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International Women's Day a time to think about women everywhere
Posted By Sheri Bolton Tribune Staff Welland
For about a century, March 8 has been a day the female of the species remembers her struggles to gain equality and celebrates her achievements.
It wasn’t until 1975, however, that the United Nations sanctioned March 8 as International Women’s Day.
“I think anything we can do locally and globally to celebrate women and point out any of the inequalities that exist is vital to the work we’re doing right here in Niagara,” said development manager of Women’s Place of South Niagara JoAnne Krick.
“Violence is a reality right here in South Niagara.”
Women’s Place of South Niagara provides women and children with emergency shelter and counseling.
“We’d love to be out of business,” Krick said.
The fact that they are in business, however, means violence against women is still something that is tolerated, she said.
Behaviours and attitudes need to be changed, she said, adding that 300 women and children use the two shelters in Niagara each year.
“We want to provide them with a place to be safe, not only on International Women’s Day, but the other 364 days of the year” as well Krick said.
Tami Friedman, a professor of history at Brock University said there are many issues that affect women today, including economic inequality, sexual assault, domestic violence, lack of reproductive choices and the persistence of sexual double standards.
Friedman’s research includes social history of economic change, gender, race and ethnicity.
“I think the (Robert) Picton case is an example of the struggle women face where some women, like the women who were killed in this case, were somewhat invisible,” she said.
“There are lots of women, poor women, women of colour – I think those struggles are things that people don’t know much about.”
When it comes to how people, especially people from the more privileged society of the West, view women’s issues, Friedman said they tend to have narrow views.
For example: do women in the West think about how the suffering of other women in the world contributes to their lives?
There are women working in sweatshops who provide Canadian women with cheap and convenient merchandise.
“I think there have been advances, but there have been steps backwards too,” she said.
In Canada it wasn’t until Oct. 18, 1929, that Parliament passed a bill – after a lengthy legal battle – under which women were identified as people under the law. Eight years earlier, in 1921, women were allowed to vote in Canada.
Friedman said she would like to see people think about International Women’s Day in a new way.
International Women’s Day was first celebrated on the last Saturday of February in 1909, Friedman said.
In fact, Friedman said, there are three very interesting points about that day in 1909.
The first one is that it was a holiday started by socialist women and “these were women who understood that having the right to vote was not enough,” she said.
“They understood that just going to the polls to vote would not produce economic fairness.”
The second issue is historically most people link International Women’s Day to the Russian or Communist bloc when it was actually an American thing.
“It shows that concerns about economic equality were widespread in the United States and the West even though the Socialist tradition became weak over time,” Friedman said.
“The third issue is that the kinds of issues that caused socialist women to call for the holiday in 1909 still exist today.”
While many of those issues are global and affect all people, economic inequality, sexual assault, domestic violence, lack of reproductive choices and the persistence of sexual double standards continue to affect women into the 21st century, she said.
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In case anyone is interested, Jamilina, a health spa and wellness centre in Medinet Nasr, is organizing an event to celebrate international women's day in the Children's Park on Makram Ebeid between 12.00 - 6.00 pm today.
They will be having exhibitions and talks about women's health...not sure how much of it will be in English though, but as entrance to the park is only 2 LE, it might be a nice excuse to go to the park anyway
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http://www.jamilina.com/ That web page puts too much emphisis on make up and girlie things. They do have a place in womens life.
BUT the real International womens day is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
There must be educated, informed women in Egypt who are interested in economic, political, social and business life of the country. They need to show their faces and get the women of Egypt to take an interest in the world around them and not be satisfied with marriage and a family. It's the women of this country that will move it forward in the end..... Posts: 643 | From: Over there | Registered: Aug 2007
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Only mentioned it as an event that was being held for women's day, and as the event was looking at women's health, it seemed relevant if not politically motivated. I am sure that there were women's groups here that were organizing activities, but maybe not in English.
The website link was just in case anyone was interested in that too. Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote: There must be educated, informed women in Egypt who are interested in economic, political, social and business life of the country. They need to show their faces and get the women of Egypt to take an interest in the world around them and not be satisfied with marriage and a family. It's the women of this country that will move it forward in the end.....
For some, Egyptian Women's Day marks a very important day to recognise women's achievements and call for greater civil liberties and rights for women. For others, March 16 passes like any other day, full of woes and dreams.
"I celebrate Egyptian Women's Day," says Marwa Salem, 27. "I wear something nice and go out after work."Marwa explains that it doesn't matter where or with whom she hangs out, the only thing that matters for her is that she goes out and celebrates her 'freedom, independence and dignity'." I have to work harder than any of my male colleagues," says Marwa, who complains that she faces harassment at work. "Some of my male co-workers are helpful and nice, while others treat me in a way that can only translate into 'stay at home'."In a male-dominated society, some men argue that a woman's purpose is to stay at home and take care of her family. Yet, in recent years, Egyptian women have been invading men's domains. In 2007, 30 women were appointed as judges, chosen from 125 applicants for these seats. Last month, a woman was appointed as the first female marriage registrar (Ma'zoun) in Egypt. Amal Suleiman holds a bachelor of law degree from Zagazig University (1998) and a master's degree in general law and criminology sciences (2005). While some agree there is gender equality in the Egyptian society, the majority of people believe there is still a long way to go before true equality has been achieved."When I compare the status of women today with those in the 1960s, I found that women or people in general were more liberal and open-minded, at that time" says Sahar el-Mougy, an English literature professor at Cairo University.El-Mougy cites predominance of 'religious' discourse nowadays. "I can't even call it religious because they only discuss superficial stuff and forget about the real meaning of religion and existence," el-Mougy, a novelist as well, told The Egyptian Gazette.She can only describe it as an 'escapist way of dealing with life'. Yet she also blames the economic woes that deprive Egyptians of a decent standard of living. "Most people, especially the middle class, don't have time to contemplate about their situation as they have to take more than one job in order to survive."She believes that the intellectually liberal women are few and their voices cannot be heard, as there is no balanced representation of them in the media. "They have no voice in the media, instead the only voice being heard is that of the so-called Muslim scholars."Salma, a young teacher at a preschool nursery, admits that once she preferred staying at home, only because working women 'had to do a double job: work inside and outside the house'."In the West, men and women share in domestic chores and in taking care of the children," she says. "But here in Egypt, as a result of the rising cost of living, the male salary won't be enough for the household, so she'll be expected to pour her own money into the house expenses, leaving little for her.”Salma, engaged to an engineer, initially thought it would be better if she stayed at home to do the work she is obliged to and let the man earn enough money to support the family. She has since changed her mind and is now working. She still hasn't made her mind up whether she will continue to work after getting married or not but now she works 'to prove to herself above others that she can achieve something on her own.'Most men object to the idea of their wives working out of jealousy for their women; they don't like the idea she comes into contact with strangers daily. Others prefer to protect them from any annoyance or harassment they might encounter at work or in the streets. “The council's activities aim at turning our society into a balanced one," Farkhanda Hassan, Secretary General of the Council, told the official Middle East News Agency yesterday. "We want a society where men and women have equal roles and help women achieve positive roles in society."While March 8 celebrates the 1917 strike "for bread and peace" led by Russian women in St. Petersburg, March 16 was chosen to mark Egyptian Women's Day. In commemoration of the first female martyr of the anti-colonial struggle: Hamida Khalil, who was shot down in front of the Hussein Mosque in Islamic Cairo in a confrontation between demonstrators and the police in 1919. Some 300 women took to the streets demonstrating against British occupation. It also observes the first women's organisation, the Egyptian Women's Union, which was established by activist Huda Sha'rawi on the same day in 1923.Alia, head of department at a government organisation, says that the day means nothing to her and she barely notices it amid her daily struggle between work and home.Alia, 50, has to take part-time jobs every now and then because her salary and her husband's are not enough to support them. 'My sons are still university students and each needs a large sum of money for the private lessons.'Alia, and many other local women, see the day as an occasion for activists and NGOs to gather and make few speeches. Meanwhile average women like Alia and her friends only prepare themselves to celebrate Mother's Day, five Days later.
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