A recent Real Change photo showed more than 300 people rallying at Westlake Park to end violence against women and girls (“Hundreds gather for One Billion Rising’s call to end violence against women,” RC, Feb. 20). The Seattle rally was part of One Billion Rising, created by Eve Ensler. Also recently there has been a great deal of attention given to Sheryl Sandberg for championing working women to assert themselves. Then there is Suze Orman, a well-known advocate for women to appreciate and value their own needs. Inherent in these exhortations by women is the assumption that women from all economic brackets are capable of taking initiatives on their own behalf.
It is well-known that women can be quite assertive when situations relate to the well-being of our children’s health, education and other needs. We generally have no inhibitions when circumstances demand that we advocate for our families, but too often, our ability to advocate takes a leave of absence when it comes to our own needs. We can fight for the safety of our children and must realize that we deserve to fight for our own safety as well. Women like Sandberg, Orman and Ensler have been leading the charge for a kind of liberation that women have to gain for themselves. They are telling us to value our self-worth and trust our ability to succeed outside as well as inside of our homes.
Each woman who succeeds by being smart, hard-working and assertive makes it easier for other women to do the same. We should all be grateful for the leadership being publicly displayed by those championing women’s safety and success, and the message it sends to those who would commit violent acts against us.