Yesterday, 8th March 2016, was International Women's Day. A day when men and women all over the world would have come together to celebrate, if you like, the role of women in making their contributions to the social, economic, political and cultural advancements which have taken place, and to acknowledge and commit themselves to the realisation of the quest to enable women to achieve parity in the key sectors of all societies.
It seems to me that IWD is really about freeing women from oppressive practises within societies - which actually include all societies, to a greater or lesser extent - and that, because these oppressive practises are intended to maintain men's control over the social order, International Women's Day, especially in the lesser developed and more patriarchal countries and societies, is about fighting against male oppression of women.
It is arguable that the role which women has been historically ascribed in human societies has been, to a large extent, biologically based. They were seen as the producers and carers of children, and were considered as vital for the survival of the tribe, society and nation. Women were, and still are highly valued as sexual partners, and were, in times of conflict, at greater risk of sexual exploitation and crimes. One could say a mythology was created around women, such as that pertaining to how ancient - and in some cases, contemporary - societies regulate women's social interaction during their periods. There is also the case of men not only controlling the bodies of women, but also their sexuality, by requiring them to have their genitalia cruelly mutilated, so that it can better serve their, the men's sexual desires. This is a practise which could suggest that it is more about men dominating and hurting women than engaging in a mutually enjoyable sexual activity; especially when it is considered that FGM takes place when the women are still children.
The socio-political and economic evolution of women is not without its parallels with aspects of the Atlantic Slavery epoch. There are still societies today in which women's lives are afflicted with aspects of semi-servitude, and with their personal and/or social value being perceived as less than that of men.
International Women's Day, therefore, will probably mean different things to women - and men - depending on where they are living, which countries, what is their current socio-economic statuses, what are the cultural and religious practises they are following, the kind of political system in their country, and whether they live in rural or urban areas.
There really is no denying the fact that, women, in general, in all societies and in all countries, to different degrees, are likely to in a less advantageous position than men, in general. Their roles and responsibilities - as women, as mothers and carers, as home-makers, as workers - are likely to be greater than those of the men, but is probably unlikely to be recognised and valued as such. And that this de facto oppression and/or suppression of women, is likely to be greater in societies in which their customs, culture, laws and/or religions have 'legitimized' this inferior status of women. Probably also seeking to 'rationalise' with arguments that 'the roles and responsibilities are different but equal to those of men' and/or that 'it is to protect women.'
It seems to me that, probably the biggest obstacle to women achieving greater freedom for oppression and suppression, is in societies where the state and/or its laws - consider the US, where some states go to great lengths to criminalise and make it impossible or extremely difficult for women to have abortions - function in a manner which promote maintenance, instead of the changing of the status quo.
It requires more that an 'International Women's Day' to effectively address the problem of women's oppression and suppression in the world. This has to be an on-going struggle. It also needs more input from men and the governments of the different countries to take the problem more seriously, and not to continue to rationalise or attribute it to 'cultural and religious' differentiation.
No women have less of an entitlement to be free of being oppressed by men and their own societies than do women in other societies. Similarly the paradoxical situation in which men have ascribed to women the role of helping to maintain the gender power imbalance in society, is not evidence of its virtue and/or acceptance by the women.
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