Where women transform the world

So what awaits the world of women?

48 different women total including cosmonauts, astronauts, payload specialists and foreign nationals have flown in space.

So women can fly to the moon but they can't have equality in the boardroom, parliament or society. Surely this is rather parochial?

President Nixon once said "I’m not for women in any job. I don’t want any of them around. Thank God we don’t have any in the cabinet ... I don’t think a woman should be in any government job whatever. I mean, I really don’t. The reason why I do is mainly because they are erratic. And emotional. Men are erratic and emotional, too, but the point is a woman is more likely to be.”

These comments were captured on audiotapes in 1971, and later made public through a Freedom of Information Act request. The comments are of course unfortunate statements from a man who did deal with foreign political leaders who were women such as Golda Meir of Israel.

But how far have women's issues and the gender agenda really come?

From the days of the suffragettes through to the modern Y generation of young women, the world has changed enormously for women. However, as many realise, the treatment of women varies from country to country. In some countries, women still need permission from their husband to work.

There are still many challenges and obstacles facing aspiring women leaders today all around the world. Women do two-thirds of the world’s work but receive only 10% of the world’s income and own less than 1% of land. Women in many cases are the primary care givers, and balancing the challenges of work and family are complex. Globally there is still a gender pay gap, a lack of women parliamentarians, and women's health overall around the world is worse than that of men..

It will be interesting to observe the outcome of the current economic climate on women's advancement. Will the gender agenda simply be a bull market luxury?

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Comment by Jenny Gilberd on December 8, 2009 at 2:30am: Brilliant idea Jan, and Eryka.
Hard questions Anicka, even reading a blog like this is really empowering to a lot of women, myself up the front. As a stay at home mum raised in a very closet-style family who controlled me but taught me nothing of value as a womyn- I feel the internet is such an amazing tool to connect womyn of all ages and cultures and its power has not yet even begun. Roll on the future!

Comment by Eryka Peskin on September 2, 2009 at 12:30pm: So I have finally jumped on the bandwagon here in NYC and started watching Mad Men. For those of you who don't know, it's a show set in the 60s about an advertising company. I've watched two episodes, and all I could think was, okay, we've got a long way to go but my GOD, we've come a long way!

Women sexually harassed at work as a matter of course. A husband speaking with his wife's psychiatrist about her session--and that was not only okay, it was expected. Women relegated to secretarial positions. People of color relegated to service positions, if they're on screen at all. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

It's kind of like watching a car crash--can't look away, but don't really want to watch at all. (They're available online for free if you want to be disgusted too.)

I think it is important to see where we were in order to avoid being discouraged about where we are. Yes, it sucks, it SUCKS, that there's a persistent gender gap in pay; that Chris Brown, instead of being sent to prison is doing interviews on Larry King about how he abused his girlfriend; that women don't vote in the numbers I wish they did; don't get me started on reproductive health; and about a million other things.

While I'm not satisfied by how far we've come, I do find it comforting to realize that women have made some serious strides, which makes me believe and feel that it's possible to go even further...and that we WILL.

Comment by Jan Tchamani on September 2, 2009 at 9:39am: Hi Anicka

It's great to see you blogging, and what challenging words! I personally think we're blocked as long as we try to fit into - or take our place in, or take over - the male-dominated world system. I think it's time we broke away and started an alternative society of our own that's not dominated by money, power, sex, or other forms of what the comedian George Caplin calls 'd*ck-waving'! The Red Tent isn't only a retreat: it's a place to decide to take action.

What do you think?
Hugs,
Jan