International Women's Day
Messages
Camilla Ween's Message
WOMEN ARE PEOPLE , NOT JUST LOVERS OR MOTHERS.
Half of the global population is female - that is about 3.5 Bn of us.
For thousands of years most of the world have been subjected to a system of patriarchy. Women have worked hard within this system, but have not had equal representation in terms of a voice, reward or respect. What is patriarchy? According to the dictionary:
A system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line.
In reality it is a system that devalues women and their contribution to society. In terms of the family, it is simply expected that they will do the lion’s share; in terms of work it means lesser roles for lesser money; in terms of society it means less freedom to pursue their dreams.
A gender-blind society will not think of women in terms of ‘as good as, or less good’ but as being different. That means welcoming women and valuing the divergent perspectives and richness they bring to society. This is my hope today.