The State Of The World Is The Question, And GIRLS Are The Answer

CHILLS. Every time.

This is a really nice idea, but I think you have underestimated to extent to which misogyny and anti-female ideas spread. That girl, the one you put in a uniform, would more likely be killed before getting a cow. If not, and she somehow survived, you are then underestimating the stubbornness of the village elders who have not seen change in generations. They would be more likely to claim this girl is a man the wrong body (something that just does not happen) then give her a seat at the council. 

Primarily when I think of this situation, I think of Ethiopia and mostly Northern Africa where they still have village elders. It’s not about terror or some type of awareness to purposely put women below men, like in America, but rather it is the fundamental belief that women are only around for the purpose of maintaining the household, maintaining the name of the husband via children, and doing the daily work - including fetching water, grinding sorghum, cooking meals, cleaning the village, tending to the children, planting crops ect. The only time the men work is to harvest - the rest of the time, they carve benches to sit on, play with eachothers hair, or throw objects - like sandals - in an attempt to prophesize. I’m not diminishing their culture, but it is constantly accepted that while women “do the work they have been blessed with to show their worth to their husband”, they are not strong because they have never gone to war. For these cultures, war, ritual hunts and other “male” activities are the only things which give a person worth. 

Just knowing how to support a group of cattle wouldn’t be special, because women pretty much already do that in Africa. Also, each village has the ability to bring fresh water to the community because most people own at least a few cattle, but they don’t do that, because water is available. It doesn’t matter that the women have to walk 3 miles to get the water, or walk back with 50 pounds of water and a baby. The sad thing about this situation is that these women are some of the strongest people I have ever seen, and yet in their culture, they are viewed as almost nothing. While this is a nice idea, its just not something I see happening in reality. 

If you don’t believe me, please, research it. In addition to the tribes you look up, check out these too: the Nuer Tribe, with their tradition of marrying women to ghosts so she can have children in the name of a dead man (to continue his line), and if you think you can stomach it, the Afar Tribe where girls commit suicide in order to avoid marriage, where they are dragged kicking and screaming from their tent at age 12 to be married. 

Then, honestly think about one girl that hasn’t done anything of importance (in the minds of the men) changing all of this.