Friday, May 23, 2008

The Women of Yesterday Today

My time in Asia has been quite an eye opening experience in a number of ways. One bit of knowledge I'm taking away with me is the state of the whole women's progress movement in this region. Frankly, I don't think there is one.

Living in the US, you sort of buy into the portrayal of the strong nuclear family with an equally strong mother figure. One with equal decision making power or even the entire upper hand. But it isn't like that at all for most women.

Women in most places of the world, are still being held under the proverbial thumbs of man.
- In the Caribbean, domestic violence against women is rampant and the problem ignored.

- In the Arab states, women aren't allowed to open a bank account without the written permission of a man.

- In Africa, everyone knows about women circumcision and the raping of virgin girls to cure AIDS.

- In China, well in China they're still killing off their girl babies aren't they? or maybe they've just completely switched to giving them away to the Americans.

- And in Japan, professional women are still made to fetch tea for men in the workplace. What's up with that?

So yeh, although I am so pleased being a woman of the 21st century with all the choices and independence it affords me, I am very much aware the women of yesterday are here today. Yup, I'm aware.