The University of Notre Dame began admitting women in 1972, and nine years later, at age 17, I was one of them. I was - am - proud of that, but back then, I was largely oblivious to the ongoing fight over equal rights for women. I had grown up with limitless access to education, dreams, and opportunities. I didn’t know that prior to 1972, women could be denied a credit card for being…female. Pregnant women could be fired for being pregnant. Birth control was routinely denied to unmarried women.
Now, 50 years later, it’s all cool. Pretty much. Just a few loose ends:
When the Southern Baptist Convention met last week in New Orleans, leaders affirmed the expulsion of several Baptist churches from its ranks. The sin? Having a woman who serves as lead pastor. The denomination has a strict rule prohibiting women from serving as pastors because the Bible *allegedly* bans women from having authority over men. The Bible also instructs slaves to obey their masters, so….can we please agree that literalism has no place here? Catholics have the same rule, of course - no female priests. (As a recovering Catholic, I know *for a fact* that the nuns have always been the real workhorses of the community.) What’s upsetting about both scenarios is the perpetuation of the idea that men are smarter, better, more authoritative, and the list goes on.
Former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley is campaigning to be the Republican nominee for president of the United States. There’s buzz about her - she’s a smart woman of color who could infuse some much-needed diversity into her flailing party. She has also described the existence of transgender girls on sports teams as “the women’s issue of our time.” For reference, researchers estimate there are approximately 100 transgender girl athletes in the nation at any given time. I’m not even going to get into the trampling of transgender rights here. I want to focus instead on: Really? THAT’S the most important women’s issue, Ms. Haley? Not women’s health care, unequal pay, or sexual exploitation? How about the fact that in many U.S. states, girls as young as 12 years old can be married with a parental waiver?
Pretty much everyone wanted the U.S. to get out of Afghanistan. Whew. That’s over. Unless you’re a woman in Afghanistan. In a few short months, the ruling Taliban have set women’s rights back so far that it’s nearly a crime to be born female. For sure, it’s a crime to do anything more than breathe and follow directions. Neither girls nor women have access to education. They have been banned from amusement parks and gyms. They cannot hold public office, and must adhere to a strict dress code. While this doesn’t directly affect most Americans, shouldn’t it? Here in the land of the free, a segment of the population continues to treat women and girls as human beings just shy of having the greatness of men. It’s a rabbit hole, people. Afghanistan isn’t as far as you think.
I just finished reading The Marriage Portrait by the amazing Maggie O’Farrell. It’s an historical novel based on the life of Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici d’Este, who, in 1558, at the age of 13, was married to Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara, age 25. Her father paid the equivalent of $2 million to secure the union. Three years later, after failing to become pregnant, she died under mysterious circumstances.
In the book, Lucrezia is a talented artist, entrapped by the societal bindings of the time. Her story reminded me that women’s rights in civilized countries are a recent phenomenon; my grandmother, for example, was born without the right to vote. (It’s instructive to note that in many indigenous cultures around the world, women were often revered as venerable sages.)
A final note: I know I write this column from a seat of privilege. I am an educated single white woman who buys lattes and shops at Trader Joe’s. I can speak my mind. Mostly. I mean, I do still live in Florida. But damn, I sure am sick of the patriarchy. Aren’t you?
Preach!🙌
Love the picture 😈