VoiceOasis has on board a group of men to discuss the conditions of women in the 21st century. This is a new chapter in the conversation promoting women’s rights we started two years ago. In March 2016, we invited a group of women to talk about women’s freedom through hairstyle. A year later, we had another group of women, millennial versus older women, confront their ideas on the parenting roles of women in our society.
Facts about Global Women’s Living Conditions to Help Promoting Women’s Rights
Men and women have walked the Earth together since the dawn of time. This relationship is interchangeable because men and women not only breathe the same air, but they cannot exist without one another. It’s a biological thing. It’s a human thing. This is the right time for promoting women’s rights.
However, some cold facts show that around the globe women are living in unacceptable conditions.
Women face inequality in almost all social, cultural, political, religious areas. Salary gap, violence, social, political and cultural abuse, religious bondage, and so on.
- Canadian women working full time still earned 74.2 cents for every dollar that full-time male workers make. (The Globe And Mail)
- Women in the US earn on average 78 cent for a dollar that a man earn while African-American women earn 64 cents and Latina women 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man. (The White House)
- One in four girls around the world was married before her 18th birthday (Clinton Foundation)
- Some African, Asian, and Middle East countries have more than 200 million girls and women alive today that have undergone genital mutilation (WHO)
- In countries like Saoudi Arabia, women are denied the right to purchase, open a bank account or seek medical treatment on their own (Independent)
- 63 million girls worldwide do not have access to education (USAID)
- Each minute, 28 underaged girls wed (Global Citizen). An estimated 140 million girls will marry before their 18th birthday between 2011 and 2020 (Clinton Foundation)
Promoting Women’s Rights Through Men’s Lenses
This year VoiceOasis joins voices to the initiative He for She to encourage men’s involvement the fight for promoting women’s rights. Some prominent figure support this initiative including Emma Watson, UN ambassador for the He for She campaign or Danai Gurai of Black Panther with her #LoveOurGirls issue.
Lucya Spencer (left) and colleagues – Photo Courtesy: Dainton Haase
Women have been fighting for years to reach gender parity around the globe. The world has seen many great feminists whose fights in promoting women’s rights resulted in women’s rights to vote. These fights also led to women’s autonomy in several countries. Recently, women have stood up against inequality, salary gap, sexual abuse. Many popular hashtags such as #MeToo or #SheToo are icons and symbols of these movements.
However, having our male allies on board is imperative in promoting women’s rights. I have also been inspired by my husband. His involvement in our relationship, his stance on equality and his view on women’s rights have encouraged me to pursue this road.
I firmly believe that promoting women’s right is everyone’s fight.
We cannot succeed if our male counterparts are not involved. Luckily, many men are conscious of the barriers that are reinforcing gender inequalities, and are doing their part for equality.
When men get the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of women in their lives, women they are closed to or women they are proud of, it expands the conversation on women’s conditions. When men are conscious of women’s issues, of inequalities based on gender, it makes them question their own situation and foster a desire to work together for true equality.
Let’s give the floor to our male guests in promoting women’s rights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2aRpHOWWkA
Throughout their words, so much admiration and love surfaced. Their testimonies showed an amazing awareness of women’s issues. They address questions such as abusive relationships, economical and social barriers of different kinds as well as sexism and racism towards certain groups of women. Their insightful points of view on the the topic is simply eye-opening.
- How can men’s involvement help change women’s conditions?
- What can men do to improve the situations of their mother, sister, cousin, friend, mentor, teacher or colleague?
Our male allies tackle all these questions . Join your voice!
Dainton Haase – Breaking down women’s issues and promoting Women’s Rights
Dainton-Haase
Dainton is a Project Manager and has established an organization to help more black women get involved in IT for promoting Women’s Rights.
When we think about women’s issues, we tend to overlook problems encountered by women in the western countries, particularly women from vulnerable groups. Today, it seems that we look at countries in Africa, South America, Asia or the Middle East to point to issues related to gender violence. We do the same for sexual abuse or despotic rules denying women their rights to vote, to drive, or to be educated.
During his interview, Dainton has tackled some well-known issues faced by immigrant women in Canada and other western countries, especially those from minority groups. He boldly discussed topics such as chronic racism, poverty, and sexual abuse that especially affect this group of women.
Lucya Spencer – Photo courtesy: Dainton Haase
Promoting women’s rights through their contributions to society:
Honouring the memory of Lucya Spencer, the Executive Director, Immigrant Women Services Ottawa, Dainton shed lights on this very organization created by this Canadian immigrant to help other immigrant women setting up in Canada.
In Dainton own words, “Lucya Spencer made Canada home and made sure every immigrant who came here has the tool to do so.” This is a powerful message that highlights the contributions of immigrants in making Canada a better country, and in this case a woman, a black woman.
Dainton’s testimonial shows how the quiet force of some unsung heroes, women like Lucya Spencer can serve as a springboard to foster changes and inspire others.
Chad Dubeau
Chad is a professional Information Specialist and a Master Graduate in Library and Information Science, and advocate of the promotion of Women’s Rights.
This ally talked about a dynamic and unique relationship with his wife, Chantale. While honouring his wife, Chad has denounced an erroneous view that portrays women as ‘irrational’ people. This irrationality bestowed upon women dated back to centuries ago and yet still plays a role in gender inequality.
He explained that ‘he and his wife both applied for a job to teach English in Asia. Although his wife ‘s competence in the language and teaching skills were vastly superior to his, he was offered the position and she wasn’t. He didn’t accept that job. What really stands out in the story is how differently they were interviewed for the same position.’
He said that ‘he was treated as a professional and the majority of the questions they asked him were about his qualifications for the job. Her wife’s interview on the other hand revolved mostly around asking questions pertaining to her social life and how she would handle situations with male coworkers. In the end, she felt flustered and insulted.’
Promoting women’s rights to avoid dismissing them
Our society use excuses too often to diminish women, to give them lower wages than their male counterparts, and confined them within social, economical, cultural, marital and religious taboos.
Having men on board is a tremendous leap for gender equality. Men’s awareness can help stop violence against women. Male allies can help foster education for girls, reduce poverty among women and children. Sometimes, it may be something as simple as saying no to a type of injustice against a woman just like Chad didn’t accept the job in solidarity with his wife.
Robert Chon
Robert is a Certified Human Resource Professional. He is also an advocate of Women’s Rights
He is paying tribute to his wife, whom from Robert own words is ‘an activist and environmentalist’, a woman who ‘follows her morals even in the face of adversity’.
In his testimonial, Robert is tackling a common problem faced by women: how ‘difficult’ it is ‘for a woman to be heard’.
Malala Yousafzai said: “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” Sometimes, in today’s world and particularly in the western societies, it’s difficult to imagine that women can be muzzled. However, religious fundamentalism that is imposing unfair rules on women and wiping away their independence, use of force to abuse women and silent them, denying women their fundamental rights to education are evident ways of muzzling women.
There are on the other hand subtler ways to silent women in their daily activities. Sexist jokes, taboos about women’s ‘irrationality’ and all these prescribed and internalized social and cultural rules that women are up against everyday. For instance, many girls will not choose to study in STEM areas because they believe it’s out of reach for them.
Some simple ways men can be allies in the fight for promoting women’s rights:
Conscious men can strive to respect women, listen to their concerns, and accept to learn from them.
Robert has proven to be an ally through his openness to women’s conditions and his willingness to learn from his wife. He said: “she has made me more open to different viewpoints and helped me learn about the issues. Without her, a lot of my views would be apathetic, but she has opened my eyes, and I am grateful for it.”
Amir Bizimana
Amir is an Economics graduate turned front-end developer. He is pushing for the promotion of women’s rights.
He believes that men can be a voice for women’s rights. They can become an ally in the fight for promoting women’s rights.
Men can be an ally by recognizing women’s contributions, their strength, their intelligence. Amir said he’s been inspired by his mother all his life. He also mentioned being ‘in awe of her resilience and patience’.
How male ally can join forces in promoting women’s rights
Being an ally also means partnership with women without feeling that you are losing your territory to women. The fight for equality is not one gender against another. On the contrary, it’s about working together to reach fairness for both men and women. It is about joining forces to make the world a better place for all.
Amanda Seales – Photo credit: Wikimedia_Commons
Amir referred to Amanda Seales, an actress and a vocal woman who is promoting women’s rights. This advocate mentioned that he is particularly touched by one of Seales’ recent interview, where ‘she spoke on the fact that women’s rise does not represent the fall of men.’
This interview breaks down women’s independence by mentioning that ‘men must adapt’ for ‘women’ to become ‘empowered and attain equality’. And independence means ‘women wanting to be with a man as opposed to needing one’.
Alliance stands for working hand in hand
Being an ally means adapting to new reality and accepting the new roles deserved and slowly being assumed by women. It also means advocating for the advancement of equality by promoting ways to reduce gender wage gap, foster better education for women. An ally is someone who condemns violence against women and all kind of attempts to muzzle them.
Ultimately, it’s about openness and willingness to educate yourself as an ally, to question your privilege, and understand women’s conditions. As Amir put it: “after that interview my perspective on partnerships between men and women has definitely been changing to accommodate these new dynamics.”
Please, join us in promoting women’s rights!
Are you a concerned man, are you a #MaleAlly ? We would like to hear from you.
