Its Election Time…
Its election time again, so you know what that means… Time to fight it out on the battle ground that is the lives and bodies of women. In France presidential candidates Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy talk about the economic crisis and the topic of the veil.
The economic state of the European Union is in just about every publication right now. Recessions and even depressions are occurring all over Europe. The collapse of their housing bubble and unemployment rates as high as 50% among youths in Spain are some of the factors that are resulting in mass demonstrations, social movements and even increased accounts of suicide. NY times contributer Paul Krugman points out that some economist compare their financial crisis to events like the U.S.’s Great Depression (Krugman, 2012) The European Central Bank offered banks in countries in particularly deep debt financing to perhaps give these governments some room to reevaluate their economic policies, but there was no such luck. Countries in the European Union stuck to their malfunctioning guns and now find themselves in grotesque debt.
So what is a country to do? Krugman thinks something as drastic as ic as abandoning the Euro it’s called for (Krugman, 2012), but candidates like Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy seem to think the solution lies in immigration reform. Hollande is quoted saying, “In a period of crisis, which we are experiencing, limiting economic immigration is necessary and essential,” (Sage, 2012). From works from authors like Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild we know how immigration affects the lives of women especially in our capitalist world. Ehrenreich and Hochschild tell us that immigration that follows employment opportunities gives women a place as dual bread winner, a role traditionally held by men. (Ehrenreich and Hochschild, 2003) The ability to follow employment is increasingly important in the lives of women during economic straits, to feed themselves, their families and sustain independence.
Another topic highlighted in France’s presidential debates is veiling. In 2003 French parliament took three days to discuss the issue and ultimately decided to outlaw it. An article from the BBC stated “French Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told lawmakers that wearing a face-covering veil ‘amounted to being cut off from society and rejecting the very spirit of the French republic that is founded on a desire to live together'”.(BBC, 2003) This is the stance candidate Hollande is taking. He plans to uphold this legislation that would fine a woman up to 150 euro, which is approximately $199 U.S. dollars.
Now, considering the methodological ideas brought up by Parin Dossa in the book Racialized bodies, Disabling Worlds the issue of veiling is particularly interesting. I specifically want to point out the passage on page 14 of the book, where it talks about diaspora. It says “at its core diaspora is shaped by political rather than cultural sensibilities.” (Dossa, 2009) She quotes a scholar who contends that it is the politics and the attitudes of the ‘host’ society that shapes the creation and behavior of the diaspora. Haideh Moghiesi goes on to state that this collective identity and solidarity is often in response to negative attitudes from the society which they are placed in.
Now we have to think about what that means. Dossa mentions a feud between Western feminism and non-western feminisms. This is surely a place we can see the clash. Women who want to veil are not given the option in the name of modernization and ironically in the name of a peaceful communal living arrangement. How do women who subscribe to non-western feminisms operate in a society where their governments give them no choice? If these situations continue will there always be this feminist binary? These are examples of how this ‘feud’ operates outside of scholarship. These are the ways real women are affected. It election time and the battle returns to the bodies and lives of women… who is winning?
Works Cited
BBC. “French Parliament Debates Islamic Veil Ban.” BBC News. BBC, 07 June 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10517707>.
Ehrenreich, Barbara, and Arlie Russell Hochschild. Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy. New York: Metropolitan, 2003. Print.
Krugman, Paul. “Europe’s Economic Suicide.” The New York Times. 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/opinion/krugman-europes-economic-suicide.html>.
Sage, Alexandria. “France’s Hollande Nods to Right on Immigration, Veils.” Reuters.com. Reuters, 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKBRE83Q0Y020120427>.
