" I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't." -Audre Lorde (* I was introduced to the life + writings of Audre Lorde in my first year of University a looooong time ago and instantly fell in love with this brilliant + courageous warrior with words.)
Today is International Women's Day so...I got to thinking about what that means. Of course it's to celebrate all we have accomplished and how far we have come . But...what does it mean to a woman who is raped in the Congo (aprox. 48 women every hour) , or a woman in India who just found out that her baby girl has been murdered by her husband simply because she's a girl or...a young girl in Afghanistan who burns herself to death because she feels that is her only option??? The list goes on. And on. and on.
I know full well that if I lived in many parts of the world I would not have the life I do...so I certainly don't take any of the freedoms I have for granted. I can say whatever I want, paint what I like and hey!!! I won't get beaten, thrown in jail or murdered because of it!! But...lets not kid ourselves either...gender based violence + inequities are an issue all over the world even right here in North America. So...while we embrace and celebrate all that is wonderful about being women...lets also work toward making things better in our small part of the world as well.
3 comments:
Beautiful painting! I really love the colors you use. Also, the words you use and your continued fight for the less fortunate.
Well said Soraya!A great painting for this post. I've always loved it.
I cringe when you say these things, but I'm so glad that you do.
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