When I was in high school, my French literature professor brought up a discussion about women’s rights in Morocco for which I had a pretty indifferent opinion until she made us watch a video trying to convince us that feminism was a great cause and women in Morocco should fight for their rights. It had left a negative effect on me; it was the exact opposite feeling of what my professor was hoping for us to have after watching the video. I had to disagree with the theory she presented!
The documentary video showed Moroccan women living in smaller cities and villages being oppressed by their husbands, each woman shared her story. In the documentary, a women’s rights association interfered in the lives on these women, who were mostly illiterate and unaware. Association activists saw divorce as the solution for these women’s issues and helped most of the interviewed women divorce by paying for the lawyer’s expenses as a humanitarian act, they were thinking. It is contradictory with our society’s family values. I do agree that women should not be oppressed in any way and that they have the right for education and for professional advancement. However, suggesting divorce as the solution was not appropriate. While many of those women suffered from oppression and violence, they were not ready to divorce and live independently from their husbands, which were in their case, the main providers; not only for them but for their children as well.
A year ago, I started a discussion with several friends coming from different countries and studying in the United States. I was curious to hear their perspective and opinion on women’s rights and family values. I could clearly see that students coming from western countries and student coming from eastern countries had opposite point of views. It was interesting, but not surprising to see that!
The question I asked was very simple:
“What do you think about the role of women in the society and of feminism as a theory?”*
Ivo from Macedonia: I don’t think anything :)
Alberto from Peru: They are out of control, they want to pretend they can do everything, and be comparable to men, but in reality they don’t want to do it, they just want to say they can do it. They want to give the idea that they are independent. I think the whole women’s rights and feminist movement has put American women in lower scale than women elsewhere in the world. I don’t think it is right. It is the society that makes women like that. Americans take pride on the fact that they are free, but they don’t understand that there are other countries where people can do what they want. America is not the only country with democracy. Obama is always saying America is the land of freedom. Because they think like that, the society pushes women to believe in that. It is just the wrong the path for women. Like my friend Mohammed once said. You have to lower your emotions when you talk to American girl. Women want to be equal, but in reality everyone look bad at men who stay home while women is working... it is controversial!
Abdullah from Saudi Arabia: I think women are being insulted with the rights talk, because they think these are the rights they deserve but they are not. There is not as much respect for women as back home. They think they are respected but actually they are not. Saudi Arabian women are different because we follow Islamic law and we have to respect women, because they are our mothers, sisters, daughter, cousins, teachers…etc. But I do see women’s right to drive as a good right. The first look to American girls by American guys is purely sexual, there is nothing wrong with that but it is too much. There is no respect for their girls. There is something missing, they don’t think about the girl emotionally, their soul is not working a 100%. If you treat American girl like a foreign girl you will look idiot. You have to pretend you don’t have that emotional side or at least lower it. The image of women is being used to make money: their body as image to make money. Women are already strong but it is different power to be exercised!
Karam from Iran: I think that some women are so feminist that they focus solely on that rather than on seeing the good things that are going on around them, they just complain and ask for more rights, they want to be able to do everything. I see that particular thing as a bad thing. They should focus on family and women should solely focus on stabilizing the family because men can’t! That’s one of the things women can do and man can’t. Women have patience and love for the family. Who cares if the man is doing a little more work than women? It is expected. I think we will progress more if they just stop trying to push for more rights and enjoy their talents of caring, loving and raising future generations. Women need to be educated though.
Amanda from USA: I think that everything should be equal, it shouldn’t be a man’s job or women’s job, a husband should be able to be a housewife and a woman should be able to be money collector.
Takumi from Japan: Women rights in the USA are very similar to Japan. Women do the same job as men, and they are becoming even stronger and more present in the workforce than men in Japan. A long time ago, women had to stay at home to take care of the family like cleaning the house, preparing food…etc and now it completed changed! In rich countries, they are having trouble with the old population; there is more old people than ever before and no new born babies. I think it is because of women’s rights and the feminist movements. But, I agree with feminists, because I want to get a job in the future and women should have the right to take control and the world should have equal opportunities for everybody in everything. Guys cannot be stronger than girls. Women have the right to be strong and powerful However, I would not be ok with men staying home and women working. I am totally not OK with that.
Wendy from USA: My boyfriend will be the housewife and I will go to work and he takes care of kids. My relationship with my boyfriend is so untraditional. In fact, my mom brings in more money than my dad.
Alexander from Russia: I think they have a lot of rights and it is not necessarily good because on my perspective women should be concerned more about family and stability then their career or financial independence. Giving women more (made-up) rights and letting them rebel against the old culture, ruins the true definition of family. It is sad that nowadays taking care of the house is counted as housekeeping! Cooking for your family and keeping the house in a good condition is not necessarily slave work. Female by nature are most of the time led by their emotions and that would make wrong decisions, because emotions will lead to ineffective decisions. I don’t look at it from the wrong side and say that they have shouldn’t have rights, but I can see where that inequality is coming from, as in their behavior, their reactions to stressful situations. Men when they are in stressful situation, they can control their emotions.
Brian from USA: I see no problem with men and women having equal rights. Who is best for the job? That's what I care about.
What do you think?
*Names changed for privacy
