Makar reworks Burns poem to highlight women’s plight

Scotland's national poet has reworked a famous Robert Burns poem to highlight the plight faced by women in times of conflict and disaster.

Makar Kathleen Jamie wrote A Woman's A Woman, a woman-centred take on the Burns poemaman'saman,forinternational Women's Day yesterday. She is working with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to support both its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and also the ongoing Afghanistan Crisis Appeal.

"Havingheardaboutthehuge hunger crisis in Afghanistan I waskeentohelpraisetheprofile of the DEC'S work, in particular thechallengesthatwomenface there," she said.

"With so many women and children now affected in the Ukraine crisis as they flee the violence, I hope this video will now encourage people to do what they can to help."

Some 1.7 million people have fled war-torn Ukraine since Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into the country, with themajoritybeingwomenwho have walked for hours to cross the borders into safety.

Thedecsaidwomenandgirls weredisproportionatelyaffected by conflict, and that families were ripped apart leaving womenaloneandvulnerableor responsible for young children in a bid to find safety.

And, as they do this, children are being uprooted from their schools and homes while men stay behind to be conscripted.

For those still left in Ukraine life is dangerous.

Womenhavebeengivingbirth in underground metro stations ashealthfacilitieshavebecome inaccessible or too damaged to function.

Theorganisationsaidaround 80,000 women will give birth within the next three months in the country.

Marie Hayes, of the British Red Cross Scotland and chairman of the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal in Scotland, said: "We know how special this work is to the people of Scotland and Scots around the world,sowearehugelygrateful that Kathleen has created and recorded this modern version of Burns' most famous work to help raise the profile of women's challenges in humanitarian crises, not only in Ukraine and Afghanistan, but in many other places around the world, manyofthemawayfrommedia attention."