Saturday, July 28, 2007

Women, stay home!

I am becoming increasingly fed up with all the talk about working women "stealing the opportunities" of men and depriving "families" from a source of income. Today, while we visited family, a newly-wed friend of the family came and started bragging about the fact that "he made his wife stay home". His justification was the fact that he made enough money and that by doing that, he actually gave a "man who supports a family" a work opportunity.

He also said that his three sisters, all engineers, have also got married and are housewives. He went on to lash at the government for "giving girls free education and the chance to compete for higher education and jobs."

"My three sisters who are happily cooking and doing laundry at their houses took three engineering university seats and hypothetically deprived three men (three families) from studying and making a decent living."

What made me angrier was the fact that many men who were present were very satisfied with his "analysis". They said nothing and probably liked his "victorious" move to make his wife stay home and leave her job as a teacher.

Of course, all my talk about women education and work and contributing to the growth of the society was very unacceptable to him. He looked at me as if I was actually saying really stupid stuff. The conversation ended up by him saying that I, and the likes of me in Jordan, actually embody the very negative factor that "wrecked the very foundation of our society." The debate went on and on and I was too close to yelling at him with a big shut up!

I believe that those men should either be "eradicated" some way, or not allowed to speak in public by anyway possible.

It is only with the advancement of women that we can move forward. Empowering women will empower the society and as long as these people have power and a loud voice, I don’t think we will get anywhere!

5 comments:

Qwaider قويدر said...

What a sad discussion you had. I'm personally offended by this lunatic! You know I come from a household where the mother worked. All my sisters work. Most don't even need to work. But they hold on to it. For many reasons, the least important is providing a better level of living for the whole household, in addition to their financial independence.

These men really need to be rounded up and EDUCATED, not eradicated. They need to understand that a society with a higher percentage of working women is a more productive society, it's gross national product is way higher, and the number of dependents drops down dramatically! Leading to a way better economy for all

If someone is not fit to be in a job, and there's a more qualified women to fill that position then why stick with bureaucratic FAT instead of allowing the better educated and better performing woman from filling that position!

Even if she wasn't that qualified, from experience with the industry. Women bring A LOT of value in addition to their technical expertise. And that comes in the form of the alternate vision. THAT'S what we need. Not the same boring old male dominated work force!

As for opening people's homes, excuse me .. el riziq 3ala Allah, or income is from God, if people work, they can provide.. Simple! Removing women is not going to solve the issue of unemployment. In fact, it will complicate it!

The Observer said...

I guess you should have stood up and SLAP him!

What an ignorant man he is?! I still cant believe that we still have some people who think this way!

So he succeeded in making his wife stay at homoe, now he would be able to control her financially, and eventually dominate every aspect of her life! Big man! way to go!

Miss sea lover said...

i guess he forget that there is a chance that one day he will lose his job, or even he may be seprated from his wife (God forbiden) and she is left lonely in this world, and unless she has her degree, she will not be able to support herself and her kids. not to mention that he 4got that education she got, made her what she is now, and will make a differnce in her kids' life. i think he doesn't know that u can compete for education, and better education, positions r given to better ppl, weather they r female or male, and i guess it is fair...sorry i talked too much

antiZionist said...

what is needed is real democracy that gives Women their natural and civil right to participate and build better society for our children.

Sam said...

wow, it is amazing that there are people who still have this backward thinking this day and age...i guess i should not be surprised since I have heard the "I do not want my wife to work" bit from so many men in my life time.

although i chose to stop working and become a stay at home mom since my first son was born 5yrs ago, I am glad to know that I can go back to work whenever I chose to..and I am glad to have the choice to stay home with my kids..

but wow, it is sad to know this mentality is still out there..very sad indeed...I would have "accidently" thrown a pair of shoes and few chair at him, and the idiots who thought what he was saying is ok! I feel bad for his wife and sisters!