Daily Archive

Women’s Day has come around again.  Let’s focus on the material conditions that inhibit the flourishing of women.  A huge thank you to those women who have stepped up and are being seen in society thus providing the path for others to follow.  Concomitantly, thanks to those who have chosen to take paths the patriarchy denies light to, but are vitally contributing to the well being of society and future generations.

I am a big fan of raunchel’s musings.  Her writing is adroit, prescient, and incisive.  A small sample highlights teh awesome:

“Because if there is one thing that a woman isn’t allowed to be in our society, it’s different. We aren’t allowed to be individuals, we only are part of a group. And we need this group, we have to be with others, to have a measure of safety. Alone, we’re vulnerable. Of course, in a group, with others, we’re still vulnerable, but less so. This means that it is vital to be part of a group. And to be part of a group, we have to be like the others.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where there are many pressures on women. All of society has expectations for us, and every deviation thereof means that we have to be punished. This punishment often is exclusion. We are expected to be silent, to be meek, to be a thousand things. But none of those things are being strong, being ambitious, or just being yourself.

This is why women often refuse to take the centre stage. Not only have we been taught since they were little girls that they should be silent, but they also know that if they do, they are excluded. They basically become un-persons, and even associating with them brings the same social punishment.

The reason why this is so strongly enforced is very simple. Nothing is as undermining to patriarchy as a woman who actually achieves something.”

–raunchel

via Lesbian Radfem – Loneliness