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Red Ajah’s International Women’s Week: Women and Equality (Discussion)


Hallia

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gender-equality.jpg

 

 

Good day and welcome to the Red Ajah's International Women's Week!  I am here to discuss the topic of Women and Equality.  I know in a lot of countries women now have many of the same rights as men, but there are still countries where this is not so!  I want to know what women's equality is like in your part of the world.

 

Here I have a link to the ACLU's Women's Right homepage: http://www.aclu.org/womens-rights

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United States:

Despite earning less than men, or perhaps because of it, woman have weathered the depression here much better.

It wasn't until the beginning of this year that women's unemployment rates reached the same levels as the men.

 

Random Fact.

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Here are some facts about women around the world, from dosomething.org, sourced from Amnesty International


  1. Women perform 66% of the world’s work, but receive only 11% of the world’s income, and own only 1% of the world’s land.
  2. Women make up 66% of the world’s illiterate adults.
  3. Women head 83% of single-parent families. The number of families nurtured by women alone doubled from 1970 to 1995 (from 5.6 million to 12.2 million).
  4. Women account for 55% of all college students, but even when women have equal years of education it does not translate into economic opportunities or political power.
  5. There are six million more women than men in the world.
  6. Two-thirds of the world’s children who receive less than four years of education are girls. Girls represent nearly 60% of the children not in school.
  7. Parents in countries such as China and India sometimes use sex determination tests to find out if their fetus is a girl. Of 8,000 fetuses aborted at a Bombay clinic, 7,999 were female.
  8. Wars today affect civilians most, since they are civil wars, guerrilla actions and ethnic disputes over territory or government. 3 out of 4 fatalities of war are women and children.
  9. Rape is consciously used as a tool of genocide and weapon of war. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been subjected to rape and other sexual violence since the crisis erupted in Darfur in 2003. There is no evidence of anyone being convicted in Darfur for these atrocities.
  10. About 75% of the refugees and internally displaced in the world are women who have lost their families and their homes.
  11. Gender-based violence kills one in three women across the world and is the biggest cause of injury and death to women worldwide, causing more deaths and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accident, and war.
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"9. Parents in countries such as China and India sometimes use sex determination tests to find out if their fetus is a girl. Of 8,000 fetuses aborted at a Bombay clinic, 7,999 were female."

 

Whoa...

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Well, in my area, women are viewed equally by quite a few, but others (even women themselves! :dry:) view women as being beneath them, just pretty things to hit on and entertain them. When my aunt called housing to get a new house (she has a big family!), they told her no in a dismissive way, even when she was calling about a plumbing issue or some other issue. Then when my uncle calls, they instantly fall all over trying to get things done for him. Then when girls express opinions, the boys shrug it off or don't take them seriously. Others who view women and girls as equals treat each other equally. 

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One thing I do remember from back home that I don't see as much here in California (I'm from South Carolina) is actually that I was treated in public with more respect!  Men are taught back home to respect 'ladies' and most men would call women they didn't know 'ma'am.'

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One thing I do remember from back home that I don't see as much here in California (I'm from South Carolina) is actually that I was treated in public with more respect!  Men are taught back home to respect 'ladies' and most men would call women they didn't know 'ma'am.'

So true... I'm slightly old fashioned (as my Grandfather was my strongest male role model) and he was from Virginia...

some women look at me funny when I call em ma'am...

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"9. Parents in countries such as China and India sometimes use sex determination tests to find out if their fetus is a girl. Of 8,000 fetuses aborted at a Bombay clinic, 7,999 were female."

 

Whoa...

I know. I'm speechless and that isnt easy to accomplish.

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Props on the new Avi Ry ... ;)

 

I think that just because most women have achieved a measure of equality in most Western countries, and it isn't as severe as women's situations in 3rd World Countries, doesn't mean things are not still in need of improvement. :) (I'm not trying to say you were saying that, just an opening reference. :) )

 

There are still factors that push and keep women down, especially women of color, in the States. I cannot speak for Canada or Europe, etc. but there has been a virtual onslaught on women's rights in the US. From mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds, to proving if a miscarriage was an abortion or not, to contraception and women's health regulation. And that doesn't account for the societal attempts at keeping women a rung below. Slut shaming, rape apologists, body image wars and the ever-present promotion of women as sexual objects are all detrimental to women's empowerment and equality. No, we don't have to issues Darfur has, but when women are ignored or regulated for being a woman, there is not true equality. IMO.

 

The ignore part is especially true of women of color, especially African-American women. They are few and far between on TV and the commercials that permeate our lives. When they are featured they are at best silent in the background, or the "toke" for the wonderfully diverse group of white women who are going on a trip or vacay. I'm not bashing white women, or making this a racial thread, but when one group of women can be systematically ignored, there isn't true equality. That's all I'm saying. :)

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I was raised by a single mother with two younger siblings.  I respect her soooo much for what she's been through and the fact that she provided for us all on her own.

 

I've never understood why some people treat women as unequal; we are all human beings.

Single moms get MAD PROPS from me as well! Hard ass work, with very little pay-off. Your mother is very blessed to have a sun like you Sun who recognizes her strength and sacrifice. :)

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Props on the new Avi Ry ... ;)

 

I think that just because most women have achieved a measure of equality in most Western countries, and it isn't as severe as women's situations in 3rd World Countries, doesn't mean things are not still in need of improvement. :) (I'm not trying to say you were saying that, just an opening reference. :) )

 

There are still factors that push and keep women down, especially women of color, in the States. I cannot speak for Canada or Europe, etc. but there has been a virtual onslaught on women's rights in the US. From mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds, to proving if a miscarriage was an abortion or not, to contraception and women's health regulation. And that doesn't account for the societal attempts at keeping women a rung below. Slut shaming, rape apologists, body image wars and the ever-present promotion of women as sexual objects are all detrimental to women's empowerment and equality. No, we don't have to issues Darfur has, but when women are ignored or regulated for being a woman, there is not true equality. IMO.

 

The ignore part is especially true of women of color, especially African-American women. They are few and far between on TV and the commercials that permeate our lives. When they are featured they are at best silent in the background, or the "toke" for the wonderfully diverse group of white women who are going on a trip or vacay. I'm not bashing white women, or making this a racial thread, but when one group of women can be systematically ignored, there isn't true equality. That's all I'm saying. :)

I agree that women of color don't have as many prominent roles as white women, but there have been more and more.  Claire Huxtable from teh 90s, the Jeffersons, those were some pretty strong women of color.  Today we have Dr. Saroian (sp?) in Bones as the head of a prominent museum and research lab.  I would ask where are the hispanic roles?  The Asian roles?  I am not trying to turn this into a racial thread either, but I would say that those two groups are more systematically ignored these days.

 

  That being said, it drives me insane that people are thought less of and are treated horribly because of color or sex.  If you get down to the genetic make-up of humans we're all the same, it's just what genes are turned on or off that makes us different.  (That is a very, very basic way of describing it)  It saddens me that in this day and age this discussion even has to exist.  I think it's a great discussion to bring awareness, I'm just sad that we have to have awarness of this issue.  It shouldn't exist today and I really, really hope that when my son grows up, this kind of discussion has moved on to be historical because women and men of all races and creeds can and should be equal.  Wishful thinking, but I can hope.  Thank you to the Red Ajah for hosting this topic.

 

Oh and ASG...I LOVE your avi.  :wink:

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well i dont know about the rest of the world, but in the little part of the world (AKA the middle east) things have been improving now, but there is "still miles to go", an example that i remember is saudi arabia still doesnt allow women to have a driving licence, and tbh i had this discussion in class with a couple of girls, it did get rather heated cuz of many reasons one that i still remember was that i asked them if they wanted to be treated equally or different (in a good way ofcource)..

 

(i should explain, here women get seperate lines in banks, a different section in the hospital/government buildings)    

 

Lol, one of the main reasons im not a fan of debating(or discussing) is cuz i expect people to see if from a neutral pov, which most dont......

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Props on the new Avi Ry ... ;)

I think that just because most women have achieved a measure of equality in most Western countries, and it isn't as severe as women's situations in 3rd World Countries, doesn't mean things are not still in need of improvement. :) (I'm not trying to say you were saying that, just an opening reference. :) )

There are still factors that push and keep women down, especially women of color, in the States. I cannot speak for Canada or Europe, etc. but there has been a virtual onslaught on women's rights in the US. From mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds, to proving if a miscarriage was an abortion or not, to contraception and women's health regulation. And that doesn't account for the societal attempts at keeping women a rung below. Slut shaming, rape apologists, body image wars and the ever-present promotion of women as sexual objects are all detrimental to women's empowerment and equality. No, we don't have to issues Darfur has, but when women are ignored or regulated for being a woman, there is not true equality. IMO.

The ignore part is especially true of women of color, especially African-American women. They are few and far between on TV and the commercials that permeate our lives. When they are featured they are at best silent in the background, or the "toke" for the wonderfully diverse group of white women who are going on a trip or vacay. I'm not bashing white women, or making this a racial thread, but when one group of women can be systematically ignored, there isn't true equality. That's all I'm saying. :)

I agree that women of color don't have as many prominent roles as white women, but there have been more and more.  Claire Huxtable from teh 90s, the Jeffersons, those were some pretty strong women of color.  Today we have Dr. Saroian (sp?) in Bones as the head of a prominent museum and research lab.  I would ask where are the hispanic roles?  The Asian roles?  I am not trying to turn this into a racial thread either, but I would say that those two groups are more systematically ignored these days.

 

  That being said, it drives me insane that people are thought less of and are treated horribly because of color or sex.  If you get down to the genetic make-up of humans we're all the same, it's just what genes are turned on or off that makes us different.  (That is a very, very basic way of describing it)  It saddens me that in this day and age this discussion even has to exist.  I think it's a great discussion to bring awareness, I'm just sad that we have to have awarness of this issue.  It shouldn't exist today and I really, really hope that when my son grows up, this kind of discussion has moved on to be historical because women and men of all races and creeds can and should be equal.  Wishful thinking, but I can hope.  Thank you to the Red Ajah for hosting this topic.

 

Oh and ASG...I LOVE your avi.  :wink:

Thanks!

I think you make a good point. Ultimately it's why I started off by mentioning women of color. Women, regardless of color should make sure to work on common issues together and not become divided. We men who support them should join them as well. I know it sounds all "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!" LOL but its the mental place I come from I guess. :-)

 

well i dont know about the rest of the world, but in the little part of the world (AKA the middle east) things have been improving now, but there is "still miles to go", an example that i remember is saudi arabia still doesnt allow women to have a driving licence, and tbh i had this discussion in class with a couple of girls, it did get rather heated cuz of many reasons one that i still remember was that i asked them if they wanted to be treated equally or different (in a good way ofcource)..

 

(i should explain, here women get seperate lines in banks, a different section in the hospital/government buildings)    

 

Lol, one of the main reasons im not a fan of debating(or discussing) is cuz i expect people to see if from a neutral pov, which most dont......

On a PM I'd like to hear more about what you mean by that last line Chuckles. Wondering where you are coming from. :) (not physically ...I know you're in the Middle East)

 

I'm glad to know there have been some improvements. Our perspective is women are only slightly better than chattel sometimes. :( Not trying to be offensive by my ignorance, just stating misperceptions, I guess. :-)

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Well most people here just starting by using religion as an excuse

(Which ftr is wrong on many levels)

But I don't want to turn this into a religion debate

 

@AS dude: send me a pm with all your questions dude, ill be more than happy to answer them :)

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Well most people here just starting by using religion as an excuse

(Which ftr is wrong on many levels)

But I don't want to turn this into a religion debate

 

But throughout history, hasn't the establishment of religion or perhaps most/many religions uniquely been on the opposite side of women ... At least in a general sense? Many Religions, especially Christianity and Islam seem to uniquely have an issue with women's empowerment/rights and has been slower to evolve than society as a whole. To me, many Religions, regardless of faith, tradition or tenets has historically sought to keep women as second class citizens, at best ... I think this might come from the carry-over of the social values in which they may have been founded.

 

I'm not making this a religion thread either, but if the topic is Crimes against Women and Equality ... To me Religion is more than just an elephant in the room ... Perhaps my scope is limited. I believe I remember reading about similar issues with women in Hinduism. I welcome other thoughts ... This is primarily regarding religions spanning the past centuries or into antiquity also ... I'm not necessarily saying every church or modern religion is committing this.

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