WoMan

When Helen Reddy wrote the song “I am woman” in 1972, many women adopted the song as the new anthem for equality and strength. I will recreate the lyrics of the first and last verses which demonstrate the fight for rights which women had been engaged in since the 1930s.

“I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore And I know too much to go back and pretend ‘Cause I’ve heard it all before And I’ve been down there on the floor And no one’s ever gonna keep me down again”

“I am woman, I am invincible, I am strong, I am woman, I am invincible, I am strong, I am woman, and I am woman”

Listening to the lyrics of the song today it causes you to pause and think if the words ring true or if they are wishful thinking and/or if they were a prelude to a disappointing path about the status of women today, comparing to the continued domination of the rhetorical perspectives by men. The impetuous reason to write this editorial and the extended coverage on Milenio newspaper came about because of the World Cup of soccer for Women being played in Australia and New Zealand. To an analytical mind, this event provides a condensed but complex overview about the status of women in 2023.

As the world’s biggest women’s soccer tournament is in full swing, with the heartbreak of both Portugal and Canada being eliminated early, but watching a country like the Philippines beat New Zealand on home soil, defiance of rational explanations crosses my mind.

How do teams like the Philippines win and powerhouses such as USA and Canada struggle? Could it be that the incentive of those who fight to survive overpowers the conditioning of those who are provided social comfort bordering on spoilage? The USA particularly is the only country at the tournament whose women receive equal pay as men to play. So why are countries who do not pay women same as men seem to do better and fight harder to achieve? Although women’s soccer has grown considerably, the numbers of teams at the tournament remains as the past with FIFA showing little support for improvements in financial and overall tournament organization for women.

The Federation and its lack of support is a mirror for the rest of society about the barriers still being imposed on the advancement of women. Pay disputes are the norm in most countries creating a disincentive for many to perform at the highest levels. But how about women supporting women? Why is this not being done? In an unscientific poll done by me, I could not find any women who are watching the World Cup. Most men don’t watch because their manliness suggests that women’s soccer is an inferior product.

Gender inequality will always be part of society and should be considered as a major barrier to a developing world. While it would be simple to point fingers at men for the disparities afflicting the conventional path to a resolution and acknowledging historical imbalances, women are not fighting the regress to progressive actions which appears to be taking a hold without anyone pushing back to at least preserve previous victories.

A loss in the equal rights of women is a loss for every human and is a victory for those with a persistent belief that men are superior. Why aren’t women fighting harder? Perhaps fatigue has set in because other societal woke causes have taken over the message undermining the rights of women perpetrated by other women.

Perhaps another anthem is needed.

Manuel DaCosta/MS

com Cristina Da Costa

Apresentadora

Cristina Da Costa

Tema da semana:

Convidados

Augusto Bandeira

Manuel DaCosta Madalena Balça

Discussão de temas da atualidade sexta-feira às 18h

O Mundial de Futebol Feminino - a disparidade de salários, prémios e patrocínios; a diferença de interesse na população em geral e dos meios de comunicação. O que significa tudo isto?