What can feminists and others do to help boys in sexual slavery-specifically by Afghan warlords?

Question

From the Feminist Majority Foundation's Feminist Daily News Wire: "Afghan Warlords Abuse Boys": http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=11130

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/08/2297435.htm

What can feminists and others do to help boys in sexual slavery-specifically by Afghan warlords?

Answer 1

When I visited the UN, I found out that the UN and UNICEF are working against that.  It's a bigger problem than feminist can really deal with.  You have to work against the arms dealers, and drug lords, and that is very dangerous.  The US should not have stopped their work in Afghanistan, and just left it.....

Answer 2

Lobbying government to enact laws that pinpoint specifically any kind of human trafficking.  World Health Organization recognizes human slavery as being on the rise and many boys are being sold to pedophiles.  Some of the kids are being shipped to the western countries.  The UN has to take a stand and prohibit this from continuing.  Those who are caught are given less harsh penalties than those who are charges with drug offenses which makes little sense to me, when we are considering robbing a child of his innocence and possibly their lives.

Answer 3

Nothing. I'm serious. Unless you are willing to go there and kill these sick as holes! Lobbying don't work. If you really want action, you need to start you're own organization to go on the scene.

Answer 4

Probably give money to the warlords to support them

Answer 5

It's quite phenomenal that even this question is considered a good platform for the a$$holes of G&WS to criticise feminism.

How very helpful of them.

Anyway, I think having asked this question is the first step to bring about change. The only way things can change is to facilitate discussion as a means of finding solutions which will cease these practices.  I'm a strong believer of aid organisations, and eventually these services in Afghanistan will have the funding to work WITH Afghani people to bring about change.

I noticed while looking for more information about it, that the print media in Australia and the UK have reported about the UN findings. I also found a number of Islamic women's forums that have started threads to discuss it.

As a feminist and as a human rights activist,  I believe I have a role in trying to cease these practices in whatever ways I can. I equally believe however, that the best way of doing this is to lend support to activists who are from Afghanistan, and have dialogue with them about ways in which I can assist. I disagree that non-Afghani people should "take over" in finding ways in which to stop it from happening. There are many reasons for this, and I've come to the conclusion that it's much more effective to work for change from within. There are activists in Afghanistan who have been working towards ending the purchase and selling of children by pedophiles (this includes pedophiles in Western countries) for many years.

So, ways in which I try to help prevent practices such as these from continuing, are by writing to relevant governments such as my own, asking how/if they are planning to address the issue. I also research whether/how human rights groups such as Amnesty International, UNIFEM, OXFAM, Avazz, UNHRC, are dealing with specific issues, and usually find on the sites suggestion detailing what I can do to assist.

I often write emails to avazz (www.avaaz.org), and sign petitions. They are very well organised and active in a multitude of areas, (they're great!) and ask them if/how they are addressing the issue.

I try to donate whatever money I can afford to organisations who have programs that challenge practices such as these.

Here are some websites that can be of assistance:

This site provides information about the history of systemic sexual violence during the warlord era, providing some context.

http://www.colorq.org/HumanRights/articl...

These websites have vast information regarding specific organisations that work within specific issues, such as FGM, conflict, etc.

http://www.hrweb.org/resource.html

http://www.hri.ca/organizations-databank...

This sites has been established by Islamic women to discuss issues such as the one you presented, for various reasons including formulating change.

http://thewomenofislam.blogspot.com/2008...

This site is another forum for Islamic people to discuss issues, including child s*x slavery.

http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?...

And finally, many women's groups around the globe discuss ways in which to work towards the prevention of violence against women and children. They are often very well organised, and have invaluable information that can usually be very difficult to find.

Good for you, for bringing this issue to G&WS :-)

Answer 6

Nothing much, as we're not allowed to go into battle.

However, we can donate time and money to charities, foundations and shelters to aid those who have been rescued, and perhaps those who will do the rescuing since they have no legal chains.