Today is for
us women to think about what we want from life, and to see if we are on the right path, it is also a day for us to be celebrated, and to think about ways to improve the lives of the women around us. What is really upsetting me today, is the fact that I usually have something planned, back in the UK, female friends of mine would have dinner at home, and then just sit with bottles of wine and talk to each other...the topics would wind and twist from men, to shoes, to the latest book we have read, to politics...ending with one of them crying or all of us heading out to hit one club or another. But here in Amman, I have nothing of this sort planned...the only thing that I tried to do is go to the Feminine Short Films Festival, being put on at the Balad theatre, since it was about women by women.
Another thing that is upsetting, is the level of ignorance of the women in my immediate circle some seem to know nothing about what today is, what it stands for and why they should be out telling everyone about it.
I sent a message to the women in my life, wishing them a great day...one of the replies I got was..."same to you Ms. Feminist"...and I know my friend meant it in a good way...bas I thought was a stupid way to answer a message like that on a day like today. I guess what is really annoying is that they are well-educated young women...and today is their day...they should be proud...talking about the issues that are of importance to them as women in Jordan...making people aware. To be fair, I got another rely saying "today we're proud to have a pussy!" That's the attidute!!!!!
IWD is about making people aware...making people talk...there are so many issues in Jordan that are still pending when it comes to women...from right of nationality, to the violence directed towards women, to the idea of quotas or not quotas in elections...the list is endless.
We need to activate this day in this country. I just checked out the web-page made for IWD I saw that there are events being put in the Emirates and YEMEN...yet nada in Jordan!!!
Happy Women day for you also
ReplyDeleteI was shocked...in Bangladesh they had a huge anti-acid protest (women against males throwing acid in women's faces)...similarly in the Philippines they had one against the raping of Filipina women by US army...I'm shocked and dismayed nothing has come up here regarding honour killing. I do think we should have used this day to peacefully protest one specific issue facing women in Jordan: honour killing. It would have been quite effective, mish heik?
ReplyDeleteTerrible it hasn't been done.
Yeah i think women's rights associations and NGO's should have done something to commemorate this day, i wonder why they didn't? maybe they don't actually care...
ReplyDeleteAs the woman who was described indirectly as ignorant for not knowing what IWD is all about. i will tell you this much.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i think that IWD makes women feel like they need this day as an excuse to protest about something that is wrong. just like valentines day is viewed as a day and i quote lulu's blog "announce their love for someone"
its a day to raise women's hopes up thinking that just because its IWD, every pending issue will be bought to a surface. Let me ask all women this question, why do we leave things pending until the 8th of march to protest? and why is it that we need an excuse to share our thoughts and display our womanhood? do we need an excuse to hang out with our women friends? or are we only women for one day a year.
personally i am proud to have a pussy every day of the year.