WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD

April 5, 2008

Today, as part of International Education Week, there was an open forum held on the subject of Women Around the World. I had the opportunity of speaking with five young women of various ethnic backgrounds, who are studying here at Chico State. There was Susana from Costa Rica, Vanita from India, Shuting from China, Montoko from Japan, and Khylood studying out of Saudi Arabia. It was quite a divers bunch and the crowd, itself, had a healthy sample of both men and women. Many topics where discussed, everything from education to marriage to aspects of our culture that they wish they could take back with them to their respective cultures.

On the topic of education, I found it very interesting that in India there are a lot more women studying in the fields of Engineering and Computer Science than in any other degree. Here, in the States, it's virtually impossible to find large quantities of women in these fields at any university. I know that these are popular majors in India, but for them to be flooded with women is truly a cultural statement on the importance of tech fields in that country. Here, women (and men for that matter) are much more likely to venture into business, medicine, and law than into the difficult courses of engineering and science.

The young women from Saudi Arabi was the only one of the group how's culture had a large organized gender based school system. That is, past third grade all schools, even many universities, were segregated by gender. Even going as far as to have professors televised in the class room if they were of the opposite sex, the exception being Medical school where professor student contact is so crucial. It was very interesting to note the positives she experienced from this system, since we so commonly focus on the negatives. Khylood mentioned not having to get dolled up to go to class and not having the same sexual tensions in high school that she sees here. Of course, she did enjoy the freedom she had to communicate with those of the opposite sex, without causing controversy or hysteria.

Another interesting point was made by the young Chinese lady. She mentioned that because of the governmental regulations on having a single child, there is actually a large number of educated women. No matter if a family has a boy or a girl, they recognize the need for their child to have as much education as is economically and mentally feasible. She also mentioned the emergence of a cultural gender gap between her generation and that of her parents and grandparents. Examples of this being women who aren't married and young men and women living together out of wedlock. With access to the Internet and the global distribution of Western movies, this generation of Chinese are more and more exposed to ideas that we share in our own culture. Yet another example of the good/bad of globalization.

One aspect, which I was interested in being a young man of mixed race, was the views on inter-ethnic/ inter-racial/ inter-cast relationships. It is still amazing to me how hostile groups can get when you discuss the topic of mingling with their women. Even when people are trying to build ties with others they are still hesitant to let their women build those ties in the form of personal relationships, whether sexual or not. From the womens perspective, there was a mutual consent that the acceptance of such a relationship would be made easier if the women where marrying “up”. Whether it's up in cast, financial status, or if the man had a superior education and employment opportunities, the perception of moving up the social ladder is more persuasive in consoling parents.

I left the meeting with one encapsulating idea, women, all over the world, want one thing, to be able to choose. They all faced the same pressures of marriage, the same difficulties balancing career and family, and the same desire to increase their social standing. Once again the similarities of this world are reinforced, we are all the same under these layers of culture and up bringing. Our ultimate human goals are the same: Love, Learn, Secure.