At the end Judi Dench, or M, or both asks 'Are we equals?'
I hope the double-meaning is intended. Because as much as the piece seems to be about women being held at a disadvantage by men at home and at work, there seems to be a point about women being, well, better people: less likely to rape, brutalise or kill.
The equality should be aspirational on both sides. Men should live up to women.
It would seem it is both fortunate and rare that in my social circles the women are the strongest, the most capable and by-and-large, the highest earning. But for all I know, they've probably accomplished all those qualities by having to work twice as hard. In which case they deserve even more respect.
And yes, the example below is an extreme one. It angers me, and as much as it upsets me to, I will look at it. I hate that it doesn't surprise me that men did this, and for such stupid and petty reasons.
I don't really have the wisdom to take this point further, or even make it coherent. I'd like it if women felt satisfied about their place in the world. I'd like it even more if men stopped being a pack of bullying shits.
For more on this story, go to:
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2102&Itemid=50&bandwidth=high
3 comments:
It makes me really angry when there's posts on facebook saying 'When's International Mens Day then, don't women have everything already?'. I think the photo you posted shows exactly why we still need the raise issues of women's rights, cos they still are treated as little more than property in many places.
In Afgahnistan women can't leave the house without a male family member as an escort. I read a memoir by an afgahni girl who met a woman who was repeatedly flogged and beaten for leaving her house alone, but her husband and son, her only male relatives, had died in war. If she stayed in her house she'd starve, if she went out to buy food she'd be severely beaten. That woman, and the girl in the photo are just so fucking brave. It's sucks that they have to be.
I'm frustrated that I couldn't actually post the photo, because it makes a very visceral point I can't manage with words.
The one that bothered me most recently was My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. I should have written about it in the main body of the blog. The crimes that were tolerated in the name of tradition... People seemed to talk about the show like it was a circus side-show; come and look at the funny people and their funny ways. The one I watched just seemed to show the miserable life of servant girls. One of them, clearly bright and articulate, had been pulled out of school far too early, because that was tradition. She cleaned her family's caravan and did the chores all day, and then was married off to do the same for her boyfriend. No job and no independence. You could tell she was smart, and if she'd been allowed to stay in school, I bet she would have flourished. But she's got no say in it. Nor does her younger sister - now it's her turn to be pulled out of school and take her place at home. Goodbye to all her friends and any chance of learning anything. Turned into a skivvy to be married off. And then there was 'grabbing', which - at least the way I saw - seemed to be sexual assault, and not some quirky courtship ritual. It was taking a girl and twisting her arm. I found the whole thing tragic and not in the least bit funny.
I never watched Gypsy Weddings, but i did read an article by a bunch of traveller women who were really pissed off with the show, and basically described how shit their lives were, as they were illiterate, poor and had shitbag husbands or ex-husbands. They did say however, that none of them had experienced 'grabbing' so I dunno how ubiquitous it is really. It's still gross though.
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