Last week was pretty tough with a lot of decisions that I wish I could do over. I had the distinct honor of meeting the Dean of a Dental School from another country. He was very knowledgeable and seemed sincerely interested in my presentation. At the end of the meeting, I put my hand out to shake his hand and he politely smiled and put his hands behind his back. I wasn't quite sure what I did wrong at the time but I was sure I did something. Later that day I found out that men from his country are not allowed to shake a woman's hand. I really wish I would have known that information before I extended my hand out to him. It was a uncomfortable situation for everyone.
But what I realized is how lucky and fortunate I am to live in a place where women are equal and respected. Yes, we still are not seen completely equal and we still struggle for our equal rights on some levels. But when I look at my mother and grandmother's career and educational opportunities, I think we are blessed to be anyone we want to be. So, sometimes even uncomfortable cultural opportunities can help us see how fortunate we are to live in a place where we are free.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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1 comment:
Great post, Julie. Having lived in Italy for three years, I have been exposed to slight differences in perception, as Italy is still very much a patriarchal society (although it's changing, slowly). We're lucky to have been raised in a country where the women before us fought hard to get us (somewhat) equal footing.
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