Chapter 5 Understanding Historical Oppression

Chapter 5 of Half the Sky explores how "honor" is seen different for women. Throughout the chapter, women had standards that they all must follow in order to be treated fair. The standards on these women objectify their physical looks in relations to their purity. They were shamed in the utmost dehumanizing ways if they had lost their virginity before marriage. Women became targets to shame clan. Du'a Aswad was a seventeen year old teenager who lived in Congo. When her husband found that she was not a virgin, he demanded for a honor killing. If a women cannot hold their purity, the only honor for them would be death. People develop "codes of sexual honor" that are suppose to help women but instead women are systematically dishonored.

In class, we watched some videos, discussed US/foreign involvement, and dialogues about the chapters. When I was reading the chapter after the presentation in class, it made me wonder how these systems of sexism were formed. I wanted to know more about the historical context, especially with foreign country involvement. What I mean is that in the novel Congo is famously known for sexual violence. Did colonization play role in developing systems of sexism because Africa was heavily colonized and abused by European countries. And if colonization did play a role, how does Europe take into accountability for the sexual violence that exist in Africa? What would make this book better if they could give the reader brief historical context of how sexual violence was implemented into systems instead of saying it is because of religion or culture. In order to understand sexual violence, an understanding of its root causes and history will help.

Written by Kevin Vang