Starring blankly at the snow falling magically to the ground, I could not help but yearn for my body to be some where else. Somewhere I have never been, where I had to use other forms of communication to get what I wanted and where the strangers looked so familiar. I want to indulge in other cultures, soak myself in human history, pick up great habits from women in different countries and find undiscovered music. From my earliest memories, I would get lost looking out the window, wanting and hoping for some distant relative to come and take me with them. He or she would introduce me to a whole new way of living. We would sail the unforgiving seas, fly the spacious skies, trail the dangerous forests and search hidden caves. I would drink water from streams, runaway from wild animals and after all my crazy adventures, meeting new people, and gaining some insight on life; I would head back home and apply everything that I've learned to my life.
A Blog about failure, determination and random thoughts; including short stories. My goal, to find myself through my writing. please view "My Introduction"
Sunday, December 26, 2010
I know theres something out there for me
I began my morning like always, cracking my eyes open to see if I still have time to sleep a little while longer. If I don't, then I slowly get to my feet and freshen up. The day after christmas, and I awake in a not so good mood. I surrounded myself around family the previous two days, I've made jokes, smiled when I had to, spoke when asked a question, and when the food was ready I stuffed my face but still something was not right. Something in me was blocking all the happiness that I've been feeling for a while now.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Women


Take Western Europe for example, a nation made to be devout followers of the Christian faith. Women throughout Europe had little to no rights at all. “A few woman in the French Revolution tentatively raised some of women’s grievances, including their desire for equal education for young woman, civil rather than religious marriages, and the right of divorce,” “…Modest proposal’s were repudiated in Napoleon’s codification of French Law, in which woman were defined as non-citizens, without control of their property and… were not allowed to testify as witnesses in court.” (The Women in World History p.140) Through out the nineteenth century women began to take up the workforce, being allowed to work but only given low wages. Eventually as time went on, women were given new job opportunities in retail or office work in the twentieth century. Even though women were not given the right to vote or have any part in politics, it did not hinder them from having any influence on their men. Through their influence and their constant knowledge of politics, women eventually got together and fought for their right to have their own voice. “By the 1890s the rising clamor of women’s public demands for reform of law, education, the family, and the franchise to public consciousness… Norwegian women were the first Europeans to win the unrestricted right to vote in national elections, in 1913; Swiss women were the last, in 1971.” (The Women in World History p.141) Almost four decades ago Swiss women received the right to have a say in government agendas, to decide who they feel fits their needs best.

Christianity, Western Europe and Ancient Greece, have all had similar views on woman; which is women are a weaker, lower being and in some instances, not worthy of a say in the way things ran or giving them what their job labor was worth and so on. Now lets take a look at the way Hinduism and Buddhism view their women, and what rights they were given. Between 200 and 400 C.E. the Manu laws were brought together from the ways of Hinduism. “In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead, to her sons; a woman must never be independent.” (Laws of Manu, bk. 5, Law 148) Once again, a woman is not allowed to own property or any goods, under the Hindu belief. Even though Indian woman are considered reliant to the man and has to be submissive to him and has no right, the man, her husband, has to treat her respectfully. “If she had an abusive husband or was treated inappropriately, she might appeal to her father and brothers for help.” (Women in World History p. 56) “During a family crisis, a husband could ask for some of her jewelry for sale or pawn. If she gave him any, he was obligated to replace or return it when normality returned. In a divorce, the contents of the box were hers and went with her.” (Women in World History p. 56) In the last quote, you can see that even though a woman is seen as an inferior creature, she is still treated with respect and still taken care of as a precious gift. Although Hinduism offered a decent amount of respect for women, there were a serious amount of discrimination and it was intensifying each year that passed. With the discrimination and other situations like the power the Brahman priests’ obtained, the effect of a new religion to emerge in 600 B.C.E. “Buddhism… offered women more opportunities than Hinduism, although neither offered equality.” (Women in World History p.56)
The Islamic Culture is another perfect example of how women are held captive by inequality. “The practice of Purdah, a Persian word meaning ‘curtain’ … Women are separated with their own living space, they are socially segregated from all but their immediate kinship circle, and they must cover their bodies and their faces and whenever they appear in public places.” (Women in the Third World p. 12) Another religion where the women is submissive to the man, yet, in some ways more severe due to the fact that they must not be seen as much as possible. Women are isolated and kept out-of-the-way. Coming to the twentieth century, most Islamic cultures cease to practice Purdah, while the others still do. In the 1980s Legislation was passed “… to punish violence against women [including dowry deaths of brides, infanticide, and rapes of all kinds)… to mandate equal education for women in 1995.” (Women in World History p. 218)

A great example of how, to this day, women are still victims to discrimination are by simply looking around your surroundings. If we were to take a trip to any corporate office, what would we see? Would we see mostly males in high-end offices? Or would we see that the president of the company is a female? I was reading this article called “Glass Ceiling” and in it, describes its easier for a male to climb the corporate ladder versus a woman. “According to a 1989 survey of Fortune 500 companies, women comprised only 12.7 percent of the membership of corporate boards of directors.” (Glass Ceiling) Added to those statistics, this article shows “In 2006, only ten women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and only 15.6 percent of the corporate positions in those companies were held by women.” (Glass Ceiling)
Whether it’s the right to vote, the right to be free from ourselves or freedom from the power of men, women are in a constant battle it seems. Now if we, women, did not see the strength that we possess, we would've never had most of the freedom that we have today. From the beginning of time until today, there is a given impression that there is a constant struggle in our society. As the years past us by, we have taken some major leaps, but when will we fully have equality and is there such a thing? When does culture and human rights cross the line? One thing I do know is that we, human beings, have made so much progress through out the years. Maybe that battle for freedom, equality and for everything good might be over soon enough. I was never the one to be considered a feminist for we, women, have come a long way and all that is behind us. Why should we dwell on the things that are settled? We should not move back but forward, and we should educate ourselves of our history, so that we could possibly prevent the past from repeating itself.
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