Most people might not have read Margaret Atwood’s famous novel The Handmaid’s Tale, but it is very likely that they have watched the TV adaptation. It a fictional story of dark days of suppression of women which seems so exaggerated at first glance. However, when a little attention is paid, within this dystopia, one sees the reality of life for many girls and women. Is it possible to deny that in some places around the world women suffer from genital mutilation, they are not allowed to educate, and considered the property of their men and seen only as a means for reproduction? Women have taken a long path, they are indeed better off than years ago, but they are still struggling with discrimination in the 21st century. Contrary to the public opinion in Iran, March 8th, the International Women’s Day is not a day for celebrations, saying congratulations, or giving flowers. In fact, it is a day to persist on the battle for the deprived rights and raising voices for equality.

Centuries of Forced Silence

It does not matter whether you look back at the West or East to trace examples of oppression of Women in societies. Let us go right to one of the first examples in the literature where a man tells a woman not to raise her voice in public.

In Oedipus by Homer, roughly 3000 years ago, Telemachus’ mother who dares to appear in public, hears a song so goes and asks the poet to read her another epic song. Telemachus learns and orders his mother: “But go back into the house, and take up your own work, the loom and the distaff, and bid your handmaidens, to ply their work also; but speech will be a concern for men, all men, and for me most of all; for mine is the power in this household”.

It is funny that a young boy silences a mature woman. But this young man has learnt to act as the decision maker for the lives of women. In the Middle East, for example, women, regardless of their age, must be under male guardianship, i.e. their father, brother, or even son. They are not allowed to marry, travel, apply for a job, or undergo medical treatments without their male guardian’s permission.

There are numerous hadiths (sayings) in Islam that loud female voice is forbidden, and that their voice must not be heard in public. Imam Sadegh (the sixth Shia Imam) is believed to have forbidden women of saying more than five words to any men outside their family.  

Women’s Voice in Society

Apart from the legal restrictions, the society itself is forcing women to remain silent and obedient. The beliefs, assumptions and ideas which are rooted in the history of a society are reflected in the construction of the culture and language. The female in society is still described as inferior. Such assumptions are subconsciously reproduced in many forms in our daily use of language.

It is a pricy endeavour for women to raise their voice. When a woman, for instance, expresses a different opinion, she gets a response like “sweetheart, you don’t get it”. There are some territories exclusive for men and it takes a lot of courage if a woman wants to enter them. One example is soccer: when a woman enters a discussion on social media about soccer, she will be ridiculed and not taken seriously.

It is common on the social media that women are attacked by internet trolls. Although different groups of society are attacked on the internet, statistically men use insults and invective on the internet way more frequently than women. In addition, men attack women much more often than women attack women. It is ironic that some advise silence as a response to these attackers; which leads to what the attacker wanted in the first place. “Don’t reply and block” them is the new version of “tolerate and submit to your man”.

To reiterate the point of this article, women do not need a day, or flowers, for hearing congratulations for that matter; they just want to be heard.