If Men Could Menstruate
by Gloria Steinem
A white minority of the world has spent centuries conning us into thinking that a white skin makes people superior - even though the only thing it really does is make the more subject to ultraviolet rays and to wrinkles. Male human beings have built whole cultures around the idea that penis envy is "natural" to women - though having such an unprotected organ might be said to make men vulnerable, and the power to give birth makes womb envy at least as logical.
In short, the characteristics of the powerful, whatever they may be, are thought to be better than the characteristics of the powerless - and logic has nothing to do with it.
What would happen, for instance, if suddenly, magically, men could menstruate and women could not?
The answer is clear - menstruation would become an enviable, boast-worthy, masculine event:
Men would brag about how long and how much.
Boys would mark the onset of menses, that longed-for proof of manhood, with religious ritual and stag parties.
Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea to help stamp out monthly discomforts.
Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. (Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of commercial brands such as John Wayne Tampons, Muhammad Ali's Rope-a-dope Pads, Joe Namath Jock Shields - "For Those Light Bachelor Days," and Robert "Baretta" Blake Maxi-Pads.)
Military men, right-wing politicians, and religious fundamentalists would cite menstruation ("men-struation") as proof that only men could serve in the Army ("you have to give blood to take blood"), occupy political office ("can women be aggressive without that steadfast cycle governed by the planet Mars?"), be priest and ministers ("how could a woman give her blood for our sins?") or rabbis ("without the monthly loss of impurities, women remain unclean").
Male radicals, left-wing politicians, mystics, however, would insist that women are equal, just different, and that any woman could enter their ranks if she were willing to self-inflict a major wound every month ("you MUST give blood for the revolution"), recognize the preeminence of menstrual issues, or subordinate her selfness to all men in their Cycle of Enlightenment. Street guys would brag ("I'm a three pad man") or answer praise from a buddy ("Man, you lookin' good!") by giving fives and saying, "Yeah, man, I'm on the rag!" TV shows would treat the subject at length. ("Happy Days": Richie and Potsie try to convince Fonzie that he is still "The Fonz," though he has missed two periods in a row.) So would newspapers. (SHARK SCARE THREATENS MENSTRUATING MEN. JUDGE CITES MONTHLY STRESS IN PARDONING RAPIST.) And movies. (Newman and Redford in "Blood Brothers"!)
Men would convince women that intercourse was more pleasurable at "that time of the month." Lesbians would be said to fear blood and therefore life itself - though probably only because they needed a good menstruating man.
Of course, male intellectuals would offer the most moral and logical arguments. How could a woman master any discipline that demanded a sense of time, space, mathematics, or measurement, for instance, without that in-built gift for measuring the cycles of the moon and planets - and thus for measuring anything at all? In the rarefied fields of philosophy and religion, could women compensate for missing the rhythm of the universe? Or for their lack of symbolic death-and-resurrection every month?
Liberal males in every field would try to be kind: the fact that "these people" have no gift for measuring life or connecting to the universe, the liberals would explain, should be punishment enough.
And how would women be trained to react? One can imagine traditional women agreeing to all arguments with a staunch and smiling masochism. ("The ERA would force housewives to wound themselves every month": Phyllis Schlafly. "Your husband's blood is as sacred as that of Jesus - and so sexy, too!": Marabel Morgan.) Reformers and Queen Bees would try to imitate men, and pretend to have a monthly cycle. All feminists would explain endlessly that men, too, needed to be liberated from the false idea of Martian aggressiveness, just as women needed to escape the bonds of menses envy. Radical feminist would add that the oppression of the nonmenstrual was the pattern for all other oppressions ("Vampires were our first freedom fighters!") Cultural feminists would develop a bloodless imagery in art and literature. Socialist feminists would insist that only under capitalism would men be able to monopolize menstrual blood . . . .
In fact, if men could menstruate, the power justifications could probably go on forever.
If we let them.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
GLORIOUS GLORIA SPEAKS:
"• I have met brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving beyond words."
this blog is a small attempt in this regard.
"• The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."
unlearn the fact that we are male or female and learn first that we are humans. because as long as u consider urself as male or female u forget u are a human.
"• If women are supposed to be less rational and more emotional at the beginning of our menstrual cycle when the female hormone is at its lowest level, then why isn't it logical to say that, in those few days, women behave the most like the way men behave all month long?"
exactly! have u ever thought so???
"• This is no simple reform. It really is a revolution. Sex and race because they are easy and visible differences have been the primary ways of organizing human beings into superior and inferior groups and into the cheap labour in which this system still depends. We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen or those earned. We are really talking about humanism."
quality/talents should be the sole criteria. like taste of food not the name of dish or where it is bought from(mainland china or home made).
to quote Tagore, "we cannot follow a rule just because it is a rule."
and to quote Gloria,"• Law and justice are not always the same. When they aren't, destroying the law may be the first step toward changing it."
• Most women's magazines simply try to mold women into bigger and better consumers.
most women magazines actually show that women have the only quality and that is what men called beauty.
• For women... bras, panties, bathing suits, and other stereotypical gear are visual reminders of a commercial, idealized feminine image that our real and diverse female bodies can't possibly fit. Without these visual references, each individual woman's body demands to be accepted on its own terms. We stop being comparatives. We begin to be unique.
WELL VERY FEW WOMEN WOULD AGREE TO THIS AND SO IT'S NOT A THREAT TO COMMERCIALS.
• We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.
• We know that we can do what men can do, but we still don't know that men can do what women can do. That's absolutely crucial. We can't go on doing two jobs.
the 1st one is the cause of the 2nd. wrong parentage.
• Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense, and as courageous as either one.
during childbirth a mother may go through the pain equal to that of breaking 20bones simultaneously. can a single man survive it???
• But the problem is that when I go around and speak on campuses, I still don't get young men standing up and saying, 'How can I combine career and family?'
i too never heard one. it is still supposed that only a woman has to compromise not the man. i dont know what she would say seeing the joint family systems of India where the woman has to even look after the inlaws???
what an aweful truth!
'• Someone asked me why women don't gamble as much as men do, and I gave the commonsensical reply that we don't have as much money. That was a true and incomplete answer. In fact, women's total instinct for gambling is satisfied by marriage. '
actually ther is hardly any marriage where women actually wins, most of the time she thinks that she won but her thoughts are actually shaped like that from childhood.
this blog is a small attempt in this regard.
"• The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."
unlearn the fact that we are male or female and learn first that we are humans. because as long as u consider urself as male or female u forget u are a human.
"• If women are supposed to be less rational and more emotional at the beginning of our menstrual cycle when the female hormone is at its lowest level, then why isn't it logical to say that, in those few days, women behave the most like the way men behave all month long?"
exactly! have u ever thought so???
"• This is no simple reform. It really is a revolution. Sex and race because they are easy and visible differences have been the primary ways of organizing human beings into superior and inferior groups and into the cheap labour in which this system still depends. We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen or those earned. We are really talking about humanism."
quality/talents should be the sole criteria. like taste of food not the name of dish or where it is bought from(mainland china or home made).
to quote Tagore, "we cannot follow a rule just because it is a rule."
and to quote Gloria,"• Law and justice are not always the same. When they aren't, destroying the law may be the first step toward changing it."
• Most women's magazines simply try to mold women into bigger and better consumers.
most women magazines actually show that women have the only quality and that is what men called beauty.
• For women... bras, panties, bathing suits, and other stereotypical gear are visual reminders of a commercial, idealized feminine image that our real and diverse female bodies can't possibly fit. Without these visual references, each individual woman's body demands to be accepted on its own terms. We stop being comparatives. We begin to be unique.
WELL VERY FEW WOMEN WOULD AGREE TO THIS AND SO IT'S NOT A THREAT TO COMMERCIALS.
• We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.
• We know that we can do what men can do, but we still don't know that men can do what women can do. That's absolutely crucial. We can't go on doing two jobs.
the 1st one is the cause of the 2nd. wrong parentage.
• Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense, and as courageous as either one.
during childbirth a mother may go through the pain equal to that of breaking 20bones simultaneously. can a single man survive it???
• But the problem is that when I go around and speak on campuses, I still don't get young men standing up and saying, 'How can I combine career and family?'
i too never heard one. it is still supposed that only a woman has to compromise not the man. i dont know what she would say seeing the joint family systems of India where the woman has to even look after the inlaws???
what an aweful truth!
'• Someone asked me why women don't gamble as much as men do, and I gave the commonsensical reply that we don't have as much money. That was a true and incomplete answer. In fact, women's total instinct for gambling is satisfied by marriage. '
actually ther is hardly any marriage where women actually wins, most of the time she thinks that she won but her thoughts are actually shaped like that from childhood.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Fri, Jun 25 02:23 PM
Washington, June 25 (IANS) Since the Second World War, the use of rape as a weapon of war has assumed strategic importance and is now a deliberate military strategy, argue researchers.
A study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo found that 16,000 rapes occurred in 2008 alone and in South Kivu province, health centres estimate that 40 women were raped in the region daily.
In the UK, 50-70 percent of female asylum applicants were raped, witnessed rape, or have a credible fear of rape.
The effects of rape and sexual violence during war also extend beyond individual victims and are economically, physically, psychologically and culturally devastating for families and communities, say study authors Coleen Kivlahan, volunteer forensic physician for HealthRight International, and Nate Ewigman from the University of Florida.
For example, in recent conflicts, rape has been used as a reward for victory in battle, a boost to troop morale, as punishment and humiliation for both men and women, to incite revenge in opposing troops, to eliminate or 'cleanse' religious or political groups and to destabilise entire communities by creating terror.
Geographical, cultural, religious, political, legal, and behavioural conditions affect the likelihood of the systematic use of rape, explain the authors.
For instance, geographically remote locations allow perpetrators to rape with impunity, while the likelihood that women will be raped, shamed and isolated is increased in cultures with strong traditions regarding virginity, marital fidelity and genital cleanliness.
Religions with strong beliefs about appropriate female clothing and behaviour also increase the risk that women will be falsely accused of adultery and raped as humiliation and punishment, they add.
The international community has mounted a considerable response to the use of rape as a weapon of war, but the authors argue that rape during armed conflict is not simply about military personnel, police or terrorists, said a HealthRight International release.
For example, before 2004, rape assailants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were primarily affiliated with the military; however, after 2004, civilian rapes increased 17-fold while rapes by armed combatants decreased by 77 percent. 'This pattern suggests a disturbing acceptance of rape among civilians,' they conclude.
'Rape is the result of the lack of dedicated societal attention to the safety, respect, and prosperity of women in peace time as well as in war.'
These findings were published in bmj.com
what does these findings actually prove? respond please.
Washington, June 25 (IANS) Since the Second World War, the use of rape as a weapon of war has assumed strategic importance and is now a deliberate military strategy, argue researchers.
A study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo found that 16,000 rapes occurred in 2008 alone and in South Kivu province, health centres estimate that 40 women were raped in the region daily.
In the UK, 50-70 percent of female asylum applicants were raped, witnessed rape, or have a credible fear of rape.
The effects of rape and sexual violence during war also extend beyond individual victims and are economically, physically, psychologically and culturally devastating for families and communities, say study authors Coleen Kivlahan, volunteer forensic physician for HealthRight International, and Nate Ewigman from the University of Florida.
For example, in recent conflicts, rape has been used as a reward for victory in battle, a boost to troop morale, as punishment and humiliation for both men and women, to incite revenge in opposing troops, to eliminate or 'cleanse' religious or political groups and to destabilise entire communities by creating terror.
Geographical, cultural, religious, political, legal, and behavioural conditions affect the likelihood of the systematic use of rape, explain the authors.
For instance, geographically remote locations allow perpetrators to rape with impunity, while the likelihood that women will be raped, shamed and isolated is increased in cultures with strong traditions regarding virginity, marital fidelity and genital cleanliness.
Religions with strong beliefs about appropriate female clothing and behaviour also increase the risk that women will be falsely accused of adultery and raped as humiliation and punishment, they add.
The international community has mounted a considerable response to the use of rape as a weapon of war, but the authors argue that rape during armed conflict is not simply about military personnel, police or terrorists, said a HealthRight International release.
For example, before 2004, rape assailants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were primarily affiliated with the military; however, after 2004, civilian rapes increased 17-fold while rapes by armed combatants decreased by 77 percent. 'This pattern suggests a disturbing acceptance of rape among civilians,' they conclude.
'Rape is the result of the lack of dedicated societal attention to the safety, respect, and prosperity of women in peace time as well as in war.'
These findings were published in bmj.com
what does these findings actually prove? respond please.
Monday, June 21, 2010
vrata
karva chaudh: a vrata to be done for the welfare of husband by a wife. the one doing it isnt allowed to take food or water after sunrise till her husband returns to feed her when the moon rises.
vat savitri: another vrata to be done by wives for the welfare of husbands without food and water till the puja is done.
bhaiya duj: tika/tilak to be put sisters on their brother's forehead. the puja to be done by fasting again.
i am not against fasting or puja but my question to all the bhaktas is why never a husband fasts for his wife and children and keeps vrata................
these vrats will itself show where the position of women lies in the society.
vat savitri: another vrata to be done by wives for the welfare of husbands without food and water till the puja is done.
bhaiya duj: tika/tilak to be put sisters on their brother's forehead. the puja to be done by fasting again.
i am not against fasting or puja but my question to all the bhaktas is why never a husband fasts for his wife and children and keeps vrata................
these vrats will itself show where the position of women lies in the society.
sindoor, bangles, mangalsutra
well a married woman in hindu family must wear these as signs of marriage for the welfare of her family and husband.
but are these only for the welfare of her family? isnt it just a way to identify her as married in the society so that she has a less chance for her independence? independence for the sake of sex, as well as work. whenever a girl marries some imposed responsibilities fall on her. looking after her inlaws, taking care for families, cooking for the husband etc.
my question is why men never keeps a sign of their marriage? isnt it giving them a lots of independence which they can surely misuse?
but are these only for the welfare of her family? isnt it just a way to identify her as married in the society so that she has a less chance for her independence? independence for the sake of sex, as well as work. whenever a girl marries some imposed responsibilities fall on her. looking after her inlaws, taking care for families, cooking for the husband etc.
my question is why men never keeps a sign of their marriage? isnt it giving them a lots of independence which they can surely misuse?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
taslima nasreen
Taslima Nasreen:a pure woman activist got banned from her own country bangladesh for protesting non muslims and women tortures on several issues by the government. her books Dwikhandita, Lajya and others are banned from publishing in bangladesh. conservative islamic people announced the price of her head! (even though they call themselves democratic!).
the questions raised against her are that she is anti-islamic etc. while the first statement of her book lajya states "let the other name of religion be humanity". the holy Quaran also states if there is death of one innocent there is death of whole humanity. so where did she become anti-islamic? it's time for us to see who is more religious & what is religion? is it killing/announcing price of head for a person trying to save rights of women and minorities or an attempt to save humanity.
let's ask ourselves who is more dear to God/Ram/Krishna/Shiva/Allah.
Friday, May 14, 2010
agnipariksha
even our most famous & respected epics showed us male domination in society. even after being clean Sita maa had to give agnipariksha otherwise her kindom wont accept her! the biggest question is Ram the purushottam whom we call didnt object it, allowed his wife's insult without even a single protest. have anyone thought had something be the case with Ram (with due respect to Ramji) would ayodhya have talked anything behind?
(kindly note it is not at all intended to hurt anybody's sentiments regarding ramayan, but to put forward the male domaination in society only. there are other sources which speak that the one sita who gave agnipariksha was not real sita, though i never had such a reference in valmiki ramayana, yet whomsoever it may the society remained in favour of men only & sita was mistrusted.)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
women in space
have u ever asked yourself how this girl reached the space? we watched her on tv. it was because she is confident & she felt proud of her existence, proud of being a girl. Sunita Williams is a true hero for any independence loving & striving girl. if u want to be like her first believe in yourself like she did.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
what is women independence?
the small question is now how is women independence possible?
the answer is very easy. there is nothing called women independence its personal independence. individual independence. nothing special for women. the only speciality is we have to think, know, learn & strive for what we think ours. we have to ask why, we have to learn to think more than what we are taught to think.
as a small example i would say have u seen circus elephants? they are tied with ropes. havent u asked yourself ever that why they remain tied like this? they have immense power to break the chains & destroy the circus camps. so why? the reason is when the elephants are brought to circus they were baby elephants, they didnt have that power to break the chains. they tried but failed but that failure is still in their minds & they believe it is not possible by them to break the chains. so is our condition. for ages the society has taught us, u are to wear ghunghat, u arent allowed to talk & laugh at loud voice, u are not to get more education than boys, u are to get married & reduce our burden, u cant keep relation to boys as friends so we believed them! because everyone did that, we didnt have knowledge that we have the power to win over the boys. now we have the knowledge, so let's break the chains & live like human not women!
this is women independence the realisation that we not women, we are human!
the answer is very easy. there is nothing called women independence its personal independence. individual independence. nothing special for women. the only speciality is we have to think, know, learn & strive for what we think ours. we have to ask why, we have to learn to think more than what we are taught to think.
as a small example i would say have u seen circus elephants? they are tied with ropes. havent u asked yourself ever that why they remain tied like this? they have immense power to break the chains & destroy the circus camps. so why? the reason is when the elephants are brought to circus they were baby elephants, they didnt have that power to break the chains. they tried but failed but that failure is still in their minds & they believe it is not possible by them to break the chains. so is our condition. for ages the society has taught us, u are to wear ghunghat, u arent allowed to talk & laugh at loud voice, u are not to get more education than boys, u are to get married & reduce our burden, u cant keep relation to boys as friends so we believed them! because everyone did that, we didnt have knowledge that we have the power to win over the boys. now we have the knowledge, so let's break the chains & live like human not women!
this is women independence the realisation that we not women, we are human!
Friday, May 7, 2010
ask yourself
Just a few things to note first:
1. after enduring nine months of pain a when a mother ultimately sees a boy, she's happy but if a girl is born she is not. why? why is her face down to see a girl who will be able to produce one like her?
2. after the work at office when a girl returns to home she has to teach her child even though the father is more educated. if we have to do so why dont our family give marriage to uneducated boys? what's the problem, if the dads wont take up the child's respensibility.
3. family saves for boy's education but girl's marriage. why dont they save for boy's marriage if they have to save for girl's marriage? or else why not for girl's education?
4. a rapist gets 5/7 years but society rejects the raped girl. why?
5. we worship mother Goddess, but have u ever seen female purohits/priests? why? why women are not to worship the mother, who is a girl?
6.even we also dont allow girls to enter the temples during menstrual periods. why? wont a child go to her mother during that time if she needs?
7. women to wear borkha, pardah, churnis to cover their faces so that boys dont see their faces. so why not impose helmets on boys so that girls dont see their faces too? otherwise just punish the evil eyed ones.
8. the girl have to wear saree otherwise the schools object the teacher's dress. we are very respectful to our culture. okay so why not tell the boys to wear dhoti & kurta for male teachers too?
9. a girl's father gets bankrupted by paying his daughter's dowry. isnt it worse than slavery? even the slave owners get money in exchange of slaves but girl's father has to give so. though ultimately she's no more than a family's slave.
10. an eve teaser's enjoyment is to bully a girl for being a girl. nobody teases a boy for being a boy.
11. after marriage a man is allowed to keep relation with his friends who may be of opposite sex, but not the girls, why?
12. killing of female infants/at the womb are banned but the tortures after being born are???
it's time for us to view & analyze the reasons behind & the process to irradicate them.
1. after enduring nine months of pain a when a mother ultimately sees a boy, she's happy but if a girl is born she is not. why? why is her face down to see a girl who will be able to produce one like her?
2. after the work at office when a girl returns to home she has to teach her child even though the father is more educated. if we have to do so why dont our family give marriage to uneducated boys? what's the problem, if the dads wont take up the child's respensibility.
3. family saves for boy's education but girl's marriage. why dont they save for boy's marriage if they have to save for girl's marriage? or else why not for girl's education?
4. a rapist gets 5/7 years but society rejects the raped girl. why?
5. we worship mother Goddess, but have u ever seen female purohits/priests? why? why women are not to worship the mother, who is a girl?
6.even we also dont allow girls to enter the temples during menstrual periods. why? wont a child go to her mother during that time if she needs?
7. women to wear borkha, pardah, churnis to cover their faces so that boys dont see their faces. so why not impose helmets on boys so that girls dont see their faces too? otherwise just punish the evil eyed ones.
8. the girl have to wear saree otherwise the schools object the teacher's dress. we are very respectful to our culture. okay so why not tell the boys to wear dhoti & kurta for male teachers too?
9. a girl's father gets bankrupted by paying his daughter's dowry. isnt it worse than slavery? even the slave owners get money in exchange of slaves but girl's father has to give so. though ultimately she's no more than a family's slave.
10. an eve teaser's enjoyment is to bully a girl for being a girl. nobody teases a boy for being a boy.
11. after marriage a man is allowed to keep relation with his friends who may be of opposite sex, but not the girls, why?
12. killing of female infants/at the womb are banned but the tortures after being born are???
it's time for us to view & analyze the reasons behind & the process to irradicate them.
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