LOH Contest #103 | My Reaction to Mahsa Amini's Death and How Can I Make A Difference

This week's Ladies of Hive contest #103 moves me like no other. If you have been following international news, you must have come across news about Mahsa Amini, a 22 years old Iranian woman, who was arrested by Iranian's morality police, and later died under suspicious circumstances. Her death resulted in violent protests across Iran, where at least 201 people were killed. I won't write about all that here because you can read all this on the Internet.

There are two questions in this week's contest but I will answer the first question.

What do you think about news of this sort? Do you think you could ever live in such a conservative society? Would you even consider briefly visiting such a country with such laws? How can we assist such women, who cannot afford to flee to a safe place?

I took my time to answer these questions. I read news reports about the protests and entries by the lovely LOH community members. I must be careful to answer because this involves religion and is a delicate issue for many people.

👩 What Do I Think About News of This Sort? Do I Think I Could Ever Live In Such a Conservative Society? 👩

The news obviously makes me upset. A woman died because she lived in a misogynistic country. Do you know that according to Gender Social Norms Index 2020, 90% of the world holds negative biases against women? 90% for crying out loud! And we are living in the 21st century. Women have been facing countless inequality issues in a patriarchal world: reproductive rights, political representation, economic opportunities, and access to education.

Mahsa Amini was arrested because she didn't wear her head scarf correctly. Several strands of her hair were peeking out of her hijab. Strands of hair, mind you. She wasn't naked or acted promiscuously. And she was severely punished for that. I will not debate the foolishness of such a law because this is not the place for that.

I live in a conservative country with Islam as the official religion. I am not a Muslim, but I know some of the dos and don'ts of Muslims. Exposing a person's "aurat" is prohibited in Islam and must be covered properly with special clothing like a hijab (for women). While wearing a hijab is highly encouraged for Malaysian Muslims, it is not mandatory. We do not have morality police enforcing religious observance and public morality on behalf of the government. The authority will not haul you to jail if you don't wear one.

I can live in a conservative country like Malaysia but not somewhere ultra-conservative with rigid laws like Iran or Afghanistan.

Here's a picture of me and some of my Muslim girlfriends. Our friendship spans three decades.

👩 Would I Even Consider Briefly Visiting Such a Country With Such Laws? 👩

If I were given a chance to visit such a country, I would probably take that opportunity, but only if it is truly necessary. I would go if it is part of my job and only for a short period, no more than a week. And I must make sure that necessary safety measures have been taken by my employer - a safe hotel to stay in, immediate contact or assistance from the embassy, enough essential resources like money, safe transportation, etc. The local authority most probably would not harm me in any way unless I broke some laws. However, still, as a woman, I must be very cautious with my surroundings. We have heard the news about how foreigners/journalists have been kidnapped and killed by militants throughout the years. They were tortured, and if the kidnappers' demands were not met, they were beheaded without mercy.

Another picture of me and my girlfriends celebrating birthday 😀

👩 How Do I Assist Such Women? Am I Really Helpless? 👩

Initially, I felt helpless and didn't know how I could help these poor women. What can I do? I am just a woman living far away from where these things unfold. It took me some time to realize that I was not helpless at all. There are things I can do within my individual capacity, I just have to be resourceful and creative. Almost everyone has access to the Internet these days, which means we are more connected. Indeed, I can't do much using my energy and resources, but what if I join forces with those who are already on the field championing these women? Ladies, we are not helpless! Do a quick check on Google for human rights organizations and it yields countless results such as this list: 25 Organizations Fighting for Gender Equality. And also check out Women's Voices Now. Make a difference in someone's life by taking the short quiz (very easy) on their website.

When you take this (very quick) 3-question quiz, an anonymous donor donates $2.50 on your behalf. Every 7 people taking this quiz funds a healthy meal for our Girls’ Voices Now participants. ~ Women's Voices Now

You can even watch documentaries that highlight women's struggles for free on their website.

Read about each organization and support their work by giving donations. I want to highlight one organization actively helping Iranian women, The NCRI Women’s Committee. Do check out their website and support their missions and goals:

The NCRI Women’s Committee believes in gender equality in political, social, and economic arenas. We are also committed to equal participation of women in political leadership. Any form of discrimination against women will be abolished. They will enjoy the right to freely choose their clothing. The NCRI Women’s Committee is committed to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The NCRI Women’s Committee regularly reports to the UN on the plight of women under the mullahs’ regime in Iran. ~ The NCRI Women's Committee

And before I end this post, please allow me to show you one of my Women Empowerment NFTs available on the NFT Showroom. Please feel free to check it out! 😁 I am thinking of creating new NFTs to support women's issues and perhaps the sales could be donated to women's organization of my choice 😍. What do you think of this idea? Please leave me your thoughts in the comment below!

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That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, life musing, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Note: All images used belong to me unless stated otherwise.

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