Don't Judge

The very sad story of the woman who sells her body to look after her children has sparked a huge debate on air and social media. The combination of strong condemnation and praise for her bravery presents a bitter sweet reaction. We hail those who walked a thousand miles in her shoes and wiped her tears with positive comments and material support. If truth be told, her story is more complex than what was narrated and some episodes, if published, would trample on our professional ethics. The media exposes heart rending stories every day about women going through trying situations single-handedly. Disheartening is the condemnation from fellow women who should be supporting her. Ironically, in this case, the first person to pronounce any willingness to assist her is a man. More needs to be done by the government and stakeholders to mitigate and avoid such situations that force one to use the wrong treatment for a correct diagnosis. Here is a woman who repossessed her children to save them from an abusive uncle to continue her parenting role. While we are quick to judge, let us not forget to find the root cause of the problem. The severity of the global economic crunch impacts poorer citizens more. When factories close and economies shrink, it is people living in the informal settlements that bear the brunt and buckle under economic pressure. In addition, the judicial system in this country does little to protect its female citizens and mothers whose children's' fathers disappear from the lives of their sons and daughters after conception. The law glaringly crucifies the woman in a criminal case that involves two people. Women have been judged according to archaic prostitution laws that hurt women and pamper the prostitutes' clients. Concerns have been raised about high rentals forcing citizens to opt for shacks that bruise Maslow's theory. Calls for a rent control body have been heard, but the finger of government still hovers over the call to action button. As we sleep in our comfortable beds and heated bedrooms in the leafy suburbs, let us not forget the Okahandja resettlement citizens whose numbers earned us those parliamentary seats.