Girl Guides stand up to Trump
“With recent changes to U.S. border entry rules, Girl Guides of Canada determined it was important for us to closely re-examine our current travel program,” the organization wrote on its website last month to announce that it was suspending trips to the U.S.
“Our primary goal was to reduce the risk of our members encountering difficulties at the border and ensuring that no girl is left behind.”
So when you buy your cookies (the traditional vanilla and chocolate boxes are on sale now), you’re supporting an organization that finds the decisions made by the Trump administration abhorrent, refuses to put any little girls or their families at risk while at the border and are voting with their feet by staying away.
What a brave, principled and responsible decision by an organization that clearly takes its role of developing young girls into strong and confident women seriously.
More than 60 million Americans decided to cast their presidential vote for a man who has sexualized his own daughter and has bragged that his wealth and fame is a licence to sexually assault women.
Now others, like the Girl Guides, are making their own decisions about their relationship with a country led by such a man.
Vice President Mike Pence also has some antiquated views of women.
As revealed in a Washington Post feature on his wife Karen, he does not dine alone with other women and doesn’t attend events where alcohol is present unless she is with him.
On the surface, it seems so noble and considerate but beneath the shiny thin veneer, Pence’s view of women isn’t that much different from his boss.
His choices mean he sees women as seductresses eager to lead him into temptation. His refusal to be alone with an adult female other than his wife over a meal (is a soup and a sandwich at lunch the gateway meal, leading to the inevitable afternoon delight?) is positively 15th century. Since he thinks he can’t control his sexual desires as an adult man, best to just avoid any opportunity to coveting his neighbour’s wife, she being just another piece of her husband’s property.
Put another way, Pence has contracted out the adult responsibility of behaving himself around other women to his wife. As Vox.com pointed out, that practice might actually be illegal.
Workplace discrimination based on gender is against the law, so he can’t take a male member of his staff out for a discreet lunch to discuss a possible promotion if he’s not willing to do the same for a female staff member deserving of the same consideration.
Women are legally entitled to equal access to their boss, regardless of what Pence’s personal beliefs and/or hangups are.
Both Trump and Pence’s stereotypical male-centric views of women are harmful, not just to everyone around them but to everyone, young and old, male and female.
An attractive, talented young woman seeking the mentorship of her older male boss to further her knowledge and her career goals is too often portrayed by both sexes as using her body to get ahead.
The male boss who devotes extra time to helping that same woman reach her potential is also harmed by the stereotype of the weak man, easily manipulated by the fairer sex.
In a perfect world, that professional relationship would be allowed to flourish for the benefit of both parties without watercooler whispers and jealous rumours.
In the modern workplace, that relationship is fraught with social landmines but is still possible and commendable. An attractive woman should not be ashamed of her ambition, nor should a male boss avoid offering help to female employees seeking leadership positions.
A woman’s physical attractiveness extends to her fashion choices, of course.
How a woman presents herself to her boss, her colleagues and the world at large through the way she dresses remains a social straightjacket.
Online critics quickly chimed in about last Wednesday’s front page photo and story featuring Yousra Moutil extolling the virtues of the hijab during the Wear A Hijab For a Day event at UNBC.
Many of the comments boiled down to “stupid woman — doesn’t she know that garment is used to oppress women in many Muslim countries?”
Their sexist patronizing clearly blinds them to the irony of telling an adult woman in Prince George in 2017 what she should wear and that she doesn’t understand her own religion and heritage.
The Girl Guides of Canada also make their own decisions about clothing and culture.
Clearly, they believe their uniform and those badges for merit and accomplishment stand for something. Being a young girl is hard enough in a world where they have more personal freedom, but more social pressure, than ever.
Thankfully, there are groups like the Girl Guides willing to defend their interests.