Today is the first international Day of the Girl and I didn't even know that was a thing. It seems that it is somewhat connected to the girl who was shot and killed by the Taliban in Pakistan. I have had a busy day and haven't had a chance to read up on all the details of the Day of the Girl.
It seems to me like this is long overdue, and the fact that it took a girl activist being shot, by the taliban no less, to make this happen is quite a sad state of affairs. Its 2012 and yet it seems all around us the rights of women and girls are taking a backward slide in society. Now I hate to go all Gloria Steinem on everyone, but feminism is not parading around on a music video in a bra and underwear shouting "girl power." In the US we have Mitt Romney and his cronies touting "legitimate rape" as being something that "a woman's body has a way of handling so that she won't get pregnant" while in other states the abortion laws are being overturned left right and centre. Even in Canada, some politicians seek to open the debate about when life begins and protecting the fetus. There have been significant cut backs in women's health and services all across the board. It seems the politicians of North America feel that a woman's body is not hers to decide what should be done to it. Isn't that the very reason we sent soldiers to die in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq? Aren't those the kinds of freedoms that people died for? Soon they'll be telling us we aren't people again and we will have to give back the right to vote or own land.
Maybe that's a little bit too pessimistic, but I think we have become complacent in the last 30 years. Feminism was never about being able to dress a certain way. What would our bra burning feminist sisters of the 60's say? Sure there's been some major improvements, but we are by no means equal yet. Men still dominate the board room & the political arena, and apparently they think we should all just be quiet and do as we're told.
On this, the first international Day of the Girl, I would encourage you to think about what feminism means to you, and if you don't think you're a feminist then look it up. You might be surprised to find that the stereo type of tattooed lesbians with shaved heads, is not actually what being a feminist is. I encourage you to think about what issues are really at stake for you, your mother, sisters, and daughters...
I know, this one was a little intense, but deservedly so. Wishing you a happy and healthy Day of the Girl,
Cheers,
I think you hit the nail right on the head here. I think as women started to gain more rights we(men and women)started to become a little complacent and stopped fighting so hard. The fight for womens rights shouldn't stop just because we now have the right to vote and to run for office. Too many times you see on tv (especially on those reality shows)and out in the world, women pushing each other down instead of helping each other up. We need to set a good example for young girls and pave a way for their future where they don't feel like inadequate sex objects.
ReplyDeleteVery well written and you hit on a lot of very good points. It's really quite pathetic that in the 21st century, women are still not considered to be equal to men. We don't have equal pay for equal work in most work places. Politicians, business leaders and union leaders are not fighting hard enough or taking serious enough, the inequality between the two sexes. It's high time that they did!!
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