When is getting raped a better option?

The answer is when you are a woman in Darfur! I heard a feature on NPR and also read this article on The Christian Science Monitor about the group known as Elders lead by former president Jimmy Carter that went to Sudan recently. Here is a paragraph from the article:

Some people they visited slipped them notes full of allegations of rape and other abuse by militias aligned with the Sudanese government. The wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, told of her meeting with women in Darfur. "The first thing they told us they need security," she said. "They need security. They gave us examples of what happened to them, even graphically, to show how women are being raped, are beaten and are brutalized. I think because they thought we may not get a clear translation, they went at length of using gestures to show us how brutal it was, the kind of assault they are subjected to."

NPR had a more detailed interview with their reporter who was traveling with the Elders. She reported the women said they are raped a lot of times when they go out to fetch wood for their stoves or to get their hands on some food for their family. When asked why the men of the family couldn’t do those chores, the answer was “If the men go, they will be killed. We are just getting raped”.

How horrible is that?

Update: Here is one way you can help. Save Darfur