“To denigrate women is to spit in the face of God”
<h3 class="post-title subpt">Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter spent an hour responding to questions on women’s rights yesterday, in The Elders’ first ever live Twitter Q&A for International Women’s Day 2014.</h3><div class="quoteblock"><div class="quotetext"></div></div><p>Marking International Women’s Day 2014, Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu answered questions online yesterday in The Elders’ first ever Twitter Q&A.</p>
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<p>Jimmy Carter getting ready to join our first ever Twitter Q&A from his home in Plains, Georgia. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askElders&src=hash">#askElders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IWD2014&src=hash">#IWD2014</a> <a href="http://t.co/yd8ieKY9Zk">pic.twitter.com/yd8ieKY9Zk</a></p>
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441571632981618688">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>And here's Archbishop Tutu, all set to answer your questions for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IWD2014&src=hash">#IWD2014</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askElders&src=hash">#askElders</a> <a href="http://t.co/VlTrJYgdyM">pic.twitter.com/VlTrJYgdyM</a></p>
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441573424607920129">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong><a href="http://theelders.org/hina-jilani">Hina Jilani</a></strong>, the third Elder planning to join the Q&A, unfortunately had to pull out at the last minute due to illness. With the event now comprising two male Elders, <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441548296461750273">we asked supporters</a></strong> about men’s responsibility to tackle discrimination against women:</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders">@theelders</a> Men especially those in authority should stand for justice, instead of sacrificing justice to keep their popularity. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askElders&src=hash">#askElders</a><…;
— Umm Sulaim (@Umm_Sulaim) <a href="https://twitter.com/Umm_Sulaim/statuses/441552631266545664">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>Continuing the theme of how men can act to advance equality for girls and women, the Elders replied to a question from a father:</p>
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<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/ColmBergin">@ColmBergin</a> A father should treat his daughter as equal to his son, cherish her, & not let her accept an inferior position - JC <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askElders&src=hash">#askElders</a><…;
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441583752473739264">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>Questions came in from Twitter users – men and women, young and old and – all over the world, from Nigeria to New Delhi. One primary school teacher in London asked her pupils to submit questions no longer than 140 characters, posting a photo:</p>
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<p>Here is what some of my students wanted to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askELDERS&src=hash">#askELDERS</a> in preparation for IWD <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23womensrights&src=hash">#womensright…; <a href="http://t.co/3Ifn1SOvb6">pic.twitter.com/3Ifn1SOvb6</a></p>
— Deborah (@DeborahAZebra) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeborahAZebra/statuses/441237904413974528">March 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>Many Twitter users asked questions about the role of religious traditions in shaping attitudes towards women and girls. The two Elders <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/piahenriika/status/441577339907231744">spoke about their efforts</a></strong> to promote women’s leadership within the church, emphasising that gender inequality is not something justified in religious texts but, as <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441574674628358144">Jimmy Carter put it</a></strong>, “contrived in patriarchal societies for benefit of male leaders.”</p>
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<p>God created men & women in God's image; both stand as equals before God. To denigrate women is to spit in the face of God. Desmond Tutu <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IWD&src=hash">#IWD</a></p>
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441580312423043073">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/jayzdad">@jayzdad</a> We need to convince people that neither the Bible nor the Koran in any place says women should be inferior to men. Jimmy Carter</p>
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441590388798005249">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>Violence against women was another common theme, with questions on tackling rape culture, sexual violence in conflict and human trafficking. As well as <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441586299410317312">pointing to legal enforcement</a></strong>, the Elders emphasised that violence has its roots in discriminatory attitudes towards women:</p>
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<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/AAPremlall">@AAPremlall</a> Start at home: treat our women folk, our girl children with the respect due to them. Extend this respect to all women. DT <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23VAWG&src=hash">#VAWG</a></p>
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441584379492851713">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>They named some of the women leaders who inspire them – for <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441576714867834880">Jimmy Carter, this was</a></strong> “leaders who use their ascendant positions to enhance the rights of all other women and girls” – and advocated <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441592709946830848">quotas</a></st…; and <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441582253354008576">positive discrimination</a></strong> as tools to encourage more women leaders in politics and the private sector.</p>
<p>Condemning demeaning stereotypes of women in <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/AAPremlall/status/440913370762342400">media</a></st…; and <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/status/441588305227186177">advertising</a…;, Archbishop Tutu agreed that objectification can be “unlearnt” by practising empathy:</p>
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<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/joziward89">@joziward89</a> When we denigrate women we in fact denigrate ourselves, because we are bound up together - Desmond Tutu <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askElders&src=hash">#askElders</a><…;
— The Elders (@TheElders) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheElders/statuses/441588431144386561">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<p>To see more of the conversation, go to <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23askElders&src=hash&f=realtime">…;
FEATURED ELDERS
Jimmy Carter
Desmond Tutu
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