Written by: Aurée de Carbon, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Six years ago, approximatively at the same date, I had published a small article with the same title. Yesterday, February 6, was the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Societies have always dictated the role of women. A century ago, a mother used to stay at home to perform domestic chores, child rearing and sometimes charity work, under the tutelage of her husband.
The very first feminist petition demanding women's right to vote was launched in 1832, in Great Britain. It was not until 19 years later that it was presented to Parliament (1851) asking for the right to vote for women.
We owe a lot to the suffragettes, these civil society activists grouped within the Women's Social and Political Union. Their courageous and provocative actions imposed a break with the model of society at the time.
67 years later (1918), British women obtained the right to vote at the age of 30. Another ten years passed before equality was established with men, and women could vote from the age of 21, just like men. It seems so far away that I wonder if we really realize how tenacious these women were, how hard they fought, how hard they fought to become emancipated through voting rights? We should pay tribute to them every year. A world day should be dedicated to them. This is what New Zealand does every September 19, celebrating the achievement of the right to vote for New Zealand women on September 19, 1893. Suffrage Day celebrates the goals of the gender equality movement and reminds us that the issue of women's equality is still relevant today.
In just over a century, has the role of women really changed? It's true that women have entered the corporate world and the workplace where they compete with men for positions. But on closer inspection, wage gaps are sometimes revealed, for equal skills. So, is this new model better, and more importantly, does it work for us women? Society now requires women to juggle responsibilities at work, at home, with children. The woman must be perfect because if she is not, she does not meet the expectations of society, the model of education deeply rooted for millennia.
Every woman must be like Wonder Woman, maintaining a balance between professional and private life, attentive to the needs of her own and others. Women are still expected to be the embodiment of beauty, wisdom and grace.
Wonder Woman...1941, this heroine, made her appearance, created by Dr. William Moulton Marston psychologist, an inventor at the origin of the lie detector (blood pressure test), writer, feminist and scriptwriter of comics. Let us recall that in 1916, he has for tutor Hugo Münsterberg, an antifeminist, who inspires him the Doctor Psycho, the enemy of Wonder Woman. lie1.
Wonder Woman is an icon, one of the most famous superheroines in the world. Quite the opposite of the Barbie doll...
So, are women really liberated since the 1960s and the euphoria of the 1970s?
2023... Don't women sometimes feel like they are chained to the unrealistic standards and demands of society?
History has stereotyped women from the obedient little girl, copying her mother, through the shy and blushing girl, to the obedient wife, attentive to the desires of the Husband, replacing the image of the all-powerful Father in the eyes of every girl.
Today, women are required to be emancipated, independent, strong, sexually successful and champions of repetitive daily tasks. A new generation of women is born, conditioned to be perfect mothers, perfect wives, and exceptional professionals.
Women are still struggling and striving to find a balance between all demands, to fit what society requires them to be ‒ the impossible Wonder Woman.
Let's not forget that women only gained the right to open a bank account in the 1960s. We only gained financial independence about 60 years ago. Recall that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed in 1974, which was supposed to prohibit credit discrimination based on gender.
In terms of education, women are attending universities and colleges, and they are rushing to get advanced degrees. And still, in some countries, the fight remains more than ever, because education, and knowledge, is the key to any ascension and decision-making power, and personal development.
The truth is that despite the undeniable progress in the role of women in society, women are still subject to this unconscious, underlying model of perfection at home, at work and in the community. We are stamped as natural multi-tasking! In reality, women are not innately multi-taskers; circumstances have forced them to adapt to multitask effectively.
Consider the example of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although men learned to support their wives during containment, they had to manage additional responsibilities such as tutoring children after online classes and tidying the house before attending Zoom meetings. The thread of work-life balance became more tenuous.
Celebrating today's Wonder Woman goes beyond recognizing the sacrifices women have made to meet society's high expectations. As times have changed, so has the way we should perceive women. Modern women are not just mothers and breadwinners. They play a crucial role in shaping society today and in the future. It is not fair to expect perfection from women, both physically and psychologically, knowing the level of pressure they face every day. We are allowed to make mistakes. We are brave, we are tough, but we are allowed to be imperfect. Women deserve more sincere support, encouragement in taking responsibility, not only to better serve their purpose and offer the best of themselves but also and above all, because being women, they intrinsically contribute to the progress of our world, they deserve to be celebrated, not as overpowered goddesses or dolls with stunted physique, but simply for their role in the future of our societies and humanity. Every woman has the right to respect for her physical and moral integrity.
The International Women's Day (according to the official name of the UN), is celebrated on March 8. It is important to remember that this international day highlights the fight for women's rights and in particular for the end of inequalities compared to men.
See you in a month, on March 8, to celebrate this date.
Key dates:
February 6: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
February 11: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
October 11: International Day for Girls' Rights
November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Aurée de Carbon, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Aurée is the founder and the owner of CARRHURE, an Executive Search Firm specialized in the Not-for-Profit sector. A French native, Aurée has 30 years of professional experience. Her exceptional empathy, expertise in identifying and assessing candidates as well as her servant leadership style make her approach unique. Prior to establishing CARRHURE, Aurée was Director International for several retained executive search firms where she directed engagements for large NGOs specialized in Agriculture, Climate Change and Health. She began her career managing sales and marketing efforts for French medias and the banking sectors (BNP and HSBC) as Wealth Management Advisor. She holds a BA in Arts from University Paris X and a degree in Communication and Marketing. She is a certified professional Coach, PNL technician and she is certified in several assessment Tools, such as 360° and DISC Model. Aurée is fluent in French and English.
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