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News Day Tuesday: We don’t want no stinkin’ equal rights!
Posted by Kathy
August 25, 2009
Categories:  What's Crackin'
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comments

(Women were among the crowd at the rally at Bamako’s (Mali’s capital) main stadium. Photo source.)

Gooooood morning GBD!

I actually wanted to do the news on a great food article I read the other day, but then I read the following article and decided to switch at the last minute.  Maybe I’ll do the food article next week.  Who knows.

So this is interesting.  At the beginning of this month, the Malian parliament passed a law that gives women equal rights in marriage.  The law strengthens inheritance rights for women and for children born out of wedlock.  And – and this is a big one – the law says that women are no longer required to obey their husbands.  The law has yet to be signed by the president (I think that’s partly why there are all these protests).

Okay, so that’s not the interesting part.  The interesting part is that tens of thousands of people have been protesting this law, including women.

Ms. Hadja Sapiato Dembele of the National Union of Muslim Women’s Associations brought up a couple points that I was hoping to get your opinion on.  She said the new the law goes against Islamic principles:

“We have to stick to the Koran.  A man must protect his wife, a wife must obey her husband.”

And,

“It’s a tiny minority of women here that wants this new law – the intellectuals. The poor and illiterate women of this country – the real Muslims – are against it.”

So, what do y’all think about that?  I’m particularly interested in what you have to say about the belief in certain gender roles – that a man’s duty is to protect his wife (and the rest of his family I’m assuming), and in exchange, a woman’s duty is to obey her husband.  This isn’t just something I’ve come across with Muslim beliefs – there are other cultures, religions, and societies that hold similar beliefs.

From my understanding, the justification has to do with ensuring the family unit – and by extension, society in general – runs smoothly.  Because you know what they say about having too many cooks the kitchen, etc….that for a team to function well, there needs to be a single leader or authority figure.  The reason I bring this up is to point out that these beliefs aren’t simply motivated by sexism.  There is a utilitarian purpose to them.  So if you don’t agree with these beliefs, how do you counter them?

The article.

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Animator

August 25, 2009

I am definitely for this. Women do need reform and more rights as a whole. I think this parliament is a wonderful idea for women all around the world. It gives more women to go out, you know, get jobs and make something of themselves instead of that sexist stereotype.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. (:


Taylor

August 25, 2009

rights for the small majority of women who want them….
basically all and women who want to obey their husbands
don’t need a law to tell them to do so…
but apparently they need a law that tells them they don’t have to.


Air

August 25, 2009

This doesn’t really surprise me. Like what Ms. Hadja Sapiato Dembele said there’s a tiny minority of women, the intellectuals that want this law, and that’s not shocking either. The women with an education know that there’s so much more out there, because they haven’t been shielded from education, they know a society can function and prosper with women being their own person and not having to obey every command or wish of their husband. It’s the poor and illiterate women who want this, because it’s the only thing that they know; they don’t know about other cultures where women have a choice. It’s scary for those women, because what would they do with themselves if they actually had the freedom to do what they wanted. They’re used to their husbands directing their daily lives and acting on every whim their husband so desires, that the idea of being their own person must be unfathomable.

Beliefs are hard to change, especially when these beliefs and values are professed in their religion and they’re such firm believers and followers. It would have to be gradual and slow, much like evolution, to instill the beliefs that women can make their own choices and be free of their husbands, but that their home life and society can still be prosperous and happy. But it’s not just changing women’s views but also men as well. Education would be a must for everyone and these views would have to be shared by the majority so that when the following generations are old enough to decide their own beliefs it’s similar to this and not the old ways.

Oh, and with gender roles, I think it’s typical to think of a man protecting his family, because it’s been that way long before any of us were around and men typically take pride out of being the protector. I have no qualms with the women being protectors as well, I mean it’s a gender role that the mothers protect their offspring and well we are maternal just like fathers are paternal, I suppose. There’s nothing wrong with doing your hubby a favor, but a marriage is teamwork and it’s not a team if the wife doesn’t get a say.


robertrka

August 25, 2009

Good evening Girls By Design and again I`m humbled.

Yes, I believed that in terms of men protecting women or women protecting men in the household it goes both ways in terms of how both individuals protect each other “differently”. So this could refer to the assuming roles also which means really in terms of balance in the household how do men and women or better yet, how to “balance” roles in the household between men and women. This way of reasoning becomes very delicate when dealing with strong religious beliefs such as the Koran.

So actually to counter strong religious beliefs and traditions would be the society itself. Thanks.


G

August 26, 2009

See, history has taught us that if a major change is trying to be implemented into a society that has had certain set ways since it’s establishment, they need to do so slowly, because the majority will generally be opposed. Case and point. I’m honestly not sure what to say, because I was born and raised in a Western society; one which greatly differs from theirs. Although I am saddened by the fact that the intellectual girls seemed to be frowned upon, but again, I don’t know the ins and outs of their society. I guess we can only try to understand.

Ironically, my great-grandparents never really held these values, yet a lot of their children basically held them haha. I know my nana always tells me she used to get into arguments with my papa’s grandfather (he was straight from the old country) because he held these views of women and she wasn’t raised to be like that.


JFo

August 26, 2009

wow. good for these women and country! its good to see the evolution of people and its value move in a positive direction. i guess i understand why they feel they must stick to the koran though. This is a tough one. i am religious too. so i am not sure how if feel about this. :T