political and social achievements of women past
present and future ... and to remind ourselves that women do not enjoy full civil and economic rights. Do we really still need a National Women's History Month?
This March marks the 22nd observation of this tradition that began in 1987. As if the month was not specific enough, March 8
has been named International Women's Day. According to a pamphlet that I received at the International Women's Day Festival held at Baker on Sunday, this is a day set aside to recognize the economic political and social achievements of women past
present and future ... and to remind ourselves that women do not enjoy full civil and economic rights.
Women seem to have more power now than ever. Hillary Rodham Clinton was recently named the United States Secretary of State after competing for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election. Another woman, Condoleezza Rice, held the position during the previous administration. Another dominant woman, Oprah Winfrey, reigns over a media empire. According to Forbes magazine she is worth $2.5 billion and The Oprah Winfrey Show is shown in 135 countries and has 46 million weekly viewers in the U.S. alone. Talk about influence.
Women are gaining power not only in the U.S., but internationally as well. Germany is currently presided over by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Argentineans elected Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as their president in 2007. Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, is also a very powerful woman. Many people, including some women, would argue that because women have gained so much influence in the world, Women's History Month is no longer necessary.
Now ladies, before you start writing your angry letters to the editor, let me say that I am not of this mentality. If I had been, the information I learned at the International Women's Day Festival would have converted me. Although there are many strong, influential women in the United States and around the world, there are still many outrageous instances of inequality between men and women.
I was not happy to learn that when I finally graduate next quarter, if I manage to get a job, I will statistically make 33 percent less than a college-educated man. Around the world women produce 50 percent of food, but only own 1 percent of the land that they grow it on. Even worse than financial inequality, women are often exploited by men. A recent example would be the situation in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where hundreds of girls have gone missing and were found later dead, with signs of rape and torture. It is terrifying to think that this femicide has been able to occur in today's world, and that little has been done to stop it.
Of course, not all men are evil He Man Woman Haters
and I was happy to see a few of them show up at the festival. For change to happen, both men and women will need to be on board.
Women's History Month is not only a celebration of the progress that women have made, but also an opportunity to focus on the problems that women face on account of their gender. Until women all over the world are treated equal in every sense of the word, the holiday should continue in order to serve as a reminder that there is still a long road ahead in the pursuit of equality.
Christina Stanek is a senior studying Spanish and Spanish education. Send her an e-mail at cs348305@ohiou.edu.
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Opinion
Christina Stanek
