| Quiet Mountain Essays |
Copyright ©, 2008 |
||
| Women Remain a Globally Discounted People by Frieda C. Groffy |
|||
|
Next month we celebrate again ‘International Women’s Day’! Celebrate?
Is there really so much to celebrate? Millions of women all over the world are forced to ‘survive’ their lives; yet, even the small percentage that is well educated and have well paid jobs face the injustice that, for instance, a female manager gets 30% less pay for doing exactly the same job with the same responsibility as her male colleague. Does that sound fair? Does that explain a bit what I mean by 'women remain a globally discounted people'?! Think of the millions of women worldwide who are the vulnerable, innocent victims of conflicts in, amongst others, Darfur, the rebel ridden Kivu Province of Congo where rape and mutilation has become a structural weapon of warfare. Think about the women and girls from the East European countries who, in a desperate attempt to alleviate their extreme poverty, fall into the merciless trap of human traffic, forced prostitution and modern slavery, ruled by organised ‘corporate’ crime. Think about the oppression of women due to male dominated traditions and religions. For example, it is easy to call female circumcision a traditional and cultural practice, thus sweeping it under the carpet of hypocrisy. Think of the murdered women in Mexico; think of the HIV-positive women and their children - think of the domestic violence rate that is rising, even in a quite country like mine, Belgium, the percentage is now 1 out of 5. Is all that not enough to make you sit back and think of the long, long road ahead, before women everywhere - young or old - rich or poor, will have the same equal rights as men, on education, on health care, on security, on respect, on love, on shelter, on being the mistress of their own lives? I know it is a fact that during the last decades, for a lot of women in a lot of countries, the situation is improved and women are better organized. Also, they are higher educated, and do have knowledge of the rights they have. I know, too, that women bring a lot of commitment and courage to the struggle to find ways for their less fortunate sisters to also benefit from that emancipating forward movement. That’s why I feel happy today that I’m able to write this piece in full freedom of speech and expression, grateful I could travel to many places and talk with my sisters everywhere; and, happy I’m able to be a little bit the voice of the voiceless. One day we all will overcome! Contributor's Notes... Frieda Groffy is a poet. |