A recurring theme that has been on my mind lately has been the status of women worldwide. This is particularly due to a few things I have read, including Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn's book "Half the Sky" and a short article I read entitled "Veiled Threat." Half the Sky shares the stories of women in various cultures- particularly women from Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the women were victims of various crimes- sex trafficking, rape, slavery, and other things. There were even accounts of women who had been killed in "honor" killings- the killing of a woman who has been raped to preserve the "honor" of a family. The book's main purpose is to outline the opportunities for women rather than focus on the atrocities, but they are nonetheless present.
Veiled Threat, on the other hand, talks about the mass presence of women in Iran's post-election protests. It states that in prior revolutionary movements in Iran women have been, for the most part, entirely absent from the process. However, starting in June this year women took to the streets just as much as men and stood side by side with them in open protests. This is a difference that cannot be exaggerated. Women have been held down in countries like Iran (and even in the United States) for centuries. Any open challenge from women to those in power generally resulted in one of the horrific crimes mentioned above. Just recently women in Sudan were whipped for wearing jeans. Women in Afghanistan are splashed with acid for trying to go to school. Women in Southeast Asia are sold into sex slavery while trying to find a decent job.
The odds against women in much of the world are very high, including in Iran, yet they fought and continue to fight against them. These women do not accept the status quo- they believe they should have equal rights and equal opportunities. We should stand with them.
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