I've done a lot of thinking about feminism recently, partly because of International Womens ' day and also because there have been a lot of news reports that I have found quite disturbing.
I'm happy to stand up and say that I am a feminist and eternally grateful for the freedoms and equalities that I enjoy as a result of the actions of some very courageous women. I am still shocked by the fact that women didn't get the vote in France until 1946!
I don' think that there is a "one size fits all" feminism that prescribes what women should do/wear/think. The women in my life are a hugely diverse bunch who inspire me on a daily basis.
Many of my customers (but by no means all) are women who often share their stories , advice, ideas and jokes with me online. Our common bond is the love of French textiles and through that so much else besides. There is an amazing amount of support when things go wrong and cheers when things go well.
Something else we all have in common is our comfortable lives, access to the internet, control over our own finances and on the whole freedom from living in fear on a daily basis. I think we are incredible lucky.
Many women are living in daily fear and pain, abused in ways we can't being to imagine, raped, sold into sex slavery, mutilated and beaten.
The organisation "Half the Sky" is helping some of these women rebuild shattered lives and with them families and communities. The link to their website is here
http://www.halftheskymovement.org/pages/about-half-the-sky-movement
There is a film that you can watch online, it is in two parts and quite long but you won't regret watching it. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Yes it made me cry...................but it also made me realise that it isn't hopeless, that changes can be made and that there are women out there doing something positive about it right now, turning oppression into opportunity.
Despite the horror and suffering of these womens' lives, what shines through is their courage and determination to make changes for themselves and for others. I think they deserve my support and I hope you do too. I don't think we can say that we have equality until all women have the right to be treated with respect, as equals.
I'm happy to stand up and say that I am a feminist and eternally grateful for the freedoms and equalities that I enjoy as a result of the actions of some very courageous women. I am still shocked by the fact that women didn't get the vote in France until 1946!
I don' think that there is a "one size fits all" feminism that prescribes what women should do/wear/think. The women in my life are a hugely diverse bunch who inspire me on a daily basis.
Many of my customers (but by no means all) are women who often share their stories , advice, ideas and jokes with me online. Our common bond is the love of French textiles and through that so much else besides. There is an amazing amount of support when things go wrong and cheers when things go well.
Something else we all have in common is our comfortable lives, access to the internet, control over our own finances and on the whole freedom from living in fear on a daily basis. I think we are incredible lucky.
Many women are living in daily fear and pain, abused in ways we can't being to imagine, raped, sold into sex slavery, mutilated and beaten.
The organisation "Half the Sky" is helping some of these women rebuild shattered lives and with them families and communities. The link to their website is here
http://www.halftheskymovement.org/pages/about-half-the-sky-movement
There is a film that you can watch online, it is in two parts and quite long but you won't regret watching it. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Yes it made me cry...................but it also made me realise that it isn't hopeless, that changes can be made and that there are women out there doing something positive about it right now, turning oppression into opportunity.
Despite the horror and suffering of these womens' lives, what shines through is their courage and determination to make changes for themselves and for others. I think they deserve my support and I hope you do too. I don't think we can say that we have equality until all women have the right to be treated with respect, as equals.
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