Posted: Apr 16, 2012 8:50 am
johnbrandt wrote: It's a whole weird mindset going on, from cradle to grave, that the powerful rule (and make the rules), that men get the last say in everything, and women are just a possession. Educating women that it isn't like that in other countries, and all you will probably do is create an environment where women will stand up to the menfolk, with obvious consequences.
What obvious consequences could be worse than what they've already got? A lot of these countries have rape on an epidemic level, for example. And of course educating everyone is important, but the most important way to change the lives of women is to remove them from economic dependency on men. Educated women have careers. That means they don't rely on men economically. This creates a more equal relationship, in which a woman who is badly treated can leave her husband without fear that she'll end up on the streets. And of course, they'll be a social stigma attached to this...at first. That's no different to what happened in the West, or what's currently happening in the far East. And the first step is to give women complete control of their reproductive systems, by removing any economic or social barrier to accessing contraception. At the very least, it will mean that a raped woman doesn't also get pregnant.
The child bride issue is a bit more difficult, but I honestly don't think any parents genuinely want to give their child to some old pervert, and they only do so because they feel that's their child's only chance of a decent future. The key in that situation is to offer them another opportunity, and education does that. Not in all cases, and not overnight, but it will work over time.