No matter how you spin it, men and women’s lives are irreversibly interconnected, and this reality necessitates that we learn about — and support — one another. For many, perhaps most, this quest is a constant enigma.
The study of gender is not an exact science, and even within feminist circles there is a considerable divergence of opinion. Each of us views gender — and the extent to which males and females are similar or different — from our own personal lenses.
While forming our views, we cannot realistically expect to understand one another without first opening ourselves to differing points of view and engaging ourselves in dialogues. Women’s Week at the U affords just such an opportunity.
The series of events kicked off last Friday with a showing of “Mother Superior.” This short documentary explores Utah’s high use of methamphetamines and its particular pervasiveness among women.
To me, the film was eye-opening. I learned that many women use meth as a tool to meet societal expectations.
Those interviewed in the film explained that the drug helped them concentrate, lose weight, manage their homes more effectively and forget their worries. Husbands noticed thinner wives and cleaner houses. One woman even mentioned after losing weight her husband “couldn’t keep his hands off of (her).”
However, the benefits of the drug last for just a short time. Soon these “meth moms” could no longer focus on anything besides getting another “fix.” They began losing their ability to think, their teeth rotted and they picked incessantly at their skin.
I was struck at the extent to which societal expectations — many of which are either passively supported or actively initiated by men — influenced these women’s decisions to do meth. Although it may be easy to point a finger and say, “Well, that’s their decision,” we must realize that choices are not made in a vacuum devoid of outside pressures.
Admittedly, my knowledge of women’s issues is limited. However, it seems reasonable that more active participation among men in supporting women’s causes would ameliorate problems faced by both genders.
But Women’s Week is not just about challenges. It is also a celebration of women’s struggles and contributions to society. It’s a time for all people — male and female — to recognize the myriad facets of femininity.
As often occurs with weekly celebrations, some may ask, “Why not a Men’s Week, too?” And then follows the familiar response, “Because ‘Men’s Week’ happens 51 weeks a year.”
But pushing rhetoric aside, it’s obvious that women have been uniquely marginalized throughout history. Equality and equity demand that we take a critical look at the condition of women and put into effect the appropriate societal changes.