I was on the beach in Tulum, Mexico. A little girl was going from beach blanket to beach blanket selling cups of sliced fruit. She had an empty gaze, looking through me as she made her sale.
That changed when she noticed JennyCat — a cartoonish plastic frame that holds a photo of my friend, Jenny. Rocio and I used to travel with it a lot, snapping photos of it in places around the world.
The girl’s eyes lit up when she saw the toy face down on my towel. She dropped to her knees in the sand, pointed and asked if she could hold it. I handed it to her and she examined it front and back, wiggling the feet and flicking the whiskers. I took this photo of her looking so very happy.
She played with it for a few minutes, but suddenly snapped out of it, remembering she had to go back to work, and continued down the beach.
Why was she working? Why wasn’t she in school? Where were her parents? Did she have parents?
Every time I look at this photo I regret not giving her JennyCat. As much as I like the silly thing, this little girl liked it more. But it wouldn’t have solved her problems.
We live in a world with an economy that doesn’t work for millions of low-income parents, driving kids in developing countries to work, and in the US, making parents unable to work due to their inability to find and afford child care. Once low-income parents — and consequently, their children — fall behind, it becomes increasingly difficult to pull themselves up.
Today is International Women’s Day a day meant to celebrate the achievements of women and empower them to continue the fight for equality. The holiday grew out of suffrage movements and the role of women in labor organizing.
Companies are clueless about what this means. In the US, hotels are offering discounted spa visits to guests and one Hyatt hotel is offering corsages to female employees (Hey, Hyatt — if you really want to help your mostly female workforce, you might start with ending the abusive and illegal labor practices which have gotten you pegged worst hotel employer in America.)
Economic issues are women’s issues. Helping women advance means helping build an economy that works for all, especially at the lowest income levels, where women are disproportionately represented. Helping women means creating jobs that pay a living wage, access to affordable child care, affordable health insurance, and paid sick leave. In the developing world, it means making sure parents are supported so that kids do not have to miss school and work to help support the family. We have a long way to go, in the US and abroad.
I took this photo about five years ago. By now, this little girl is a young woman. I’d like to think that she’s in a better place, that she’s in school and on a track to a better future. I hope that she is, but I know the odds were stacked against her and it’s hard to be optimistic.
Good post! I didn’t even realize that it’s International Women Day until I logged onto facebook… although, coincidentally, I had to lecture one of male students on not calling his female classmates “them females!”
Yeah, it seems to be only recognized online here in the US, but it’s a national holiday is some other countries. I saw one blogger mention she was seeing posters for it everywhere on the streets of Vietnam! The US could afford to pay a bit more attention to these issues. Though what you’re doing is the most important work, educating them kids 🙂
As much as Jenny-Cat loves mexico, it’s better that she continue traveling. If I recall correctly, she was beheaded in Tulum and if not for your commitment she would have been forever separated from her body.
Really nice story of this little girl- it’s amazing how a little plastic toy can open up a conversation. Great post!
Thanks, Jenny! I’m glad you like it and glad you found it — I’d meant to send it to you. And I remember that well, that was right before this trip to the beach, wasn’t it? Universes collide when JennyCat and JennyPerson meet 🙂
This is my favorite article to date! Awesome picture and yes to economic justice for all working womyn!
I knew you would love it, Cesar, but then I didn’t think you had been reading… I’ve missed your snarky comments 🙂
Beautiful message. By simply writing this post you have done way more than you might imagine.
Thanks, Lorenzo! I’m glad you appreciate it.
Great message. It’s always tough to know what to do when you meet kids working abroad, because you know supporting their business will do nothing to change the situation. I think it’s all about using any money you might have spent on those individuals to donate to charities that are better equipped to tackle the situation.
Thanks, Arianwen. You’re right — charitable contributions, but also supporting locally-owned businesses and (I believe!) sharing your photos and stories are better ways for travelers to make a difference.
Thanks for writing this. We’ve come across many child ‘beggars’ on our travel and it’s always a dilemma on the best course of action: buy things from them, or not?
Anyway, have you ever heard of Kiva? It’s a micro lending enabler and there are some projects that focus on women entrepreneurship in third world countries. I’ve always thought it’s a wonderful idea to encourage stay at women (and/or moms) start their own business.
Thanks, Jill. I’m glad you appreciate it. I struggle with that, too. It is difficult in the moment not to do whatever little you can, at least to make yourself feel better even though you know it’s not a sustainable solution. And I love Kiva! I’ve been loaning for a few years now, and I’m so impressed at how fast they’ve grown. I’ve gone on to loan once or twice and they were all out of loans! They fulfill the loans as fast as the local partners can put them up. It’s so impressive.
My bro-in-law just visited an Amish sawmill in Canada in which boys as young as 12 were working without safety equipment or procedures of any kind. Open blades. Crankshafts and belts along the floor. This is just one of those under-the-radar situations.
So it happens in the first-world, and not just to women.
Good story. Thanks.
Wow, that’s awful that the Amish are able to take advantage of being such a closed community, but I guess it doesn’t surprise me. Companies big and small (and even those associated with communities of faith!) will try to skirt the rules if they think they can get away with it. So terrible for the kids and for their parents!
Thank you for this post. And sharing the story of the little girl from Tulum. Travel awakens our senses and allows us to see new things, thank you for sharing your experiences.
These are some of the issues I am also trying to address through my work, by raising awareness within the US of international labor conditions and lack of real opportunities and choices. Child labor is a huge issue in my field, and I want to help people understand how our purchasing choices promote child labour, or do the opposite and create new opportunities.
What especially resonated for me was your thoughts about what International Women’s Day ought to be about, especially in light of all the talk around “leaning in” in the Bay Area. I would love to see a discussion around getting families to a place where they can begin to “lean in” rather than just try to get through. Not just at the Executive level, but across the board.
To quote from above:
“Helping women means making have jobs that pay a living wage, access to affordable child care, affordable health insurance, and paid sick leave.”
As a Canadian in the Bay Area for the last decade or so, this is something that seems so painfully obvious and now with kids of my own, I see my sister-moms in Canada, with 1 year leave, subsidized, affordable, quality day care, health care for all… this seems to value families. And women.
Sunita, thank you so much for your insightful comments on this important issue. I’ve also been pretty disenchanted by this “leaning in” talk here in Silicon Valley. It would be fine, if so many US women were not struggling just to get by because of lack of family-friendly policies, and if our basic rights were not under attack by our own legislators in Washington! Your perspective as a Canadian woman working to raise a family in the US is so good to hear.
Your concern for this issue is exactly why I appreciate your business so much (and if you haven’t seen it yet, check out our most recent post https://everintransit.com/chocolate-garage/) 🙂
Look forward to seeing you one Saturday soon, we’ve been meaning to stop by, we stretched it out but finally did drain our chocolate supply!