"I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They've blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men - that's their problem."
Jerry Falwell
While Jerry Falwell's outburst may seem a bit extreme, it's not uncommon to hear a man groan about feminists - they're butch, they get mad when you open the door for them, they're man-haters, they're angry... While these types feminists probably do exist to some capacity, I would argue that feminists movements today, in the 21st Century, aren't focused on bitching about how mean men are so much as empowering females as a catalyst for societal change.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about women in today's world and their roles and rights in different societies. We often think that the West is so progressive and that women are liberated, and in a lot of ways we are, but gender roles still play a part in some of our interactions and customs. I'm grateful, though, for the headway that's been made for us. Many women are not yet living in a society that gives them equal opportunities or values their education, health, opinions, feelings...
I recently read this article that, although it's a bit dated, argues that women and girls are major players in the solution to abject poverty, terrorism, and extremism. The article relays the stories of females who, through microfinance, became breadwinners, educated themselves, developed their own businesses, and contributed to their societies and to their countries' formal economies. While browsing Al-Jazeera this morning, I stumbled across yet another inspiring article about Somali women in Boston who are opening their own businesses, starting non-profits, and exercising an independence that their typically wouldn't experience in their home country.
I thought I'd start a blog to share these stories that I run across, to get us thinking about how we can improve women's health and education through sustainable efforts. Is microfinance the answer? How can women change the face of societies in which they've been historically repressed and oppressed? Just how liberated do Western women feel? So anyway, I hope that this blog sparks some discussions, and maybe inspires some of us to find a way to give or serve.
