Anyway, this is time to think why is it necessary to have a day dedicated to the women. Then, we will find that women are discriminated all over the world. They're discriminated in accessing to education, discriminated in accessing to the working market, discriminated at home and primary victims of wars made by men. Equality and justice are great values that we still need to reach fight for, so that this intolerable situation can be changed. And we need to know that we have to be patient doing this fighting, because it is a long term job that must start now, immediately, because each minute passed, there are new injuries against women.
I'd like we (people of different schools and different countries) comment about the situation of women in the world of our experience: how is it working with our girls, mothers, teachers, etc.
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10 comments:
Talk about equality is not only talk about access but also to talk about expectations on success. Are our societies organized in that way?
Maria Gonçalves
Teacher at Escola Secundária Henriques Nogueira
Maria Gonçalves is right in separating those 2 aspects: modern societies have improved a lot concerning the accessment of women in jobs and social life, but there is still a big problem with expectations of progress in carear. There is a lot of causes of that phenomenon; refering only the most important of them: 1) power is still mainly in hands of men and they are conservative when they chose somebody to have a position of power; 2) women have to devide time and energy to take care the job and to take care their family.
Jorge: I believe that the two aspects that you observed are really only one. The second one.
I believe that the power is still in hands of men because they (socially speaking) don´t seriously see women as equal and so they expect that the women take care of family whit everithing that it implies in time and energy.
Maria Gonçalves
Maria Gonçalves: so, do you agree with the system of quotas for Women in Government, Parliament, municipalities, etc.? And the same to the administration of public companies?
I think that it is a poor system that gives a sad image of a society that needs to create a way of forcing the participation of women that bring as back to the beginning: Does those women have the same expectations on success that men whit the same experience?
Besides, I think a system of quotas could work for minorities but it is heartbreaking that the system has to be applied to a majority.
Maria Gonçalves
In that case, Maria Gonçalves, witch is the solution you propose to the problem?
I believe that equality between the two genders is an illusion, simply because the two genders have different roles and these roles are complementary not contradicting.
I want equal rights, equal opportunities and respect. When it comes to expectations on success, I want to be successful in my role as a mother first and then as a working person. I want these roles to be smoothly combined. I don't want that I work like a man just to feel equal with men and at the same time my role as a mother is replaced by kindergartens, nannies, teachers,friends or whatever. I don't want that my cuddling, my storytelling, my playing with my children is substituted by something else, in the name of equality. I, as a mother, don't want to sacrifice my importance to the life of my children, for any recognition or professional success. It may sound old-fashioned but that's how I feel. I have said many times that from the moment women start racing men in the working field, many problems in the raising of children appeared. I am facing them at school every day.
Men don't face the dilemma: family or career. Women do and I deeply respect the women that chose the first one.
Maria: as usual, your comment is wise; reading you is a right way to put us thinking deeply. Anyway, the social organization you propose is the same one that forced women to a secondary role, victims of men power. You are right when you point out the importance of women taking care of the family. In a perfect world, that role should be enough to have respect and dignity. Unhappily, in real world, frequently taking such an important role leads women to a very hard situation.
So, the solution can not be to go back to the past or to put women in the same role men had in the past. To solve the problem, we have to implement a syntesis: men and women must be partners in professional life and in domestic life. That is the way that the developed countries are walking. We only need to go on in that good way.
:-)
We need to go on to a society that respect the right to choose for both genders.
The choice made by Maria should equally be respected if made by a men, don´t you think?
Is it?
Maria Gonçalves, You are right. No doubt about it.
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