Why Women Should March: Women's Rights in the United States vs. Around the World

The above "We the People" posters were the most thought-provoking, powerful posters I saw at the Women's March in Washington, D.C. I like them because they express the beautiful cultural, religious, and gender diversity the United States of America consists of and ought to represent.

This article is not about that; rather it is about the Women's March. It is a necessary perspective I encourage you to read, as a means to re-calibrate why we march. Thank God for freedom of speech and expression, and thank you to our armed forces who fight to protect that freedom. I know many of you were marching for different reasons, but please let us prioritize why we were marching, and put ourselves in the perspective of how good we have life as women living in the United States of America.

*This article was written by Cheri Berens, a brave woman living in Egypt*

Due to the time difference here in Egypt, I had to stay up all night for three nights to watch the pre-inauguration, inauguration, and post inauguration activities. Many thousands of Egyptians did the same. Every coffee shop with a satellite dish was packed to the maximum. Egyptians were enthralled and impressed by the peaceful process, but also the pomp and circumstance.

The coffee shop roared loudly with cheers when Trump said “radical Islam will be eradicated from the planet”.

We here in Egypt have experienced many terror attacks and all of us have experienced the death of a friend or family member who were members of the Army and who fight ISIS on a daily basis.

On the third night, as we settled in at the coffee shop, anticipating another exciting night of informative news, we instead sat in silence and horror.

First we saw protesters smashing windows and torching cars.

Hushed murmuring began all around me as every single Egyptian in the coffee shop could be heard saying the words: “Muslim Brotherhood”.

The images we were watching could have been taken right from a street in Egypt. It is exactly what we had experienced on a daily basis for more than a year.

Before 2012, the year the Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt, no one would ever think of damaging someone’s car or business. Egyptians work hard to feed and support their families. It was unheard of to see someone deliberately smash someone else’s car or shop and hinder their ability to feed their family.

But mobs of Muslim Brotherhood would “protest” in the streets, ripping apart public and private property and disabling normal activity — just as we were now watching on TV. Some of the “protesters” even covered their faces in the exact same way the Muslim Brotherhood do.

Compounding the upsetting visuals of violence was the police appearing in a quasi-helpless state. Again the words “Muslim Brotherhood” were mumbled throughout the coffee shop. The Muslim Brotherhood had disabled our police force via accusations of police brutality long before the violent protests began.

Via a well-calculated program of propaganda and lies, they were able to make the police force impotent. Police became afraid to stop the protests for fear of being accused of brutality. But how do you stop violence without a bit of violence in return? You can’t! Their plan worked and the violent protests continued.

During the last two weeks, 29 police officers have been killed in Egypt. Once the Muslim Brotherhood put this idea of “police brutality” into place, police officers became fair game and are killed on a regular basis. Before 2012, this was absolutely unheard of.

Then on the TV we began to see video of the “Women’s March”.

The entire coffee shop gasped in disbelief at the vision of American women donning the headscarf. And worse, some of the headscarves were made of the American flag.

Even in Egypt, Muslim women do not desecrate the Egyptian flag by wearing it as a headscarf. You do not wear the national flag as clothing. It would be a desecration of what the flag stands for: National Identity, the Constitution (which Egyptians fought hard for in 2013), and, the Armed Forces who protect and serve us.

The women in the coffee shop began to get visibly agitated. One said, “We have been fighting to remove the headscarf, why are these stupid women putting them on?”

It was explained on TV that the “Women’s March” was based on “a Civil Rights platform”. The women in the coffee shop shook their heads and asked, Rights? “The headscarf will take away your rights!” one young woman shouted.

The Grand Mufti of al-Ahzar, the highest authority of Sunni Islam, announces periodically that the headscarf is not a religious requirement. Furthermore, anyone who has read the Quran or studied Islam knows this to be true. Though most everyone knows this, women continue to be forced to wear one.

And here, in front of our eyes, were non-Muslim women donning the headscarf!

In Muslim countries such as Egypt, women who do not wear a headscarf are often sexually harassed or attacked. They are beaten; they are raped; and sometimes, they are killed. In 2012, when the Muslim Brotherhood took power, there were several attacks on Christian women on trains. They were grabbed, their hair chopped off, and they were pushed off the fast-moving train. They were told they must wear a headscarf — even though they are not Muslim.

Any country in which the headscarf is imposed, women always suffer from abuses and restrictions.

In Egypt, many men buy motorcycles rather than cars in order to save money. It’s quite common to see a husband, wife, and a few children all on a motorcycle. But the women always ride side saddle. Why? Because Egyptians have been told by imams that a woman who straddles the motorcycle will become out of control with lust and will have sex with many men. Women know this is untrue, but if they straddle the motorcycle, they know they risk being mob attacked and raped.

In Iran, it is against the law for women to ride bicycles for same reason.

ISIS and al-Qaeda in Syria have made it law that women cannot sit on chairs. The men who made this law say the chair will stimulate the woman’s vagina and make her out of control with lust. They say the law was created “to protect men”. Men will become tempted to sin by an “out of control” woman; therefore, women must be restricted as to what they can sit on.

In parts of Sudan it is against the law for a woman to wear pants, even loose fitting trousers. The crotch of the pants may throw her into a spiral of lust and she may tempt a man to sin. In 2012, as the Muslim Brotherhood were gaining full control in North Africa, including Sudan, one woman was executed for wearing trousers.

Once these types of restrictions are implemented, there is no return to normalcy or common sense.

In most Muslim communities, even Muslim communities in America, the headscarf eventually leads to the full veil because the headscarf leads to the belief that women easily become sexually “out of control”, or, they become too “tempting”. But ironically, once veiled, women are then seen as “hiding their sexuality” and this seems to arouse Muslim males.

Two studies in Saudi Arabia found that once veiled, young girls are then seen as sexual and this sexualization of young girls results in a rise in rapes: 25% of veiled girls between ages 6 and 12 had been sexually abused in some manner; and, 82% of veiled girls between ages 12 and 14 had been raped.

This is what American women should be protesting.

This “Women’s March” wasn’t about Trump. Trump is being used as a scapegoat for the Muslim agenda.

I follow more than 100 Muslim Brotherhood groups in America and also several of their most powerful activists. They were all promoting this “Women’s March”. The activists, who call themselves “community organizers”, targeted African Americans and Hispanics, but even more heavily targeted was the LBGT community, Pro-Choice groups, and vulnerable university students.

Why Pro-Choice?

Abortions are illegal in Islam, and no Muslim woman would dare have one. Yet the Muslim organizations who were promoting this event targeted Pro-Choice groups. They want American women to have abortions. They want the non-muslim population to be stagnant while their Muslim population grows. Numbers mean power.

Why LBGT? 

According to Islam, homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. Muslims despise homosexuals. Yet the Muslim organizations promoting this event targeted the LBGT community. They stated they were promoting the “rights” of the LBGT community. They did this to gain solidarity with them. But at some point, the LBGT community will be asked to sign petitions that declare Muslims are being persecuted against, that Muslims suffer from “Islamophobia”. Muslim organizations have been successfully targeting Christian and Jewish groups for signatures on their Islamophobia Petition. You can bet they will soon target the LBGT community for signatures also.

The Muslim Brotherhood organization CAIR knows that if only Muslim groups petition for Islamophobia Laws, these laws won’t have a chance. But if Christians, Jews and the LBGT community sign the Petitions, they have a good chance of implementing these new Islamophobia laws. CAIR National and all of their state chapters were involved in the promotion of the “Women’s March”.

The Muslim Brotherhood organization, Muslim Student Association (MSA), targeted university students throughout America to go to this “Women’s March”. MSA has their fingers on the pulse of the “gender identity crisis”. They want American Youth to be confused and frozen. They want American Youth to be non-productive beings obsessed with their “civil right” to a “safe space” and “time outs” when they feel stress.

They want a young male population that is weakened, or with confused female tendencies, whether real, imagined, or transgendered. They want to confuse the American Youth so they are helpless and unable to fight. They want to oppress the women and weaken the men.

And the rest of America? They are controlling you via the media.

Most Americans have been focused on the stupidity of some of the goings on at the Women’s March, instead of the deviousness of it. They want you distracted so that you won’t see what is really happening behind the scenes.

Very powerful Muslim Brotherhood organizations helped organized and promoted this event targeting very specific groups. And, starting in 1962, the Muslim Brotherhood placed very powerful people in the media profession to co-opt the media.

See additional notes and photos at CheriBerens

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A personal note from Kelsie:

Unfortunately, the Women's March in Washington, D.C. was not in support of all women, but rather only women who agreed with the march organizer's detailed policy agenda on issues including social policy, immigration, healthcare, taxes, etc. Conservative women's groups have been told they're not welcome at the march, including those which are pro-life. I did not march that day, but I do support women's rights (and the rights of all people!)

Women in the United States of America have life so, so good compared to women in other countries. Yes, please march for women's rights! Government-funded abortion is not a right! Government-provided contraceptives is not a right! Let us march, but let us march for our sisters around the world who are truly having their rights suppressed --- The 10 worst countries for women's rights are below:

THIS IS WHY WOMEN SHOULD MARCH.

The 10 Worst Countries for Women:

10. Morocco

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.28 (tied 8th worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 79% / 27%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 76% / 58%
• Pct. women in parliament: 17%

Morocco was one of the worst rated countries for women, according to the WEF’s 2014 Global Gender Gap Index. Few nations had a greater disparity between men’s and women’s participation in the economy. Just 27% of Moroccan women were in the labor force, well below the 79% participation rate for men. Further, women with jobs earned an average of just $3,123 annually, versus nearly $11,000 for men — more than three times as much. Morocco also has a considerable gap in literacy rates. Just 58% of women were considered literate versus 76% of men.

9. Jordan

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.18 (tied- 3rd worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 69% / 16%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 98% / 97%
• Pct. women in parliament: 12%

Just 16% of Jordanian women participated in the labor force, one of the worst rates in the world. The difference in incomes between men and women was also among the world’s worst. While the average man in Jordan earned $19,300 annually, higher than in more than half of all countries reviewed by the WEF, the average woman earned only roughly 18% of that, or $3,442 on average. Additionally, despite the prominent international role played by Queen Rania of Jordan, women in general have limited representation in the country’s political offices. Just 12% of parliament seats and 11% of ministerial positions were held by women, both among the lower rates in the world.

8. Lebanon

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.27 (7th worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 76% / 26%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 93% / 86%
• Pct. women in parliament: 3%

Few nations were rated worse than Lebanon for women’s political empowerment. Just 3% of seats in Lebanon’s parliament were held by women, one of the absolute lowest rates. Further, none of the country’s ministerial positions were occupied by women. One problem for many women in the country may be that religious laws cover issues of personal status, such as marriage and divorce. Despite passing a new anti-domestic violence law in April 2014, Human Rights Watch said the country still has significant room for improvement. In particular, the organization said that “Exempting matters governed by personal status laws from the domestic violence law undermines women’s security in the home.”

7. Cote d’Ivoire

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.49 (38th worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 82% / 53%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 52% / 30%
• Pct. women in parliament: 9%

The gap in educational attainment between men and women is especially problematic in Cote d’Ivoire. Although the 52% literacy rate among men in the country was quite low, women’s literacy rate was even lower, at only 30%. Enrollment of women at every level of school is also very low. Just 56% of primary school-aged girls were enrolled in school, among the lowest rates in the world. By secondary school, the enrollment rate dropped to 14%. Limited access to schooling, for both genders, also contributed to Cote d’Ivoire’s low score on the Human Development Index, where it ranked in the lowest decile of all countries. According to UNICEF, “The low education rate is essentially due to the insufficient educational offer[ings]: not enough teachers and school buildings.” The organization added, “Children who go to school do not always benefit from quality teaching” in Cote d’Ivoire.

6. Iran

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.17 (the worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 76% / 17%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 89% / 79%
• Pct. women in parliament: 3%

Iran has some of the world’s greatest disparities in labor force participation and incomes. Just 17% of women were in the labor force, versus 76% of men. And women earned an average of just $4,656 annually, versus $26,644 for men. According to a Reuters story published in May, an edict, issued by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to increase the country’s population has concerned many reformers already worried about women’s limited role in the workforce. Further, few nations rank worse for women’s participation in politics. In fact, Iran disqualified all female candidates in the last presidential election. According to Human Rights Watch, women need a male guardian’s approval to marry, and travel internationally.

5. Mali

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.41 (23rd worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 82% / 52%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 43% / 25%
• Pct. women in parliament: 10%

Mali has some of the worst disparities between men and women in both educational attainment and health. Among the reasons for this are the low literacy rate for women of just 25% and the low primary school enrollment rate of 64%, both among the worst worldwide. Also, women had a healthy life expectancy of just 48 years — among the lowest in the world. Mali was one of just three nations where the healthy life expectancy of women was lower than that of men. In 2012, religious extremists briefly seized a large portion of northern Mali before being pushed back by a French-led intervention. In the time these groups occupied the country they were accused of numerous human rights atrocities against women.

4. Syria

• Female-to-male income ratio: N/A
• Labor force participation (m/f): 76% / 14%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 91% / 79%
• Pct. women in parliament: 12%

Syria had some of the worst gender gaps for economic participation. Just 14% of women in the country were in the labor force, versus 76% of men. Further, the country also ranked poorly for women’s political empowerment. Just 12% of parliamentary positions and 9% of all ministerial positions were held by women. Syria ranked as one of the worst countries for women despite a far higher healthy life expectancy for women. While women were expected to live 65 years in good health, men were expected to live only 55 years in good health. One reason behind this disparity is likely the ongoing conflict in Syria, which remains extremely violent and unresolved. Recently, the United States began launching airstrikes in Syria as part of its plans to combat the terrorist group ISIL.

3. Chad

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.62 (52nd best)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 79% / 65%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 47% / 28%
• Pct. women in parliament: 15%

Chad is one of the lowest-rated countries on the United Nation’s Human Development Index. It has suffered from chronic regional instability, including spillover from conflicts in Darfur and in Central African Republic. Unlike most nations on this list, disparities in work opportunities and incomes are not especially large in Chad. However, this could be due in large part to the population’s heavy reliance on subsistence agriculture. Chad ranked as the worst country in the world for gender-driven disparities in educational attainment. Just 28% of women in the country could read and only 55% of school-age girls were enrolled in primary school, both among the worst rates in the world.

2. Pakistan

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.18 (tied-3rd worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 86% / 25%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 67% / 42%
• Pct. women in parliament: 21%

Pakistan is among the nations with the widest disparities between women and men in economic participation and opportunity. For example, just one-quarter of Pakistani women were in the labor force, versus 86% of men. Similarly, the disparity in educational attainment is also quite large. Just 67% of school-aged girls in Pakistan attended primary school, a figure that falls to just 31% for secondary school. By contrast, enrollment rates for boys were 77% and 41%, respectively. Even worse was the gap in literacy rate between females and males — just 42% of women could read versus 67% of men.

1. Yemen

• Female-to-male income ratio: 0.28 (tied-8th worst)
• Labor force participation (m/f): 74% / 26%
• Literacy rate (m/f): 83% / 50%
• Pct. women in parliament: 0%

Yemen is the world’s worst country for women in 2014, according to the WEF. In addition to being one of the worst countries in women’s economic participation and opportunity, Yemen received some of the world’s worst scores in relative educational attainment and political participation for females. Just half of women in the country could read, versus 83% of men. Further, women accounted for just 9% of ministerial positions and for none of the positions in parliament. Child marriage is a huge problem in Yemen. According to Human Rights Watch, as of 2006, 52% of Yemeni girls were married before they reached 18, and 14% were married before they reached 15 years of age.