I sat in a two hour meeting on Human Rights for Women. It is part of an education campaign being conducted by the UN. Not one word was translated for me until the end. I spent most of my time picking out the few words I recognized or understood.
As we neared the end, the leader turned to me and began to translate. I had heard laughing from the women and was wondering why.
We are talking about Article 14 (I think he said) - Human Rights for Rural Women. They say - the women - he said, and so began a story...
When it is moving time*, like now, we pack everything up and get the children ready. We carry it all day long, while we watch the children and take care of them. At the end of the day, we build the house, we cook the food, we clean the children. All along the way we carry the beating stick. If he doesn't like what we do he beats us. We have to carry the stick he beats us with...
* Moving time is when the people migrate to follow cattle to better grazing grounds or to work their crops...
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