I was going to write about one specific event, but then that one event spawned a plethora of thoughts in my head. This graphic video of a Sudanese woman being flogged has apparently gone viral on the Internet. According to the Huffington Post, the woman had violated two Sudanese laws; her punishment was "flogging up to 100 lashes as a punishment for adultery or running a brothel, as well as up to five years in prison" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/13/sudan-video-of-woman-bein_n_795859.html). The video is not pleasant; the woman screams and pleads with what appears to be the police (or some other official entities)...she begs to see her mother. Perhaps worst of all are the unmistakable sounds of laughter coming from the videographer and nearby spectators.
Last year, "Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein was sentenced to 40 lashes under the country's controversial indecency law for appearing in public wearing trousers. Under a storm of international criticism for the sentence, Hussein was eventually released with just a fine" (Ibid). Sudan also has strict laws against men and women being seen together in public.
On the one hand, it is not up to me (or anyone else, for that matter) to judge a country or culture for their customs and laws. However, when those laws carry unusually harsh and disproportionate punishments, then it becomes an issue for me, at least. In the case of this unnamed Sudanese woman and the journalist, the laws are not really the issue. Different cultures have different customs and value systems; it's part of what makes them unique. But public punishment, and physical punishment that creates disfigurement and unmentionable pain is not something that any person should have to endure.
It is a well-known fact that in many countries, particularly in very conservative cultures and even in the United States, women are subject to disproportionate judgement and punishment. In several Middle East countries, men are allowed, and even expected, to attend school, go to college, and get a job. Women, however, are punished for going to school or learning how to read. Their "job" is to get married, have kids, and take care of their husbands. (Admittedly, there are now several Middle East schools that have been established specifically for women.) In the U.S., most professions are male-dominated, and despite a slowly shifting public perspective, women are still expected to take care of the home and family.
But here is where the difficulty arises: I, as a woman, will argue vehemently that being punished for being out in public with a man or being seen wearing pants violates my rights as a woman. I could also argue that being expected to go into a certain profession (or being expected to not go into a certain profession) violates my right as a woman to choose what I want to do with my life. But is my argument about my actual rights? It almost sounds like a feminist argument, doesn't it? Feminism is defined as "the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men," and "an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/feminism?&qsrc).
I had always held the sterotype that feminists were bra-burning women with hairy legs and armpits screaming about how men were trying to keep women in the house. I have my own set of beliefs on the issue that would undoubtedly classify me as a feminist on some level or other. But my point is that, women's rights and feminism, while slightly different, are related: the latter advocates for the recognition of the former.
Continuing with this train of thought, in my next post, I am going to tackle one of the biggest debates of the past few years: abortion. More than ever, I want my readers to weigh in with their thoughts and opinions, both on today's topic and past or future posts.
On the one hand, it is not up to me (or anyone else, for that matter) to judge a country or culture for their customs and laws. However, when those laws carry unusually harsh and disproportionate punishments, then it becomes an issue for me, at least. In the case of this unnamed Sudanese woman and the journalist, the laws are not really the issue. Different cultures have different customs and value systems; it's part of what makes them unique. But public punishment, and physical punishment that creates disfigurement and unmentionable pain is not something that any person should have to endure.
It is a well-known fact that in many countries, particularly in very conservative cultures and even in the United States, women are subject to disproportionate judgement and punishment. In several Middle East countries, men are allowed, and even expected, to attend school, go to college, and get a job. Women, however, are punished for going to school or learning how to read. Their "job" is to get married, have kids, and take care of their husbands. (Admittedly, there are now several Middle East schools that have been established specifically for women.) In the U.S., most professions are male-dominated, and despite a slowly shifting public perspective, women are still expected to take care of the home and family.
But here is where the difficulty arises: I, as a woman, will argue vehemently that being punished for being out in public with a man or being seen wearing pants violates my rights as a woman. I could also argue that being expected to go into a certain profession (or being expected to not go into a certain profession) violates my right as a woman to choose what I want to do with my life. But is my argument about my actual rights? It almost sounds like a feminist argument, doesn't it? Feminism is defined as "the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men," and "an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/feminism?&qsrc).
I had always held the sterotype that feminists were bra-burning women with hairy legs and armpits screaming about how men were trying to keep women in the house. I have my own set of beliefs on the issue that would undoubtedly classify me as a feminist on some level or other. But my point is that, women's rights and feminism, while slightly different, are related: the latter advocates for the recognition of the former.
Continuing with this train of thought, in my next post, I am going to tackle one of the biggest debates of the past few years: abortion. More than ever, I want my readers to weigh in with their thoughts and opinions, both on today's topic and past or future posts.