This post is actually pretty late, but that's OK. Two weeks ago Monday I noticed a bunch of people crowding around a ring in the plaza that always has the marketplaces. I didn't think too much of it, because there are always demonstrations and manifestations in Granada. But in class we had talked about how 25 November is Day Against Gender Based Violence, so I decided to check it out. It's a day not only to support and remember people who have been killed or abused, but also a day of action to support causes that help victims of gender based violence and education and laws to prevent it from happening in the first place. People were standing in a circle holding up banners for various organizations, and some people were standing in the middle giving speeches. It was pretty interesting, but it was too crowded to see or hear much of anything, so I continued on my way.
Then I came across a clothesline with little papers pinned onto it. Each of the papers had an inspiring message that someone wrote. Volunteers from the Red Cross had a booth there, and they were encouraging people to write messages and giving away ribbon pins. They were also giving out copies of a story that an 8 year old girl wrote. It's about a grandma and a grandpa who go on vacation, and they find out that the grandma really likes to drive and the grandpa really likes to cook, so that's what they do. Later on the Red Cross volunteers put on a little performance. They all had a poster with something negative related to gender based violence written on it, and they were surrounding the guy in the center who was the "victim." Eventually they all threw down their negative posters, gave the guy a hug, and picked up their posters again, this time showing the side with the positive message. Then they did a cute little dance.
I think Spain has come a long way in terms of gender equality in the last few decades. My host mom's boyfriend said to us "Earlier, men were forced to find a job and they had all of the pressure of supporting their family. And they weren't allowed to touch anything to do with the house. Lucky for you we're allowed to do housework now so you can enjoy my cooking." (He does most of the cooking in our house, and he's really good, too.) Employers used to discriminate against women, and it would be harder for them to get a good job, so they became financially dependent on their partners, which gave them fewer options if their partners tried to abuse them or control their lives. But now it's hard for anybody to get a good job, so everyone is in the same boat. And there are more places for people to turn to if they need help getting out of a dangerous relationship. There are ads up everywhere encouraging citizens to report domestic violence that they know about. It says "Don't wait until you don't hear anything."
Then I came across a clothesline with little papers pinned onto it. Each of the papers had an inspiring message that someone wrote. Volunteers from the Red Cross had a booth there, and they were encouraging people to write messages and giving away ribbon pins. They were also giving out copies of a story that an 8 year old girl wrote. It's about a grandma and a grandpa who go on vacation, and they find out that the grandma really likes to drive and the grandpa really likes to cook, so that's what they do. Later on the Red Cross volunteers put on a little performance. They all had a poster with something negative related to gender based violence written on it, and they were surrounding the guy in the center who was the "victim." Eventually they all threw down their negative posters, gave the guy a hug, and picked up their posters again, this time showing the side with the positive message. Then they did a cute little dance.
I think Spain has come a long way in terms of gender equality in the last few decades. My host mom's boyfriend said to us "Earlier, men were forced to find a job and they had all of the pressure of supporting their family. And they weren't allowed to touch anything to do with the house. Lucky for you we're allowed to do housework now so you can enjoy my cooking." (He does most of the cooking in our house, and he's really good, too.) Employers used to discriminate against women, and it would be harder for them to get a good job, so they became financially dependent on their partners, which gave them fewer options if their partners tried to abuse them or control their lives. But now it's hard for anybody to get a good job, so everyone is in the same boat. And there are more places for people to turn to if they need help getting out of a dangerous relationship. There are ads up everywhere encouraging citizens to report domestic violence that they know about. It says "Don't wait until you don't hear anything."
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