It’s becoming clear that the world is moving to the right. We’ve seen this shift in Europe (which I’ve written about before), the recent US elections, and the rise of right-wing parties in developing nations like India. However, this shift to the right isn’t just about economics - it’s a social shift as well - a push for social conservatism. It’s a turn toward a world where the majority (can be defined by race, religion, gender, or other factors) is setting the rules for everyone else to follow. It’s a world where power and privilege are concentrated in the hands of a few, often at the expense of the marginalized. Sadly, it feels like we’re moving away from the ideals of freedom, liberty, fraternity, and equity.

Some people may argue that this is just a swing of the pendulum - a temporary phase that will eventually swing back. But when you look at it from the day-to-day, human perspective, the impact of these shifts is devastating. Take, for example, the abortion laws in the US, where women in several states are no longer able to choose an abortion - even in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk. These are not just political decisions; they are basic human rights being stripped away.

Which brings me to why I am writing this today - read about a deeply troubling piece of legislation: Iraq’s proposal to lower the legal marriage age for girls from 18 to 9. This law would allow young girls to be married off at an age when they should be playing, learning, and dreaming of their future - and not having their bodies exploited by much older men.

Historically, many countries in and around the Middle East have had shockingly low marriageable ages. In Yemen, there’s no legal minimum age for marriage, leaving the door wide open for child marriages, often as young as 9 or 10. In Saudi Arabia, cases of girls as young as 10 being married still occur. In Afghanistan, the law sets the marriageable age at 16, but child marriages are still widespread, where young girls are married off due to poverty, lack of education, and entrenched traditions. The situation has worsened under the Taliban’s rule, with reports of girls as young as 12 being married off to much older men.

The consequences of child marriage are horrifying. These young girls, whose bodies are not yet fully developed, are forced into marriages with older men, often facing brutal physical abuse, sexual violence, and even death. The first sexual encounter, for example, can be physically damaging and, tragically, many young girls have died due to bleeding out during consummation. The dangers don’t end there - child brides often die in childbirth due to complications from early pregnancies, with their bodies not capable of handling the strain of labor. The abuse goes beyond the physical. These girls are robbed of their education, freedom, and a chance to live as children.Their lives are taken from them before they even have a chance to live them.

The global shift to the right may be seen by some as a political or economic phenomenon, but the human cost is high. As I write this, I pray that the Iraqi parliament does not pass this horrifying legislation.

https://preview.redd.it/yjt4u5w3os1e1.jpg?width=837&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2666f93f5a599b8f90cd679f281fcf8779db338

Say no to hate and pray for those that hate us. Vice president Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are exceptional leaders that will keep the peace for us and set the example around the world. #votebluetosaveamerica🇺🇸💙 🌎 #kamalaharrisandtimwalz2024 #vote #unitedstatesofamerica https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB9iC1fpgCI/?igsh=MTFvY2d1c2wzZng0bQ==

Cost of living is higher in cities; so, people get paid more when they work in NYC instead of somewhere rural, even if they perform the same job.

If the cost of living is higher for men, paying for dates, prerequisite of homeownership to date, prerequisite of good credit to date, prerequisite of good car to date, pays for bills, pays for vacations, pays for gifts, pays for dinner, pays for everything his own and shared. Women only have to pay for their own stuff, all of which is reusable. You can wear that dress and makeup again but, we cannot reuse that money from our last date again.

So, if women refuse to chase and pay for men, their cost of living is less, and therefore, they get paid less. Men have to pay for everything; so, they get paid more. Makes sense, cost of living = compensation amount. Male/female = urban/rural

I still pay for dates and all (societal expectation). I still believe women deserve equal pay (morality). I also believe women are fully capable to do all of the things men do, like chase, court, & pay for dates (equality).

It’s not fair for one to have all the financial burden. It’s not fair for one to be paid less than the other. Fix both of those. One may be required for the other to occur.

So, let’s both do our part:

Men: start paying women equally, & don’t make it seem like some big deal, it’s just the right thing to do.

Women: start paying for dates/bills/vacations/etc., & don’t make it seem like some big deal, it’s just the right thing to do.

I work in healthcare with patients who are low-income. If I learn that someone needs medical equipment and is low income, is me directing them to community programs who can assist with that an example of equity?

For all that Americans worry about foreign countries influencing their politics, it is American culture wars that are increasingly exported abroad. This article explores how QAnon and other MAGA conspiracy theories have taken root in the US and then spread to Eastern Europe, along with the global influence of Trumpism, especially concerning LGBT people.

https://americandreaming.substack.com/p/the-qanon-ification-of-the-world

r/AlterhumanRights No hate pls 😊

If I am an Asian immigrant working at a company in the U.S. and, after submitting my resignation, my boss says to me, “In America, we put in 2 weeks’ notice before resignation,” does this count as discrimination? By adding “in America, we,” doesn’t that imply that he considers me not one of them?

A sub dedicated to busting the myth that only men are violent -

https://www.reddit.com/r/WomenAreViolentToo/s/muWTYs615R