Despite cultural, economical and political differences, women around the world have common bonds, said Sarah Jordan at a Women’s Resource Center discussion on Tuesday.
Jordan spent nearly two years traveling abroad. Kim Hall, programs coordinator for the center, invited Jordan to share her experiences as part of their Food for Thought lecture/discussion series.
“I think in America, particularly in Utah, it’s really easy for us to feel that our experience of the world is true,” Hall said.
Hall also said she believed it is important to examine issues “outside of our own very miniscule point of view,” so she asked Jordan to speak.
In the course of her trip, Jordan visited Thailand, England, Austria, Israel, Palestine, India and parts of Central Europe. She participated in a Hindu wedding and spent time with Tibetan nuns.
“What was really clear to me as I traveled was that we all deal with the same things,” she said. “Are our kids OK? How do we feed our families? How do we look after our health? Whether the country has a health care system or not, there are those fundamental questions of survival.”
Jordan said these basic needs show that “we are all the same.”
She said she also saw a common issue throughout the countries she visited.
“[There is] tension between the traditional society and the global culture that is being created through globalization,” Jordan said. During her discussion, Jordan said she came across a Starbucks in every country she visited, no matter how developed it was.
Jordan said her journey also taught her to revere the sacrifices women make. For example, during the Hindu wedding, the groom’s mother was back in her village preparing for the reception. Jordan said she came to understand that the mother felt she had a more important duty to fill.
Jordan also said that women’s voices are vital.
She read a statement written by a panel of women from Israel and Palestine that urged both countries’ leaders to end the fighting. “The option of peace is not an option for women,” Jordan said.
Jordan will give lectures and conducting workshops through the community writing center in the coming months, though exact times and locations have yet to be announced. For more information, email Jordan at
[email protected] or visit the Women’s Resource Center in Union Room 293.