Teaching my girls about girls in the world

My girls had a friend over today and there were all sitting in front of me at the bar while I was making them lunch. I started singing, "The Star Spangled Banner" with vigor because I LOVE it and burst into song frequently. Esp that one. Their friend asked what song it was and I told them it was our country's song and asked them if they knew how awesome our country was. I told them that as they got older they'd learn how awesome it was. They asked why, so I started with the basic answer about freedoms.

They all started chiming in with how they knew what freedom meant. Julie said, "It means you're not stuck." I thought that was such a good answer. Hazel said, "I know what it means too! It's like if you're at the grocery store and you get something and you don't have to pay for it!" Then we talked a bit more about what it meant.

I gave a few examples. I said how lucky we were to live in our country because we are free to go to church where we want, "Did you know some people can't go to church where they want? In some countries girls aren't allowed to go to school..." Pause. Oh shoot, should I have not mentioned that?? Then Julie goes, "And in some countries boys aren't allowed to go to school?" Um...not as far as I know. I regretted saying anything, I don't want little girls to know that there is any difference for girls and boys throughout the world, at least not yet. I quickly said, "Maybe, and in some countries you can't choose what you want to be when you grow up," Hazel, "I want to be a policeman..." Julie, "You can choose to be anything you want!"

Thankfully there wasn't much thought, if any, to the girl thing for them. But it struck me then how grateful I was to live in our country because I thought about how lucky I was that I could choose to just shield them from this information right now and they could reach for the stars.

How would it be to have to live in a place where women are second or third class citizens and little girls can't go to school? I had flashbacks to when I lived in Uganda for a summer where women kneeled for the men when they'd come into the room. How at many of the poor schools we'd visit the girls sat on the ground when the boys sat on benches. There were so many little things like this, and nobody seemed to think anything of it. The women there were so courageous, so hard working, putting up with all sorts of garbage from the men. Our group that was there for the summer was always surprised to see tons of men just hanging out on street corners smoking and drinking while I can't remember seeing women relax, like ever. They were always stooped over hot stoves or fires or carrying kids around, so many of them having AIDS. Many of the women having been raped or abused. The women just kept carrying on though, what wonderful women. And to think of all the societies in the world where there is a gender imbalance, I'm just so grateful to live here!

What would it be like to be part of that society, even just living amongst them I'd have to teach my girls what that is all about. But what is it about? What would I teach them? I'm not sure. You?