"Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them." Albert Einstein Women in the Middle East: March 2008 XING View Nina Mohadjer's profile on LinkedIn
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Women in the Middle East

General women issues, middle eastern women rights, islamic women's rights

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Unequal treatment of women and men in the workforce

While we think that, we women really achieved a lot within the past 100 years, the question comes up: Did we really?
In my opinion, it is more the way you would give a child a candy, just to make sure it is busy with the instant sweetness, not realizing that the candy has a price. Does the liberation of women from the traditional role as a household help not have a price as well? What exactly changed within the past century?
We still bear children, we still give them ( if not always, most of the time) the surname from the father, we still write in their birth certificate the names of the father, and they automatically receive his citizenship. Sure enough, now we do have more stay home fathers, but did our society really accept this role? Be honest, isn't it more that we had to give that particular stay home dad a name? Is there any name for a stay home mom? Not that I know of! I studied law, business, know numerous languages, have industry experience, however, why is it that I am still looking for the " right" employment opportunity? Did the father of my children have to do the same? Not that I remember. Did my father have to do the same, or any of the males I know? The answer is again; No. Why? I'll tell you why: because when a man chooses his work, it is assumed that his family will follow him. Our society declares him as a great family man, that he works so hard to support his family, that he is willing to move around in the world, just to make sure that they have it all. Tell me one thing: Who talks about the woman who gives up so much? Who talks about the woman who has to start from scratch? Who talks about the woman who might have to find a new job, new schools for the kids, new friends? No one! If the woman took of in order to apply her talents, guess what the same society would say: why doesn't she wait until her kids are older? Why is she leaving them with a sitter? Why is she working so much? Who is taking car of her house and her children? Imagine the woman coming home later from work... no, don't imagine it. Because as much as I believe in the emancipation of women, I feel very lonely on that path. I think my grandmother who was not as emancipated, who had cooks, cleaning staff, 9 children, and was very happy going from party to party, had more rights, and was at the end happier than women are today. I believe that the generation of my daughters will do a better job with allocation of their freedom and using it differently. They will be completely free to choose. But while the generation of my mother fought for the women's liberation from the traditional roles, they missed telling us how to use this freedom. We were expected to be emancipated. Why? Because they fought for it and we should not become like their mothers.
So, what is the solution? I wish I knew, but I don't . I guess waiting to see what my daughters will do. I am sure that no matter what they choose, they will be happier than the generation of the 1970s.

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