For Women’s History Month, we need to undo the gender backlash we are seeing | Opinion

Women History Month, like all history months, celebrates the accomplishments of a segment of our population in order to recognize and teach others the important contributions that a marginal group has made to our country and the world.

However this year Women’s History Month is different.

The cruel and bizarre backlash against women across the globe has escalated in ways that are unfathomable and that was unimaginable just a couple of years ago.

Overturning Roe v. Wade was the starting gun that gave the endorsement to unleash to legislation against women.

From tracking menstrual periods to forbidding contraceptives to wanting to prosecute women for murder for having an abortion, even to save their lives, these are not simply radical laws, but emphasize the query of “what kind of person thinks up this crap?”

We all recognize hypocrisy of men making laws against a women’s body while not against a man’s sex organs, and the ridiculousness of men who want to ban contraceptives, but keep Viagra, and the audacity of those who want to punish women but extol rapists.

But our outrage is over the unmitigated blatant disregard for women rights, women’s voices and women’s freedoms.

Thousands of women marched here in Louisville, in Frankfort Kentucky, in Washington D.C., AND across the globe, demanding their rights. Be it here in the U.S.A. pertaining to reproductive rights or in other countries about head scarves, these protests only strengthen male legislators’ resolve to make even more invasive laws against women.

A recent discussion with friends on if Hillary had been a male, would she have won the Presidency in 2016. More significantly, would today’s world be a kinder place, not just for women but for all peoples across the globe?

Obviously there would have been no Jan. 6 insurrection on the Capitol. The white supremacist nut jobs would not have gain legislative power. And perhaps the fanatical far right factions in other countries would have not come to fruition.

Which again raises the question, despite the growing number of females running for all local, state and federal offices, with the record number of women candidates for President in 2019, why does the absurd double standard still haunts women. This draconian attitude is so entrenched in our society that it is just ignored, or worse, tolerated.

When Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm received a ‘pretty-little-lady’s’ welcome last month from Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo after Granholm used technical terms to announce a $2B loan to a battery recycling company. He said publicly: “Do you actually understand that science, or did you just memorize that?”

The 2019 female Presidential candidates (Harris, Klobuchar, Warren, Gillibrand) had extensive political experience and accomplishments, but still had to endure “I like her, but she isn’t a man” syndrome. Or as Iowa voters repeatedly told Warren: “I would vote for you if you had a penis.” (“Electable. Why America hasn’t put a woman in the White House…Yet”, by Ali Vital; page 165)

Women, especially women of color, look at the inner circle of politics and boardrooms, questioning if women really do have an actual seat at the table, or are just there for ‘show’ and not able to have a real power in the actual decision making.

As reported before, we voters allowed four Kentucky House male legislators to deliberately and systematically redistrict all the 17 Democratic women, targeting the most outspoken, two in House leadership and all long-term incumbents.

The bottom line is that a double standard still remains, one that female politicians along with female news reporters and business leaders have to endure.

Whether it is a tweet, a Facebook joke, the re-emerging of marketing specific ‘girl’ toys and ‘boy’ toys or female broadcast anchors and reporters wearing Barbie Doll makeup and clothes while teetering in high heels, the message reinforces that only boys play with trucks and girls have to be pretty and polite.

We all, parents, employers and friends and especially elected officials, need to start asking ourselves: Would I have said, expect, or demanded this from a male? Do I treat my female children, employees, and candidates differently?”

In a recent opinion, it was pointed out that misogyny is the beginning in empowering a dictatorship government, with racism and anti-LGTBQ+ following, along with book banning. This is happening now. And we all are allowing this tyranny. Maybe it is time to start breaking some unjust laws.

Hon. Mary Lou Marzian is the former Kentucky House Representative for the former District 34, Honi Marleen Goldman is a Kentucky grassroots organizer, and Maria A. Fernandez is a Kentucky attorney.