First, I want to say I’m not bashing Melania. For some reason, after watching videos of how badly she’s treated and sidelined by her husband in public, I feel sad for her. Because, if he treats her like this when people are watching, one can only imagine how he treats her when they’re alone together.
However, I can’t overlook the irony underlying portions of her keynote speech at today’s International Women of Courage Awards:
"As leaders, we must continue to work towards gender empowerment and respect for people from all backgrounds and ethnicities, remembering always that we are all members of one race, the human race.”
Respect? Two of the women hail from countries on trump’s second travel ban – Syria and Yemen. I have to wonder how these brave women made it out of the airport without being detained. A third honoree is from Iraq, a country banned in his first travel ban.
Full list of honorees:
- Sharmin Akter, Activist Against Early/ Forced Marriage, Bangladesh
- Malebogo Molefhe, Human Rights Activist, Botswana
- Natalia Ponce de Leon, President, Natalia Ponce de Leon Foundation, Colombia
- Rebecca Kabugho, Political and Social Activist, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Jannat Al Ghezi, Deputy Director of The Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, Iraq
- Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka, Deputy Director of Social Work at the Military Hospital of Niamey, Niger
- Veronica Simogun, Director and Founder, Family for Change Association, Papua New Guinea
- Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista, Lawyer and Founder of Not One Woman Less, Peru
- Sandya Eknelygoda, Human Rights Activist, Sri Lanka
- Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh, Member, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (F.M.A.), Syria
- Saadet Ozkan, Educator and Gender Activist, Turkey
- Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, Blogger and Environmental Activist, Vietnam
- Fadia Najib Thabet, Human Rights Activist, Yemen
And then there’s this moment in the speech:
“For wherever women are diminished, the entire world is diminished with them. However, wherever women are empowered, towns and villages, schools and economies, are empowered, and together we are all made stronger with them. We must begin now to challenge old fears, fight long-held prejudices and stand up against evil and injustice wherever it may be.”
Wherever women are diminished? The irony here is so monumental there’s really little to say.
However, I will say this – Melania did not mention her husband at all. Not once.
Full speech transcript here: www.harpersbazaar.com/...