For All the Women Who Struggle Daily

By Sr. Katty Huanuco, CCVI

Currently I feel very excited.  I am thinking with great hope about the people of good will who are joining together to declare “An end to violence and impunity!” Yes, to women like me who, many times, have been or continue to be victims of violence in subtle or explicit ways.

The incredible thing is that there are those who try to justify the violence by saying things like, “if only she wouldn’t have…” or “she was asking for it”… or “maybe they’re the only ones?” No. This isn’t an isolated discourse from just one person, or something from recent weeks.  No, these are some of the ‘arguments’ of hundreds of people around the world.  Incorrectly they believe and think that this is the case, end of story.  That is what is so unfortunate and outrageous. 

To write about the hope I have seen, heard, and felt for me is a duty.  It is so gratifying that hundreds of people are taking the time to make visible the ‘normalization’ of violence against women.  Listening to a young women share what the metaphor ‘as used as a rose’ means in comparison to a woman, and say that she feels limited and the only thing she can say honestly is that a woman, like a rose, is alive! Yes, alive, and deserves to be respected just for that. How wonderful! How can you not feel hopeful hearing that? 

But all that I see and hear is definitely because I am feeling the strength, courage, effort, and perseverance of millions, yes millions of women throughout history who have given their voice to challenge systemic oppression that targets women and have dedicated themselves to the structural transformation of society.

I am writing these lines to give thanks to all of the women who have given life with their lives.  Thank you for no allowing us to remain lazy and ignorant.  Thank you, because going out into the streets isn’t to make us feel brave, it is to celebrate our freedom.  There is still a lot to be done my friend, sister, cousin, aunt, co-worker, neighbor, mom, grandmother… Let’s do it, continue building a more humane, more complete, more dignified world.  Every day, just like Jesus would, let’s go out into the streets and shout: Not one more! Don’t wait until later.  Because ‘every time a woman takes a step forward, we all advance.’