i don't wish to disrespect international women's day, but i do want to express some concerns.
i once read that morgan freeman hates black history month. he criticizes it because black history is american history - you can't separate it like that, by doing so they're downplays it's value and significance. there's no such thing as white history month. so why, if all people groups are considered equal, have a month set aside for black history. he thinks it perpetuates racism.
i think this translates to international women's day. i love being a woman, and i think women have a lot to offer the world. i think they've definitely been mistreated and undervalued in the past, and this continues to various extents today. but to set aside a day for women, does that mean the rest of the year belongs to men? to me this doesn't feel like a step forward. it smacks a little like we're an anomaly. that we're a small or diminutive people group. i get that being a white female in north america i have more equality with my male counterparts than women in other parts of the world. and that these other women need visibility and empowerment. i value the opportunity that international women's day provides to remind us all of the need for equality everywhere, and the ongoing struggle to make change.
i value what international women's day is about: awareness, a call to end violence against women, to empower women, and so on. i think these are awesome things. so why not call it international women empowerment day. let the name reflect action, improved status and quality of life. i wonder it men would be afraid of a day called female empowerment day. it's one thing to let us have a day, one day, a year with our name on it, but it's not enough. this affirmative action day, packaged in a nice and tidy box, can be ignored or simply given honourary mention to. some world leaders give nice speeches and expect this to platiate inequality and injustice for another year. 'what do you mean i don't support women's rights? i participated on international women's day...' i dunno, maybe that's not how it is. i just feel like having a one single day to give attention to women gives an excuse to not give this issues as much attention throughout the year.
i read an article the other day about how 1/3 of women make more than their husbands. why is this headline news!?!?! by saying this is unheard of only reaffirms the social construct that women are less capable than men. and that it somehow lessens their husbands 'manliness' to not be the breadwinners. this is garbage.
i guess i'm more like morgan freeman than i thought. he says that in order to end racism we've got to stop talking about it. he says 'don't call me a black man, call me a man'. don't call me a working woman, call me a woman. and don't give us a day where women are recognized as something valuable, live that out everyday. THAT is what will put an end to gender inequality.
silence is violence
in women and poor people
if more people were screaming then i could relax.
4 comments:
I was JUST thinking about Morgan Freeman saying this and how it applied to today. NHL GM Brian Burke and his son are also doing a campaign to stop the prejudice towards gay men in sports and when his son was asked how long he'd keep up the campaign, he answered "until it's no longer something that needs to be talked about". We talk of how far the human race (at least in the west) have come in terms of acceptance, but by the very fact that we have to go out of our way to show that we accept everyone it shows that we have not.
Marlene
Joss Wheaton (the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was asked why he creates such strong female roles. His response was: because i am still being asked that question.
I think you've answered your own question: why is it still news? Because, sadly, it's still news. I think we all yearn for the day when the status quo will mean equality for all, but we aren't there yet.
I've always sort of felt like days like this and like black history month have been an attempt to bring things a little more into balance. It's true that US history IS black history, but the story of blacks has been overlooked. It's the same with women. The history and the world view we have been taught (at least in north america) is that of white men. I also yearn for a day when the stories of ALL will be told and taught, but we're still not there. Hopefully international women's day and black history month can draw attention to the fact that there are more stories which need to be told and eventually we won't need special days and months to remind us.
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