Over 2.7
billion women are legally restricted from having the same chance of jobs as
men, according to UN Women. Fifty-nine economies have no laws on sexual
harassment in the workplace. In 18 economies husbands can legally prevent their
wives from working.
The introduction of She Sells Seashells by the
Seashore shares the statistics mentioned above. The title of the book alludes to the life of
Mary Anning, a pioneer paleontologist. Male geologists bought the fossils she
discovered and published them as their own work, without giving her credit.
Scientists doubted the validity of Mary Anning's findings.
Mary Anning (1799-1847) had no formal
education in science, but her father taught her how to search for and clean fossils.
Mary could draw, read and write, and she applied her skills to the science of
discovering and studying fossils. Her dedication and motivation led her to take
over the family business after her father passed away, when she was only eleven
years old.
Mary Anning discovered the first plesiosaur in
Lyme Regis, a small town on the Southern coast of England. Yet the finding was
not considered valid until a famous anatomist, Georges Cuvier, acknowledged her
discovery. From that point on, the scientific community began to take her
family business seriously. Yet recognition was limited. She worked hard, but the
stress of her financial constraints may have taken a toll on her health. She
died from breast cancer when she was only 47 years old. Her life story is a
reminder of the crucial role that any kind of support has on the impact of a
person’s life.
She Sells Seashells by the Seashore includes
twelve biographies of entrepreneurial women who moved forward against all odds.
The women in this book have various
ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, and their stories transport us to
different periods in history. As we examine their struggles and accomplishments,
we can reflect on the challenges that still lie ahead for women today.
In addition to Mary Anning’s life story, the
biographies that interested me the most from this collection were those of
Josephine Baker (1906-1975) and Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965).
This is a good opportunity to remind the world
that blocking women in any way undermines humanity as a whole. The grim
situation of women in Afghanistan and Iran is the result of abusive men in
power. Religious and political fanaticisms have no boundaries. Totalitarian regimes are driven by extremists who have no respect for democratic principles.
Let’s not confuse the word democracy with theocracy. They are not compatible.
Speaking up to support women is not against
any cultural norm. Education and human dignity are basic human rights; those
who justify the oppression of women on the basis of culture are simply trying to
justify violence and injustice against women. They are trying to silence us. Let’s take a moment to
remember Mahsa Amini whose life was cut short in Iran by the so-called “morality
police” because of a dress code imposed on women. I just signed
petitions to protect the life of other innocent people in Iran, like actress
Taranech Alidoosti and actor Hossein Mohammadi. Let’s speak up for their lives.
Let’s tell the Iranian government that executing people to suppress dissent is
an atrocity. Human lives matter. My heart is with these people; I admire their
resilience and I think of them often.
An important aspect of gender inequality that
is often ignored is the current climate crisis. I was surprised that the
introduction of She Sells Seashells by the Seashore did not mention anything
about the ways climate change amplifies gender inequality.
Across the world women are more vulnerable to the
effects of the climate crisis. Tasks like finding fresh water, collecting
firewood and taking care of the land are mainly done by women. Climate change hinders
these duties, forcing women to make longer journeys to accomplish their goals. Women
and girls are more likely to be vulnerable to all forms of gender-based
violence, human trafficking, child marriage and other forms of violence.
Research shows that women are 14 times more
likely to be displaced because of climate change.
According to a report released by the
secretariat of the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June 2022, “the adverse
effects of droughts, floods, hurricanes, extreme rainfall events and sea level
rise are often felt more keenly by women than men as a result of systemic
gender discrimination and societal expectations related to gender roles.”
Last but not least, extreme heat increases the incidence of stillbirth and makes pregnant women more vulnerable to various medical conditions that threaten their lives.To understand the link between climate change and gender inequality, feel free to check the supplementary reading material I am sharing at the bottom of this post.
I thank
the author of She Sells Seashells by the Seashore for sending me a copy of her
book for My Writing Life blog.
Today My Writing Life blog turns 12 years old.
I feel thankful for having this space to express myself. The right to read
books and to write about them is a right I do not take for granted. I am
honored to have this space; it has been a unique journey.
Thank you for reading these words, and for making this blog a meaningful endeavor. It is an honor to have you as a reader. I recently learned that in certain places-- China, for example-- blogger is censored by the government, and this made me reflect on the fragility of the freedom to communicate.
My Writing Life blog supports the freedom to read books as an essential foundation of democracy.
I have been asked how I choose books for My
Writing Life blog. There is no specific answer to this question. I read books that
interest me, books that satisfy my curiosity. Hence, I select books that
educate and inspire me. I also feel inspired to inspire others by sharing the
wisdom of books that leave me in awe or make my heart sing.
I also cherish
books that connect me to my deepest self and ignite a spark of hope and
understanding between cultures; I appreciate books that have the potential to
make some kind of positive impact on the world.
I explored the kinds of books I read over the
last 14 months. These graphs show the results.
If you reached this point of the blog
post you deserve something delicious.
I created this recipe. You can make this
special soup to celebrate the existence of My Writing Life blog. It is
gluten-free, diary-free and plant-based.
It is also easy to make and very
nutritious. This special soup nourishes the mind and body:
Ingredients (for about 3 people):
-One onion
- Leeks (two)
-1/2 a teaspoon of Turmeric
-1/2 a teaspoon of Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast
-One and a half cups of chopped
butternut squash
-One and a half cups of uncooked
chickpea beans
-1 cup of chopped spinach or chard
-1
Tablespoon of soy sauce (optional)
-1 cup of chopped mushrooms
-2 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons of Olive oil
-Half a cup of cooked quinoa
Instructions
Place the uncooked chickpea beans in
a big saucepan adding 10 cups of water and place it on the stove to let it boil.
The water used to cook the beans is called aquafaba and is full of nutrition
Place the chopped leeks, chopped
onion and chopped butternut squash along with the olive oil, turmeric and
oregano. Mix it well, but before it is fully cooked pour the mixture into the
saucepan where the chickpea beans are getting cooked. Add the nutritional
yeast, the soy sauce and the cooked quinoa. Let everything get cooked as
needed.
During the last five minutes add the
chopped spinach (or Swiss chard). Let it simmer there for about five minutes
In a separate pan, add the mushrooms
with the garlic and some olive oil. Cook
this for a few minutes. When the soup is ready add the mushrooms on top of the
soup.
I hope you enjoy this warm revitalizing soup
for the soul.
While you savor the soup, celebrate the
birthday of My Writing Life blog by listening to this thought-provoking talk by Jonathan Friedman of PEN America about the freedom
to read books:
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-53640382
