Showing posts with label Oppression of Women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oppression of Women. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2019

The Rebel

How many times have you thought: I hate school. I wish I didn't have to be here today. I'm bored. Why does any of this matter? And, what's for lunch?

Now try to imagine being in fear for your life because you go to school.

Malala Yousafzai was born July 12, 1997, and lived in the Swat Valley of Pakistan with her parents and two younger brothers. Her father was an English teacher at a local school.

                                                                    The country of Pakistan; Swat Valley is in yellow.

Malala did the unthinkable: She went to school. She spoke about hiding her books under her bed in case the Taliban came to search her home.

Why was it unthinkable?

Because Malala is a girl.

The Taliban tries to enforce a strict law against females going to school, among other restrictions such as no music and no television. They say that girls need only to read their holy book, the Qu'ran, to learn anything and everything they need to know, and should look to the males in their family for any guidance at any time.
                                                                                      No Music??????


More on the Taliban:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11451718

and on their view of women: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_treatment_of_women

When they learned that girls were defying the rules, the Taliban set about destroying school buildings by blowing them up. As the girls' schools disappeared, some boys' schools also closed in solidarity. To continue to keep the Taliban unaware that there was still schooling going on, girls would say they were going to a sewing class or a religious class when it was actually 'regular' school. Students brought sewing projects in a bag, with their books hidden underneath. They would hear lectures from instructors during class time, and if there were any Taliban nearby, local children playing outside would alert the students.

                         Compare this to a classroom in which you have been taught. Were there more supplies? Desks? Posters?


"I don't mind if I have to sit on the floor as long as I can attend school. All I want is education. And I'm afraid of no one." -Malala Yousafzai.

Why would anyone try to ban females from receiving an education? Because it keeps them under the power of the Taliban. If you know how to take care of yourself, have skills to get a job to support yourself, and are aware of the world in general, you take the power for yourself.

In other words, knowledge is power.

In 2008, the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) was writing about events in Pakistan, but wanted a more personal view. They contacted Malala's father and asked if he knew a student who might write for them. He recommended one of his older female students, who began to write a blog about her life, but her family became fearful of retribution, so she dropped out of the project. Thus, 11 year old Malala became its writer. It did not identify her by her true name, in an effort to keep her safe. It's interesting to note that her name, Malala, means 'grief-stricken.' Her alias for the blog was Gul Makai, which means 'Cornflower.' Read some excerpts here: 

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7834402.stm

Malala also posted her thoughts on Facebook, exposing her to more danger.

On October 9, 2012, on the bus on her way home from school, the Taliban made the bus halt, got on, and shot Malala in the head, as well as shooting two other children that were hit in the shoulders. The Taliban left her for dead.



                                                                            Candlelight vigil for Malala after the shooting


Malala had her initial surgery in Pakistan and then was flown to England for further treatment, where she recovered well. The Taliban has vowed that they still intend to kill her if they get the chance. She and her family have now settled in Birmingham, England.


 
 
"The terrorists showed what frightened them the most: A girl with a book."  -Ban Ki Moon, U.N. Secretary-General

After recovering from her injury, Malala continues to speak out against oppression and war in interviews as well as meeting with world leaders. She urges Western countries to send books, not guns, to Pakistan and other school-hungry countries.


To appreciate this young woman's maturity and grace, listen to her speech to the UN. in fall, 2013:
http://www.jewishjournal.com/world/article/pakistans_malala_shot_by_taliban_takes_education_plea_to_u.n
Imagine being so powerful---and so threatening to the Taliban---at the age of 16.

Think about how much you complain about school for a few minutes, and then think about the oppression that keeps 5 million children out of school in Pakistan. Imagine being disappointed when there's a semester break because you're not sure the school will reopen afterwards.



How much power do you already have? Would you be as brave as Malala in continuing to insist on the right to education for all? How can you make a difference? 

Starting now, keep Malala in mind as you go through your school day, and remember: there are people who would love the routine of going to classes every day with no fear and no restrictions. Value your education, and do your best.


Malala Yousafzai has been awarded the following national and international honors:
"I raise up my voice--not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard." -Malala Yousafzaia.  

Malala has written a book of her story titled "I Am Malala," which is available for sale at bookstores, or look for it in your local library.






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Tuesday, March 6, 2018

International Womens Day: March 8, 2018

In 1909,  in New York City,Womens Day was celebrated on February 28, marking the anniversary of the garment workers' strike against poor working conditions. The date was changed to March 8 in 1975, and it became International Womens Day at the decree of the United Nations in 1977.

This year's International Womens Day will include worldwide activities having to do with rights for women who still do not have them, progress for women to reach their full potential, and to encourage girls to achieve whatever they wish.
 
The 2018 International Womens Day will use the hashtag #Pressforprogress on social media.
 
Today, in the United States, a woman has the right to do everything a man does: She can vote, hold office, own property, drive a car (and buy her own car), earn money and spend it the way she wants, speak freely in public, get as much education as she wishes, has control of her body and can choose whether or not to have children, and can hold any job she wishes. These seem like basic rights, but in some countries these are still out of reach. In Saudi Arabia, women can vote... but they still can't drive a car, go anywhere without a male chaperone, participate in sports, wear makeup, or wear any clothes they choose. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, there are harsh punishments (by men) visited on women who violate any kind of 'code' or 'law' based on their gender.

Did you know?
As late as the 1970s in otherwise 'progressive' countries...
 
  • Women were just gaining 'permission' to wear slacks to work. It was expected they would wear a standard suit with a floppy-tied blouse, in a dark or neutral color.
  • This often applied to school as well. Girls wore dresses. If it was cold, they could wear slacks under a skirt and then take them off once they got in the building. It's worth mentioning that neither boys nor girls wore jeans, and no athletic shoes, either.
  • Women were long considered 'property' of their husbands. They were expected to defer to what their husbands wanted, including who to vote for.
  • Property such as a house or a car was usually in the husband's name only
  • Get pregnant? You were expected to quit your job and stay home with your child. In some cases, employers would also want you to stop working as soon as you 'showed.' Paid maternity leave was a luxury few employers provided.
  • Many women went from their father's houses to their husband's houses. Living alone, for a woman, was practically unheard of. Married women were expected to ask their husband's permission when spending money or to make a final decision about their money, supposedly because he was usually the one who earned more money.
  • The excuse was often made, if a woman protested making less than a man for the same job: Well, he has a family to support and you don't.
  • In the 1930s, often women weren't even encouraged to go on to high school: "You're just going to get married and be home with your kids, what's the point?"
                                        How do you suppose this ad (from about 1968 or so) would go over today?? Poor Jean.                                


In the 1970s, women revived the push for the Equal Rights Amendment, guaranteeing equal rights regardless of gender. But, as of today, only 36 states have ratified it, short of the 38 needed to add it to the Constitution. It's still an important amendment. One wonders why the rest of the states haven't agreed to support it..? http://equalrightsamendment.org/

On the plus side of equality for women....
  • The first Womens Rights convention took place in 1916
  • Women 'won' the right to vote in 1920. Susan B. Anthony was at the forefront of demanding this basic right for women citizens.
                       Women voters visited the grave of Susan B Anthony and put their "I Voted" stickers on the marker, in 2016.

  • Currently, of about 303,824,640 people living in the U.S., with 207,613,574 eligible to vote, 150 million are registered and 137 million actually voted in the last election. Of this number, 53% were women.
  • Sexual harassment of women has been going on for years, and it finally got some attention in 2017 with the #metoo movement: women are tired of being objectified and saying nothing, and they've banded together to say they've had more than enough of this intimidation, bullying, and assault (see Triogenius 10-16-2017 for info about sexual harrassment)


  • The first birth control clinic opened in 1933; up until then, using a contraceptive was illegal and by some considered immoral, even though women were experiencing multiple unwanted pregnancies, thereby endangering the lives of them and their children. In the early 1900s, 600 women died in childbirth per 100,000 births. Today, that rate is 15 (still too high, but better).
  • The Birth Control Pill became available in 1960, making contraceptive easy for many women
  • It was 1981 before the first woman was elected to the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor. Currently, three women (and six men) are serving as Supreme Court Justices. The women are: Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.
  • Currently, here are the numbers of women serving in the United States Congress:
  • 22 in the Senate and 84 in the House for a total of 106
  • 6 state governors are women
  • In state senates, 1,871 women are currently serving
  • There are 286 women mayors of smaller cities, and 20 women mayors of larger cities
  • 33.76 of people completing college degrees in 2016 were women. By contrast, in 1996 24% of college grads were women. See a graph starting in 1946 here: https://www.statista.com/statistics/184272/educational-attainment-of-college-diploma-or-higher-by-gender/
  • Worldwide, women generally have a longer life expectancy. Currently, in the United States, the life expectancy for women is 80.1 years of age. It's interesting to note that in 1950, the worldwide life expectancy was 48, factoring in all diseases and conditions that shortened lives, and as late as 2015, it had risen to 71.5.




As we see, most countries throughout the world have higher life expectancies for women (light pink is higher than males, to dark pink where it's much higher than males), except in African countries where there is still a high death rate from AIDS.


Women now work in a wider variety of positions. In the 1960s-70s, the traditional careers for females were teacher, nurse, or secretary. Now, women explore a much wider variety of careers.


Quality of life for women has to do with education, health, opportunities, rights, and standard of living. Reproductive rights are high on the list as well, since only women can get pregnant and bear children.


There is still a gap between men's and women's salaries, however; this is an area that needs to be corrected.




In other words, if a man teacher gets paid $30,000 a year, a woman doing the same job would only be paid 78.6% of that, or $23,580.

 More about International Womens Day:  http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml
Ways in which women are still oppressed around the world: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/   
 
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