Monday, October 3, 2011
On Sept. 25, the king of Saudi Arabia announced that finally, Saudi women will be granted the right to vote. This right, along with the right for women to run in elections, will come into effect in the year 2015.
Although striking down barriers to participation in the political process is an important step forward, many have taken this as an opportunity to criticize several of the other shortcomings the state has in the area of women’s rights.
Although the ability to participate in the political process is an important step forward for women in Saudi Arabia, there are still other hurdles that may prevent their full involvement.
Even though Saudi women will be able to vote, they still are legally prevented from driving. Because women cannot travel anywhere without a male chaperone, their mobilitly is significantly limited and could prevent women from making it to the polls, especially if a woman’s spouse or father objects to her right to participate.
Over the summer, several women disobeyed the ban on driving in protest. Several were arrested and later released. One woman was sentenced to 10 lashes after driving a vehicle. Soon after this announcement that women would gain the right to vote, however, the Saudi King overturned the sentence.
This civil disobedience shows Saudi women are actively seeking to be engaged in the political discussion. The right to vote is an important piece of that engagement, but when it is diluted by other barriers, it becomes a less effective tool in the process.
The struggle for reducing discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia is one of many gender equality struggles across the globe. In many places, gender discrimination is so blatant and appalling that it serves to give women in countries like the United States a sense of gratitude to have more freedoms and a greater sense of gender equality.
Certainly in comparison to these grave injustices, women in the U. S. are much more fortunate and enjoy countless rights, many resulting from the efforts of previous generations of activists demanding rights for women.
But, our rights are still not all encompassing. Health care is a major issue affecting women in the U.S right now, especially in Kansas. Access to contraceptives and important cancer screenings are at risk because of political games surrounding abortion. Those types of health care are indispensable to women in the U.S.; because of low access for poor women and little accountability, it is more dangerous to give birth in the U.S. than in 49 other countries, according to maternal health reports by Amnesty International.
Though there are large disparities in the amount of rights afforded to women in various countries, it is clear that even in the U.S., there is room for improvement. Ever important is remembering the rights we do have that are not protected for many women in other parts of the world. But, it is time that we recognize that even though ours are less visible than those struggles, gender disadvantages still need to be addressed here.
— Cosby is a senior from Overland Park majoring in political science and English.
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Comments
Cosby: Saudi Arabia not alone in gender inequality
So Ms. Cosby is saying Saudi Arabia is a bad country. How refreshing. As for the Amnesty International statistics, they should not be relied on too heavily. In the US we count all child deaths as deaths. In many parts of the world they only count certain child deaths as deaths which tends to skew the results. If a mother in the US gives birth to a severely handicapped child who dies in 48 hours that is a death. In Europe and Africa it is a non event and not subject to being recorded. I am glad to see someone criticize another country though and not trying to make the case that all countries are essentially the same. Though it is a gymnastic event to try to compare Saudi Arabia's treatment of women to the treatment of women in the US. Even that sentence really makes no sense in this country. The "treatment of women". In the Middle East that would apply because women have been reduced to at best second class citizenship while in the US a woman is in control of her own life whether she is poor or rich.
A last thing for Ms. Cosby; you are making a comparison in the last paragraph when you say that even in the US there is room for improvement. In your opinion, what is the gold standard for the treatment of women in the world? Who is number one?
Cosby: Saudi Arabia not alone in gender inequality
Stop Planned Parenthood from using government funds to pay for low-income abortions and I don't care if they set up a shop on every other street corner.
Cosby: Saudi Arabia not alone in gender inequality
Well, government funds don't go to abortions - that's federal law. Having said that, correct me if I'm wrong, but Planned Parenthood is a private institution? The female care Ms. Crosby is discussing is something I think should be provided by hospitals, not PP. And I don't have too much sympathy for an organization getting its federal money yanked when they make a point of fundraising at Westboro counterprotests. If religious establishments can get their tax credits threatened with being revoked for getting too political, so should a private organization that's also getting too political. Basically, Planned Parenthood loves to play the victim, then act entitled to flaunt zoning regulations and impartiality at a moment's notice. Classy organization. Women can do better. Socialize women's health care, instead of entrusting it to goons like Planned Parenthood.
Cosby: Saudi Arabia not alone in gender inequality
The Qur'an is literally filled with verses which stigmatize women. Mohammed sexually abused women and treated them as "worth half what men are worth". In fact, Mohammed married 11 women and his last wife, Aisha, was only six years old when she married Mohammed and "they" consumated their marriage when she was nine. The Qur'an and Hadiths are also filled with stories and verses about Mohammed and his men raping women slaves.
If Kelly or anyone else thinks there is a chance in hell of women being treated decently by an Islamic society then they are either dreaming or ignorant about the role of women in Islam.
Cosby: Saudi Arabia not alone in gender inequality
The Muslims, they just can't help but be sexist. Am I right?
Cosby: Saudi Arabia not alone in gender inequality
Money is fungible. It is against the law for the federal government to provide funds for abortions but Planned Parenthood gets federal money (but not for abortion). Money being fungible Planned Parenthood can take money for say...abstinence training (don't laugh) and take the money that was to be used for abstinence training and transfer it to abortion. Kind of like a guy asking you for 10 dollars and you say I am not buying you a bottle of cheap booze. He assures you that he is not going to do that. You give him the money and then find him at the check out with a bottle of cheap booze. ??? He says he had his own money to pay for the booze, your money is going for cigarettes. If Planned Parenthood was truly, sincerely serious then they just have to divide their operation. So why don't they?
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