March is a reminder to support women’s rights worldwide

I like to read foreign newspapers because they offer a window to events outside of my local bubble. Reading international newspapers has helped me deepen my understanding of global issues and increase my awareness of world events that I would not have been aware of otherwise.

For example, many countries around the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8. The first such celebration took place on March 19, 1911, with rallies in support of women’s rights in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

The United Nations has sponsored International Women’s Day since 1975. Its General Assembly cited the following reasons for the observance of March 8 as International Women’s Day: “To recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women, and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.”

In addition to celebrating women’s achievements during the month of March, many foreign newspapers are shining a light on women’s issues in their respective countries. One issue, violence against women, is at the forefront of all other issues. It is no secret that domestic violence has increased all over the world during this pandemic. Some social researchers are calling this phenomenon a pandemic within a pandemic.

Muslim women face the same issues that hold back women worldwide: oppressive cultural practices contrary to Islam, poverty, illiteracy, political repression and patriarchy. Today’s legal and social systems in Muslim countries fall short of the women’s rights afforded by Islam. Ironically, Muslims themselves view Islam’s values as progressive in these matters even though they are not practiced as intended.

At the time of Prophet Muhammad’s birth in the late 6th century, women in Arabia had few rights. By the time of his death in the early 7th century, he left a social system granting women inheritance property, and social and marriage rights, including the right to reject a marriage proposal and the right to initiate divorce. Today’s modern prenuptial agreement in a marriage contract is entirely acceptable in Islamic law. The right to initiate a divorce, which Islam intended, has become more problematic with time and place.

During Islam’s early period, women were property and business owners. In Islam, it is the husband’s responsibility to provide for a household. By contrast, the proceeds of a woman’s business are hers to do as she pleases.

The tradition of the Prophet reports that he never laid a hand on a woman, a child or a servant. He would kiss his wife in the morning before leaving the house, and he would kiss her again when he returned. He would help with house chores such as clearing the table and washing dishes.

Even though he grew up an orphan, Prophet Muhammad had the utmost respect for mothers. He told his companions that “heaven lies at the feet of mothers.” In a society that prized sons, he told his followers that daughters were blessings from God, and whoever treated his daughters well would enter paradise.

Fast forwarding to the 20th century, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, and granted American women the right to vote. Prior to this legislation, individual states had passed legislation that only allowed women to vote in school or municipal elections. Some states required that women own property if they wanted to vote. Some territories extended full suffrage to women but took this right away once they became states. Although legally entitled to vote, black women were effectively denied the right to vote in numerous Southern states until 1965. In 2020, a woman, Kamala Harris, was elected as Vice President of the United States of America for the first time in the history of this country.

In France, the right to vote for women was only granted in 1944. Algeria, a former colony of France, granted women the right to vote immediately at its independence in 1962. In Saudi Arabia, women were first allowed to vote and run for office in December 2015. Suffrage for both men and women is limited to municipal elections.

The struggle for women’s rights continues worldwide, albeit at a different pace in different countries. During this month of March, let us remember and give homage to all the women who continue to protest and lobby against the ill treatment of women worldwide.