This Friday is International Women’s Day and WHO will celebrate by having ONLY women in our on-air roles in all of our local programs. And while there are many reasons to celebrate, it is also important to note that many women in other countries are NOT treated equally. So this day can also be a day when Americans - both women and men - can cherish our freedoms.
Females in some other countries aren’t so fortunate. Here are a few things they’re still not allowed to do:
Attend sporting events – Iran made headlines in October 2018 when women were allowed to attend a soccer game because it was the first time in 35 years they were permitted to go to a sporting event. It was fun while it lasted, but after the match, Iran reverted back to the ban and women there can’t go to them anymore.
Leave the house without asking a man’s permission – Women in Yemen and Saudi Arabia operate on a “male guardianship” system. Women aren’t full citizens and have to ask a brother, husband, or son before making their own choices.
Study mining and other fields – Labor laws in China make it impossible for women to get into certain programs, including engineering and mining, which are considered “unsuitable” because of “respect for women’s safety.”
Share a motorbike or other spaces with men – In Indonesia’s Aceh province, unmarried women are banned from riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by men, and women aren’t allowed to go out to eat with men unless they’re married or related to them. And just this week, six unmarried couples were publicly whipped there after being caught in a hotel raid.
Wear pants – Sudanese women can still be whipped for wearing pants! They have a law that says women can be sentenced to 40 lashes for wearing a “revealing outfit” and what qualifies as revealing is left up to the “public order system,” and pants could be considered an “obscene outfit.”
Use a cell phone – Some villages in India have banned unmarried women from using mobile phones, because it could be perceived as “indecent.”