Watching 
in the news last week the inauguration of Donald Trump, and remembering back to when Barack Obama became the first coloured president of the USA, it was notable what a change in atmosphere there was and how the coverage of last week’s events were marked by an undercurrent of vocal discontent. Whatever your political persuasion it was clear that America is at present a divided country and the new president has many challenges ahead if he is to change this. Less than 24 hours after the inauguration balls finished there were 500,000 women marching in Washington and 100,000 in London wearing “pussyhats” to mock the new president and declaring that they would not let his agenda go unchallenged. In London the march included Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor and Yvette Cooper who said “When the most powerful man in the world says it is okay to sexually assault women because you are rich and powerful we have to stand up and say no way.”
Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903 in this country and almost 100 years ago here women received the vote. At times it can feel like we have become detached from her struggle and blasé about the privilege of living in a democracy. I know in the past I have been goaded to utter the phrase “ Women threw themselves under horses to get you the right to vote” when my own daughter expressed disinterest in the electoral system. Thankfully, like many young people, she has been energised by the process feeling strongly about Brexit and the Trump election. To date results have not been going her way but at least she has become engaged . I think it is the engagement of all the people who felt strongly enough to march which was the enduring picture from the weekend. That and the assurance that they could march and did so peacefully.
It may feel sometimes that women do now have equality and many women will have exercised their vote in Mr Trump’s favour, but in so many countries that is just not the case:
- In 2015 nine Sudanese women were sentenced to 40 lashes each all because they wore trousers.
- In Pakistan the Council of Islam has proposed a bill to allow a man to lightly beat his wife.
- In Afghanistan a man can legally restrict his wife’s right to leave the house.
- In Saudi Arabia women cannot drive or get a driving licence.
- In Pakistan a woman’s testimony in court is worth half of a man’s in certain civil cases.
- In Israel, under rabbinical law, divorces can only be requested by the husband.
- In Cameroon and Guinea husbands can control the jobs a wife is allowed to do.
The world has progressed a long way, but there is still much to be done through legitimate election and peaceful protest. However, we should be grateful for the democratic rights we have even if sometimes we don’t like the results of the process.
To end on an upbeat note though there is now only one country in the world where women cannot vote and it is in Europe – Vatican City! Let’s hope therefore that women all around the world exercise their democratic right to vote and that laws are passed which deal with the inequalities mentioned above and many more. We will all both male and female benefit from a more fair and just society.
