Sunday, November 12, 2017

Some History on Women's Equity

Check out this video on women's equity, it's quick, snappy, and full of interesting factoids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NfBnPzpptc

 This really made me think about truly how long women have been struggling with crap. I had a pretty clear picture already of how long women have been dealing with the assumption that their life should only be about child-rearing and serving their husband. What was new to me here, however, was the extent at which purposeful, vindictive laws were made to keep women from having power since FOREVER.  I found it pretty amazing the wild and crafty ways women since the beginning of time have found ways to get around these misogynistic laws, like the chariot races and Victoria Woodhall (she couldn't vote but ran for president, whah?! How backwards is that?). It saddens me that women in Saudia Arabia still can't drive and have to depend on the males in their family to get around. Nowadays, driving can truly be a lifeline and it can be near impossible to gain access to life's essentials without out (unless you live in a walkable urban area). What is it about women that some men felt the need to suppress and manipulate into subservience?  

                What I found inspiring about this video was how much it revelaed to me about the SUCCESSES women have had in gaining rights and power in some countries so early on in world history. For instance, women have had the right to own land since 1892 in New Zealand. It makes any country that didn't adopt this until much later look pretty prehistoric. I also didn't know about the first female elected to lead a country in 1960 in Sri Lanka. And to think what females were dealing with in the U.S. at that time! I'd like to learn more about Sri Lankan society and what special qualities they had to make them more open to this idea lightyears ahead of other countries. I also found it sad the note about Hillary Clinton, how she could change history in a "few short months..." Oh, how I wish that could have led to a happy ending!