Mondays presentation “F Word à F World” struck me as
particularly interesting and educational because we never had the chance to address
Asian countries in class. It was particularly interesting to see the way women
are viewed in China and compare that to my own Armenian culture. Although I
have not been to Armenia, I attended an Armenian school till eighth grade and
am surrounded by Armenian friends on a daily basis. The “F Word à F World” caused me to
reflect on all the cultural norms encompassed in being an Armenian woman.
First of all, in Armenia especially
but also amongst the Diaspora, the home is still largely considered the woman’s
territory. Even if a woman works, Armenian women have to cook like her husbands
mother (if not better) look great and not speak back too often. Although this
sounds like a lot many of the expectations for women in general, Armenian women
are supposed to be virgins when they get married as well. The culture still
looks down upon women who are in touch with their sexuality and explore it
before marriage. Even more horrific is the treatment many Armenian receive at
the hands of boyfriends and husbands. In Armenia there is a huge abuse problem.
Although the World Health Organization estimates between 10%-60%, the large
spanning percentage is because most abuse incidents to unreported because of
the repercussions a woman would face if she reported the injustice.
So in case any of you were
wondering at the end of this course if studying feminism is worthwhile or has a
place in the world, remember a huge population of the world still remains in
the dark about feminist concerns and the fundamental idea that men and women
are created equal.
-Natalie Qasabian
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