Recovering Hope in Haiti

Most of us are used to images from Haiti depicting destroyed buildings, displacement camps, or hearing news about a massive cholera outbreak and anecdotes about women and girls subjected to horrendous sexual violence. Since the earthquake in 2010 there haven’t been many positive stories from this Caribbean nation but recently two news items stood out as a hopeful beginning. Today is V-Day, not just the Valentine’s holiday but also a day when the Global Movement to End Violence Against Women and Girls is celebrated. Their focus in 2012 is on the women and girls of Haiti, a place that has seen rising numbers in violence specifically targeted at females, young and old.

Photo courtesy of Maps of the World

The Haitian women’s soccer team has continued to inspire despite operating within a destroyed infrastructure. With donations from FIFA and by recruiting a few players with a Haitian background from other countries, they were able to go beyond what was thought possible. While they are not going to the Olympics, the victory in the last qualifying round at the CONCACAF was their first ever. It is a remarkable story since many of these women lost their homes and loved ones. Their dedication to a sport which can seem trivial given their nation’s catastrophic circumstances shows the resilient spirit of women who committed themselves to something that could bring triumph.

Another encouraging victory for Haiti’s women was recently discussed in The Huffington Post. The level of violence against women and girls, especially in displacement camps after the earthquake is concerning and infrastructure to help victims is largely under-developed.  2012 may be the year that the tide changes as much needed reforms in the law addressing gender-based violence will be introduced in parliament. The Huffington Post notes:

Years before the earthquake, women’s rights activists and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs began preparations for legal reforms to address gender-based violence. A significant step was taken in 2005 when rape was redefined as a crime against a person with significant penalties. This came after almost two centuries when rape was treated as a “moral” offense in Haiti. Sadly, the ministry and the women’s rights advocates suffered heavy losses during the earthquake. Some of the strongest workers for reform lost their lives in the quake.

Instituting reforms after a national disaster, in which so many capable leaders lost their lives and where hundreds of thousands still live in considerably unsanitary and unsafe displacement camps, is an intimidating task. Nevertheless, the fact that there are resilient, passionate activists who want to fight for a better society in Haiti, one that adequately responds to the needs of women and girls, provides hope.

Haiti has endured long years of political instability, violence and natural disasters making the January 2010 earthquake just another discouraging set-back for a struggling nation. Saying that there is still quite a bit of work to be done in the recovery is an understatement, but many dedicated people are gradually rebuilding a broken society. A soccer team’s victories or preparation of legislation may not be revolutionary but those acts show a determination to move beyond the sad, ugly realities. Throwing up ones hands in defeat and shrinking in the face of adversity is always the easy option but the women featured here don’t seem to think that it is a viable one.

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