In Punjab, India, a young teenager recently committed suicide by poisoning herself.
The story of the teenager grabbed the world's attention initially when she was gang raped and beaten and left to die. As a victim, she went to make a complaint to the local authority and instead she was stonewalled. In addition, she was pressured to drop the case and "either accept a cash settlement or marry one of her attackers."
According to the area police, the young victim was "running from pillar to post to get her case registered but officers failed to open a formal inquiry." Her story mirrors the many injustices I often hear around the world via our multicultural communities in Toronto.
If her case seems to be an exception in the world, it unfortunately is not. In fact, I would like to highlight some of the little known stories of violence against women in the world that has touched me to the core.
Aberash Hailay . In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Hailay was an Ethiopian Airlines hostess, young and full of life. One night, her ex-husband made an abrupt visit and started to complain about a potential lover in her life. In a jealous rage, he stabbed both her eyes with a knife and stabbed her several times. She became blind in both eyes and partially paralyzed.
In the Middle East, an Ethiopian maid was recently tortured to death for being "lazy" by her employer. According to witnesses, the "maid suffered daily beatings and died from infected burns, after having boiling water poured over her."
According to the employer's daughter, "the maid was beaten daily and that her mother had rubbed pepper into the maid's eyes." These are some of the international issues that are profoundly touching in our world.
Seventeen years ago, a 12-year-old Canadian was inspired to help change the reality of the world after reading about a murdered child labour activist in Pakistan. For Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the Children, Igbal Masih's story touched him mostly because the young activist was denied his basic rights and was "forced into bonded labor in a carpet factory at the age of four, became an international figurehead for the fight against child labor by 12 years of age, and was brutally murdered in 1995."
In pursuit of a more perfect world, Ottawa's most beloved mayor, the late Marion Dewar, once said, "to end global poverty and injustice, we need to recognize and nurture women's leadership." The reality is, we are not even close to that ambitious admirable objective.
Then again, I hope the stories of these victims and many others will help inspire the Craig Kielburger in all of us.
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An Indian protester holds a placard during a protest against a recent gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
An Indian police officer, left, sports a cricket helmet as policemen stand near barricades and stop protesters on their way to India Gate while protesting against a gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)
Indian students protesting against a recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, take out a rally in Kolkata, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Underprivileged Indians watch a protest against a recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
An Indian protester shouts slogans as he is stopped by police during a protest against a recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A young Indian girl clings to the saree of her mother as she participates in a protest against the recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Indian protesters shout slogans while demonstrating against the recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Indian protesters listen to a speaker during a protest against a recent gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Indian women shout slogans as they protest against a recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/ Saurabh Das)
Indian women hold placards as they protest against the recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/ Saurabh Das)
Indian demonstrators shout slogans and wave placards as they move towards India Gate in New Delhi on December 27, 2012, during a protest calling for better safety for women following the rape of a student in the Indian capital. (SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images)
Kashmiri Sikh students protesting against a brutal gang-rape of a woman on a bus last week in New Delhi, shout slogans in Srinagar, India, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin)
Indian demonstrators shout slogans as they move towards India Gate in New Delhi on December 27, 2012, during a protest calling for better safety for women following the rape of a student in the Indian capital.(SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images)
Indian demonstrators shout slogans and wave placards as they move towards India Gate in New Delhi on December 27, 2012, during a protest calling for better safety for women following the rape of a student in the Indian capital.( SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images)
Indian people wear black bands to protest against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/ Saurabh Das)
Indian demonstrators hold placards as they shout anti-government slogans during a protest calling for better safety for women in India in New Delhi on December 25, 2012, following the rape of a student in the Indian capital. An Indian policeman injured in clashes during a protest over a gang-rape in New Delhi has died a police spokesman said, as much of the city centre remained sealed off following the violence. (RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images)
An Indian woman shouts slogans during a demonstration against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus New Delhi, India, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
An Indian anti-riot policeman keeps an eye from behind a police barricade during a demonstration against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus New Delhi, India, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Indian students carrying placards shout slogans against last week's gang-rape as they protest in central New Delhi, India, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/ Saurabh Das)
An Indian woman shouts slogans during a demonstration against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus New Delhi, India, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Indian protesters hold placards as they demonstrate against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus New Delhi, India, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
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And if Canada and the US think it doesn't happen here, we have a lot to learn.
If the United Nations wants to justify its existence, they would do everything in their power to raise the level of human dignity for ALL humans, man, woman, or child, regardless of race. But the human energy and endeavour that is wasted when half the population is forced into subservience and abuse is an affront to all of us.
Imagine a world where that vast untapped resource is let loose. What could be accomplished?