I read some startling statistics today about the worst and most dangerous countries for women to live in. When I first started reading the article I was thinking, "I know I'm privledge living in this country as a women. I know women in other countries have it bad."
But after reading everything, I grew a greater appreciation and understanding of what I already thought I knew.
Here is what I read:
* An estimated 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate.
(One of the greatest privleges of being a women in America is that we can get an equal education with men)
* An estimated 1,152 women are raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo each day.
(This is just sad. Shows that the men in this country have absolutely no respect for a woman in any type of way. It's sad that being raped in this country is probably just a norm for them.)
* In Pakistan women earn a staggering 82 percent less than men.
(Ya know women earning less than men is also still a problem here. Studies show that women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, married mothers make 72 cents, and single mothers only make 60 cents to a man's dollar.)
*An estimated 44.5 percent of Indian women are married before the age of 18.
(I know this is how their culture is. But I just can't imagine spending my life with a man that I didn't choose to be with. Although, the people in their country do stay in marriages longer than people in the US)
*In Somalia, 95 percent of women face genital mutilation between the ages of 4 and 11.
(Once again this is apart of their culture. But I just don't understand how any one could perceived this as okay??!?)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/16/most-dangerous-countries-women-_n_877706.html#s292685&title=Somalia__5
It's startling to know that women in other countries are suffering in these ways while we've got women like Paris Hilton who have no respect for themselves, have enough money to save the lives of thousands of people, and just dont appreciate the freedoms that they have.
However, when looking back at the statistic in regards to how much money women make compared to men, it's a reminder that although women have great freedoms and privleges in this country compared to others, in America we've still got a ways to go until women will be completely equal to men.
Honestly, the song that says "I can do anything you can do better, I can do anything better than you," is so true when it comes to men and women. I'm not a feminist in any type of way, but there are many things that women are better at than men, and I'm not just talking about taking care of the house and the kids.
There was a study that found that many of the jobs in which men would be thought to be better at, women are infact the better.
1. Police officers: A 2004 study on police brutality and corruption conducted at the University of Maribor in Slovenia found that female police officers were less tolerant of immoral behavior than their male counterparts. Additionally, out of the $66.3 million that Los Angeles had to pay in settlements for police-brutality lawsuits, nearly 96 percent were due to the actions of male officers.
2. World leaders: The results of a survey on essential leadership skills conducted by the Pew Research Center overwhelmingly favored women. In the survey, 2,250 participants "ranked men or women as superior in eight different categories of political aptitude deemed 'very important or absolutely essential' to leadership.' The results? Women came out on top in five of the eight categories, and tied men in two.
3. Newscasters: A 2008 study in Switzerland, in which subjects watched real newscasts and then filled out questionnaires on what they'd seen, showed that people perceived the news as more credible when it was read by a woman. That may have something to do with the fact that women now account for 64 percent of newscasters in Switzerland. In the U.S, more than 50 percent of newscasters are now women, compared to just 13 percent 30 years ago.
4. Doctors: A 2010 study by the American Medical Association found that male doctors were twice as likely to be sued as female doctors. Another study on medical performance by the British government found that out of all the doctors and dentists investigated for medical misconduct, only 20 percent of those required to go through a more thorough investigation were women.
Also... "They also make better students. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, for every 100 men that graduate college, 185 women do. According to The National Survey of Student Engagement, a study conducted in 2005, this is due to the fact that women are less likely to skip class and turn in assignments late than men are, and they're also less likely to drop out."
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/06/16/why-women-make-better-cops-doctors-and-world-leaders/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk2%7C71183
I'm not trying to start a whole movement, or bash men at all, because there are many men who treat women as their equals and respect them greatly, but it's important people realize that this is what is happening in our world today.
I love being a women, and infact being a women has many advantages in life as well, but I also want to point out that I love, honor, respect and cherish some of the men in my life. But at the end of the day, just as much as I feel for them and pay respect etc. to them, I expect the exact back.
The fact that America, as one of the leading nations in this world, is still struggling with equality amongst the genders makes me question is it possible that men and women will ever be equal?
Today, I'm going to embrace being a woman on every level and I encourage every women to use today as their "Woman Empowerment Day." And men, let the women in your life know that you respect them and cherish everything they endure.
On a sidenote: Women this is just an article that I found that I thought was pretty interesting... http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/06/13/secrets-for-working-women-only/
Also, if you haven't watched "For Colored Girls," I encourage everyone to watch it!
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