Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    p.s. I orignially raised the question in response to someone - whose
    note I can no longer find - who expressed the opinion that the treatment
    of women in our society was a sing of how sick our society is and
    who stated that in other times and in other societies women had
    been treated better and had more power.

    Hi, Bonnie... I was perusing the conference and decided to drop
    my 2 cents worth....
    
    My "culture" (origins of birth) was one in which women were treated
    as chattel.   I'm Swedish (first-generation American as my Dad was
    born in Norrskopping, Sweden) and it's a male-dominated society.
    
    Way back in Viking days, women had certain rights.  They could inherit
    titles and property from their fathers, but upon marriage all property
    and possessions transferred to their husbands.  A single woman could
    be powerful and even participate in local government, but a married
    woman was her husband's property, to do with as he wished.  She
    could sue for divorce, but he could EASILY prove her wrong by simple
    influence on his peers and her case would be lost over a tankard
    of beer.
    
    We all, of course, know the stories of how favored wives and concubines
    were forced to join a dead master on a burning ship and die to join
    him in Valhalla...
    
    Swedish households revere the man and dominate the women.  Daughters
    perform household duties and sons are educated.  The sign of a man's
    worth is his number of sons.
    
    One of the more hated customs for me is when the eldest daughter
    dons the costume of Saint Lucia and serves all male members of the
    family coffee and cakes in bed on Christmas morning.  I refused!
    
    So, I've seen modern Swedish society and it stinks.  We daughters
    have all rebelled from our fathers and our mothers cheer us on,
    and our brothers stay silent, afraid to speak up.  And we're letting
    those really unbearable customs die out.
    
    The old country was a male-only world.  It's no world where I intend
    to live!  My cousins and I have each turned our backs on it because
    in that world we mean nothing.  
    
    Bugsy

    RE: .2
    
    My wife is also Svenske flicka, only more like 2nd or 3rd generation.
    She is perhaps an exception, in that as first-born of two daughters
    and one son, her father always treated her as more of a person and
    encouraged her education.  I've noticed she does have some residual
    problems in expressing opinion which seem to have carried over into
    our relationship.  I happen to bbe very opinionated (even when I'm
    wrong, or don't even know for sure).
    
    You might be interested in bringing this topic up in the Scandinavian
    notesfile (TLE::SCANDIA).  To add it to your directory press KP7
    or SELECT.

You will probably find that Scandinavia has changed in the last 30 years.

-- The prime minister of Norway is a woman (and an MD).

-- People pay taxes on their own income (husband and wife file
   separate returns).

-- Even Lucia is "integrated" (the boys join in, too).

But, as noted, bring the issue up in Scandia to get a wider viewpoint.

Martin
(10 years resident in Sweden)

    Per Hamnqvist, our token Swede in the CASEE group, confirms the
    story of St. Lucia as a regular practice in his house as he was
    growing up.
    
    However, on the other side of the coin..., I recently attended Per's
    wedding in Stockholm and found myself spending the evening with
    an Air Force Officer. Her job was to direct air defenses against
    US and Soviet invaders (yes, they worry about the US...) She was
    fairly clear in stating that she experienced little discrimination
    and felt a bit sorry because her female counterparts in the US armed
    services weren't allowed to do jobs as interesting as she was able
    to do.
    
    		bob wyman
    

    Is there a chance of we seeing a woman as the US President before the
    turn of the next century?  I think seeing a person from minority
    occupying the highest office is still furhter off. 

- Vikas    

    Re .6:
    
    If I had to put money on it, I would have to say that I don't think
    there will be a women in the Presidency this century.  Maybe a VP.
    But I'm counting on there being a woman president in my lifetime.
    (I'm currently 28.)
    
    -Tracy

    I thought that, statistically, men were are minority in the USA...
    Anybody know for a fact whether there are
    
    	(a) more females or males eligible to vote?
    
    	(b) more females or males enrolled to vote?
    
    /Bevin