Mothers, Tall Girls and Women's Rights

So it's Mother's Day and a few items are worth mentioning. The first is the election of Iran to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.  I know, you're thinking that Iran still has one foot still in the 8th century.  And you would be right.  However, they also have a few women elected to office which is rare for any Muslim country.  In fact they have a number of non-Muslamic rules that make it seem progressive.  Like Iraq under Hussein, Iran pushes education for all and has some positive notions. But still, any country that is ruled by a religious figure (of any denomination) is not a serious canditate to represent women at the UN.  Imagine the Vatican in a similar position.  Sure there's a strong push for equality, but ultimately it's a male dominated religion. So how does Iran get the ok to be part of the UN Status of Women?  Would you believe that it is with the help of Canada and the US?  Neither country made any objections.  Huh?  Well, they gave Iran a pass because it agreed to remove itself from the Human Rights Council. So ultimately, they chose to appease Iran by letting it on a slightly less important council.  I hate politics. CNSNews.com (Apr 30, 2010) - Silence From U.S. and Its Allies Allowed Iran to Get Seat on U.N. Women’s Rights Body The United States and 12 other Western democracies kept silent this week as Iran was nominated for membership of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), thus enabling Iran to get the seat. In the four-year period beginning in 2011, Iran will help set U.N. policy on gender equality and the advancement of women. ... Read the full story here... The second article is from the (Muslim) country of Somalia where the local tribesmen discuss the value of tall girls vs short girls.  The value of their daughters comes down to how many head of cattle they are worth.  Just a reminder of how far we have to go in certain parts of the world. Los Angeles Times (May 4, 2010) - Tall girls, more cattle ... "Tall girls fetch more cattle because their daughters will quickly grow and can be married off to fetch even more cattle," said the chief, shooing a stubborn fly. "A tall girl can command 60 to 100 cattle from a suitor. A short girl may get 20 head, and, sometimes, short girls overstay their welcome in the father's home and end up fetching only five cattle. By then, a tall girl has already borne five children." ... "Things get competitive for a tall girl," said the chief. "Once she reaches 12 years of age, men come to the father and promise many cattle. Of course, a suitor with no cattle will never marry. Our laws forbid that. He is single for life. If he sleeps with someone's daughter or gets her pregnant, he'll be killed." What do tall women think about marriage and cattle? The chief bit his lip, bafflement drifting across his face. "Women have no say," he said. ... Read the full story here... Bil An Outraged Dad