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Thanks for your note to FEMINIST.COM.
I think that your essay sounds
right on track. I have personally
attended many meetings with
feminists from around the world.
Consistently issues of sexism--or
issues that arise as a result
of sexism--are raised, regardless
of what country one comes from.
The one difference is how you
prioritize issues. For instance,
in the United States access
to health care is an issue.
In Cuba, the issue is better
health care. In Sierra Leone
a top issue is equal access
to education, in Japan is the
increasing numbers of eating
disorders. There are no issues
that women are immune to, it's
just a matter of what different
groups of women are prioritizing
at that time.
A good articulation of that
is the Beijing Women's Conference--where
women from around the world
agreed on the 13 point Platform
for Action. This covers issues
such as armed conflict, education,
the girl child, violence against
women, etc... Again all issues
affect women around the world.
It's just that in certain places
at certain times certain issues
are a greater priority.
So, perhaps you should try
to use the Beijing conference
as an example. The Women's
Environment and Development
Organization (WEDO) has
a copy of the Platform.
Another example is what has
recently been happening in Afganistan--the
Taliban's "imprisonment" of
women. Many people in this country
have expressed their concern
and asked what they could do.
My response has tried to be:
look around your own community
and I'm sure you will find ways
that women are being equally
(though in a different manner)
persecuted.
—Amy
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