, she is raising her son on her own.

Sonhita, 13, married her cousin in Bangladesh when she was 10. Source: Supplied

“During the time I was pregnant, he didn’t give me any money,” she says. “He hasn’t even come to see the boy now that he’s a year old.”

Aracely is one of the girls who feature in photojournalist Stephanie Sinclair’s Too Young To Wed project on Guatemala, where it’s legal for a girl to marry as young as 14 — though many are married far younger than that.

The UNFPA says one in nine girls in developing nations will marry before 15, with 50 million likely to marry before their 15th birthday in this decade. They are usually poor, less educated and living in rural areas — and their early marriages make life even worse.

The girls struggle with motherhood because they are far from physically and psychologically ready, say health workers. Their undeveloped bodies make labour and breastfeeding dangerous and difficult.

“Motherhood is hard,” 14-year-old Saida told Ms Sinclair. “When they get sick, you don’t know why. I don’t have experience and don’t know what to do with him.”

Early motherhood means these girls have no chance of a decent education. Source: Supplied

The young mums face an increased risk of STIs, physical and sexual violence and a premature end to their education.

Human rights organisations believe changing the norms that legitimise child marriage should be a priority.

“These [social norms] can and do start to change, once parents and communities understand the harm that child marriage does and once they are able to identify alternatives,” reads the UNFPA report.

Equality Now’s 2014 report, Protecting the Girl Child, calls on governments to end child and forced marriages and related human rights violations. “Child marriage does not take place within a vacuum,” says director Jacqui Hunt. “It is part of a continuum of abuse experienced by a girl and is often linked with female genital mutilation, sex trafficking or force-feeding before marriage, rape, domestic violence and the removal of future opportunities.

“When a child bride gives birth, the vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability, disregard for rule of law and legal and other discrimination often continues into the next generation, especially for any daughters she may have.

Child marriage can come hand-in-hand with other abuses. Picture: Equality Now Source: Supplied

“Sadly, child marriage directly affects approximately 14 million girls a year, and in the process legitimises human rights violations and the abuse of girls under the guise of culture, honour, tradition, and religion. It is part of a sequence of discrimination that begins at a girl’s birth and continues throughout her entire life.”

This weekend, the group launched a global report on sex discriminatory laws around the world, using the hashtag #unsexylaws.

It shows in shocking clarity that these discriminatory laws are not simply relics of the past. Just last year, Kenya adopted a marriage act that permits polygamy without consent of the first wife, while Iran’s 2013 penal code maintains that a woman’s testimony is worth less than a man’s.

An Indian Act from 2013 states: “Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape”.

In the Bahamas, an act from 1991 defines rape as the act of someone over 14 “having (non-consensual) sexual intercourse with another person who is not his spouse”, thereby permitting marital rape.

In Nigeria, violence “by a husband for the purpose of correcting his wife” is considered lawful, while in Guinea, a wife can have a separate profession from her husband “unless he objects”.

In Yemen’s 1992 act, article 40 suggests that a wife “must permit [her husband] to have legitimate intercourse with her when she is fit to do so.”

The practice means a vicious cycle of poverty and discrimination. Picture: Equality Now Source: Supplied

In the Democratic Republic of Congo: “The wife is obliged to live with her husband and follow him wherever he sees fit to reside.” In Malta, if a kidnapper “after abducting a person, shall marry such person, he shall not be liable to prosecution”.

Ms Hunt adds: “As long as a girl or woman is not equal in the text of a country’s law and its legal system, she cannot fully participate in, or be valued equally in society. Legally, she is of lesser importance.

Eliminating child marriage

“Twenty years after 189 governments pledged to ‘revoke any remaining laws that discriminate on the basis of sex’ as part of the Beijing Platform for Action, only just over half of the laws highlighted in our reports on the subject have been revised, appealed or amended — a great achievement, but one which falls very short of what was envisaged.”

While many poor families hope marrying off their children will help them survive, that’s usually not the case.

Several of the girls Ms Sinclair interviewed were abandoned by their husbands while pregnant, leaving the family with an extra mouth to feed. Others admitted they and their families had found the experience distressing.

“They said I was really little and it’s a lot of responsibility to take care of someone,” said Sulmi, 14. “I was a little sad to be married so young.”

Zali Idy was married at 12 to a 23-year-old in Nigeria. Source: AAP

It´s probably slightly few more hours more in Malaysia, before the sun starts rising and the people starts getting ready to march to their respective voting poll stations to start casting their votes...... and for me, sitting 10,000 km far away from Malaysia, I sit here anxiously browsing through portal after portal.... scrapping for any news and information about the upcoming election which, by the time I am awake, will be gone and done........ 

True, although I am staying miles and miles away from Malaysia... I still worry. I have love ones back home, family friends and definitely love ones. What will Malaysia be like after this election?! Will they resort to violence when BN wins back the damn elections (whether is it with unclean ways or clean ways)? Or will things turn havoc when Pakatan turns out to be the next new government?!

Anyways... while browsing around in the cyber world (yea... living abroad have its advantages... at least I am not restricted to news of Malaysia), I found this article - along with few videos - about the upcoming election that will be in a few hours..... Enjoy reading the article and also the videos..... worth a few penny for your thoughts =)

Malaysian election marred by violence and claims of 'faulty ink'

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN

May 3, 2013 -- Updated 0250 GMT (1050 HKT)

Politics looking forward in Malaysia

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Violence mars Malaysian election ahead of Sunday's general election
• Analysts says the outcome is too close to call
• Barisan Nasional may lose power after more than 50 years in office
• Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim could become country's new leader

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Malaysia's closest-ever election is also fast becoming what some have described as its most violent amid reports of petrol bombs, texted death threats and beatings in the weeks leading up to Sunday's poll.

Just days before polling booths opened, the potential for voter fraud was also being alleged after reports that indelible ink used to mark the fingers of advance voters was washing off with water.

"The whole purpose of introducing indelible ink is to cut off multiple voters -- that is now being compromised by low quality ink," said Maria Chin Abdullah from BERSIH 2.0, which campaigns for electoral reform.

"The election commissioner had the cheek to tell us they forgot to shake the bottle. How ridiculous can that be, right?"

In a bid to end the claims, Malaysia's election commissioner staged a public demonstration Thursday to prove his assertion that the ink could not in fact be washed off. It will be used Sunday, as planned, he said.

Malaysian economy gets boosts from afar

Malaysian opposition leader acquitted

Modern slaves build high-tech components

The choice

On Sunday, voters will be asked to choose between the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which -- with its predecessor -- has ruled the country for 56 years, and Pakatan Rakyat (PR), a loose coalition of opposition parties formed after the last election in 2008.

BN is led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, the son and nephew of former prime ministers, who has held the post since 2009.

PR is headed by Anwar Ibrahim, a former finance and deputy prime minister who served time in prison on corruption and sodomy charges which he says were politically motivated. The first sodomy charge was overturned in 2004 and in January 2012 he was acquitted of a second charge of sodomy, a serious offense in Malaysia which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

In a hard-fought campaign, both parties have been trying to entice voters with promises of generous government spending, though analysts say it's ultimately a choice between old and new, the status quo and an untested opposition.

"Both manifestos actually do not contain anything policy-wise; there are just little giveaways, they promise you this, promise you that but there's not much policy difference between both of them," said James Chin, professor of political science at the Malaysian campus of Australia's Monash University.

Racial tension

Bubbling under the surface is racial tension that has divided the country ever since BN introduced policies in the 1970s to favor ethnic Malays.

Malaysia's Constitution effectively splits the country between Bumiputera, or ethic Malays, and natives of Sarawak and Sabah, and citizens of mostly Chinese or Indian descent.

According to the CIA World Factbook, just over 50% of the country is Malay, while Chinese make up 23.7% and Indians 7.1%.

There are set government quotas on how much of the country's wealth should be held by Bumiputera. They are entitled to discounts on housing and must be offered enough stock in a company if it wants to be listed on the stock exchange.

Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat are realistic enough to know that if they try to change the foundation of the state then the Malays won't vote for them
James Chin, Monash University

The policy has created discontent which the opposition has harnessed in its campaign, saying the policies must be reformed to create a more open society. But one analyst said a PR win would not mean wholesale change.

"Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat are realistic enough to know that if they try to change the foundation of the state then the Malays won't vote for them. They will fine-tune the system so that the system reflects more on need rather than race," Chin said.

So who will win?

At this stage, analysts say it's too close to call.

A poll released by the University of Malaya Centre of Democracy and Election's (UMCEDEL) last week suggested that more than 60% of voters surveyed favored PR. However, the government dismissed the poll and said its own survey showed it was out in front, according to local news websites.

"It's down to the wire now and this survey substantiates that. It's just so hard to tell," said Liam Hanlon, senior political analyst for Cascade Asia, who just two weeks ago predicted a narrow BN victory.

"I think there's a sense among new voters, young voters, urban voters, that BN is the establishment party. Conservatives, they don't relate to young voters," he said.

What's important to voters, says BERSIH's Chin, is whether the election is perceived to be free and fair.

"It's not just the results, people are judging them on whether there is going to be any fair play," she said. "If there is none, people will be very angry. I'm not sure what the people will decide to do -- it is really up to the people to take charge."

Chin of Monash University said voters' response to a potential BN victory will depend on how many of the 222 federal seats it can win.

"If Najib gets within the range of 140 to 150 (seats) people will just give him the benefit of the doubt. But if he goes above 180 they will be demonstrating in the streets. The population will not accept that he has a majority," he said.

Ensuring everyone can access information without interference is critical if there is to be a level political playing field in Malaysia
Phil Robertson, HRW

From egg-throwing to bombs

The rate and severity of election-related attacks has been escalating since parliament was dissolved on April 3, and observers fear it will only get worse in the days and hours before polling begins.

"For a long time our elections have been peaceful. This is one election where we are not just getting violence, we are getting smear campaigns going on and bribery is quite widely reported," said BERSIH's Chin.

On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged both coalition parties to "rein in their supporters," who it said had graduated from egg-throwing and paint-smearing to physical assaults and bomb attacks.

And along with the violence, HRW said that cyber attacks had been directed at a number of Malaysian news websites, restricting access to reporting on the election within the country.

"Ensuring everyone can access information without interference is critical if there is to be a level political playing field in Malaysia," said Phil Robertson from HRW. "The government has a duty to investigate and shut down all cyber attacks, interference with ISPs, and hacking so that freedom of expression and the right to receive information is preserved."

From the outside

Foreign investors are becoming increasingly anxious about the election outcome, Hanlon said, because despite concerns about Malaysia's gaping fiscal deficit, the country's economy has performed relatively well amid the global slowdown. The worry is that a change in leadership could undo years of growth.

The World Bank expects Malaysia's GDP to grow 5% this year, boosted by capital projects and domestic spending, as citizens make use of civil servant wage increases and government handouts.

"I don't think foreign investors would all of a sudden pack up shop and leave if BN lost, but I think there's an element of uncertainty about 'how would an Anwar government look?' And they have to take that possibility more seriously," he said.

Modern Slavery?

Found this video, while browsing around in CNN....... actually...... I was sadden to see this video. That poor girl is only 17...... but what saddens me most... was that apparently it is completely legal in Malaysia. Always knew that factory workers in Malaysia work long hours, but never knew..... the real story behind it.... especially how it is actually legal back in Malaysia. Voices should speak up... to get such things eliminated!