From phiaxa@cs.uregina.caWed Jun 14 23:15:21 1995 Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 22:22:58 -0600 (CST) From: SatJaDham To: laolit Newsgroups: soc.culture.laos Subject: I'm Every Women SatJaDham Presents: =================== I'm Every Woman By Khamphet Chang I'm not much of a feminist, but sometimes seeing the way pou ying Lao is treated makes me want to take action...to change the way pou ying Lao is viewed as khone Lao. Does pou ying Lao have the same right as pou sai Lao? Was there a time when we were given equal status or viewed as an equal to pou sai Lao? In our Lao culture, the typical and tradition way pou ying Lao is viewed is that...pou ying belongs at home and in the kitchen. Her role is to cook, wash, clean, take care of the children, and most important of all-- to please and be submissive to her male. I am not here to rebel against tradition and pou sai. I just want to point out that there is a obvious difference in the way our culture views pou ying and pou sai and to ask whether or not it is fair the way pou ying Lao is viewed and treated as khone Lao. Even in the US, it is obvious to see that the pattern of treatment of pou ying Lao still follows that of Muang Lao. Isn't that not clear to everyone? Of course, the United States is the land of opportunity, equality, and freedom; but, are pou ying Lao bound to such view and such role for life? A lot of pou ying Lao were raised to think that the male is superior to them...in a sense, better than them. Such idea were implanted into their thoughts since childhood. There is a clear distinction between the way the male and the female children were treated. At an early age, the girls are taught to do chores while the boys are given the freedom to play. Of course, it is good that pou ying Lao can handle responsibility at such age. However, the point that I would like to make is that--"how does pou ying Lao perceive themselves?" Does pou ying Lao have a high self esteem? This is a question that every pou ying Lao should ponder upon. If you want a better life and a better role as khone Lao, it is up to you to take the initiative and make it happen for yourself. Don't settle for second best! Best regards, Khamphet Chang *********Any comments are welcomed, please email to******* ***LAOLIT@TUDDY.CC.MONASH.EDU.AU****