This past weekend, I had the chance to spend some time in Brussels, Belgium. I thought France was multicultural, but I was especially impressed with the way Belgium integrates three different languages and cultures within one city. Even with such an environment, the nature of being a foreigner means that I will always stick out at least a little bit, no matter how hard I try.
My time in Europe has been eye-opening for a number of reasons. As a woman who has traveled in the Middle East, I can appreciate the freedom that comes in public dress and behavior for women in Europe. However, after exploring the Red Light District of Brussels, I found myself drawing some startling conclusions. Women are respected citizens of the world. Yet there are many places where the roles they take are greatly dictated by their environment.
In the Red Light District, myself and another girl in my group were the only women there not standing behind glass windows. We were with a group of guys, but even then there was a lot of attention directed our way.
The area was quite crowded with men of many ages and races, but they all had a similar demeanor. Most dressed in dark clothing and stared with hard, scrutinizing eyes as they passed our group.
It reminded me of the attention I drew as a Western, unveiled woman while living in northern Jordan. I was very surprised because I do not associate Europe at all with that sort of attitude towards women.
