Last year I wrote a post on celebrating Women’s Day 2014, I spoke mainly about a man who risked everything to develop better menstruation sanitation for women in rural India. Yet, this year I wanted to add on to my words…
In the past year I have learnt a lot. I have put my feet in other’s shoes and had a small glimpse of how other women must see the world. Before I travelled to Nepal, I was aware of women’s issues and the problems women have in developing countries. Yet, you can never be prepared for being made to feel guilty and worthless for menstruating and confined to an area of the house. Learning about something is not the same as experiencing it.
Women in Nepal and all around the world are incredible. But they don’t always know it. They don’t know how amazing they truly are – why would you if you have always been led to think otherwise?
One of my favourite articles I have written is Women Run Nepal But Men Rule It, I was fortunate enough to travel to a rural village and see life outside the city. Things were not much better. Nepal’s women are disadvantaged wherever you travel, just take this Nepali proverb for example: “Raising a girl is like watering your neighbour’s garden”. Is that really what we want to have our daughters believing or our sons being taught?
Women’s issues aren’t just relevant to Nepal they suffocate our lives daily both in the West and the East, the developing countries and the developed. Women’s issues are lurking in the loaded words the media choose to use about women. Women’s issues are trapped under the heavy rules of tradition and governance. Women’s issues are present in a government that is meant to be representative of the its population but are mostly men.
These aren’t just women’s issues but world issues.
I feel ashamed to be a women and to be associated with Nepal when the people in charge are demanding for citizenship to be granted only when the mother AND father are Nepali. This effects more than just widowed mothers, one parent families and intercultural couples. This is a matter of international human rights and is detrimental for women (and people!) to succeed. This is another example of a world issue which stems out of a women’s one.
How can we sit back when India bans the documentary India’s Daughter? I find it difficult to live with myself when I know a sister in another country cannot menstruate safely, cannot live her life as she wants to – is not even educated. We need to break down these barriers. Women need to be educated to reclaim the half of the world that belongs to them.
What is more, I don’t agree with this new fashion of anti-feminism or women that claim women around the world do not want feminism. Women’s empowerment is not man hating. Just above are a few examples that women need a movement that support their rights and development – regardless of what the name is. International Women’s Day helps to branch over the anti-feminist jibes and make it clear that we do have a voice. We are half of the population and that half will no longer be ignored.
Alas, until that happens we can only keep trying and persisting one step at a time. So if you will, here is my plea:
Brothers – Women are not anti-men. Women are anti-oppression. Listen, love and learn. You have much to contribute. You have the power to change the world.
Sisters – don’t give up the struggle. Work hard, be a role model and emit your love into the universe. We have the power to change the world.
See, these messages really aren’t different at all. Let’s stand up for ourselves, stand up for each other and stand out and shine. International Women’s Day is for everyone, everywhere. Let us come together to continue achieving greatness.
