Misogyny: the hatred of women.
The word sounds as twisted as its definition.
Mi-soj-uh-nee.
It took me a long time to learn how to pronounce that word.
And it has taken me even longer to realize how pervasive misogyny is throughout the world. From ancient times to today.
The Greek philospher, Aristotle, wrote that a female is an incomplete male, or "as it were, a deformity."
Through my research, writing, and editing for Safe World for Women, a global women’s rights and advocacy organization which campaigns for the rights of women and girls, I find endless evidence of abuses and injustices against women and girls.
Why?
Why is there such a strong tradition of preferring sons over daughters in many parts of the world? Many researchers in the field of gender discrimination would tell you it's economic: that sons usually are the breadwinners and thus, care-takers of their parents in old-age. That daughters are considered an economic burden by their families.
Or that sons are needed to carry on the family name and are the rightful offspring who deserve to inherit property and finances.
That may be true, in practical terms. But is there a deeper reason for such gender discrimination? It's easy to say economics is the reason.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty: people still do not like or trust women. They may even hate women.
Enough to kill them if the women's families can't fulfill their greedy desires for more dowry, sometimes within days of their wedding. Enough to drive them to commit suicide because the women would rather die than live with daily abuse...because they did not produce a son. Or enough because a daughter was raped, and has thus brought dishonor to the family, so a male member of the family must get rid of her.
Or simply, that they are women.
It doesn't matter what socio-economic background women come from--all are vulnerable. In fact, if women come from affluent backgrounds in some heavily male-preference societies like India, China, and South Korea, the access to technology to determine sex of the fetus can cause more abuse for women.
Pressure to abort female fetuses, denial of medical care or help if the mother chooses to maintain her pregnancy, verbal and physical abuse. No regard for the woman, not least of all her reproductive health.
Verbal and physical abuse.
Hatred manifested.
Toward women.
Why women?
Misogyny?
Or just because we are easy targets: usually physically smaller, and often with fewer resources?
Nearly everyday I read stories about horrible abuse of women: 20-40,000 girls trafficked from Nigeria to Mali; women with their children fleeing for their lives from Somalia--often losing their children, their dignity, or their heads, for "disobeying" the warlord of the day; women and girls from Mexico forced into prostitution--in the United States; thousands of women raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a decade to the present day.
And no one is stopping this unmitigated hate.
We have international laws, national laws, and state laws which have been put on the books with good intentions. Countless NGO's that work tirelessly to bring relief and hope to those dispossessed and robbed of their dignity.
And yet women are still maltreated in every corner of the world: China, India, Somalia, Mexico. The United States.
What? The USA?
Yes. How can anyone deny there is misogyny in the USA when there is sex trafficking of American teens nationwide, when three women a day die from domestic abuse, when a woman is raped every 90 seconds, when female political candidates of every stripe are crucified and mocked for the most trivial details?
How can anyone deny there is misogyny in the USA when women's reproductive health rights are constantly attacked by those who wish to control them through public policy--or within the medical community, via excess C-sections and unnecessary castrations (hysterectomies) for non life-threatening conditions.
You can give all the excuses in the world for the widespread maltreatment of half of humanity: economic necessity, medical expertise, cultural traditions, war-induced post-traumatic stress syndrome, drug and alcohol abuse...there's probably a bit of truth in all of them.
But dig a little deeper.
Why does the world dislike women so much?
Misogyny is the hatred of women. Hatred is rooted in ignorance.
That is not someplace I ever want to be rooted in.
My heart literally aches when I hear of ANY kind of abuse toward ANY woman or group of women, anywhere in the world.
Ignorance is not bliss when one in three women worldwide experience violence at some point in their lives. When unmitigated hatred runs rampant and steals the dignity and lives of millions of women.
Why should you care?
Because I am speaking of half of humanity. Hatred is a scary and dark emotion that spreads like wildfire, left unchecked.
In the west, we can more easily speak up and call out offenders when they degrade women, or bring them to justice if they have harmed or killed women.
In other parts of the world, where women have many fewer rights due to cultural traditions, despite laws being on the books, I feel that those of us who live in much more fortunate circumstances and who are able and willing to do so, must advocate and raise awareness on their behalf.
And keep on working until justice has been won.
Which may not happen in our lifetimes.
But it is worth fighting for.
I don't want hate and darkness in the world. I want love and lightness.
Call that corny if you will, but I am going to stand up for women's rights and well-being to my last breath.
I am not interested in cutting women down to anything less than the human beings we are.
I am interested in making misogyny a thing of the past.
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~Mother Teresa
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Why Are You Doing This?
Human being:
Sometimes when I am on a roll making my name public on petitions for causes that mean something to me, a small voice in the back of my mind asks myself (!): why are you doing this?
That's what slipped in my mind today.
What was I doing today? I was on a roll giving my support to women's causes. Specifically, petitions to my House and Senate reps to support CEDAW - the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Though President Jimmy Carter signed on to the treaty in 1980, it has yet to be ratified by the US Congress.
There was an article on this a few days ago: Women's Rights Treaty Going Nowhere Fast in Senate. According to the article, and related sources:
"Among U.N. member states 186 countries have ratified CEDAW. The United States remains one of only seven that have not. The other six are Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.
CEDAW is the only international human rights treaty that specifically affirms women's reproductive rights.
It also requires countries to uphold women's rights in political representation, divorce, domestic violence and other areas that can stoke the ire of social conservatives."
Women's rights advocates (I like to think of myself as one!) would like to see this passed. Right-wing politicians and conservative groups would like to see it fade into oblivion, for various reasons. One being the uncomfortable notion of having to answer to another governing body.
So, there may be some flaws to this, practically, and/or theoretically. And in fact, some countries have ratified CEDAW with reservations and objections.
For me, personally, I hope to see it ratified. What boils my blood is when I keep hearing about certain individuals in Congress who continually vote against anything recognizing the value of women.
What are we?
Half of humanity.
Who do these people think they are to scoff at women's reproductive health rights? To vote against laws that would help ensure measures to protect our individual freedom, dignity, and control over our own health by holding governments accountable? To vote against policies that would provide services to fight against and prevent violence against women, such as shelters for battered women?
Do these seemingly anti-women rights legislators, socially conservative groups like Concerned Women for America, and some talk-show hosts really have such a low, narrow view of women? Half of humanity?
What are they thinking? Do they want to keep us in our place, keep popping out puppies? Keep being a carrier/baby vessel, mother to the man's offspring, and sex slave as our only purpose on earth? I'm not just saying those things off the top of my head; it's what I've heard some relatives, friends quoting their relatives, and people in the conservative political realm, over the years. :-(
They want to keep me in my place?
I think NOT! ;-(
For those who have a limited view of women, they can keep those beliefs. Say what you want. Just don't try to shove it down my throat and attempt to make me feel inferior because I don't agree!
What is my answer to my own question, "Why are you doing this?"
Because I believe women are human beings.
Someone of a differing view from mine might say, "Well, of course they are!"
To which I would reply, "How can you say that when you add all the 'buts': but they should keep their place! but abortion has nothing to do with women's health care! but girls and women shouldn't dress provocatively; if they do, they were asking for 'it', etc.?"
I believe women are human beings who deserve to be treated with respect as any man would be, and deserve every opportunity to reach their full potential as any man would be expected to. Women deserve to live free of violence. They ought not to be subjected to superficial societal, traditional, or cultural rules of conduct unless THEY CHOOSE TO.
That's what I believe in my heart.
I will continue to put much of my energies into advocating for women's rights. For their well-being. And if someone suggests to write to a person in authority in order to bring awareness to a situation, then I will. As I did today, writing to Senator John Kerry, Chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, re: CEDAW.
Another petition I added my name to: Amnesty International's request to members of Congress to support the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA).
I add my voice to humanitarian, environmental, and other issues that inflame my sensibilities, too, but my heart is mostly devoted to women. :-)
If ever I get a response, which I often do from my representatives, hubby will tease: "You mean you got a letter from a staff member of a staff member?" ;-) Yes, I know they're quite automated, but at least someone in their office is paying a little bit of attention to my badgering! My online activism isn't for nothing.
I will forever save Vice President Joe Biden's letter to me, written when he was still Senator of Delaware, after writing to him four months in a row. Yes, it looked automated, but what the heck? It came from his Washington D.C. office!
I will stick up for women's rights until my last breath, and for any private person, public figure, or group, who has the guts to stand up for the rights of women worldwide. Which of course, includes the USA.
When we have three women dying each day from the hands of their husbands, boyfriend, or former partners in the United States, there is something terribly wrong about our society's attitude toward women. When we still have one in every three women, or up to one billion women, have been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetimes, there is still a lot of work to do to.
In some small way, I want to contribute my time, effort, and skills towards eliminating the violence and discrimination that hinders the well-being of my sisters worldwide. Yes, even those with whom I disagree! (those last words were not easy to write!) With every fiber of my being, to the best of my ability. To my last breath!
I feel very blessed and fortunate to have found the opportunity to use my long-buried journalism skills (!) and apply them in advancing my passion of women's and human rights through SafeWorld. That I have made such wonderfully awesome friends from working with SW speaks to the power of written communication, the marvel of modern technology, and desire and will to create a more just and safer world for women. A safe world for women is a safe world for everyone!
One is not born a woman, one becomes one. ~Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), French writer, existentialist philospher; The Second Sex, 1949
Noun
- S: (n) homo, man, human being, human (any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage)
Sometimes when I am on a roll making my name public on petitions for causes that mean something to me, a small voice in the back of my mind asks myself (!): why are you doing this?
That's what slipped in my mind today.
What was I doing today? I was on a roll giving my support to women's causes. Specifically, petitions to my House and Senate reps to support CEDAW - the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Though President Jimmy Carter signed on to the treaty in 1980, it has yet to be ratified by the US Congress.
There was an article on this a few days ago: Women's Rights Treaty Going Nowhere Fast in Senate. According to the article, and related sources:
"Among U.N. member states 186 countries have ratified CEDAW. The United States remains one of only seven that have not. The other six are Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.
CEDAW is the only international human rights treaty that specifically affirms women's reproductive rights.
It also requires countries to uphold women's rights in political representation, divorce, domestic violence and other areas that can stoke the ire of social conservatives."
Women's rights advocates (I like to think of myself as one!) would like to see this passed. Right-wing politicians and conservative groups would like to see it fade into oblivion, for various reasons. One being the uncomfortable notion of having to answer to another governing body.
So, there may be some flaws to this, practically, and/or theoretically. And in fact, some countries have ratified CEDAW with reservations and objections.
For me, personally, I hope to see it ratified. What boils my blood is when I keep hearing about certain individuals in Congress who continually vote against anything recognizing the value of women.
What are we?
Half of humanity.
Who do these people think they are to scoff at women's reproductive health rights? To vote against laws that would help ensure measures to protect our individual freedom, dignity, and control over our own health by holding governments accountable? To vote against policies that would provide services to fight against and prevent violence against women, such as shelters for battered women?
Do these seemingly anti-women rights legislators, socially conservative groups like Concerned Women for America, and some talk-show hosts really have such a low, narrow view of women? Half of humanity?
What are they thinking? Do they want to keep us in our place, keep popping out puppies? Keep being a carrier/baby vessel, mother to the man's offspring, and sex slave as our only purpose on earth? I'm not just saying those things off the top of my head; it's what I've heard some relatives, friends quoting their relatives, and people in the conservative political realm, over the years. :-(
They want to keep me in my place?
I think NOT! ;-(
For those who have a limited view of women, they can keep those beliefs. Say what you want. Just don't try to shove it down my throat and attempt to make me feel inferior because I don't agree!
What is my answer to my own question, "Why are you doing this?"
Because I believe women are human beings.
Someone of a differing view from mine might say, "Well, of course they are!"
To which I would reply, "How can you say that when you add all the 'buts': but they should keep their place! but abortion has nothing to do with women's health care! but girls and women shouldn't dress provocatively; if they do, they were asking for 'it', etc.?"
I believe women are human beings who deserve to be treated with respect as any man would be, and deserve every opportunity to reach their full potential as any man would be expected to. Women deserve to live free of violence. They ought not to be subjected to superficial societal, traditional, or cultural rules of conduct unless THEY CHOOSE TO.
That's what I believe in my heart.
I will continue to put much of my energies into advocating for women's rights. For their well-being. And if someone suggests to write to a person in authority in order to bring awareness to a situation, then I will. As I did today, writing to Senator John Kerry, Chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, re: CEDAW.
Another petition I added my name to: Amnesty International's request to members of Congress to support the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA).
I add my voice to humanitarian, environmental, and other issues that inflame my sensibilities, too, but my heart is mostly devoted to women. :-)
If ever I get a response, which I often do from my representatives, hubby will tease: "You mean you got a letter from a staff member of a staff member?" ;-) Yes, I know they're quite automated, but at least someone in their office is paying a little bit of attention to my badgering! My online activism isn't for nothing.
I will forever save Vice President Joe Biden's letter to me, written when he was still Senator of Delaware, after writing to him four months in a row. Yes, it looked automated, but what the heck? It came from his Washington D.C. office!
I will stick up for women's rights until my last breath, and for any private person, public figure, or group, who has the guts to stand up for the rights of women worldwide. Which of course, includes the USA.
When we have three women dying each day from the hands of their husbands, boyfriend, or former partners in the United States, there is something terribly wrong about our society's attitude toward women. When we still have one in every three women, or up to one billion women, have been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetimes, there is still a lot of work to do to.
In some small way, I want to contribute my time, effort, and skills towards eliminating the violence and discrimination that hinders the well-being of my sisters worldwide. Yes, even those with whom I disagree! (those last words were not easy to write!) With every fiber of my being, to the best of my ability. To my last breath!
I feel very blessed and fortunate to have found the opportunity to use my long-buried journalism skills (!) and apply them in advancing my passion of women's and human rights through SafeWorld. That I have made such wonderfully awesome friends from working with SW speaks to the power of written communication, the marvel of modern technology, and desire and will to create a more just and safer world for women. A safe world for women is a safe world for everyone!
One is not born a woman, one becomes one. ~Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), French writer, existentialist philospher; The Second Sex, 1949
Sunday, October 4, 2009
I Love This! :-)
Peace summit's closing session points way to more inclusive future
For more than 600 years, the god-king of Tibet has been a man. But the 14th Dalai Lama -- Tenzin Gyatso -- said it need not always be so.
Having declared himself a feminist on the opening day of his Vancouver Peace Summit, the Dalai Lama said at the closing session on women and peace-building, "If a female Dalai Lama can be more effective, then why not?"
"It will come. No problem."
(dear Dalai Lama~you are one cool dude. ;-))
Read more from the Vancouver Sun...!
People have confidence in women to get them out of trouble.
~Dorothy Thompson (1893-1961), American journalist
Sunday, March 8, 2009
It's International Women's Day '09!
March 8th is International Women's Day!
According to the IWD website, IWD is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
IWD is a national holiday in:China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. SOMEBODY, or some bodies (!), had a clue in those countries! :-)
Not here. Not yet, anyway. The USA has no official holiday celebrating great women in herstory. March by the way, is Women's History Month, in case you didn't know.
We have holidays here in the USA to commemorate great men: George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But no women!
Why?
Some might say, well, there's Mother's Day. That is important: I certainly respect mothers because I feel they are most often the glue that holds a family together, and they do SO much for so little in return. I tend to gravitate toward mom-like women and friends. They bring help bring life into the world and are the primary caretakers as we grow up. I know I could not have thrived without my mom's love and nuturing. :-)
But Mother's Day is not a paid, federal holiday. Perhaps people already feel we have the day off anyway, as Mother's Day falls on a Sunday.
What about all the other women--women who are not mothers, by choice or circumstance or whatever? Are we less worthy as women--as human beings, if we have not brought life into the world? Surely NOT! %-0
How about women who have made and continue to make great contributions to society: scientists, educators, environmentalists, physicians, nurses, community leaders, spiritual leaders, artists, writers, musicians, and activists who work hard to bring awareness of social injustices and improvements to ameliorate the suffering of others, just to name a few? The underpaid, overworked, and sometimes abused domestic workers? The many women tucked away and forgotten in nursing homes across the country? .
Who would I offer up as a candidate or two or more for the nation to celebrate and commemorate--worthy of having the country take a day off (and be paid!) in her honor?
I can think of some:
That's just a start. I know there's many more. The lifelong work of those women alone are worthy of historical note alone. It's HERstory!
Imagine this: national holiday to commemorate a prominent woman (or more) AND a national holiday to celebrate International Women's Day!! Wouldn't that be fabulous? :-D
I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. :-(
Sure, most people know women make up half the population, but they sure don't appreciate that fact via apathy toward violence against women, unequal pay for equal work, and myriad of other woman-unfriendly facts of life.
But I can still hope. Hope that the misogynists of the world--in particular, the religious ones who would keep girls and women brainless and backward, would realize that their hateful, narrow, controlling view of women is only keeping humanity from moving forward.
As long as there are injustices committed against women both here and abroad, and as long as I am alive and breathing, I will continue to stand up for women's rights. Women's rights are human rights. Period.
I want to live in a progressive world, not a regressive one!
Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.
~Emily Dickinson, (1830-1886) American poet
According to the IWD website, IWD is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
IWD is a national holiday in:China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. SOMEBODY, or some bodies (!), had a clue in those countries! :-)
Not here. Not yet, anyway. The USA has no official holiday celebrating great women in herstory. March by the way, is Women's History Month, in case you didn't know.
We have holidays here in the USA to commemorate great men: George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But no women!
Why?
Some might say, well, there's Mother's Day. That is important: I certainly respect mothers because I feel they are most often the glue that holds a family together, and they do SO much for so little in return. I tend to gravitate toward mom-like women and friends. They bring help bring life into the world and are the primary caretakers as we grow up. I know I could not have thrived without my mom's love and nuturing. :-)
But Mother's Day is not a paid, federal holiday. Perhaps people already feel we have the day off anyway, as Mother's Day falls on a Sunday.
What about all the other women--women who are not mothers, by choice or circumstance or whatever? Are we less worthy as women--as human beings, if we have not brought life into the world? Surely NOT! %-0
How about women who have made and continue to make great contributions to society: scientists, educators, environmentalists, physicians, nurses, community leaders, spiritual leaders, artists, writers, musicians, and activists who work hard to bring awareness of social injustices and improvements to ameliorate the suffering of others, just to name a few? The underpaid, overworked, and sometimes abused domestic workers? The many women tucked away and forgotten in nursing homes across the country? .
Who would I offer up as a candidate or two or more for the nation to celebrate and commemorate--worthy of having the country take a day off (and be paid!) in her honor?
I can think of some:
- Harriet Tubman: (c. 1820–1913) African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War.
- Eleanor Roosevelt: (1884-1962) First Lady of the US (1933-45), civil rights advocate, internationally prominent author, speaker, politician, and activist for the New Deal coalition.
- Jane Addams: (1860-1935) founder of the U.S. Settlement House Nobel Peace Prize and one of the first American women to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Rosa Parks: (1913-2005) African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement".
- Susan B. Anthony: (1820-1906) prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States.
That's just a start. I know there's many more. The lifelong work of those women alone are worthy of historical note alone. It's HERstory!
Imagine this: national holiday to commemorate a prominent woman (or more) AND a national holiday to celebrate International Women's Day!! Wouldn't that be fabulous? :-D
I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. :-(
Sure, most people know women make up half the population, but they sure don't appreciate that fact via apathy toward violence against women, unequal pay for equal work, and myriad of other woman-unfriendly facts of life.
But I can still hope. Hope that the misogynists of the world--in particular, the religious ones who would keep girls and women brainless and backward, would realize that their hateful, narrow, controlling view of women is only keeping humanity from moving forward.
As long as there are injustices committed against women both here and abroad, and as long as I am alive and breathing, I will continue to stand up for women's rights. Women's rights are human rights. Period.
I want to live in a progressive world, not a regressive one!
Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.
~Emily Dickinson, (1830-1886) American poet
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
STOP IT!
TODAY is the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
How is it that in the 21st century one in three women will be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime, according to the United Nations? And also, according to the UN, women between the ages of 15 and 44 are at greater risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, traffic accidents, war and malaria?
Why do close-minded, religious zealots feel the need to throw acid in schoolgirls' faces? Why do the men who are "leaders" in a church establishment want to excommunicate a brave member for his open-minded respect for women? WHY are women STILL thought so little of today?
What are we women worth?
Everything! As good as any male on earth...equal as human beings, I'd say. We are all priceless. :-)
It hurts my heart every time I hear about a woman, or group of women, being violated. Abused. Harassed. Exploited. All of the above. I freeze whenever I hear the this sort of news or see it. As if I am held captive.
Either I have become more sensitive to these issues, or the ocurrence of violence has increased over the years. Certainly in war torn regions like Iraq, Afghanistan, and countries in Africa like the Democratic Republic of Congo--women have suffered acts of violence and abuse more than those living in non-conflict areas of the world.
Today, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the world (leaders) to do more to address the abuse of women and girls. Abuse of half of humanity affects all of humanity. What's the point? Power control? Threatened loss of power? What does that power mean if a leader is incapable of respecting the women and girls he OR she leads? Many women are guilty, too, of being silent. Silently accepting that women deserve to be treated like second-class citizens. I am not innocent of this.
Last month, our US President Bush declared October as National Domestic Violence Month. It looks very good what he has on paper. But I wonder how much he truly believes it, considering that he doesn't have a record of supporting women's reproductive health rights. Does he know all the facts about domestic abuse? Do YOU know? I'm still learning!
I wonder who it is who patronizes underage girls in the brothels of third world countries? No, I don't reeaaally want to know who, but those people are as guilty as the ones who deceive young women and their families with the promises of a "decent" job. It's evil what they're doing. The end of slavery never arrived. It just continues in a different form.
If people can overcome their prejudices and vote for the first African American president in history, vote in several states to allow gay marriages, and in other countries which are historically MUCH more patriarchial than ours to elect a woman to the highest office in their land, then surely, everyone can learn that violence, abuse, sexual exploitation and all that it encompasses--IS UNACCEPTABLE. Inexusable. Can't they? Can't we? Punish the wrongdoers with a zero tolerance policy. That's how I feel about it.
I hope we'll have more enlightened leaders in my lifetime. Those who could help to educate those who might have outdated ideas about women.
We are human beings, too, worthy of respect!
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
-- Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), American novelist
How is it that in the 21st century one in three women will be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime, according to the United Nations? And also, according to the UN, women between the ages of 15 and 44 are at greater risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, traffic accidents, war and malaria?
Why do close-minded, religious zealots feel the need to throw acid in schoolgirls' faces? Why do the men who are "leaders" in a church establishment want to excommunicate a brave member for his open-minded respect for women? WHY are women STILL thought so little of today?
What are we women worth?
Everything! As good as any male on earth...equal as human beings, I'd say. We are all priceless. :-)
It hurts my heart every time I hear about a woman, or group of women, being violated. Abused. Harassed. Exploited. All of the above. I freeze whenever I hear the this sort of news or see it. As if I am held captive.
Either I have become more sensitive to these issues, or the ocurrence of violence has increased over the years. Certainly in war torn regions like Iraq, Afghanistan, and countries in Africa like the Democratic Republic of Congo--women have suffered acts of violence and abuse more than those living in non-conflict areas of the world.
Today, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the world (leaders) to do more to address the abuse of women and girls. Abuse of half of humanity affects all of humanity. What's the point? Power control? Threatened loss of power? What does that power mean if a leader is incapable of respecting the women and girls he OR she leads? Many women are guilty, too, of being silent. Silently accepting that women deserve to be treated like second-class citizens. I am not innocent of this.
Last month, our US President Bush declared October as National Domestic Violence Month. It looks very good what he has on paper. But I wonder how much he truly believes it, considering that he doesn't have a record of supporting women's reproductive health rights. Does he know all the facts about domestic abuse? Do YOU know? I'm still learning!
I wonder who it is who patronizes underage girls in the brothels of third world countries? No, I don't reeaaally want to know who, but those people are as guilty as the ones who deceive young women and their families with the promises of a "decent" job. It's evil what they're doing. The end of slavery never arrived. It just continues in a different form.
If people can overcome their prejudices and vote for the first African American president in history, vote in several states to allow gay marriages, and in other countries which are historically MUCH more patriarchial than ours to elect a woman to the highest office in their land, then surely, everyone can learn that violence, abuse, sexual exploitation and all that it encompasses--IS UNACCEPTABLE. Inexusable. Can't they? Can't we? Punish the wrongdoers with a zero tolerance policy. That's how I feel about it.
I hope we'll have more enlightened leaders in my lifetime. Those who could help to educate those who might have outdated ideas about women.
We are human beings, too, worthy of respect!
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
-- Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), American novelist
Friday, November 7, 2008
One Small Step Forward for Women
This election convinced me more than ever that I will never vote for anyone, female or male, who does not represent what I value. What I believe in, and what I am willing to spend the rest of my life making a stand for.
It sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Vote your values.
I have too much self-respect and respect for the women in my family--both those who came before me, those who come after me (nieces, cousins), as well as my friends, and for the feminine half of humanity, to ever insult them with a vote for those who would so blatantly disrespect women.
If you know me or have been reading my posts in the last year, you know that I am impassioned about women's rights. Senator McCain and Governor Palin forced a lot of women to wake up and speak out. That's always a good thing! ;-)
It wouldn't have mattered if everything else they had on their platform was agreeable to me: I still could never stomach having a president who has a long record voting against women's health regarding family planning and reproductive rights for women both in the USA and abroad, has voted against funding the VAWA, the Violence Against Women Act. Furthermore, how could I have voted for someone who thinks so little of women--that he ultimately decided to put a anti-woman woman on his ticket, thinking that women would fall for it?
It's insulting, to say the least.
Women's rights: that's my number one priority. The measure I use to evaluate each candidate whom I am asked to consider to represent me for public office. Everything else is secondary. We make up more than half of humanity. We help create life and bring life into the world. Mothers are the glue of most families. But we still experience rampant sexism. And many women around the world are still being treated like second-class citizens at best, regarded as commodities to be exploited in sexual slave trafficking or in inhumane working conditions conveniently overlooked by governments and multi-national corporations.
I don't know who scares me more: him or her? The governor. Yes, definitely.
Thank goodness for blogs like Women Against Sarah Palin, for thinking women (which included women of her own party) to express their deepest fears about what might be if such a ticket of anti-women leaders were to govern our country.
She has given me every reason to dislike her. And continues to do so. You'd think she had committed a personal grievance against me the way I rant on about her, even post-election. But as I mentioned above, when I think about women's issues, I think about the women in my family, what my elders have suffered in the past, and what I don't want my nieces to have to endure in the future. Misogyny. Sexism. All the attendant harmful attitudes and actions that come along with them. I start with my family, my friends, and then I think of ALL the women around the world.
First, she dissed our president-elect (whom I didn't vote for) by mocking his background as community organizer. Those are the people who do the thankless job of trying to get everyone together, educate participants to better their community. I'm all for community improvements and social justice. Community organizers get the shit done! Even from my extremely limited experience of having to organize board members of a city orchestra to come together at a meeting (getting them to agree on the date, and sometimes, agenda) and organizing volunteers for various activities gave me a taste of what it takes to organize so many people for a common purpose.
What does the governor have to say about community organizing now that her running mate's rival will be in the White House, thanks due in part to the skills and lessons he learned so many years ago as a community organizer?
The fact that she would force rape victims to pay for their own rape kits is unimaginable to me. Is it because she is so religious and opposed to abortion and that there is (I assume) contraceptives in the kit that she doesn't want taxpayers to pay for it? And she wants the victim to go through with an unwanted pregancy from someone who violently violated her? No exception for rape or incest? How in the world can she call herself a feminist, as she answered that, yes she is, when asked by a reporter shortly before elections (she didn't seem very convincing in her tone to me!)?
The library incident was the last straw for me. That she even wanted to remove books from the PUBLIC LIBRARY that were offensive to her personal, religious beliefs was a big, red flag to me. THAT was, and is, totally unacceptable to me. I'll read whatever I please! I actually did write to reporter at the Anchorage Daily News to ask about a detail re: the letters--it seemed so high schoolish to me, and she wrote me back, saying that apparently it had been done before: sending letters of threatened termination, asking the recipient to reapply, and answer WHY they should have the job.
I don't trust anyone who would dare to censor books. It assumes people are so stupid that they can't think for themselves, especially when presented with material that offends the person or people who wish to ban the books in question. I really despise that to the marrow of my bones.
And this morning my blood was boiling! :-( On the radio news show "Democracy Now", songwriter Gretchen Peters expressed her disappointment with the governor from Alaska who used her song "Independence Day", which was recorded by singer Martina McBride in 1994, for her own campaign rally. That song is about an abused woman. A very powerful song, I might add. How ironic that the governor used it (out of context), and is for women paying for their own rape kits. Ms. Peters did the right thing: she decided to donate the royalties from that that song to Planned Parenthood during election time--in the governor's name, to help women in need. ;-b (though I wrote in a past post that I have a few issues with PP. :-()
What's next with her? Why should I care? I don't even know her, personally! However, I do think she can be very mean-spirited when she wants to be.
It is women like the governor of Alaska who scare me. Women who would set women's rights back decades. To my mind: centuries! %-( I'm keeping an eye on her, and women like her. Men, too. They shouldn't be allowed to be in public office for that reason alone...that's my personal bias. Leave your misogyny and religious beliefs at home at let people live freely!
I want to live in a progressive world, not a regressive police state. I will remain on guard until my last breath.
It sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Vote your values.
I have too much self-respect and respect for the women in my family--both those who came before me, those who come after me (nieces, cousins), as well as my friends, and for the feminine half of humanity, to ever insult them with a vote for those who would so blatantly disrespect women.
If you know me or have been reading my posts in the last year, you know that I am impassioned about women's rights. Senator McCain and Governor Palin forced a lot of women to wake up and speak out. That's always a good thing! ;-)
It wouldn't have mattered if everything else they had on their platform was agreeable to me: I still could never stomach having a president who has a long record voting against women's health regarding family planning and reproductive rights for women both in the USA and abroad, has voted against funding the VAWA, the Violence Against Women Act. Furthermore, how could I have voted for someone who thinks so little of women--that he ultimately decided to put a anti-woman woman on his ticket, thinking that women would fall for it?
It's insulting, to say the least.
Women's rights: that's my number one priority. The measure I use to evaluate each candidate whom I am asked to consider to represent me for public office. Everything else is secondary. We make up more than half of humanity. We help create life and bring life into the world. Mothers are the glue of most families. But we still experience rampant sexism. And many women around the world are still being treated like second-class citizens at best, regarded as commodities to be exploited in sexual slave trafficking or in inhumane working conditions conveniently overlooked by governments and multi-national corporations.
I don't know who scares me more: him or her? The governor. Yes, definitely.
Thank goodness for blogs like Women Against Sarah Palin, for thinking women (which included women of her own party) to express their deepest fears about what might be if such a ticket of anti-women leaders were to govern our country.
She has given me every reason to dislike her. And continues to do so. You'd think she had committed a personal grievance against me the way I rant on about her, even post-election. But as I mentioned above, when I think about women's issues, I think about the women in my family, what my elders have suffered in the past, and what I don't want my nieces to have to endure in the future. Misogyny. Sexism. All the attendant harmful attitudes and actions that come along with them. I start with my family, my friends, and then I think of ALL the women around the world.
First, she dissed our president-elect (whom I didn't vote for) by mocking his background as community organizer. Those are the people who do the thankless job of trying to get everyone together, educate participants to better their community. I'm all for community improvements and social justice. Community organizers get the shit done! Even from my extremely limited experience of having to organize board members of a city orchestra to come together at a meeting (getting them to agree on the date, and sometimes, agenda) and organizing volunteers for various activities gave me a taste of what it takes to organize so many people for a common purpose.
What does the governor have to say about community organizing now that her running mate's rival will be in the White House, thanks due in part to the skills and lessons he learned so many years ago as a community organizer?
The fact that she would force rape victims to pay for their own rape kits is unimaginable to me. Is it because she is so religious and opposed to abortion and that there is (I assume) contraceptives in the kit that she doesn't want taxpayers to pay for it? And she wants the victim to go through with an unwanted pregancy from someone who violently violated her? No exception for rape or incest? How in the world can she call herself a feminist, as she answered that, yes she is, when asked by a reporter shortly before elections (she didn't seem very convincing in her tone to me!)?
The library incident was the last straw for me. That she even wanted to remove books from the PUBLIC LIBRARY that were offensive to her personal, religious beliefs was a big, red flag to me. THAT was, and is, totally unacceptable to me. I'll read whatever I please! I actually did write to reporter at the Anchorage Daily News to ask about a detail re: the letters--it seemed so high schoolish to me, and she wrote me back, saying that apparently it had been done before: sending letters of threatened termination, asking the recipient to reapply, and answer WHY they should have the job.
I don't trust anyone who would dare to censor books. It assumes people are so stupid that they can't think for themselves, especially when presented with material that offends the person or people who wish to ban the books in question. I really despise that to the marrow of my bones.
And this morning my blood was boiling! :-( On the radio news show "Democracy Now", songwriter Gretchen Peters expressed her disappointment with the governor from Alaska who used her song "Independence Day", which was recorded by singer Martina McBride in 1994, for her own campaign rally. That song is about an abused woman. A very powerful song, I might add. How ironic that the governor used it (out of context), and is for women paying for their own rape kits. Ms. Peters did the right thing: she decided to donate the royalties from that that song to Planned Parenthood during election time--in the governor's name, to help women in need. ;-b (though I wrote in a past post that I have a few issues with PP. :-()
What's next with her? Why should I care? I don't even know her, personally! However, I do think she can be very mean-spirited when she wants to be.
It is women like the governor of Alaska who scare me. Women who would set women's rights back decades. To my mind: centuries! %-( I'm keeping an eye on her, and women like her. Men, too. They shouldn't be allowed to be in public office for that reason alone...that's my personal bias. Leave your misogyny and religious beliefs at home at let people live freely!
I want to live in a progressive world, not a regressive police state. I will remain on guard until my last breath.
| Warning |
| When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat And eat three pounds of sausages at a go Or only bread and pickle for a week And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry And pay our rent and not swear in the street And set a good example for the children. We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. Jenny Joseph, English poet (b. 1932) |
Friday, September 19, 2008
In Defense of Women's Health
I'm blazing hot! :-(
I have never signed a petition so fast and written my comments so quickly as I just did a few minutes ago.
This morning, I got an email from AlterNet.org:
Just three weeks ago, the Bush administration issued a rule that would limit the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information when they visit the doctor. It's more of the Bush administration's bad medicine, and we need your help to stop it.
This new rule could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control -- and then refuse to provide them. A woman's ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology. We have until September 25 to voice our opposition. Please, click here to help Planned Parenthood fight back by sending your comments to the Department of Health and Human Services:
And they give you a link to sign at the Planned Parenthood Action Center.
I have a few issues with Planned Parenthood, but this is too great for me to ignore. This is the template letter that the public can send to the Department of Health and Human Services:
I am writing to oppose the so-called "conscience" rule recently submitted by Secretary Leavitt. This regulation poses a serious threat to women's health care by limiting the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate health information and services.
At a time when more and more families are uninsured and under economic assault, we find our health care system is in crisis and our president taking steps to deny access to basic care. Women's ability to manage their own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology.
I was, and am, so outraged, I had to add my own thoughts:
And religion. This is like the Taliban: totally disrespectful of women. Think about the women in YOUR family for a moment. This rule has no "conscience"; it has no regard for the health of half of humanity. Some women need birth control for health reasons not related to preventing births but directly related to reproductive health. Would YOU deny something to your SONS, BROTHERS, FATHERS, and HUSBANDS if they needed something necessary for health maintenance? You certainly didn't turn a blind eye away from Viagra.
Don't be two-faced. Women are human beings, as worthy as men, not some commodity to be controlled by the religious and political ideologies of a few.
If the concern is abortion, banning access to contraceptives is not the answer. That is nothing but denying women their dignity and their health. It is INSULTING your mother, grandmother and ALL the women who came before them, and after them.
I haven't written this fast since the day I accidentally erased something off an ancient computer 20 years ago on the job and the executive director needed what I had just erased for a meeting she was attending. She needed it about 10 minutes. I re-produced the document it in 12 (not a bad memory, eh?), but when she left, my back was wet with sweat! %-0
I think I need to write more so I'll be a better writer. Be a better activist. Be better all-around.
There's always room for improvement. ;-)
I have never signed a petition so fast and written my comments so quickly as I just did a few minutes ago.
This morning, I got an email from AlterNet.org:
Just three weeks ago, the Bush administration issued a rule that would limit the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information when they visit the doctor. It's more of the Bush administration's bad medicine, and we need your help to stop it.
This new rule could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control -- and then refuse to provide them. A woman's ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology. We have until September 25 to voice our opposition. Please, click here to help Planned Parenthood fight back by sending your comments to the Department of Health and Human Services:
And they give you a link to sign at the Planned Parenthood Action Center.
I have a few issues with Planned Parenthood, but this is too great for me to ignore. This is the template letter that the public can send to the Department of Health and Human Services:
I am writing to oppose the so-called "conscience" rule recently submitted by Secretary Leavitt. This regulation poses a serious threat to women's health care by limiting the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate health information and services.
At a time when more and more families are uninsured and under economic assault, we find our health care system is in crisis and our president taking steps to deny access to basic care. Women's ability to manage their own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology.
I was, and am, so outraged, I had to add my own thoughts:
And religion. This is like the Taliban: totally disrespectful of women. Think about the women in YOUR family for a moment. This rule has no "conscience"; it has no regard for the health of half of humanity. Some women need birth control for health reasons not related to preventing births but directly related to reproductive health. Would YOU deny something to your SONS, BROTHERS, FATHERS, and HUSBANDS if they needed something necessary for health maintenance? You certainly didn't turn a blind eye away from Viagra.
Don't be two-faced. Women are human beings, as worthy as men, not some commodity to be controlled by the religious and political ideologies of a few.
If the concern is abortion, banning access to contraceptives is not the answer. That is nothing but denying women their dignity and their health. It is INSULTING your mother, grandmother and ALL the women who came before them, and after them.
I haven't written this fast since the day I accidentally erased something off an ancient computer 20 years ago on the job and the executive director needed what I had just erased for a meeting she was attending. She needed it about 10 minutes. I re-produced the document it in 12 (not a bad memory, eh?), but when she left, my back was wet with sweat! %-0
I think I need to write more so I'll be a better writer. Be a better activist. Be better all-around.
There's always room for improvement. ;-)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Burning Up!
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
--Amendment I, Bill of Rights
I should be a pile of ashes from all the things that have been burning me up lately.
Things like independent journalists being brutally treated by police outside the Republican National Convention (and, I'm sure, the Democratic National Convention last week). Are they criminals? I don't think so! :-( Just listen to Democracy Now! and get a glimpse of the real world outside the political conventions.
The comments from the veteran groups (Iraq & Afghanistan, Vietnam) have been the most stirring...and shocking, in their sharing of their experiences.
I can't believe that last week, and likely, this week, protesters were confined to a caged area, like animals. Their area was designated as the "free speech area"! It all sounds like something that would be happening in a country like Myanmar/Burma, or some other developing country where human rights are ignored and scoffed at.
Police roughed up, detained, and arrested Democracy Now! staff and other journalists in the past few days, invading the places they were staying at (presumably without a warrant), and taking some of their equipment and/or taking the batteries out of their equipment. :-(( The NSA (National Security Adminstration) personnel stripped the journalists of their media passes into the RNC building. Literally ripped them off their necks. Is someone or some governing or corporate entity trying to hide something so as to prevent news from reaching people outside the convention? Interesting how the journalists and protesters are open and willing to speak the truth, and the opposing forces are brutal and secretive by not telling why their press passes are being taken or even if they will be returned or not.
All this excessive police force is very chilling, and counter-productive to what I thought they were supposed to do: maintain law and order. That sort of behavior will sow mistrust between law enforcement and the citizens on a regular everyday basis. Why go after journalists whose job is to report what is going on, and hopefully, bring the truth to the citizens?
I hope the protests will become increasingly LOUDER as the week goes on, and all the way to election day in November!
Normally, I don't care a fig for politics, though one might think I ought to since political science was my minor, and communication (with emphasis in print journalism) was my major in college. But this year, it's hard to avoid! And with my increasing interest in women's issues and everything related to it, I feel it is my responsibility to pay attention to what elected representatives are going to say because it is my future and everyone else's they're talking about!
I absolutely do not want an anti-women, war-mongering president in our White House. Not at all.
Last night, I read a New York Times article on the G.O.P.'s stance on abortion: they do not even allow exceptions for rape, incest, or the mother's health! So it won't bother them to have thousands of women die from back-alley abortions as in the decades (centuries?) before Roe vs. Wade?
Women are human beings, not pieces of property whose sole duty is supposedly to pump out puppies. It's THEIR choice how to live their lives. Uncle Sam should not enter a woman's womb, especially if he does not intend to go after the guy who fucked her up in the first place, literally and figuratively. :-(
Why is the burden always placed on the woman? Why is it only her fault for becoming pregnant? Is she really responsible for his uncontrollable, raging hormones?!
Between hearing about women-unfriendly stances by one party and the excessive police force against innocent journalists and peaceful protesters, I feel like we really are living in an Orwellian police state. 1984 was the scariest novel I've ever read, and I've read it more than once. In recent years, some unsuspecting citizens have found that if you say or write something criticizing Uncle Sam, or even participate in a peaceful protest, you could find yourself on the government's No Fly List.
All in the name of security? What about our civil liberties? When has might ever made right? I wonder if the people in charge ever heard of Ben Franklin, who wrote:
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
My wish is to live and prosper in a free, progressive country, not a regressive, police-state-like one! If my name were ever to show up on some godforsaken list, I would be even more determined to defend my civil liberties and those of my fellow citizens. Tooth and nail.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
--Amendment IV, Bill of Rights
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sexism Sells, But I'm Not Buying It
Do you not know I am a woman? when I think, I must speak. ~William Shakespeare, As You Like It
Recently, I added my name to The Women's Media Center's campaign Sexism Sells, But We're Not Buying It, a video and online petition campaign illustrating the pervasive nature of sexism in the media’s coverage.
The WMC meets with executives to share their concerns, and also welcomes its members to contribute their comments--which they also share with the top dogs. Today, I felt compelled to give them my thoughts:
* * * *
I believe the progress of a nation can be measured by how it treats its women. Based on recent and current media coverage of Senator Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Cindy McCain, we have a long ways to go.
Women make up half of humanity. And yet we are still greatly disrespected both here and abroad. Sexism in media coverage only serves to infect the public's mind that they should devalue women. Even the smallest, dumbest, most trivial comments can go a long way in keeping humanity from progressing forward.
WHY can't the media give as much attention to a woman's achievements as it does to her dress, hair, makeup, laugh quality, and other non-important details? WHY are you, the media, so afraid to view a woman as a strong, smart, human being? When a woman expresses her opinions in a forceful way, she's jumped upon by critics in the media--as well as presented in an almost disdainful manner. She's regarded as a bitch because those who report her comments when she speaks her mind aleady present her in a negative light, consciously or subconciously, due to their own biases.
I find it rather ironic that there are, and have been, women leaders of much more traditionally patriarchial nations; maybe their media doesn't have the luxury of wasting a lot of time on picking apart trivial details of a female candidate or the wives of presidential candidates.
Does the American media REALLY think the public cares about the way Senator Clinton laughs? What color her pantsuit is that she has on today? HOW does it KNOW that Mrs. Obama is an angry black woman? WHY does the country NEED to know about Mrs. McCain's assets or inheritance?
It seems to me there is a lot of anti-woman sentiment in the media and our government. As I stated in the beginning, I believe the progress of a nation can be measured by how it treats its women.
Recently, I added my name to The Women's Media Center's campaign Sexism Sells, But We're Not Buying It, a video and online petition campaign illustrating the pervasive nature of sexism in the media’s coverage.
The WMC meets with executives to share their concerns, and also welcomes its members to contribute their comments--which they also share with the top dogs. Today, I felt compelled to give them my thoughts:
* * * *
I believe the progress of a nation can be measured by how it treats its women. Based on recent and current media coverage of Senator Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Cindy McCain, we have a long ways to go.
Women make up half of humanity. And yet we are still greatly disrespected both here and abroad. Sexism in media coverage only serves to infect the public's mind that they should devalue women. Even the smallest, dumbest, most trivial comments can go a long way in keeping humanity from progressing forward.
WHY can't the media give as much attention to a woman's achievements as it does to her dress, hair, makeup, laugh quality, and other non-important details? WHY are you, the media, so afraid to view a woman as a strong, smart, human being? When a woman expresses her opinions in a forceful way, she's jumped upon by critics in the media--as well as presented in an almost disdainful manner. She's regarded as a bitch because those who report her comments when she speaks her mind aleady present her in a negative light, consciously or subconciously, due to their own biases.
I find it rather ironic that there are, and have been, women leaders of much more traditionally patriarchial nations; maybe their media doesn't have the luxury of wasting a lot of time on picking apart trivial details of a female candidate or the wives of presidential candidates.
Does the American media REALLY think the public cares about the way Senator Clinton laughs? What color her pantsuit is that she has on today? HOW does it KNOW that Mrs. Obama is an angry black woman? WHY does the country NEED to know about Mrs. McCain's assets or inheritance?
It seems to me there is a lot of anti-woman sentiment in the media and our government. As I stated in the beginning, I believe the progress of a nation can be measured by how it treats its women.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Fuzzy Leggies Reign Supreme
Summer is the time to expose ourselves. Our bodies. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
But isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder??
My fuzzy (hairy!) leggies have been the object of hard, sometimes hostile stares from both men and women over the years. I imagine that they must think of them as horribly unsightly, or that I'm a lesbian, as if either of those are some sort of felony. :-(
What do I care what others think anyway? I've got better things to do with my time! I regret I fell to peer pressure in high school and regularly shaved them (what a pain in the ass!) to fit in. Shaving legs was a high maintenance job for me. I hated it. After 10th grade, when I wasn't required to take P.E. anymore, that was IT. I stopped shaving my legs and armpits. And haven't done it since. Well, maybe a few more years shaving under the arms, but that was still a nuisance, and not done often.
Hair is a natural part of the body. I just happen to blessed with more of it on my legs. My man likes my legs just like they are! ;-b Besides, he would be gravely disappointed with me if I were to shave my legs: I'd be wasting my time kowtowing to society's idea of "beauty" when I could be doing something more productive with my time, like enhancing my brain activity through reading or writing. I wouldn't be me if I shaved my leggies, he tells me.
It is sometimes difficult to bear the stares of others when I go out and about in shorts every summer. But I try to regard it as a sort of character building test: ignore the stares! be yourself! And I admit: I am rather envious of those women who have little hair or whose hair is so light it doesn't show much, and thus, there's no need for them to shave. Yet at the end of the day, I am still glad to be me! ;-)
What am I thinking when people stare or glare at my legs? Exactly this:
The good, the bad, and the ugly. Hmm...that was a good movie! But when those adjectives are used together, it best fits describing peoples' character traits, rather than physical traits. Do physical traits have any value? Maybe as far as health and fitness are concerned, but beyond that, it seems all vanity and Hollywood to me. That a stranger would stare at my fuzzy leggies says more about her/him than me, I'd say. In terms of character traits, their disdain borders on ugly.
Can I consider myself a liberated woman, then, for refusing to bend to society's ideas of beauty? I think I ought to, self-proclaimed feminist that I am. :-) It is liberating not to follow the crowd! My skin is fair, my hair is black. And my hairy legs are the most blatant, public, and physical aspect of my nonconformity, even if the public only sees them three months of the year. (I do have to protect them in the cold months. ;-)) Oh yeah, I've got pretty bushy eyebrows, too. I do tweeze them occasionally as they are more visible, so perhaps my vanity gets in the way there. And I've got hairy arms, as well (don't get lost in the forest!). I certainly don't shave them!
Others have written about hairy legs, online: Hairy-legged feminist wrote some wise words about them, and an Ask Yahoo! person answered the question to "When and why did women start shaving their legs?" Blame advertisers! Or insecure women.
The hairy women I've seen in public seem not to be bothered by their fuzziness. Why should they be? If they were concerned, they wouldn't let the public see their hairiness. Which leads me to believe they've accepted themselves, and say to hell with those who are disturbed by it! To me, they seem more natural human beings--and perhaps more true to themselves, rather than those flowing out of the tanning salons.
I am who I am. Proud of it, too. ;-) And if my honey likes me and my parts just how they are, then so be it. What reason on earth is there to remove the hair on my legs or any other part on my body? What kind of message would I be sending to myself if decided to suddenly start shaving again? If I did that, I feel I would be devaluing myself, going against what I believe in--that I should be true to myself; I'd really fall prey to Madison Avenue (advertising), and become weak-willed because I'd have caved in to society's expectations of what women's beauty should be.
There's no way I can do that to myself. Absolutely not.
Besides, I've read that there are men out there who think hairy women are sexier! :-)
--Francis Bacon, Sr. (1561-1626)
English lawyer, philosopher
But isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder??
My fuzzy (hairy!) leggies have been the object of hard, sometimes hostile stares from both men and women over the years. I imagine that they must think of them as horribly unsightly, or that I'm a lesbian, as if either of those are some sort of felony. :-(
What do I care what others think anyway? I've got better things to do with my time! I regret I fell to peer pressure in high school and regularly shaved them (what a pain in the ass!) to fit in. Shaving legs was a high maintenance job for me. I hated it. After 10th grade, when I wasn't required to take P.E. anymore, that was IT. I stopped shaving my legs and armpits. And haven't done it since. Well, maybe a few more years shaving under the arms, but that was still a nuisance, and not done often.
Hair is a natural part of the body. I just happen to blessed with more of it on my legs. My man likes my legs just like they are! ;-b Besides, he would be gravely disappointed with me if I were to shave my legs: I'd be wasting my time kowtowing to society's idea of "beauty" when I could be doing something more productive with my time, like enhancing my brain activity through reading or writing. I wouldn't be me if I shaved my leggies, he tells me.
It is sometimes difficult to bear the stares of others when I go out and about in shorts every summer. But I try to regard it as a sort of character building test: ignore the stares! be yourself! And I admit: I am rather envious of those women who have little hair or whose hair is so light it doesn't show much, and thus, there's no need for them to shave. Yet at the end of the day, I am still glad to be me! ;-)
What am I thinking when people stare or glare at my legs? Exactly this:
- What the hell are you looking at them for?
- Do you look at everyone's legs?
- If they look that bad to you, don't look!
- And for crying out loud, why are you being so shallow? :-(
- Don't you know that a person's character traits are much more important than her physical traits?
The good, the bad, and the ugly. Hmm...that was a good movie! But when those adjectives are used together, it best fits describing peoples' character traits, rather than physical traits. Do physical traits have any value? Maybe as far as health and fitness are concerned, but beyond that, it seems all vanity and Hollywood to me. That a stranger would stare at my fuzzy leggies says more about her/him than me, I'd say. In terms of character traits, their disdain borders on ugly.
Can I consider myself a liberated woman, then, for refusing to bend to society's ideas of beauty? I think I ought to, self-proclaimed feminist that I am. :-) It is liberating not to follow the crowd! My skin is fair, my hair is black. And my hairy legs are the most blatant, public, and physical aspect of my nonconformity, even if the public only sees them three months of the year. (I do have to protect them in the cold months. ;-)) Oh yeah, I've got pretty bushy eyebrows, too. I do tweeze them occasionally as they are more visible, so perhaps my vanity gets in the way there. And I've got hairy arms, as well (don't get lost in the forest!). I certainly don't shave them!
Others have written about hairy legs, online: Hairy-legged feminist wrote some wise words about them, and an Ask Yahoo! person answered the question to "When and why did women start shaving their legs?" Blame advertisers! Or insecure women.
The hairy women I've seen in public seem not to be bothered by their fuzziness. Why should they be? If they were concerned, they wouldn't let the public see their hairiness. Which leads me to believe they've accepted themselves, and say to hell with those who are disturbed by it! To me, they seem more natural human beings--and perhaps more true to themselves, rather than those flowing out of the tanning salons.
I am who I am. Proud of it, too. ;-) And if my honey likes me and my parts just how they are, then so be it. What reason on earth is there to remove the hair on my legs or any other part on my body? What kind of message would I be sending to myself if decided to suddenly start shaving again? If I did that, I feel I would be devaluing myself, going against what I believe in--that I should be true to myself; I'd really fall prey to Madison Avenue (advertising), and become weak-willed because I'd have caved in to society's expectations of what women's beauty should be.
There's no way I can do that to myself. Absolutely not.
Besides, I've read that there are men out there who think hairy women are sexier! :-)
“The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.”
--Francis Bacon, Sr. (1561-1626)
English lawyer, philosopher
Saturday, March 8, 2008
International Women's Day is TODAY!
Mother Nature is howling outside. Up to 40 mph, according to weather.com. Or 65 mph, if I am to believe the radio announcer.
Methinks it's a sign that she's not altogether pleased with the status of women around the world today. ;-0
And today, March 8, is International Women's Day: "the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future."
Oh, I know it's wishful thinking on my part to connect Mother Nature's whims and the status of women, but I find it fitting and convenient on this important day. A day where we can celebrate the women in our lives and the many strides women have made the world over, as well as to be acutely aware of the injustices committed against women, often with impunity.
I think about my mom and my sister, who have given me so much love and guidance in my life (even if sometimes didn't appreciate it at the time!). I appreciate that they continue to share with me their wisdom, humor, sorrow and everything in between. And I know that I have derived some of my inner strength from them, having watched them endure some of their own struggles while I was growing up. I only have one mom and one sister, so, I don't want to share with you too much how special they are, lest I make anyone abnormally envious. ;-)
Mom and sis, cheers to YOU!
And while I'm at it, let me say cheers to my mil and sils, too. :-)
IWD is an official holiday in some countries: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. According to the IWD webpage, "The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers."
I didn't even know this day of recognition for women existed until last year! Worldwide, from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and across America, there have been all sorts of events to celebrate the achievements of women, and also recognize the need for women to have equal access to education, work, pay, legal and basic human rights.
Violence against women is the main thing that makes my blood boil. It's something I've seen and experienced myself (if you include verbal abuse). It pierces my heart and makes me cry every time I hear or read something on the news about women being violated. :-( Doesn't matter if it's the hundreds of thousands of women who have been raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo or a college student who was attacked near the university a mile away...it's a violation against humanity. One act of violence affects not only the victim, but those around her: family, friends, and community.
You may recall in another post that many years ago I had befriended a woman who had been raped at gunpoint while in college. I observed how she and her family interacted with each other, as well as how she interacted with my friends, who tried to be a friend to her. In a nutshell, it seemed always to be an uneasy relationship with all involved; we just never knew when she was going to explode. I don't know that all rape victims respond to life the same as she did, but I realized how an act of violence on just one person can adversely affect everyone around her. :-(
During the 2000 census, the United Nations Population Fund published a sobering report on Violence on Women and Girls and recognized it as a major health and human rights concern. These issues of gender-based violence and all that it wreaks upon the lives of women still exist, unfortunately; otherwise, they would not need to be mentioned anymore.
On a brighter note, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon last month launched a multi-year campaign to end violence against women. :-) Moreover, at the UN commemoration of International Women's Day, he called for greater investment in women and girls (IWD's theme this year) to help further economic growth and advance development. He sounds like forward-thinking leader...I hope so.
Women are half of humanity! I love reading about women in power and/or of influence, which may include writers and artists. :-)
The women in history whose biographies and autobiographies I've read have struck a chord within me; they were independent-minded and often went against the grain--they defied societal expectations and trusted their gut in pursuing their goals. For that, I admire them greatly.
I've read about many influential women over the years, and am sure to read many more in my entire lifetime. :-) The women who have made a deep and lasting impression on me are: Hildegard of Bingen, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and most recently--Simone de Beauvoir (my favorite!).
I'll bet there's a Simone, Hildegard, Harriet and an Eleanor lurking in the shadows of the oppressed women and girls on this planet Earth who are starving for an education. They deserve to have basic human rights, legal rights, educational and work opportunities, and freedom from fear of violence with impunity, as many women in the western world enjoy today. They deserve to have choices. Their leaders and communities just haven't given them a chance...yet.
May it be in my lifetime. :-)
Cheers to all the women of the world, wherever you are!
* * * * *
Methinks it's a sign that she's not altogether pleased with the status of women around the world today. ;-0
And today, March 8, is International Women's Day: "the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future."
Oh, I know it's wishful thinking on my part to connect Mother Nature's whims and the status of women, but I find it fitting and convenient on this important day. A day where we can celebrate the women in our lives and the many strides women have made the world over, as well as to be acutely aware of the injustices committed against women, often with impunity.
I think about my mom and my sister, who have given me so much love and guidance in my life (even if sometimes didn't appreciate it at the time!). I appreciate that they continue to share with me their wisdom, humor, sorrow and everything in between. And I know that I have derived some of my inner strength from them, having watched them endure some of their own struggles while I was growing up. I only have one mom and one sister, so, I don't want to share with you too much how special they are, lest I make anyone abnormally envious. ;-)
Mom and sis, cheers to YOU!
And while I'm at it, let me say cheers to my mil and sils, too. :-)
IWD is an official holiday in some countries: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. According to the IWD webpage, "The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers."
I didn't even know this day of recognition for women existed until last year! Worldwide, from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and across America, there have been all sorts of events to celebrate the achievements of women, and also recognize the need for women to have equal access to education, work, pay, legal and basic human rights.
Violence against women is the main thing that makes my blood boil. It's something I've seen and experienced myself (if you include verbal abuse). It pierces my heart and makes me cry every time I hear or read something on the news about women being violated. :-( Doesn't matter if it's the hundreds of thousands of women who have been raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo or a college student who was attacked near the university a mile away...it's a violation against humanity. One act of violence affects not only the victim, but those around her: family, friends, and community.
You may recall in another post that many years ago I had befriended a woman who had been raped at gunpoint while in college. I observed how she and her family interacted with each other, as well as how she interacted with my friends, who tried to be a friend to her. In a nutshell, it seemed always to be an uneasy relationship with all involved; we just never knew when she was going to explode. I don't know that all rape victims respond to life the same as she did, but I realized how an act of violence on just one person can adversely affect everyone around her. :-(
During the 2000 census, the United Nations Population Fund published a sobering report on Violence on Women and Girls and recognized it as a major health and human rights concern. These issues of gender-based violence and all that it wreaks upon the lives of women still exist, unfortunately; otherwise, they would not need to be mentioned anymore.
On a brighter note, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon last month launched a multi-year campaign to end violence against women. :-) Moreover, at the UN commemoration of International Women's Day, he called for greater investment in women and girls (IWD's theme this year) to help further economic growth and advance development. He sounds like forward-thinking leader...I hope so.
Women are half of humanity! I love reading about women in power and/or of influence, which may include writers and artists. :-)
The women in history whose biographies and autobiographies I've read have struck a chord within me; they were independent-minded and often went against the grain--they defied societal expectations and trusted their gut in pursuing their goals. For that, I admire them greatly.
I've read about many influential women over the years, and am sure to read many more in my entire lifetime. :-) The women who have made a deep and lasting impression on me are: Hildegard of Bingen, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and most recently--Simone de Beauvoir (my favorite!).
I'll bet there's a Simone, Hildegard, Harriet and an Eleanor lurking in the shadows of the oppressed women and girls on this planet Earth who are starving for an education. They deserve to have basic human rights, legal rights, educational and work opportunities, and freedom from fear of violence with impunity, as many women in the western world enjoy today. They deserve to have choices. Their leaders and communities just haven't given them a chance...yet.
May it be in my lifetime. :-)
Cheers to all the women of the world, wherever you are!
* * * * *
The Laughter Of Women by Lisel Mueller
The laughter of women sets fire
to the Halls of Injustice
and the false evidence burns
to a beautiful white lightness
It rattles the Chambers of Congress
and forces the windows wide open
so the fatuous speeches can fly out
The laughter of women wipes the mist
from the spectacles of the old;
it infects them with a happy flu
and they laugh as if they were young again
Prisoners held in underground cells
imagine that they see daylight
when they remember the laughter of women
It runs across water that divides,
and reconciles two unfriendly shores
like flares that signal the news to each other
What a language it is, the laughter of women,
high-flying and subversive.
Long before law and scripture
we heard the laughter, we understood freedom.
to the Halls of Injustice
and the false evidence burns
to a beautiful white lightness
It rattles the Chambers of Congress
and forces the windows wide open
so the fatuous speeches can fly out
The laughter of women wipes the mist
from the spectacles of the old;
it infects them with a happy flu
and they laugh as if they were young again
Prisoners held in underground cells
imagine that they see daylight
when they remember the laughter of women
It runs across water that divides,
and reconciles two unfriendly shores
like flares that signal the news to each other
What a language it is, the laughter of women,
high-flying and subversive.
Long before law and scripture
we heard the laughter, we understood freedom.
 |
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Happy 100th Birthday, Simone de Beauvoir!
I remained faithful to my declared intention of turning all that life imposed on me to my own purposes.
--from The Prime of Life, by Simone de Beauvoir
Today is your 100th birthday, Simone! Joyeux anniversaire!
How I wish you were alive today. I will write this as if you are, because I feel you are alive, in spirit. In my mind and in my soul. :-)
In the last six months, since I began reading the first volume of your autobiographies, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, you have possessed me.
Revolutionized my thinking. Caused me to want to read everything you wrote. Deepened my convictions about the need for gender equality. Broadened my understanding of the place of women in history as well as what it means to be a woman. Convinced me of the importance of lifelong study of issues important to me, thus becoming more strongly independent-minded. Inspired me to not be afraid of anything: go after what I believe in, go after what I want, and not be bothered by what other people think...to keep an open, inquiring mind.
You have ignited my passion concerning women's issues!
I have been inspired by some great male thinkers in history, but to feel energized by a great female thinker and doer such as yourself brings inspiration to a whole new dimension! Men cannot hope to understand everything, especially about women--because they are not women! The world needs more women like you.
I hope that there will come a day in my lifetime that women such as yourself will not be a rarity. That the bright women today are no longer hidden in the masses. When both women and men will respect brilliant women and be inspired by them, not threatened or intimidated by them. Nor be reduced to saying stupid, sarcastic, and offensive things about women who have their own mind. Things like: a woman is something less of a woman if she is not a mother, doesn't have a man in her life, or has too much ambition in her career pursuits. Or that she must be frigid because of any of the aforementioned things.
Things haven't changed that much for women since The Second Sex published nearly 60 years ago, or maybe even the last 22 years since you departed this earth. Sure, there have been improvements in varying degrees, especially since the feminist movement of the 70's. But it's not enough. If it were, we wouldn't have the problems tied to gender inequality we have today that have been around for a long time: domestic violence, violence against women with impunity, the spread of AIDS--especially among women and girls in developing countries, sex trafficking, pay inequality, etc.
Research shows that gender inequality is the root of many ages-old and newer problems mentioned above. Anyone can find detailed information on this on the internet; the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a great place to start, and discover what research leading to progressive policy changes is happening around the world today.
I have become obsessed now with reading everything you wrote! I hope to accomplish this in 2008...you were quite prolific! Few writers have had the effect of causing me to want to read everything they wrote, so consider yourself lucky. ;-) A few of them you've read: Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Dickens, and Shakespeare. I've read all but one of the first's popular novels, the two major ones of the second, and working on the third, thanks to a recent Christmas gift from my dear mother in-law. The last, I also love, but I consider him the most challenging, so I don't feel as time-pressed to read everything!
The other writer you probably don't know, since most of her work was published after your passing: Banana Yoshimoto, from Japan. The only person whose work I've read entirely thus far. It's only fitting that she's a woman, isn't it? Women first! ;-)
So far, I've read your first two autobiographical volumes, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (which got me hooked on your work from the start) and The Prime of Life (which hooked me even more), The Ethics of Ambiguity (which I need to reread after I read a primer on philosophy since I remember nothing from my intro class 20+ years ago, and I was not entirely awake when I read it), and The Second Sex (I LOVE it).
I cannot do justice to The Second Sex in describing it to others. Many have written about it, but I think you expressed your thoughts on your very own work the best, when you wrote about it in your third autobiographical volume, Force of Circumstance--which I haven't read and am going on the word of the site where I found it, and which I must share with the world: On the Publication of The Second Sex.
What I have done in your honor is to read everything you wrote, read as much as I can on feminism and women's issues from as many viewpoints as possible so that when the day comes when I decide to open my mouth publicly and/or write as prolificly as you did (at least, in spirit!), I will have a clue as to what I'm talking about.
So you see, you need not worry that I'm blindly and slavishly reading only your work! I've only just begun my quest to reach out to others' work. I have read Gloria Steinem and bell hooks. hooks, who doesn't use capital letters when writing her name, wrote a very cool primer/handbook: Feminism is for Everybody. In it, she provided a very clear and straightforward definition of feminism that everyone can embrace:
Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.
Who can disagree with that, except those who are the most close-minded, insecure, and ignorant?!
And since I'm such a devotee of yours, I'm leaving reviews on amazon.com for each work of yours I read. It may not be the most well-written among the others, but a lot of respect, admiration and love went into reading your work, writing about it, and sharing it. A good site where others can find out more about you is The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Or for a fresh (and shorter) look at your life, Spiegel Online International published a wonderful article in honor of your 100th birthday, today. ;-)
You've become my mentor in spirit, my inspiration to reach for higher achievements, and my heroine, because of what you represented: you were your own woman, you did what you wanted to do on your own terms, you were seemingly unafraid to do anything in life--including challenging men, and helping countless women. Myself included.
The quote I put at the beginning of this dedication to you is forever seared into my memory. I turn to it whenever I am in doubt, or feel weighted down by illness, or by life circumstances. I reflect on it when I'm in good spirits as well. It gives me a big boost!
If I was writing this 25 years ago, I could maybe write something coherent to you in French, with five years of study under my belt...fractured French! Then I'd be too embarrassed to send it to you! But I barely knew you existed then. :-(
Fortunately, I know about you, NOW. :-)
I can only imagine the amount of work you might have produced had you lived at least until today, your 100th birthday, and in the internet age, no less!
Merci beaucoup, Simone. Et bon anniversaire!
--from The Prime of Life, by Simone de Beauvoir
Today is your 100th birthday, Simone! Joyeux anniversaire!
How I wish you were alive today. I will write this as if you are, because I feel you are alive, in spirit. In my mind and in my soul. :-)
In the last six months, since I began reading the first volume of your autobiographies, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, you have possessed me.
Revolutionized my thinking. Caused me to want to read everything you wrote. Deepened my convictions about the need for gender equality. Broadened my understanding of the place of women in history as well as what it means to be a woman. Convinced me of the importance of lifelong study of issues important to me, thus becoming more strongly independent-minded. Inspired me to not be afraid of anything: go after what I believe in, go after what I want, and not be bothered by what other people think...to keep an open, inquiring mind.
You have ignited my passion concerning women's issues!
I have been inspired by some great male thinkers in history, but to feel energized by a great female thinker and doer such as yourself brings inspiration to a whole new dimension! Men cannot hope to understand everything, especially about women--because they are not women! The world needs more women like you.
I hope that there will come a day in my lifetime that women such as yourself will not be a rarity. That the bright women today are no longer hidden in the masses. When both women and men will respect brilliant women and be inspired by them, not threatened or intimidated by them. Nor be reduced to saying stupid, sarcastic, and offensive things about women who have their own mind. Things like: a woman is something less of a woman if she is not a mother, doesn't have a man in her life, or has too much ambition in her career pursuits. Or that she must be frigid because of any of the aforementioned things.
Things haven't changed that much for women since The Second Sex published nearly 60 years ago, or maybe even the last 22 years since you departed this earth. Sure, there have been improvements in varying degrees, especially since the feminist movement of the 70's. But it's not enough. If it were, we wouldn't have the problems tied to gender inequality we have today that have been around for a long time: domestic violence, violence against women with impunity, the spread of AIDS--especially among women and girls in developing countries, sex trafficking, pay inequality, etc.
Research shows that gender inequality is the root of many ages-old and newer problems mentioned above. Anyone can find detailed information on this on the internet; the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) is a great place to start, and discover what research leading to progressive policy changes is happening around the world today.
I have become obsessed now with reading everything you wrote! I hope to accomplish this in 2008...you were quite prolific! Few writers have had the effect of causing me to want to read everything they wrote, so consider yourself lucky. ;-) A few of them you've read: Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Dickens, and Shakespeare. I've read all but one of the first's popular novels, the two major ones of the second, and working on the third, thanks to a recent Christmas gift from my dear mother in-law. The last, I also love, but I consider him the most challenging, so I don't feel as time-pressed to read everything!
The other writer you probably don't know, since most of her work was published after your passing: Banana Yoshimoto, from Japan. The only person whose work I've read entirely thus far. It's only fitting that she's a woman, isn't it? Women first! ;-)
So far, I've read your first two autobiographical volumes, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (which got me hooked on your work from the start) and The Prime of Life (which hooked me even more), The Ethics of Ambiguity (which I need to reread after I read a primer on philosophy since I remember nothing from my intro class 20+ years ago, and I was not entirely awake when I read it), and The Second Sex (I LOVE it).
I cannot do justice to The Second Sex in describing it to others. Many have written about it, but I think you expressed your thoughts on your very own work the best, when you wrote about it in your third autobiographical volume, Force of Circumstance--which I haven't read and am going on the word of the site where I found it, and which I must share with the world: On the Publication of The Second Sex.
What I have done in your honor is to read everything you wrote, read as much as I can on feminism and women's issues from as many viewpoints as possible so that when the day comes when I decide to open my mouth publicly and/or write as prolificly as you did (at least, in spirit!), I will have a clue as to what I'm talking about.
So you see, you need not worry that I'm blindly and slavishly reading only your work! I've only just begun my quest to reach out to others' work. I have read Gloria Steinem and bell hooks. hooks, who doesn't use capital letters when writing her name, wrote a very cool primer/handbook: Feminism is for Everybody. In it, she provided a very clear and straightforward definition of feminism that everyone can embrace:
Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.
Who can disagree with that, except those who are the most close-minded, insecure, and ignorant?!
And since I'm such a devotee of yours, I'm leaving reviews on amazon.com for each work of yours I read. It may not be the most well-written among the others, but a lot of respect, admiration and love went into reading your work, writing about it, and sharing it. A good site where others can find out more about you is The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Or for a fresh (and shorter) look at your life, Spiegel Online International published a wonderful article in honor of your 100th birthday, today. ;-)
You've become my mentor in spirit, my inspiration to reach for higher achievements, and my heroine, because of what you represented: you were your own woman, you did what you wanted to do on your own terms, you were seemingly unafraid to do anything in life--including challenging men, and helping countless women. Myself included.
The quote I put at the beginning of this dedication to you is forever seared into my memory. I turn to it whenever I am in doubt, or feel weighted down by illness, or by life circumstances. I reflect on it when I'm in good spirits as well. It gives me a big boost!
If I was writing this 25 years ago, I could maybe write something coherent to you in French, with five years of study under my belt...fractured French! Then I'd be too embarrassed to send it to you! But I barely knew you existed then. :-(
Fortunately, I know about you, NOW. :-)
I can only imagine the amount of work you might have produced had you lived at least until today, your 100th birthday, and in the internet age, no less!
Merci beaucoup, Simone. Et bon anniversaire!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Give Women a Higher Status Than Dogs
I cannot get an article I read the other night out of my head:
"Beat a Woman? Play on; Beat a Dog? You're Gone" , by Sandra Kobrin, from Women e-News.
It made my blood BOIL!
Please read it: it's well-written and ought to be on the front pages of every paper on earth.
Animal abuse is certainly inexcusable. What's the point? :-(( It's just wrong, let alone inhumane. But why do people seem to get more huffed up about a football star involved in high stakes dog fighting (and death) than some star athlete who gets arrested for spousal abuse or beating up a girlfriend?
Does this mean women are STILL second class citizens in the 21st century? In America, the most free country in the world?
That appears to be so, judging from indifference of popular media and popular national sports organizations.
I never have paid much attention to sports/sports news, except during the Olympics, which I enjoy watching. :-) But I cannot relate to what seems to be contrived aggression, or just all out uncontrolled tempers on the playing field. I am mainly targeting men here, since they are usually the ones who get in trouble during any sort of sport...that's not to say that women are incapable of being nasty to one another--but you rarely, if ever, hear about female athletes beating up the ones they supposedly love.
I don't know the intricate details of hormones, but I thought sports was a way for guys to release some of that testosterone! (What do I know? I'm a woman!) Yet the ones who are making an unimaginable amount of money can keep playing their game while beating their honey up at home. And even get arrested for it. They don't have to worry about a thing. Are they thinking: so what if I slap my woman around when I come home? I got a big game to play,tomorrow!
This tells me that the head honchos of these huge sports leagues have their values skewed, to put it mildly. Sure the bottom line is important, but is it SO important you have to keep a certain player regardless of the fact he battered his wife or girlfriend--often repeatedly, AND got arrested for it??
WHERE ARE THE REAL MEN, HERE? :-(
I hope more people will make a BIG STINK about this, so that the powers that be in these sports leagues will never, ever tolerate spousal and girlfriend abuse again.
One might say: well, domestic abuse is their damn business; whatever goes on behind closed doors is their private affair.
That is true...to a point. Once the injured woman has to seek medical help, it's everyone's business. Concerned family and friends will seek to help her, which can cause more stress all around. Fees will have to be paid for jail bail. Taxpayers will have to pay for yet another man who didn't know how to keep his balls and brains where they belong. If children are involved, then their emotional turmoil will likely go unnoticed while they try to be brave and cope with daily living.
Spousal abuse affects the community, near and far, directly and indirectly.
It'll be a fine day when society will view this sort of abuse with zero tolerance and impose severe penalties. When people on the street will recoil in horror when they hear about someone committing spousal/domestic abuse...just as if they heard about a bloody murder today.
And why not?
Abuse is like murdering someone's soul: that person trusted you and you have no thought except to satisfy your own selfish needs by physically and/or verbally lashing out at that someone who was supposed to be special to you. And you spill your poison over and over again, refusing to clean up. That's as good as a slow, painful death, to my mind.
Hey! What about the millions raked in by these fantastic athletes who abuse the women in their lives? Too bad our society doesn't value the brains of those brilliant scientists in the research halls of academia who endeavor to make our world a better place to live. I'm sure they would be happy to have some of those millions to fund their research to improve our lives.
The leaders of the sports leagues could actually make our world a better place to live by taking a step forward in a very loud way: they can announce a zero tolerance policy for ANY player arrested for spousal abuse or beating up their girlfriend. ANY player!!
OR, maybe the hundreds of thousands of sports fans will beat the CEOs to the punch and demand a zero tolerance policy towards spouse and girlfriend abuse? Imagine if all the fans began to boycott their favorite team games as a matter of principle: we don't support you because you condone the beating of wives and girlfriends!
Think the head honchos or the fans can take a stand against domestic abuse?
Perhaps it'll depend on whether or not they truly value women, equal to men as human beings, worthy of respect.
"Beat a Woman? Play on; Beat a Dog? You're Gone" , by Sandra Kobrin, from Women e-News.
It made my blood BOIL!
Please read it: it's well-written and ought to be on the front pages of every paper on earth.
Animal abuse is certainly inexcusable. What's the point? :-(( It's just wrong, let alone inhumane. But why do people seem to get more huffed up about a football star involved in high stakes dog fighting (and death) than some star athlete who gets arrested for spousal abuse or beating up a girlfriend?
Does this mean women are STILL second class citizens in the 21st century? In America, the most free country in the world?
That appears to be so, judging from indifference of popular media and popular national sports organizations.
I never have paid much attention to sports/sports news, except during the Olympics, which I enjoy watching. :-) But I cannot relate to what seems to be contrived aggression, or just all out uncontrolled tempers on the playing field. I am mainly targeting men here, since they are usually the ones who get in trouble during any sort of sport...that's not to say that women are incapable of being nasty to one another--but you rarely, if ever, hear about female athletes beating up the ones they supposedly love.
I don't know the intricate details of hormones, but I thought sports was a way for guys to release some of that testosterone! (What do I know? I'm a woman!) Yet the ones who are making an unimaginable amount of money can keep playing their game while beating their honey up at home. And even get arrested for it. They don't have to worry about a thing. Are they thinking: so what if I slap my woman around when I come home? I got a big game to play,tomorrow!
This tells me that the head honchos of these huge sports leagues have their values skewed, to put it mildly. Sure the bottom line is important, but is it SO important you have to keep a certain player regardless of the fact he battered his wife or girlfriend--often repeatedly, AND got arrested for it??
WHERE ARE THE REAL MEN, HERE? :-(
I hope more people will make a BIG STINK about this, so that the powers that be in these sports leagues will never, ever tolerate spousal and girlfriend abuse again.
One might say: well, domestic abuse is their damn business; whatever goes on behind closed doors is their private affair.
That is true...to a point. Once the injured woman has to seek medical help, it's everyone's business. Concerned family and friends will seek to help her, which can cause more stress all around. Fees will have to be paid for jail bail. Taxpayers will have to pay for yet another man who didn't know how to keep his balls and brains where they belong. If children are involved, then their emotional turmoil will likely go unnoticed while they try to be brave and cope with daily living.
Spousal abuse affects the community, near and far, directly and indirectly.
It'll be a fine day when society will view this sort of abuse with zero tolerance and impose severe penalties. When people on the street will recoil in horror when they hear about someone committing spousal/domestic abuse...just as if they heard about a bloody murder today.
And why not?
Abuse is like murdering someone's soul: that person trusted you and you have no thought except to satisfy your own selfish needs by physically and/or verbally lashing out at that someone who was supposed to be special to you. And you spill your poison over and over again, refusing to clean up. That's as good as a slow, painful death, to my mind.
Hey! What about the millions raked in by these fantastic athletes who abuse the women in their lives? Too bad our society doesn't value the brains of those brilliant scientists in the research halls of academia who endeavor to make our world a better place to live. I'm sure they would be happy to have some of those millions to fund their research to improve our lives.
The leaders of the sports leagues could actually make our world a better place to live by taking a step forward in a very loud way: they can announce a zero tolerance policy for ANY player arrested for spousal abuse or beating up their girlfriend. ANY player!!
OR, maybe the hundreds of thousands of sports fans will beat the CEOs to the punch and demand a zero tolerance policy towards spouse and girlfriend abuse? Imagine if all the fans began to boycott their favorite team games as a matter of principle: we don't support you because you condone the beating of wives and girlfriends!
Think the head honchos or the fans can take a stand against domestic abuse?
Perhaps it'll depend on whether or not they truly value women, equal to men as human beings, worthy of respect.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Yearning for a Revolution!
* * * * * *
From time to time I have fantasies of imagining myself at the helm of a worldwide revolution. :-)
A revolution to change people's thinking about half of humanity: women!
And this need not involve blood, guts, or loss of lives. Leave that to the warmongering politicians (and let them fight amongst themselves!).
I want a revolution to shake up the thinking of men and women worldwide: that women deserve to be treated with respect and should be afforded the same opportunities as men, starting when they are young girls. This means, EVERY girl in the world should be able to have the same education any boy would have.
Why not? I would think that any society would want to use all of its brains, not just half.
Why, in the 21st century, are women still being treated like second class citizens in so many parts of the world? :-( Valued less than livestock in some places, denied even an elementary education as young girls, and treated as slaves or worse in today's world?
This is the very stuff that makes my blood boil.
I realize there are many economic, political, and cultural factors for why women are still treated shamelessly bad--sometimes worse than animals, as if nothing has changed in the last millennium, but I don't think those are excuses by any measure to treat women as less than equal to men, in terms of being fellow human beings.
Women helped bring life into this world! They are the nurturers and caregivers of humanity!
Yet whether it be peacetime or wartime, they are physically and mentally violated with impunity--by strangers or by so-called loved ones. They are targeted by hungry advertisers who send them messages that they're never beautiful enough unless they use certain products. They're told by society that they're lacking as a woman if they do not become a mother--regardless of the reason. They're easily labeled a bitch when they have the courage to express their opinions, regarded as dirty if a bit too much skin is showing or even for having their period, and they're quickly judged by others based on their appearance.
Among other things.
Get a glimpse of what's happening to the women of the world at:
Amnesty International's Violence Against Women Campaign
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights
That's only the tip of the iceberg...
If I were the leader of the kind of revolution I want, I would pull out all the stops to make sure that throughout the world:
- All the children of the world have a basic education (to my mind, that means through high school).
- Violence against women is UNACCEPTABLE and that severe penalities--with a good deal of public shaming, would be imposed on all those who have violated women (or worse).
- Women in difficult domestic situations have a safe haven to go to.
- Trafficking of women and young girls for prostitution and other forms of slavery is STOPPED and it perpetrators duly punished in an international tribunal.
- Anyone attempting to promote the objectification of women via media, brothels, or whatever, would be fined an exhorbitant fee which would go towards shelters for women. And then maybe...thrown in the slammer!
- Strengthen and enforce existing laws to protect the rights of women.
I challenge the men of the world to stand up for their wives, girlfriends, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and women friends in their lives. They don't have to pick a fight--just let the other party know that the offending behavior or remark is unacceptable. The other party can very well be another woman--there are many women who have backward ideas about a woman's place in this world.
I do not wish to be part of the masses that would keep half of humanity from
progressing to help make the world a better place to live. I want to be one who shows the world that women expect to be respected as a fellow human being! :-)
When there are more women leading the countries of the world, this world will surely be a very cool place to live in!
And it'll be a fine time to be on planet Earth when men will be as turned on by a woman's mind as they are by her anatomical parts.
This is my ongoing dream; I'm continually searching for a way to contribute. It's my goal in life: to shake up and shape up people's view of women...to blaze a trail and boldly go where no woman has gone before! ;-)
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Women Hold Up Half the Sky
That's a Chinese proverb: Women Hold Up Half the Sky. We DO hold up half the sky, I believe: we help bring new life into the world, we are nuturers, we take care of the nitty gritty and finer details of life, and put up with way too much. And we tend to live longer!;-)
Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day.
This year's them is: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls.
Why have crimes against half of humanity been swept under the rug as if women don't matter, for so long? Even here, in the USA, the most free country in the world, women still have a difficult time seeking relief and justice from violent partners. It takes a very brave woman to stand up to abuse. I'm not a man-hater, I just hate what some of them do to the mothers, daughters and sisters of the world.:-( It's a crime that they get away with their offenses.
In some countries, IWD is an official holiday, akin to our Mother's Day. I think that's pretty neat. Worldwide, International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8 to inspire and recognize the achievements and progress of women.
Why women, and not men? Why not let them take care of themselves?! Women have been getting the short end of things since we've been on earth--and still are. And why am I so passionate about the status of women in the world? I think it started long ago...
For starters, my mom stayed at home to raise her children, and by the time I came around, I was like an only child as there are some years between me and my siblings. So I got a lot of attention from my mom. And I 've always felt that my older sister looked after me in many ways, always having high expectations for her kid sister. Not that my brother or father didn't, but we're talking about women here. Also, I had lots of aunties. Lots! Lots of aunties who were and are opinionated and stubborn!
I was involved in girls' groups like Brownies, and Job's Daughter's (an affiliation of the Masons). But the experience that cemented my views on women's issues was when I attended and graduated from Mills College, a private women's liberal arts college in Oakland, Calfornia, founded in 1852, that also offers co-ed graduate degrees. I was surrounded by intelligent women from all over the country: how could we not discuss issues that mattered to us, when we weren't writing papers?!
The student body at my alma mater went on strike in 1990, in response to the decision--or tenative decision, by the board of trustees to make Mills go co-ed. They made national news for the duration of their strike! I thought it was pretty exciting! I envied the students striking...I wanted to join them, but I was working while they were on strike. Could I have gotten away with it--w/o my parents finding out? I'm sure they would have called me up to remind me of more pressing matters, such as studying. You go, sisters! Anyhow, with all that pressure, the trustees changed their tune and reaffirmed that Mills would remain an all-women undergraduate institution.:-) I still have my t-shirt: Mills College: Better Dead Than Co-ed...I'm quite proud of it!
Granted, all-female colleges are not for every woman. But it was perfect for me. I was at home, there. Being exposed to so many women from different places in the USA and the world opened my eyes to how other women's lives were, their interests and concerns. Men were just a second thought! That isn't to say that a lot of cute young men suddenly and conveniently appeared on the weekends...but our studies were our number one priority.
After I graduated, I was even more inclined to read about women of influence, women in power--even evil, corrupt ones! I still like to read about them. Women leaders. I think we need more of them! I wouldn't just vote for any woman for the sake of having a woman lead the country, state, or a city, of course--I'd want to know what her platform was, first. Throughout history, there have been many women heroines and rulers, but I never knew of them until the end of high school, and then, mostly after college, when I read on my own. I am quite inspired when I read about women who led their country's people in battle, or ruled otherwise--hundreds or thousands of years ago!:-)
A woman doesn't have to rule a country for me to be inspired to want to do better. The ones we don't hear about or rarely get notice are the community leaders and ones who rise up from unimaginable circumstances and help the people in their village to change their views on certain issues, so that women--and perhaps men as well, are not made to be outcasts for not meeting societal standards.
There's still a long way to go. In some way, I hope to contribute to the progress of womens' status in the world. I don't know how or when, but it's my goal before I leave this earth.
So cheers to all the women of the world! Most especially to my mother, sister, mother in-law, sisters in-law, and all my friends who've been there for me thick and thin.:-))
Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day.
This year's them is: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls.
Why have crimes against half of humanity been swept under the rug as if women don't matter, for so long? Even here, in the USA, the most free country in the world, women still have a difficult time seeking relief and justice from violent partners. It takes a very brave woman to stand up to abuse. I'm not a man-hater, I just hate what some of them do to the mothers, daughters and sisters of the world.:-( It's a crime that they get away with their offenses.
In some countries, IWD is an official holiday, akin to our Mother's Day. I think that's pretty neat. Worldwide, International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8 to inspire and recognize the achievements and progress of women.
Why women, and not men? Why not let them take care of themselves?! Women have been getting the short end of things since we've been on earth--and still are. And why am I so passionate about the status of women in the world? I think it started long ago...
For starters, my mom stayed at home to raise her children, and by the time I came around, I was like an only child as there are some years between me and my siblings. So I got a lot of attention from my mom. And I 've always felt that my older sister looked after me in many ways, always having high expectations for her kid sister. Not that my brother or father didn't, but we're talking about women here. Also, I had lots of aunties. Lots! Lots of aunties who were and are opinionated and stubborn!
I was involved in girls' groups like Brownies, and Job's Daughter's (an affiliation of the Masons). But the experience that cemented my views on women's issues was when I attended and graduated from Mills College, a private women's liberal arts college in Oakland, Calfornia, founded in 1852, that also offers co-ed graduate degrees. I was surrounded by intelligent women from all over the country: how could we not discuss issues that mattered to us, when we weren't writing papers?!
The student body at my alma mater went on strike in 1990, in response to the decision--or tenative decision, by the board of trustees to make Mills go co-ed. They made national news for the duration of their strike! I thought it was pretty exciting! I envied the students striking...I wanted to join them, but I was working while they were on strike. Could I have gotten away with it--w/o my parents finding out? I'm sure they would have called me up to remind me of more pressing matters, such as studying. You go, sisters! Anyhow, with all that pressure, the trustees changed their tune and reaffirmed that Mills would remain an all-women undergraduate institution.:-) I still have my t-shirt: Mills College: Better Dead Than Co-ed...I'm quite proud of it!
Granted, all-female colleges are not for every woman. But it was perfect for me. I was at home, there. Being exposed to so many women from different places in the USA and the world opened my eyes to how other women's lives were, their interests and concerns. Men were just a second thought! That isn't to say that a lot of cute young men suddenly and conveniently appeared on the weekends...but our studies were our number one priority.
After I graduated, I was even more inclined to read about women of influence, women in power--even evil, corrupt ones! I still like to read about them. Women leaders. I think we need more of them! I wouldn't just vote for any woman for the sake of having a woman lead the country, state, or a city, of course--I'd want to know what her platform was, first. Throughout history, there have been many women heroines and rulers, but I never knew of them until the end of high school, and then, mostly after college, when I read on my own. I am quite inspired when I read about women who led their country's people in battle, or ruled otherwise--hundreds or thousands of years ago!:-)
A woman doesn't have to rule a country for me to be inspired to want to do better. The ones we don't hear about or rarely get notice are the community leaders and ones who rise up from unimaginable circumstances and help the people in their village to change their views on certain issues, so that women--and perhaps men as well, are not made to be outcasts for not meeting societal standards.
There's still a long way to go. In some way, I hope to contribute to the progress of womens' status in the world. I don't know how or when, but it's my goal before I leave this earth.
So cheers to all the women of the world! Most especially to my mother, sister, mother in-law, sisters in-law, and all my friends who've been there for me thick and thin.:-))
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)