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More than half of the Earth’s population is female and yet true and lasting equality for women has not been achieved. There have been great victories and in some countries women have achieved some measure of equality. But there is still a long road to full equality. In the last article some of the political and economic issues relating to women’s equality were discussed. In this article, I will discuss some of the issues relating to culture and health.
The culture of patriarchy goes back thousands of years and it is still ingrained in the minds of millions of men around the world. This culture and mindset is more prevalent in countries with less developed economies. This mindset views women as the lesser and the weaker sex and it considers women as more emotional, irrational and less logical than men. Consequently, it is argued that only men should handle the important responsibilities in a society. It is ironic that in many countries where these attitudes prevail, the women are performing some of the hardest jobs. This culture creates an atmosphere of double standards. For example, men can proudly have many girlfriends and mistresses, but women should be pure and chaste until marriage, hence the white wedding gown. This culture not only tries to prevent women from having equal rights in the political and economic arenas, but it also subjugates them to very brutal practices. Honor killings and female circumcision still occur in some countries. In addition, some countries do not allow women to travel without a male relative’s permission; they don’t give women the right to a divorce, or even to drive a car. In addition, in some countries, women don’t have full rights in children custody battles and in receiving inheritance. In many countries gay women have absolutely no rights – none whatsoever.
Even today, women in more advanced countries, such as the US, still face many challenges. Spousal physical and verbal abuse is rampant. Date rape and other forms of rape are very common, even on college campuses. There is still the stigma attached to rape, where somehow the rape victim is partially responsible for the crime, perhaps by the way she dressed or acted. There is still sexual harassment on the job and in other locations such as colleges or places of worship. Then, there is the problem of the mass media, the advertisement industry and the objectification of women. Young girls are taught early on that women should be thin and very sexual otherwise they cannot attract the opposite sex. They are taught that one of the main characteristics of a true woman is her love of shopping and having brand name shoes and clothing. In order to release tension women should go to the mall and shop. In addition, there is the use of sexuality for profit. The porn industry is the perfect example because it profits from the use of women as the object of men’s pleasure. Ironically, the head of Playboy enterprises is a woman now. Then, there are always the religious fundamentalists and other conservative and right wing forces attacking the gains of the women’s movement under the disguise of family values.
On the health front there is the issue of access to adequate health care. This is a problem in both developing and developed countries. In many third world countries, millions of women have no access to any health care. There are no clinics, hospitals, or doctors for hundreds of miles around, and women have to travel far to reach a medical facility. This causes an increase in premature death and other problems both for women and children. In the US, where a not for profit national health care system does not exist, millions of women who do not have health insurance are forced to avoid medical treatment or just wait and go to the emergency room. Perhaps one of the most important health issues for women is the right to free and safe abortions. This has been made into a very controversial issue by the right wing and fundamentalist religious forces. In many countries, such as Nicaragua, abortion is completely banned and thus women are forced to do back alley abortions, which are dangerous and often deadly. In the US, after a long struggle, the right to choose became legal in 1973, but it is constantly under attack and it has become limited in many states. Women should have the last say in deciding to terminate a pregnancy. It is their body and no one has the right to interfere with their right to choose. But this issue is used constantly by certain politicians, pundits, and organizations to divide people and to divert attention from real fundamental issues affecting the society, such as economic and social inequality, war, and racism.
The global struggle for women’s equality continues in many different forms. Women workers form unions, go on strike, petition, and demonstrate for better working and environmental conditions. Women in the intelligentsia and academia write, and lecture about issues. Women artists make films and plays, produce music, and write poetry to further the cause. Progressive women politicians and organizations fight for peace, release of political prisoners, children’s rights, and fair trade. The fight for women’s equality is a fight for a better, more democratic, more humane, and peaceful world. Thus, it is a fight for all men and women. It is a struggle that everyone should be involved in. The time has come for true equality for women. The time is now.
There are many women’s organizations that are struggling for a better world. Two are as follows:
Code Pink
Global Women’s Strike
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