[thechat] women and oppression

[Erika Meyer]

You know, I think it's well and good to discuss our relative types of 
oppression as it manifests itself in different countries...

but I wish people would be very careful about realizing that we see 
everything colored by our own cultural bias.  How we view life, 
death, marriage, work... etc... is all deeply colored by culture.

The attitude that you or I or any outsider could walk into anyone 
else's home, land, or country and say: "You are doing this, that, and 
this wrong.  Here let me show you a better way." -- that is the 
height of arrogance.

It's paternalistic.  Governments do it, and so do individuals.

I know that there are women in various countries who want changes of 
various types.  The changes need to start there, within the country. 
Or not.

I had an Iranian (aka Persian) friend in college.  She said "First we 
were forbidden to wear a shawl, and then we were forced to wear one."

In both cases, oppression.

Erika

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