...and the woman-hating Religious Right is in at least partial eclipse, I'm feeling a little better about the prospects for women's rights in this country. Obama's signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and lifting the Mexico City gag rule within days of taking office--hey, that's more than W did for us in 8 years. (Actually, I think it might also be more than Clinton did for us, though perhaps my memory fails me.) But while we gain even more equality, life remains difficult for many of our sisters around the world. I never want to forget their suffering, or the good, brave people who work to help them.
Democracy Now! had an interview this morning with Eve Ensler and Dr. Denis Mukwege, the Congolese gynecologist who has made it his mission to treat the women who have been raped and brutalized during the war in DRC. You can see the clip here. The cruelty of the Congo war is horrifying, but Mukwege's work is proof that the best part of humanity can defy the worst.
Since Obama is determined to escalate the war in Afghanistan, I think we should remember that the situation for most women there has not changed much since the removal of the Taliban. For information about the real condition of Afghan women, visit the website of the ferocious Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). It's especially enlightening to read the articles at their news page, which will give you some idea of the violence and repression Afghan women routinely face. You can read a little more about the organization here, and at the group's Wikipedia page. I wish I had a fraction of the courage they possess.
They Carried Her Off, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1797-98.
7 comments:
Thanks for the reminder that women in western countries have a moral obligation to speak out for women under these regimes.
I spent a couple of hours yesterday looking at horrific situations for women around the planet, and settled on these two. It's amazing, the lucky bubble we live in.
Unrelated but somehow related, it was sooo wonderful to see and hear Barack talk about entering conversations with Iran under the proviso of "mutual respect"!
Women had been handed the short end of the stick through all history, but then again, the men weren't exactly fortunate in many ways either. Nowadays however that certain hardships are lifted, there is no reason for continuation of antiquated conditions....
Oh, not unrelated, E. I think improved relations with Iran would be better for all of us, not least Iranian women. Now if the U.S. would stop turning a blind eye to the repression of women in "friendly" countries like Saudi Arabia--not to mention sexual violence and harassment in our own military!
Thank you so much for this post. Women need to speak out on these matters. I consider myself a feminist and hope to (when I graduate) help women & minorities claim their rights. It is strange that the MAJORITY of the human population (women) is actually a minority, in the political and social sense of the word in our ...modern world. It's too late for me (about 4 in the morning here) to probably make much sense right now, but I wanted to write to you and say that I am very moved to read your words. Thank you.
After reading the rest of the comments I wanted to say one more thing.. The more we kid ourselves that we are 'lucky' the more things will never change. I've been studying the statistics of female employment prospects (as well as the unfairness women have to live with in almost every job) in Europe & North America this past year and let me tell you, the situation is awful. Metastudies by Eagly have shown that women in power are disliked and even loathed by both men and women, earning themselves a very bad reputation. (thatcher-dragonlady for example)
One male nurse in a hospital full of female nurses is the one that is most statistically likely to become head nurse. With ease, in fact. etc, etc, etc...ad nauseum. *sigh* Anyway... *hugs* for posting this again!
Hi, Divina--It's great to hear of your post-grad plans. The world needs more ferocious advocates for human rights.
You make a good point about the attitudes toward women in the developed world. There's still tremendous discrimination, violence, cultural repression, etc. That's why we have to remember women elsewhere. We are all in this together.
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