“Girls should play with dolls and boys should play with balls or toy guns. Boys should be oriented towards the color blue; girls towards pink”, the vast majority of our society does not see anything wrong with these lines, while we see only the tip of the iceberg of gender stereotypes that feed a cancel culture whenever this reality is discussed, because what the majority “decides” is the norm and talking about issues like feminism, gender justice, femicide, misogyny, marital rape, early marriages, modern slavery, makes you a follower of the sinister “Sorosian” agenda, anti-family and anti- religious. Indoctrination is present at incredible levels among almost every category of society, and again, somehow, we find ourselves calling in a chorus for “membership in the EU for Albania”.
“Based on the Treaty (of Lisbon) on the European Union, the promotion of gender equality is one of the Union’s duties (Article 3).
Deni, one of the most beloved lecturers in our political education program, took on the not-so-easy task of addressing our youth about the symptoms of gender role imbalance.
She presented a history of the reasons why days like November 25 have been set by the UN to commemorate violence against girls and women; as 1 in 3 women worldwide experience some form of abuse and every 5 hours 1 girl/woman is killed worldwide.
Albania has ratified international conventions in order to provide mechanisms for the protection and prevention of gender-based violence. Investing in public structures to implement them by first transforming mindsets of the masses is another matter.
“Gender-based violence is any act resulting from physical, sexual or psychological harassment or harm. This includes actions, arbitrary acts that take away the right to freedom or cause oppression, discrimination or prejudice in public in the personal space of girls and women.”
Deni spoke to the participants about the Istanbul Convention or the Council of Europe Convention on Violence against Women, among others, as the first binding document for the signatory countries, including in its content the addressing of economic violence (women who are not allowed to have access to income, in the labor market, cash).
The irony with the Albanian legislation (National Strategy for Gender Equality) lies in the correct presentation in paper that speaks of a utopian society where no one is left behind and everyone, regardless of differences, is given equal opportunities to develop their potentials, compared to practice, the mindset of the actions carried out contrary to the written laws. The question arises, is it possible to join the EU with such inconsistencies, or only by waving laws up in the air?!
A special moment was the one where the strong moral system within the family that frames and models behavior was highlighted, violating free expression, psychologically binding and preventing us from being in touch with our feelings. This equation produces gender stereotypes.
“Raising a girl is more difficult than raising a boy. The girl must be educated, restrained, trained, guarded; pressured to perform well, to sacrifice, to compromise. Boys cannot control themselves, they cannot be educated, because boys are not prejudiced, girls are!”
Thoughts, strong opinions, but also facts and statistics, collided in this special section of the day session that enabled the opportunity to see the prejudiced and the arbitrators among the new generations. For this, we must work better, more wisely and more dedicated to the cause of gender justice/equity among the actors of society, public and non-public!
It would not serve our cause to limit the political act of feminism to the name “gender equality”, since it is much more than that, it is the movement that aims to correct the historical faults that have produced and produce violence, sexism, exploitation and oppression, so we must speak louder and clearer! And the culture that produces these anti-values is the same one that extends the tentacles of the language of hatred and lack of tolerance towards categories such as people of color, the LGBT community, children, etc. Double oppression, through social exclusion and exclusion from receiving exhaustive and efficient legal, political and administrative services! Oppression by government power and oppression by the popular masses.
We see massively how the cancel culture finds shelter in the phrase “feminists hate men”!
“Feminism does not hate anyone, feminism is a value that is built on love and social justice. Feminism is not only for women but also for men; it jointly builds policies and social movements because essentially, it is a society without privileges and without oppressive structures.” Deni Sanxhaku, November 26, 2022, H.A.N.A Youth Center
