In the spring of 2005 I spent 10 days driving through Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia, ten years after the Bosnian-Serb war had ended. The landscape was some of the most beautiful in the world with huge mountains and flowing rivers, but tucked into the wooded mountainsides were reminders of what had been the bloodiest war since World War II.
Mass graves with white crosses adorned the place for the unidentified dead. There was a joke I heard while I was in Bosnia, "Bosnian vegetables are the largest, freshest and juiciest in the whole world because of the fertilizer." When I heard this I was disgusted because I knew it was referencing the thousands of mass graves that had yet to be discovered in the country.
But this joke is a fact of life for those who still live in Bosnia, graves and land-mines are still being discovered. The borders of Bosnia also remain locked, meaning residents of the country cannot leave.
During the war over 2 million civilians were displaced from their homes and a large majority of those killed were also civillians. During the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia over 8,000 men and boys were killed during July of 1995.
Zaim Pasic's account of how he fled Bosnia during the war.
If you have the time watch the BBC documentary, A Cry From the Grave. In total it is 90 minutes long but definately worth it. I have added it to my videos section.
There is also currently an initiative trying to bring Bosnian refugees back to the country.
Strangers offering her the chance of a lifetime, to provide for herself and her family, approach a young girl living on the streets in Mexico. She is lured with the promise of money, clothing, shelter and food; all she has to do is leave with these strangers.
What she is not being told: She will make her money from sex.
Another young Mexican girl dreams of life in the United States, where she can make money unimaginable to her in Mexico. She will be able to send money home and maybe even help her family members come into the country, so their lives can be improved. She is approached by human traffickers who promise her this life she dreams of, they will help her cross the border and get her setup for her new life in Estados Unidos.
What she is not told: Her border crossing debt will be paid with sex.
In June 2007 The San Antonio Express News reported the details of three girls who were involved in a human trafficking case in San Antonio.
"The 'boss' who had them strip, inspected their bodies and told them they were going to be having sex with men for up to five years to pay off their smuggling debt. The 'boss' said he had paid $3,000 apiece for two of the girls and said he would pay even more to get them ready for other men."
The U.S. State Department reports that around 17,000 people are being trafficked between Mexico and the U.S. every year, in what they call "Modern Day Human Slavery."
This issue was brought to my attention when I watched the movie Trade. It is about a young Mexican girl who is stolen and trafficked in the U.S. This issue robs people of their innate rights as a human being, is under reported and heart breaking.
United States: For the first time in the country's history a woman is running for president and may become its first female leader.
Saudi Arabia: For the first time in the country's history women may be able to drive themselves to work without a mandated male escort.
These are two very dichotomous examples of the evolution of women's rights, as the everyday lives of women in the world vary greatly by country. Here in the U.S. it seems as though strides are being taken to advance women's rights, but the fact remains that in this country women are still paid less than men.
Albeit, U.S, women are awarded simple freedoms many women around the world lack. Imagine not being able to drive to work to feed your family or to be stoned to death because your eyes were perceived as looking at another man.
Sexual abuse against women is often used as a tool of war and control in other countries. Many times when a woman is sexually abused there are no laws to protect her.
For example in Palestine, a wife or daughter who is sexually assaulted by a loved one must have a male relative escort her to the police department and vouch that she was raped. Many times the abuser is a woman's only escort and therefore the law can no longer protect her.
Blogs across the world are affording woman new freedoms, allowing them to speak out about injustices in their countries. Here are a few examples of how women in the world are finally able to speak their minds without persecution.
Set Back for All Journalists in the Mideast
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