Message to girls about religious men who fear you

[aurora]

From Soraya Chemaly on the Huffington Post:

www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/message-to-girls-about-re_b_1518849.html#s327348&title=Dr_Ingrid_Mattson

Excerpt:

Your very existence makes them anxious. And their anxiety is particularly high because you have something no generation of girls has had before -- globally connected communities of men and women who support your equality and freedom. Like guns, germs and steel, this transformative technology, which enables me to write to you here, alters geography, changes societies and dismantles systems of control -- it makes the world a smaller place and it creates, even if slowly in some places, positive change for girls like you. You see, until now, these men could count on, indeed they could ensure, that you and the women around you were house-bound and isolated. Many of you still are. But now, there are millions and millions and millions people who are thinking about you and challenging these men every single day. You have the speed of light on your side and unless someone permanently turns the lights out, those days are gone. So, although you might feel like you are alone, you are not.

Maybe I'm dense, but I had never really thought about how increased globalization could make things worse, especially in the short term, for girls in some cultures as the powers that be buckle down in response to increased scrutiny abroad. I think the craziness in the US is a different matter.

[bqbride]

I fail to see how we can be a leader in this abroad when women here at home are still fighting for some very basic rights that were supposedly established decades ago.

[aurora]

May 22, 2012 9:05:16 GMT -5 @bqbride said:

I fail to see how we can be a leader in this abroad when women here at home are still fighting for some very basic rights that were supposedly established decades ago.

Well, because our dominant religion doesn't put down women at all, whereas other religions do and are therefore wrong. Of course.

(/sarcasm)

[CrazyLucky]

May 22, 2012 9:36:43 GMT -5 aurora said:

May 22, 2012 9:05:16 GMT -5 @bqbride said:

I fail to see how we can be a leader in this abroad when women here at home are still fighting for some very basic rights that were supposedly established decades ago.

Well, because our dominant religion doesn't put down women at all, whereas other religions do and are therefore wrong. Of course.

(/sarcasm)

What are you calling our "dominant religion"? Christianity as a whole, or a specific denomination? There are certainly Christian denominations that treat women as less than men, and say they are doing it with the full backing of the Bible. There are also denominations that treat women as equal. Overgeneralizing about Christianity is not more acceptable than overgeneralizing about other religions.

[secretlyevil]

May 22, 2012 11:46:48 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

May 22, 2012 9:36:43 GMT -5 aurora said:

Well, because our dominant religion doesn't put down women at all, whereas other religions do and are therefore wrong. Of course.

(/sarcasm)

What are you calling our "dominant religion"? Christianity as a whole, or a specific denomination?

Hmmm....I thought the white Christian male was a minority these days and therefore be protected and given special privileges?

/sarcasm

[aurora]

May 22, 2012 11:46:48 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

May 22, 2012 9:36:43 GMT -5 aurora said:

Well, because our dominant religion doesn't put down women at all, whereas other religions do and are therefore wrong. Of course.

(/sarcasm)

What are you calling our "dominant religion"? Christianity as a whole, or a specific denomination? There are certainly Christian denominations that treat women as less than men, and say they are doing it with the full backing of the Bible. There are also denominations that treat women as equal. Overgeneralizing about Christianity is not more acceptable than overgeneralizing about other religions.

You know, this is actually a very good question (and I am not being sarcastic anymore). My reaction came from the brand of "politicized Christianity" that has been so much in the news lately, though I certainly know many Christians who are disgusted by the politicians claiming to speak for them.

That said, I truly do not believe that any organization that does not allow women to hold equal offices to men can actually truly treat the rank and file members equally. So, for example the Roman Catholic church is unequal in my opinion, even though I know a lot of Catholic women who disagree with me.

[aurora]

May 22, 2012 12:14:28 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

I like this quote! (and good points in the rest of your post)

[bqbride]

May 22, 2012 12:14:28 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

May 22, 2012 9:05:16 GMT -5 @bqbride said:

I fail to see how we can be a leader in this abroad when women here at home are still fighting for some very basic rights that were supposedly established decades ago.

I see what you're saying... those in glass houses and all... but no country is perfect in this. Are you saying that the people who are vastly ahead of other countries should keep quiet until they are perfect?

Yes, the US has problems, but do you know what happens in Saudi Arabia? Women weren't even given identity cards, their births and deaths weren't recorded until 2001.

In many places girls aren't educated as much as boys. That's not a problem in the US - more women enter college than men.

I think we're capable of being an example. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Certainly not, although it did sound that way, didn't it? You raise some excellent points, as usual. I fully realize that being a woman in the US is like winning the geographic lottery as far as women are concerned. I am just so angry and disgusted with the recent and current assaults on our supposedly equal standing. But you are right, that should not prevent us from working for the rights of women around the world, nor from continuing to stand up for and protect our (eroding) rights at home.