Sunday, March 16, 2014

To be a woman

Admittedly, I am lucky as a woman to live when I lived. My mother was fired from a job because she got married. Had she lived 100 years before she wouldn't have had the job in the first place. 

I was turned down for a car loan from the same bank that gave my husband a car loan. We'd separated and both needed new used cars. I was told divorced women were unstable. I guess divorced men aren't. This was from a bank that my family had done business with for four generations.

At the same time I got a job because I was a woman and was told it was too bad I wasn't Hispanic and limped so they could check three boxes on their minority list.

I can vote, my property does not belong to my husband, I can control my own body as far as birth control and abortion are concerned (although at my age it isn't a problem). If I were to leave my husband I could take my children with me or at least I could when this was an issue

The World Economic Forum has published a 300+-page report on the Gender Gap in the world.

Switzerland is 9th despite allowing women (non Americans of course) to have bank accounts without their husband's  permission only in the last couple of decades. They were both the first and last to approve women's suffrage (Canton by Canton)

The US is 23rd.

France s 45th.

Iceland, where I wanted to move years ago is number 1. Between their love of writers and social contract and the fact they prosecute bad bankers and leaders who overstep their power still makes me think it is a great country. Too bad their food is so monotonous. What's a volcano or two every now and then?

Still I'm happy with my gender. It's been a good life.





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