ClaireThorpe

For me, to live without an opinion is merely a bore. My conversations lack a certain fire – talking through work issues with Owen left a lot of empty airspace, as I can’t tell him what I actually think, or what I would do.

But obviously at the end of the week I can go back to my normal, opinionated life. Someone who might not even have that amount of time left is Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who is facing execution in Iran today, because she lives in a society where her opinion, her voice has no real value. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.

Whilst there are people who are quite rightly up in arms about the treatment if this woman, the real tragedy is that she has no say, no chance for rebuttal, no second chance.

The full article can be accessed here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/03/sakineh-mohammadi-ashtiani-execution

Please sign this petition to put your name towards saving the life of a women who has not been afforded a voice of her own in this whole process:

http://secure.avaaz.org/en/24h_to_save_sakineh/?fp

Today’s choice of wardrobe has gone largely unnoticed, but will be back tomorrow with an update! 

Being busy at work, I have found it relatively easy to avoid any opinion sharing - so far. But this challenge has got me thinking a lot more about the rights that I am afforded, and the fact that this is not a universal freedom. This quote from wordpress.com clarifies the plight of women around the world:

70 percent of the two billion poor are women; two thirds of illiterate adults are women; employment rates for women are declining after increasing (yes, of course, the world wars are now over). At the same time many women are forced into veils and burqas, burnt for merely looking at men, stoned to death or buried alive for adultery, forced into sex, pregnancy and delivering HIV-infected children because they were raped, but if they were to report it, they would either be raped again, executed, exiled from their village or town or family.

Although our society has made a great deal of progress over the last 100 years, this progress can move both ways, and there are parts of the world where women's lives are changing for the worse - not better. This issue is so important, but does not get the coverage that it deserves. 

For today in work, Owen selected a green military style dress cardigan and boots. I would never normally wear this to work, because of the length, but who am I to question? It created more attention than I was expecting - perhaps I should let Owen pick my clothes each day? 

When I first heard about the poverty challenge, I was intrigued. How would I be able to get an understanding on what poverty means to me in just seven days?

Luckily, when the information arrived I was inspired – to go an entire week without sharing a single opinion.

I can easily say that I am the most opinionated person that I know. I would define myself as angry, always with a bone of contention, or a specific point of view to share with pretty much everyone and anyone who’ll listen. I call them my soap box moments, and they are frequent!

I am aware how lucky I am to live in an environment where this sets me apart from my peers – in a good way; able to share an opinion without the fear of prosecution, or worse. And so fortunate that the choices that I make in life are my own to make – and I make these solely for my own good. How many women across the globe are refused this basic right?

As an aside to the main challenge, I relinquished control of my wardrobe to my boyfriend, who will be selecting my outfits daily. Here is a photo of today. I think he did quite well – but I’m sure by the end of the week, he’ll really push me!

This may be an added bit of fun, but for many women, this choice is removed – due to the lack of freedom of expression based entirely on their gender, or just a simple lack of money, opportunity or alternatives. To live without these things truly is to live in poverty.  

My challenge is to live for a week without giving my opinion.

I'm doing this because I understand how lucky I am, as a woman, to live in a society where my opinion matters, and think that this right should be afforded to all, but most notably, the women around the world who are refused a voice.

I live in Liverpool and will ask my MP Bill Esterton what his opinion on all this is .... What do you think?