There’s been so much of a focus on women’s issues in the past couple years that we all need to take a collective breath and take a break. Thanksgiving is a good time for that.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, in a column for Time Magazine, said that she was thankful “for the things that we take for granted as women living in democratic countries such as the U.S.”
She points out the laws in other parts of the world that prohibit women from leaving the house without a male escort, marrying whom they want and even driving.
To that end, here are five things that we, as women, should be thankful for here in the U.S.
1. Freedom
I know how cliché that sounds, but women in America are among the freest in the world. We can dress how we want, pursue our dreams and go where we please. You can talk about the supposed gender pay gap all you want, but remember that most of the gap is due to women’s choices — the choices we are free to make here in America.
Want to be a CEO? You can do that. Want to be a stay-at-home mom? You can do that, too.
2. The legal system
For all the imperfections of the American justice system, it is still one of the fairest in the world. Even though horrible atrocities still happen in this country — like rape and murder — we have a legal system that responds.
Hirsi Ali wrote that even though violence against women still occurs in America, there are “laws that protect us, lawyers that defend us, [and] press that condemn our abusers.”
And where there is an oversight in the law, we have a political system that allows for change. Think about the Civil Rights Act. Again, not perfect, but we have the ability to amend the law.
3. Our healthcare providers
Our healthcare system may be expensive, confusing, and in some disarray with respect to how it is paid for, but you can’t be denied urgent medical care in this country. You can walk into any emergency room and get help.
And if you have a difficult chronic condition, there is no place you could get better treatment. America has some of the best doctors and hospitals in the world. People fly thousands of miles to seek out America’s specialists. There’s plenty of problems, to be sure, but no one can deny that this is one of the best countries to get quality care.
As Hirsi Ali said: “We have civil action groups that protect our reproductive rights, we have medical professionals who treat us. We have a community that supports our rights as human beings.”
4. Love
We can love who we want in this country. I know some may bring up gay marriage, but even the states where it isn’t legal have no laws against loving the person you’re with.
In some other countries, a woman — sometimes not even 10 years old — will be sold off into marriage to a much older man she’s never met. And if she refuses, she can be killed in the name of “honor” by her own family, who likely won’t face justice. You could also be subjected to female genital mutilation as a way to keep you “pure” until you are married and required to produce children — especially boys — for your new husband. And if you aren’t carrying a boy, you can be forced to have a painful abortion performed by a quack.
5. Education
Women have every right to an education in America that men do, and are now graduating from college at a higher rate than men. Women’s ability to go to school is unquestioned, and there is no fear that they will be attacked by anyone who doesn’t believe women should be in school.
Just breathe
So this Thanksgiving, set aside petty arguments over scientist’s shirts and certain words; take a breath and relax. There are far worse things in the world.
