Money isn’t the only problem. The general increase in conservative attitudes towards women around the world is the most frightening. From the Vatican to the Muslim world to the White House and back again, steps are being take to revoke what few gains women have made in their struggle for recognition as equals in the eyes of society.
Women who are raped are still being threatened with death by their own families. Women who refuse caesarean surgeries are being jailed in the United States. After a brief respite, more and more men's magazines are appearing on the markets that treat women as objects, not sexual beings. Even worse are the attitudes being expressed by even mainstream magazines.
A recent cover of the Canadian news magazine Maclean used the word "skanks" to describe a mode of dress employed by young girls. On the cover you can see a young woman wearing a tank top and mini-skirt. How does the way someone dresses imply anything about their character? How could any supposed responsible magazine even imply that, no matter what the context?
Then there is the great catch phrase, "Traditional Family Values". This has to be the biggest obstacle facing women today. Anybody who says the words traditional family values has visions of wife staying at home barefoot and pregnant making supper for Dad and being totally dependant on the man for everything.
What do you think they see in their narrow little brains when they say that expression? Two people working together in an equal, loving, and sharing, partnership? Or a dominant husband with a meek little wife staying at home with the kids and slowly going crazy?
That a program about every ten-year-old boy's fantasy concerning suburban housewives was a top show on network television in North America tells you something about where people expect to find the woman of the house: at home. The show wasn't called Desperate Corporate Executives, was it? Even Desperate Garage Mechanics would have been fine.
For a woman to want to have sex with anyone, she has to be desperate - unlike a man who is just enjoying himself. If a woman displays any sort of normal sexual urge, she is considered a deviant. She's only supposed to be willing and compliant, and have no desires of her own in order to be normal.
How often do we have to hear somebody say that a woman "asked for it" while walking around dressed “like that” as a response to her being raped? She didn't ask for it. Nobody asks to be raped - and people are free to dress however they like. There is no excuse for rape. It's a crime – remember?
Article comments
1 - Nancy
Depressing & infuriating in the extreme. How can this be fought? As you point out, the MSM as well as governments are the main culprits by using such attitudes to sell their output.
2 - A Concerned Citizen
Why would a woman refuse a caesarean section? Because of the dangers?
3 - Nancy
No clue, here.
4 - Maurice
Wow. My wife would be so pissed at this article! My wife is a strong women that needs no help from anyone. Especially not from social programs from the government.
She would be outraged that her advancement in the world (as measured by you) is determined by government baby sitting programs.
You are out of touch, buddy.