Things are SO Much Better for Women
Via Wilfred’s DailyKos diary: Oprah, who reaches 30 million viewers, did a show on what it was like to be female and 30 in various parts of the world.
While the Brazilian woman mentioned the importance of bikini-waxing, the Iraqi woman said this:
…the situation for women in Iraq has never been worse than it is now.
“I mean, welcome to the real world,” she says. “For me, as an Iraqi woman, I don’t feel safe. Anyone can attack me. Anyone can rape me. Anyone can even kill me, you know? We are full of fear. Iraqi women are losing their freedom instead of gaining freedom, because there is a lack of security. Now we’re supposed to be free. But now we are more afraid.”
For those of you who read Baghdad blogger Riverbend the description rings true. From the time the war started, Riverbend, who was employed as a software engineer, saw her world shrink smaller and smaller and smaller.
Coupled with NYT’s columnist Kristof’s reports that Afghan women still face beatings, forced marriages, and a 3-year jail sentence for not having an intact hymen, the Oprah segment really shows what a great job we’re doing in making life better for women wherever we go.
I sincerely hope Oprah will focus more attention on this. With a 30-million member audience, she can clue women in on the fact that W stands for Wrong, not Women.
October 6th, 2004 at 10:02 pm
Oprah’s segment on Kuwaiti women noted that they don’t have the vote but didn’t mention that one of the results of Gulf War I was supposed to be that they would get it.
Dr Phil and his wife visited with Kerry and Teresa on their show today. Dr Phil asked one question about how Kerry was going to deal with I think he called it “this runaway train” in his only overtly political question.
The Kerrys came off as relaxed and genuine. Unlike Bush and Laura. Also unlike the Bushes, Kerry could remember whether he’d ever spanked his children. He did it just once and resolved to find better ways to discipline his children. He grinned when they talked about how his daughters wrapped him around their little fingers.
October 7th, 2004 at 1:50 pm
Linkology
Yeah I know, I don’t do this nearly enough so here’s the requisite dosage of linkage linky loo: - Los Angeles Conserva-blonde Moxie is usually a loose-cannon, but she has a funny bit posted this week on coming out of…