Women's Rights: The Cause of the 21st Century

category: Media

Published August 24, 2009 @ 08:33AM PT

Hopefully you noticed the incredible issue of New York Times Magazine this weekend, which focused on a favorite topic of mine: women's rights.

The issue was entirely dedicated to exploring the female experience around the globe - from Afghanistan to Hillary Clinton - and made the bold statement that women's rights is the cause of the 21st century in the opening piece by Nichola Kristof:

IN THE 19TH CENTURY, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. In this century, it is the brutality inflicted on so many women and girls around the globe: sex trafficking, acid attacks, bride burnings and mass rape.

Yet if the injustices that women in poor countries suffer are of paramount importance, in an economic and geopolitical sense the opportunity they represent is even greater. "Women hold up half the sky," in the words of a Chinese saying, yet that's mostly an aspiration: in a large slice of the world, girls are uneducated and women marginalized, and it's not an accident that those same countries are disproportionately mired in poverty and riven by fundamentalism and chaos. There's a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That's why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren't the problem; they're the solution.

The issue corresponded with the great advertisement I featured yesterday from Pathfinder International - and together, hopefully the message comes across that as women make up at least 50 percent of the worlds population, we can no longer ignore their needs, their interests, or their cause. We don't live in a post-feminist society and the New York Times has helped to confirm that for others who might believe otherwise.

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Comments (15)

I voted for Hillary Clinton for president in the Tennessee Democratic primary. I believe that brutality against anyone is wrong but I especially detest it against women. One of the reasons I mourned the death of 70's icon and my lifelong crush, Farrah Fawcett. I watched "The Burning Bed" and cheered at the end. ME!! A Guy!! I thought she should have tortured him a bit first so angry was I at the constant, senseless, beatings the woman Farrah depicted received from a man who CLAIMED to love her. That is not love. That is depravity.

However; there are many forms of brutality taking place against women today. Has anyone heard about the Malaysain woman who will be punished by caning for drinking beer in a hotel bar? This is religion at it's worst. Maybe if we stomp out religion we can begin to get a handle on the violence. I am a proud and happy atheist. I have no God telling me I must hurt people to find favor with him and I am exceedingly glad for this. It allows me to treat women as equal to myself and not think I am better than them simply because of my gender. It allows me to think for myself logically and therefore conclude that it is morally wrong to perform vaginal mutilations to decrease a woman's sexual pleasure so that she will be faithful to her husband. What's that bumper sticker I have? "Feminism. That radical notion that women are people." Yeah; that's how it reads. I must put it back on my truck.

Posted by Mike Nichols on 08/24/2009 @ 12:47PM PT
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Yep...Besides...If anythings gonna guarentee fidelity on either side, it would be mutual respect and love...Not abuse.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 08/26/2009 @ 10:34PM PT
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It is sad but a fact that throughout time women have been used as nothing more than chattels - abused - imprisoned by their faith and husbands or families - sold into slavery - treated as worthless in some countries - beholden to the males of the family in others.

Today though woman are speaking out - trying to get a better life for themselves and it is people like you Mike that help this along - there are many of us who abhor the abusive treatment some women have to put up with - and we will always try our best to bring this abusive treatment of women to a halt!!!

Brightest Blessings

J

Posted by J on 08/24/2009 @ 02:57PM PT
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Yes Jacqueline, for as long as humans have been on earth women have been treated as objects, personal property, inferior and subordinate. It is my belief that religion has played the greatest role in this. Perhaps it would have happened anyway, perhaps not. All I know is when it states in the Bible that women should be subordinate to their male counterparts and Pastors thunder it from the pulpit every Sunday morning, it has a way of becoming ingrained into the mind. Maybe this is one reason why abused women blame themselves and think they deserve to be beaten, demoralized, terrorized, etc. I don't know. I'm not an expert on the subject. All I know is common sense tells me it HAS to be a bad thing psychologically to teach this to a society. What were they thinking???

Posted by Mike Nichols on 08/24/2009 @ 03:09PM PT
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Yes, we females make up almost 50% of the population, yet we only make up about 3% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. We still have tons of work to do!

I am so happy to have found this site as I have spent years attempting to link with other women locally for women's rights interests with no success and I am even happier to hear that the New York Times Mag has focused on this topic! Such a relief to find that I am not alone nor the only one not content!!!!

Posted by Lisa Sullivan on 08/25/2009 @ 09:32PM PT
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My generation didn't start the "Women's Rights" movement but we certainly took it to new levels and I was proud to be a part of it. Then; we let the Conservative Right back in power and all that progress began to slowly fade. Now, It seems like we're back in the 50's well; not quite but this certainly isn't the 60's or 70's either, where women wore mini skirts to church and no one DARED tell them they couldn't.

Posted by Mike Nichols on 08/25/2009 @ 10:56PM PT
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So thats what happened, huh. Where are these mini skirt donning church goer's now? I'd really love to meet them! Saying that its like the 50's feels like understatment to me. And I catch myself reminding people of both sexes and of all ages, far too often that this is 2009, not 1809. Its time for some changes in our government and in our own homes for sure.

Posted by Lisa Sullivan on 08/26/2009 @ 09:09AM PT
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LOL Lisa. I was simply using the mini skirt donning church goer's as a cliche' example of how things have changed back to the mentality that existed before the 1960's revolution. I like the old Nancy Sinatra song; "These Boots Were Made For Walkin" Ever hear it? Unfortunately; most men didn't agree apparently so they set about changing things back to the way they were, when a man could do whatever he pleased to a woman and it was ok. This is unacceptable to me and I would do anything within my power to change it but I am doing all I know how right now. I don't have a lot of money so unfortunately, no one listens to me except you gals.

Posted by Mike Nichols on 08/26/2009 @ 09:28AM PT
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I get it Mike, and I loved the cliche! It hits home for a gal who feels that I should be allowed to wear a thong bikini for errands if I so choose, without worrying about harassment! lol

Also on a deeper note, for the last couple of years I work with/for women who are mostly 50-90 years of age, and I often think to myself that Susan B. Anthony, etc. must be turning in their grave as I am asked things like, "Why do you work 3 jobs? You should just get married and be taken care of...and of course men harass you (while pricing your tp at the local market) look at how you are dressed." Thats just a recent example of many. Sorry to get off topic here, but my point was that before finding this site, It felt to me like the women's rights revolution was maybe just a myth and maybe never existed. It felt like women thought ok, we can work, vote, and own land/properties, it's done...that's enough. I sometimes here these same women say things that make me think for them this fight for equality means being/acting/dressing like a man. I can only speak for myself, but I want all the opprotunties of my male counterpart and I want it while wearing my mini-skirt!! :-) I know thier seemingly complancentness cant be true and I don't mean to down-grade the daunting tasks of all of those women who paved the way for me to do things like rant on this post, but it has just been my experience. I suppose ignorance travels like wildfires.

Posted by Lisa Sullivan on 08/26/2009 @ 10:01AM PT
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Well, miss sullivan...I believe that as long as one person stands up for whats right then the fight for equality for all will never die...Still, I agree...Its nice to know you aint alone.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 08/26/2009 @ 10:38PM PT
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Ok now Lisa, please don't let your boots walk all over me. I'm on your side. lol. First of all, it wasn't only women who paved the way for you to do things you wouldn't have been able to do 50 years ago. People like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and many others helped all the way down to little old me. I attend a Unitarian Universalist church and I am on the worship committee there. It is an honor and a pleasure for me to assist in the planning/coordinating of services for a congregation that welcomes all without discrimination of any kind. It is a wonderful feeling to see a woman stand at the pulpit and preach KNOWING I AND MY WHOLE GENERATION HELPED MAKE THAT POSSIBLE!! I could go on and on but you get my point. I do have one question however. Are you totally against marriage? Would never even consider it? Because I believe marriage should be all but abolished. I believe they should require a series of tests before they will issue a marriage license and if BOTH the man and woman do not pass these tests; TOO BAD. This would cut down on the high rate of divorce. I believe too many people are jumping into marriage without fully realizing just exactly what it is they are committing to. What are your thoughts on this Lisa?

Posted by Mike Nichols on 08/26/2009 @ 10:28AM PT
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They finally got it . when Half of the world population has no rights no control over their lives it's bad for everyone. Let's work if we came be like Sweden.

I don't think religion is the only culprit. I'm an atheist and I have seen a few misogynistic atheist in the movement. They are after all human beings capable of the same behavior as the religious types.

Posted by Barbara Belotte on 08/31/2009 @ 09:16PM PT
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Yeah but most atheist men I know do not regard women as inferior because they do not follow the teachings of the bible which specifically states that wome are to be all submissive to their husbands and, at that time, were not even allowed to speak in church let alone preach. The bible states that if a woman has a question regarding something that was said in church, she should wait until she gets home and ask her husband. I can quote you chapter and verse but I ain't lookin it up tonight. I'm tired. Good Night everyone.

Posted by Mike Nichols on 08/31/2009 @ 10:50PM PT
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I think Humboldt county is a better example than Sweden. In Humboldt, the women aren't worried about their appearance, behavior or even hygiene. It's a refreshing approach to a society addicted to looking and smelling nice.

Posted by Turk Fowler on 09/08/2009 @ 11:11AM PT
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Where is this county and how can I get there. lol I love smelling nice though . guess Sweden might not be perfect for me. since I'm not blond. But I really believe that they offer a nice model for equality and life quality.

Posted by Barbara Belotte on 09/08/2009 @ 01:41PM PT
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Jen Nedeau is a social media consultant, progressive activist, feminist speaker and writer. She currently lives in New York City, where she works full-time as the Director of Digital Strategy at Air America Media. In August 2008, Nedeau was selected to be the Editor of the WomensRights.Change.Org where she facilitates daily discussion about the feminist movement. Additionally, Nedeau volunteers as the Chief Technology Officer for New Leaders Council, a non-profit that offers exclusive training for young leaders. You can follow her on Twitter @HumanFolly or learn more here: www.jennedeau.com.