The "International" Part of Today
It is already past evening for most of the women in our world.
Most of our women, along with their family and friends, struggle to survive as the "wretched of the earth" and do not know anything about who is or is not entitled to use which bathroom.
Do we wonder why then the likes of Steinem or Albright or Winfrey or their candidate Hillary do not represent anyone but other privileged and wealthy members of their class? And why they may not speak for disenfranchised women of America, let alone the world.
Within all patriarchal formations, men with power exploit women without remorse or recrimination. Trump's groping is part of that privilege, as were activities of Ted Kennedy, Nelson Rockefeller and others. Do we wonder about that?
A final thought. From Brown to Berkeley, sexual violence against young women has been proved to have reached epidemic proportions. And that's just college campuses. Very much swept under the rug.
So, let us resolve to begin the restitution of rights at home -- fiercely, not deflect the issues of women's rights and dignity as problems in other societies.
We have to look from the bottom up, always.
Comments
I saw at Angela Davis at the Women's March
courageous and seemingly ageless Angela. She speaks for me as a low-income person.
As for bathrooms. At a baseball game last summer, there was a long line up for the women's and no line-up for the men's (as usual) when someone in the women's line-up suggested we break our line in two and use both washrooms. A man leaving the men's held the door open for us. It was no big deal for all those women using the men's room. We need gender neutral washrooms with facilities for changing diapers and for persons with disabilities included. Most of our restaurants have these washrooms and this feature is included in many restaurant reviews. Most schools, colleges and universities are also upgraded. On the ferry, there are "family rooms" so mothers and/or fathers can use them to bring in their young children and babies. So this is not an issue in Canada. People's needs are being quietly accommodated.
To thine own self be true.
An appropriate 'World Music' collaboration
Keeping with the International theme of this essay.
I offer this song by Peter Gabriel and Youssou N'Dour.
It's about the women's movement in Africa.
"It's your day...Woman's day"
I want a Pony!