My Opinion | Feb 26,2022
Jun 8 , 2019
By Tsion Fisseha
In a show that talked about the different attires that attract both the female and male genders to one another, random people on the street gave various responses. Among the respondents, one caught my attention immediately. These responses would later be a point of discussion with my friends.
The first respondent said, “I like girls that wear short dresses. You know the types that are not afraid of showing off their assets.” The respondent continued, “I like girls that do not make a big deal out of a whole lot.”
The other one confidently said, “If I look at my wife, and I do not like what she is wearing, then there is no way I would let her leave the house like that. I would definitely make her change what she is wearing.”
This particular response, for me and for most of my friends who identify as feminists, did not just stop at clothing. It dragged us into the thought process of the power dynamics of that household.
Ethiopia is a land of a long cultural, political and economic history. It has dealt with famine, war (both internal and external) and many challenges, and it still is.
One of the battles that is being fought at this moment in time, with the help of the enlightened in society, is the narrative of gender equality.
This battle depicts the challenges that the female gender is currently facing in the country that we are living in.
The front runner among the challenges is sexual and gender-based violence that has killed and is killing so many innocent young girls and women.
In a recent statement released by the Addis Abeba Police Commission, in the past nine months, 13 women have been killed due to sexual and gender-based violence.
In addition to the killings and the physical abuse, these women are also vulnerable to psychological abuse that can last a lifetime.“An abuser doesn’t just beat and kick her but also makes her believe that there is no one else for her and that he is the only one she could count on,” says Zehra Legesse, psychologist and social worker, while talking about violence against women.
All of these, the statistics, the psychological impact and the misogyny flashed before me when the respondent said, “I would definitely make her change what she is wearing.”
There is always the possibility that the statement was spoken in the utterly positive sense. It is a possibility that the respondent did not mean it in a condescending manner. But negative light has been shed by both me and my friends that highlights the very fact that the comment set forth by the respondent could be an affirmation of patriarchy.
The respondents’ comment could easily be directed back to him to say “NO!”, not only about clothing but to any of the decisions made by the wife.
“Much work in feminist theory is devoted to the tasks of critiquing women’s subordination, analysing the intersections between sexism and other forms of subordination,” writes Amy Allen in her paper Feminist Perspectives on Power.
The institutional and legal structures of many countries were set up in such a way as to perpetuate patriarchy. Whether this is a cultural or evolutionary bias, the fact remains that those who want to stand for women’s rights find themselves at a crossroads.
However, laws are meant to change for the betterment of society, not just women. Things need to change from the grassroots level, allowing women and men to find a fine line around the power dynamics. This could be as big as enacting new legislation and reforming judicial systems to the smallest task of being able to wear what one wants without the intervention of others.
The Australian activist and writer G.D. Anderson once wrote, “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
PUBLISHED ON
Jun 08,2019 [ VOL
20 , NO
997]
My Opinion | Feb 26,2022
View From Arada | Nov 13,2021
Viewpoints | May 06,2023
Life Matters | Nov 14,2020
Life Matters | Dec 09,2023
Life Matters | Sep 18,2021
Featured | Jan 05,2019
Commentaries | Mar 12,2022
Viewpoints | Mar 14,2020
Commentaries | May 14,2022
Photo Gallery | 96802 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 88983 Views | Apr 26,2019
My Opinion | 67185 Views | Aug 14,2021
Commentaries | 65767 Views | Oct 02,2021
Feb 24 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Abel Yeshitila, a real estate developer with a 12-year track record, finds himself unable to sell homes in his latest venture. Despite slash...
Feb 10 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In his last week's address to Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) painted a picture of an economy...
Jan 7 , 2024
In the realm of international finance and diplomacy, few cities hold the distinction that Addis Abeba doe...
Sep 30 , 2023 . By AKSAH ITALO
On a chilly morning outside Ke'Geberew Market, Yeshi Chane, a 35-year-old mother cradling her seven-month-old baby, stands amidst the throng...
Apr 20 , 2024
In a departure from its traditionally opaque practices, the National Bank of Ethiopia...
Apr 13 , 2024
In the hushed corridors of the legislative house on Lorenzo Te'azaz Road (Arat Kilo)...
Apr 6 , 2024
In a rather unsettling turn of events, the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (C...
Mar 30 , 2024
Ethiopian authorities find themselves at a crossroads in the shadow of a global econo...
Apr 20 , 2024
Ethiopia's economic reform negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are in their fourth round, taking place in Washington, D...
Apr 20 , 2024 . By BERSABEH GEBRE
An undercurrent of controversy surrounds the appointment of founding members of Amhara Bank after regulat...
An ambitious cooperative housing initiative designed to provide thousands with affordable homes is mired...
Apr 20 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Ethiopia's juice manufacturers confront formidable economic challenges following the reclassification of...
Loading your updates...