This client was so adamant about what he saying--"I shouldn't have to tell my wife what her role is. She should know when to pick up after the baby--what to cook for dinner--how to clean to my standards. She shouldn't have to be told."
After pondering for a moment--I looked at him and couldn't help but asking him..."What year are we in?" He looked so confused, as if I was speaking a different language.
It still amazes me, although maybe it shouldn't, just how ingrained & accustomed we are in terms of defining gender. And that when it is challenged--just how miffed people can become.
yea. pretty outrageous. we have to be careful, too, that we are equally "outraged" when we hear the converse of what we expect from men in this lopsided genderized context. We are probably more apt to think of the expectations for women as unfair - but how unfair is it to think that a human being (man) is not supposed to be emotional or is always to show strength? It is fun to be part of the solution, eh?
ReplyDeleteSay - did everyone "catch" that the United Nations put Iran in charge this year of the rights of women? Not one country, including the U.S., protested. Not one women's organization that I know of in the U.S. protested.
ReplyDeleteThere has been some outrage on behalf of us activists about Iran's position in UNHRC. However, the International community is too distracted at the moment to realize that the nearly useless body (UN) it has installed in NY is becoming a joke around the world.
ReplyDeleteAs the media remains distracted by Ahmadinejad's over the top, outrageous, circus behavior and his denials of historical facts, and politicians are more concerned about a nuclear arsenal that might or might not exist, Iran has gained a strategic advantage. It continues to violate human rights and is not held accountable.
In fact even the arm-chair facebook activists who would share a few videos about the Iranian protesters in June, are now on to the next disaster somewhere else in the world. It seems at times that we have a large appetite for disaster but an ADHD attention span when it comes to following through with response. As soon as we get bored, the media moves on to the next big story, and we change the channel if it lags.
As the child of people who have survived Iranian torture champers, the news that UNHRC was even allowing Iran to be part of its body was vomit conducing.
Here is a link:
Shirin Ebadi's open letter to Ban Ki-moon on Iran's membership of the UNHRC
http://www.humanrights-ir.org/php/view_en.php?objnr=356
I agree, thats sad that he would base his wife's success as a mother/spouse off of what he feels she should be doing around the house. The fact is, it is still very ingrained in the brains of many...its so strong in some people's minds that it can break up a marriage if their significant other does not live up to these standards. I think that people should remember why they fell in love in the first place (if they even married for love) and accept the person that they may or may not be. Maybe she doesn't like cleaning or cooking! It wouldn't hurt him to help out around the house either...
ReplyDelete