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I just read an article that was in the NY Times about how women are treated around the world – it is absolutely eye opening. Not to mention one of the most appalling things I have ever read. I think every woman (and man, for that matter) should read it. But it is not for young readers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&tr=y&auid=5219574&msource=EB1H090001Wow it’s a long article but I would have expected some replies by now. I just read the first page so I still have to finish!
I think often about how America / California (I mean, I can’t exactly generalize about the USA having grown up here in CA only) is no more “forward” in its treatment of our women than any so-called third-world country. We’re just sneakier and filthier in the ways we abuse our women. And what passes for acceptable behavior/thoughts in men toward women. An educated man can abuse a woman in a whole new way than could his non-educated brother.
Sometimes I indulge in agreeing with the “terrorists” in that particular abhorrence of Western society. Our culture still has a disturbing deep-seeded misogyny about it that I feel on an almost daily basis in very subtle ways.
/tangent….back to reading 😆
I just completed reading the article. Very poignant. It reminds me of how far women still have to go…
Unfortunately, I have been aware of these atrocities in other countries. Seems like there is an age old concept that women aren’t really worthy anything in most societies. We have made strides here in our own country, but there are still some men who regard us as second class citizens. Just look in your own work offices and you’ll see that women are expected to clean up after the men when they make messes in the lunch room. Look in some of your churches and you’ll see that women can’t be in certain positions–they claim the bible doesn’t allow it. Yeah right and monkeys are gonna start flying out of my arse!
As for what Chrisherself said how educated versus uneducated men abuse women is right on. In my own neighborhood I see how some of these men ‘beat’ their wives with their words to the point that these women are afraid to make a simple decision because if it’s the ‘wrong’ one–they’ll hear about it over and over and over again!
I know about these things in this article and it makes me cry and it makes me very angry! We get upset when we hear about a woman in India who has aborted her baby simply because through medical technology she found out it was a girl. Well I see in my own neighborhood how grandparents rejoice about having a grandson because finally the family name will be passed on. I see how they treat their grandsons versus their granddaughters–like night and day. Believe me, certain men aren’t the only ones who don’t think highly of women, some women are falling into this trap as well. What do you think the bride burnings in India are about–unhappy mother-in-laws who want a grandson and feel if their daughters-in-law can’t produce one, then get rid of her!
Think about this–I remember in college that a professor told the class pretty much what the witch burnings were about in Salem–certain people wanted these individuals’ property! Also the civil war, why did is so dismantle the South and the ‘dreaded’ carpetbaggers were able to take told. Women weren’t allowed to own property–if a husband died then the property went to the eldest son. So kill the husbands and sons and all you have are women who don’t own the property they live on! In Dafur, girls as young as 5 and younger are raped–why–it is the Muslim belief that once a man touched a woman, she was now rejected even by her own husband and the young girls who were raped cannot find husbands because no man will marry them! Talk about genocide! If the men can’t marry any of the raped women in their village–who will they marry?!
I say this because treating women in this manner will destroy a civilization in time. There will be no women for the young men to marry because they have been aborted or because of some religious belief, cannot be married because they have been with another man–even if they were raped! Wake up call!
And no, I’m not bashing all men–there are some wonderful men that don’t feel this way. They cherish their wives, daughters, sisters and love and appreciate the women in their lives. I read this article last night–it should disturb everyone that these things are taking place–today, right now! Giving women rights and equal priviledges are not enough–we need to have respect and that comes with teaching our children that they are important in this world regardless of their gender and whether or not they can pass the ‘family’ name on.
So RESPECT each person for who they are. To me that is a start.
I think Oprah had a show with this woman on it.
I remember back in like 1986 I was writing a paper and happened to write it on what I had seen in the news about China and their 1 child law and how the girls where being killed since the boys are responsibvle for taking care of the parents in their old age. It got a LOT of conversation in class I can remember thatIf I remember correctly Boston Legal had an episode about how Oriental women were using ultrasound to determine the sex of the fetus and then making the decision to abort if the fetus was female.
At least there is some hope – people are realizing that women could be a major answer when it comes to battling poverty. It’s just really sad that in 2009 women are still so marginalized. 😥
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