Why as a man, I need Feminism

     "I am a feminist." This statement has caused several kinds of reactions when coming from me, a male. Ranging from an inquisitive if not suspicious "why?" to sweet praise borne not out of understanding, but rather out of amazement if not amusement. And yet the one reaction I've always wanted to hear, the self-evident "So what? Think you're special? Who isn't?", is one I've sadly yet to experience. We are a month away from 2013 now. 

So, why am I a feminist? Major reasons include a profound yearning for social justice and equality, as well as the desire for a more pragmatic society which prioritizes merit beyond superficial differences.  But I am also a feminist from a male empowerment perspective. The all too common and often times confrontational question "what about men and their rights?", whenever someone is talking about the plight of women, can be very easily answered by "feminism is the solution." So ultimately, I not only want to be a feminist, but as a man I need to be a feminist.

On Citizenry and Change: My Experience with Greenpeace

  
     This is a more personal article than my previous one. In it I'd like to share my experience with the Greenpeace local Montreal group after a couple of months working there. I do so because I believe that this experience is poignant and demonstrative of the immense power citizens can have. A power which if directed towards a constructive cause, could do wonders and move mountains.

Legalize Prostitution

     This is an issue that has been on my mind for months, though it was mostly limited to its ethical aspect. After some research however, prostitution became to my mind an issue of extreme humanitarian importance.

Now some may ask "out of all the problems in the world Ayman, you found nothing to write about other than prostitution?". Because it is a huge problem. The UN global report on trafficking estimates that around 2.4 million people (highest estimate being 9.8 million) are at any given time victims of human trafficking, 79% of whom are women and children. These victims are lured and tricked into what we can only call slavery. Human trafficking is a thriving criminal global industry estimated to be worth 32 billion USD, and prostitution constitutes the biggest share with women being the primary victims. Needless to say, other than being enslaved, these women are mistreated on a daily basis.

This article is not a policy recommendation paper, much more research and time would be required.  It's rather me sharing my thoughts on the issue and expressing the opinion that legalizing prostitution could if handled properly help reduce human trafficking and human rights violations, in addition to making it safer from a health perspective. Of course the solution for such a complex problem needs to be complex in turn, with multiple aspects to it. Pro-legalization proposes that legalizing prostitution is but a part of the solution.