 |
|
|
|
It's not different in a fundamental sense-- all people seek satisfying relationships, respect for their work, and a chance to grow and improve. But in a cultural sense, men and women still live worlds apart. Women are assumed to know nothing about cars, so we must be vigilant for auto mechanics who try to cheat us. We pay more for the basics of living, such as clothes and haircuts. We are expected to be "nice" and help others at the drop of a hat, so we must endure cries of "selfish bitch!" when we dare to work toward our own goals or tell someone we just don't have time at the moment. We are criticized if we have too much money or power, or are too sexy.
Dealing with these little issues on a day-to-day basis isn't so bad, but over the years, they accumulate. Being an assertive, motivated, ambitious woman in this world is like enduring Chinese water torture. Drip, drip, drip-- after a while, a huge fissure has worn away in your psyche. It is just plain tiring to spend day after day, year after year overcoming the small inequities, the petty comments, the seemingly harmless acts.
The third wave is about fixing these cultural inequities that women still encounter in daily life simply because we are women. On these pages we describe some of the issues we face each day, and what can be done to help.
09/28/07 at 0:16