In Sweden, a country that prides itself on its high level of gender equality, its Crown princess Victoria has caused a stir by requesting that her father King Carl XVI Gustaf walk her down the aisle.
Unlike Australia, it is tradition in Sweden for bride and groom walk down the aisle together, with only one in ten brides being given away by their fathers. Yet Swedes think that this practice is increasing, due to the portrayal of weddings in Hollywood movies.
Despite the fact that her father is a king, the head of the Swedish church is firmly against the act of 'giving away' as it goes completely against the principles of gender equality. Also due to the popularity of Victoria and the respect the royal family has in Sweden, this practice could be setting a precedent for more women in Sweden.
This discussion has implications for women in Australia:
- Many women, myself included, have a stronger relationship with their mothers - should we be able to choose a 'favourite' parent to give us away? Or do we even need to be given away at all?
- And what of surnames? In Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, the majority of women keep their maiden name after marriage.
While marriage is probably not a subject on many readers' minds, it is still important to look at these traditions and wonder if in fact they are harmless traditions or they are practices which need to be discarded if we want to improve gender equality.
- Julia
If she chooses it, clearly she doesn't mind the symbolism for her.
ReplyDeleteI think the more interesting question is whether women should be free to choose a degree of subjugation, if that's the culture that they prefer. I can't see any reason not, as long as they're not being coerced into it.