I read a newspaper article this morning, about gypsy women is Slovakia. How they are treated as "damaged goods" if they do not give birth by their 16th birthday. How many of them escape from hospital after giving birth to please their husbands sexual desire before he has time to go pay a visit to the neighbor's wife.
I have recently seen the movie Precious, where a girl was continuously raped by her father and gave birth to two children.
I know that in our society women are way better off then elsewhere. Practically, we are equal to men. We have the same rights, yet sex industry and sexism in advertisement and showbiz continues. If it's by choice, be my guest. I do not mind at all if ladies out of their free will accept being treated as a sexual object.
I mind if it affects me.
I mind if someone misleads and and disrespects me.
I mind if I am valued for who I please and not for myself.
I am aware of the fact that any woman's situation in the western world is so much better than in other cultures. And I am thankful for that.
But I do not understand why is it fun to make sexist jokes, why is it okay for men to joke about their wives, why are women still working against their will in the sex industry, why are women so often still having to put up even with the infidelity of their partners and silently stay by their side.
Just thinking about it makes me shake with anger. Just because something is common practice, it does not mean that it should stay that way. Women have the same right as men. I want them to have same respect as men.
Women are amazing creatures. Not objects of desire. Not items to possess.
I am a woman. I am different from a man. But I do not give up on demanding the same respect as I offer to men. I wonder how other ladies feel about it.
I do not want to call myself a feminist. I a a humanist - wanting equal respect for both genders. What is the level of respect depends on the individuals. I for example would like to be treated as I treat others.
And if that is not good enough, treat me back badly. My own fault.
But I just cannot live with "that's just the way it is". That will not get us any further.
