Today is International Women’s Day. I had written a bit of a critique of the day from my perspective but I'm not brave enough to post it it needs a bit of tweaking, so I’m giving an abridged version instead.
I find it a little nauseating how easily we can throw accolades around to each other while turning a blind eye to the 130 000 murdered every single day worldwide and to the subjugation and exploitation of women and children worldwide. I also find it somewhat ironic that we laud women’s liberation and crave equality in pay/promotions when what is touted as ‘female empowerment’ by the media is no more than women being unashamedly objectified as little more than sex objects for the gratification of our voyeuristic society. Doesn’t seem particularly empowering to me.
I have no answers. All I know is that I am fearful of what the future holds for my daughter. Yet, as we were reminded on Sunday, the antidote to fear is love. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” 1 John 4:18. Therefore, today I won’t be celebrating, I’ll be praying... for my daughter and daughters worldwide.
Isn't this the whole purpose of International Women's Day? To bring up the conversation, to publicly applaud some individual women as well as women as a whole and to try to connect the human race with the ideal that we can change? But I understand what you mean, it can feel like once midnight tonight happens "bad men" are free to go back to their terrorising ways and we're not to say anything until this day next year. It seems the obvious answer is in how we raise our sons of the world, but even then, good people do bad things. So what is the answer? Does one exist?
ReplyDeleteI agree Emma. I think it's fantastic that women are high achievers, but that greatness is tempered by the suffering that is ongoing. And as someone who started out on the path of career-driven professionalism at University but intentionally chose a different path, I find it interesting that those of us who do choose to 'opt out' of the rat race in favour of family are somehow to be pitied.
ReplyDeleteBut that’s not what my issue is – I take issue with the fact that, like you said, at midnight it all goes back to the same old, same old. Where are the changes? Where is the impetus for reform, both here in Australia and abroad? It just feels like an opportunity for famous, ‘successful’ women to offer a few well-scripted lines about the need for greater equality et al , and then we close the door on it for another 364 days.
And I know there is an answer - but it's a narrow road that the world has turned its back on. So I'll just have to keep praying!
And thank you for commenting and keeping me thinking - I love being able to have a chance to think about/refine/articulate thoughts about things beyound the small world of 'Bob the Builder' and Spot 'lift the flap' books! :)
Yes, us Mummys are adults too and do have the ability to converse about more than where's Spot's ball ;)
ReplyDeleteYou asked where are the changes? And yes, there are many big changes still needed, but we shouldn't NOT be grateful for the changes that have happened relatively lately just because we weren't around to see them. I'm talking about women having the right to vote for one. And when it comes to domestic violence, it's very different now. Not that long ago it was fine and normal. I've finally gotten around to watching the James Bond movies, and I started at the beginning, and so far every movie I've watched has had him hit one of the women (one he's romantically involved with). It was sociably acceptable even back then. At least now society knows it is wrong. I'm not saying it's ok that men are now doing it behind closed doors, but we do need to acknowledge that things have changed if we are to stay motivated to keep going.