Gina Azizah

Behind the Eyes Gina Azizah

I was eight years old. My mother had just quietly cracked an egg to drop in my mouth for breakfast ... we were careful not to make any noise because my father would beat both of us if he found my mother feeding me. My father wanted me dead and I knew it.

Gina Azizah was born in northern Malaysia with the odds stacked against her. She relays the heartbreaking story of how she survived her father's anger-even in the womb-after he threw a knife at her mother's swollen belly that was miraculously deflected by a coconut her mother was holding. From the moment she learned to reason, Gina realized her father did not want her and details how she managed to survive. Despite her father's attempts to convince Gina that she was not worthy of an education-even throwing her into a river as she walked to school-Gina still persevered, eventually managing to finish her education and later moving to London where she started a new life far away from the culture that almost killed her.

Gina's story of survival despite insurmountable odds will inspire women everywhere to stand up, be strong, and follow their dreams.