Ever since I could remember, there has always been some sort of discrimination taught in our classrooms. Starting from races, to sex origin, sexuality, and anything else humans would use against each other to have some sort of power over everyone else that were not deemed worthy. Since the beginning of time, the need to be a higher being, a sovereign, to dominate over the rest has been a selfish flaw that has been imprinted in the majority of the human race. With the help of religions, society and man-made laws certain individuals gained the right to put discrimination into practice. One of the most well thought out, researched and fought over topic of discrimination has to deal with women. The lack of rights the female species have, the way men revoked and tried to cripple any thought or ideas of being someone in a high position. This is to show that all women from every race, from the beginning to modern civilization, have experienced all kinds of discrimination. For even the way religion views the female sex, has some sort of influence on society and its followers.
“…But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all the spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies plunder which the Lord your God gives you.” (Deut. 20:14) In biblical times women were merely considered properties, in this case, booty when the war was won. A female was for the male to push and pull whichever way they needed or wanted. Even though, in the bible, the woman were made out to be a weak being, the holy book also made an image of her being a canning and secretive creature, which had its strength; full of evil desires with the goal of having the male fall and do her bidding, if he were not careful. “… And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. She was loud and rebellious, her feet would not stay at home.” (Proverbs 7:10-11) She, and still is considered at times a sly, seductive creature always lurking to tempt the weak, the easily fallen. In the book of Genesis, for instance, Eve deceived Adam and had them both cast away from the Garden of Eden, paradise, just because she gave him the forbidden fruit to eat. “And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her.” (Eccl. 7:26) All through out the ages, who ever followed and were true believers of Christ, had or have an image that women are supposed to be submissive to the man, here in 1 Corinthians 11:3 said, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man…” if we go on further to verse seven through nine reads, “… But woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.” As you can see in the biblical times, and of course, the followers of the bible, believe that their means to existence are to solely be a companion and be of service to men. That the nature of woman is evil because we are temptresses leading men astray from whatever righteous path they are on. The female species are merely a distraction; she is the neck to the head, the head being man. Just think about it, The head gives signal to the nerve to give movement, that it may look around, but if the neck is paralyzed the head would just sit there, and the neck is what allows the head to have movement. With this mentality, it’s no wonder that women were prevented from being all that they could be. I believe that the Christian nations, not all but by those that were corrupt, manipulated or used these and other verses to prevent woman to grow as an individual to make an impact and have a voice in society.
Take Western Europe for example, a nation made to be devout followers of the Christian faith. Women throughout Europe had little to no rights at all. “A few woman in the French Revolution tentatively raised some of women’s grievances, including their desire for equal education for young woman, civil rather than religious marriages, and the right of divorce,” “…Modest proposal’s were repudiated in Napoleon’s codification of French Law, in which woman were defined as non-citizens, without control of their property and… were not allowed to testify as witnesses in court.” (The Women in World History p.140) Through out the nineteenth century women began to take up the workforce, being allowed to work but only given low wages. Eventually as time went on, women were given new job opportunities in retail or office work in the twentieth century. Even though women were not given the right to vote or have any part in politics, it did not hinder them from having any influence on their men. Through their influence and their constant knowledge of politics, women eventually got together and fought for their right to have their own voice. “By the 1890s the rising clamor of women’s public demands for reform of law, education, the family, and the franchise to public consciousness… Norwegian women were the first Europeans to win the unrestricted right to vote in national elections, in 1913; Swiss women were the last, in 1971.” (The Women in World History p.141) Almost four decades ago Swiss women received the right to have a say in government agendas, to decide who they feel fits their needs best.
Let’s take a trip to ancient Greece, Two famous cities, Athens and Sparta, and two different views on the female species. Athens, famous for the intellectual scholars, philosophy, sciences, politics and their beautiful art, yet with all their talents and great minds, their was a dark side. We have to understand that Athens highly believed in the dominance of men with women. Even though that was their belief, Athenians worshiped the male species and had giant monuments to display their love for men. “… A society that dominated by men who sequester their wives and daughters, denigrate the female role in reproduction, erect monuments to the male genitalia, have sex with the sons of their peers, sponsor public whorehouses, create a mythology of rape, and engage in rampant saber-rattling.”(Women in World History p. 81) Women were viewed as simply a means of reproduction and, depending on where they were in the social ladder, were not allowed to leave the quarters. Women that came from a wealthy family were treated as if they were a child, they had little freedom and were watched over at all times. “Spartan women enjoyed considerably more freedom than other ancient Greek women. Spartan men spent little time at home, so wives and daughters did not have to attend to their needs.” (Everyday Life in Ancient Greece) Spartan women were allowed to own property and had a voice all their own. “Spartan women freely exercised outdoors-without clothes, …and a reputation for talking back to their husbands and male relatives… The idea was to raise a strong young women who could bear healthy sons.” (Everyday Life in Ancient Greece) Whether being a woman in Sparta or Athens, there is always a pro and con living in either one of the cities. Spartan women were strong and were left to do mostly everything on their own, while Athenian women were maintained, yet, not given any type of “breathing room”.
Christianity, Western Europe and Ancient Greece, have all had similar views on woman; which is women are a weaker, lower being and in some instances, not worthy of a say in the way things ran or giving them what their job labor was worth and so on. Now lets take a look at the way Hinduism and Buddhism view their women, and what rights they were given. Between 200 and 400 C.E. the Manu laws were brought together from the ways of Hinduism. “In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead, to her sons; a woman must never be independent.” (Laws of Manu, bk. 5, Law 148) Once again, a woman is not allowed to own property or any goods, under the Hindu belief. Even though Indian woman are considered reliant to the man and has to be submissive to him and has no right, the man, her husband, has to treat her respectfully. “If she had an abusive husband or was treated inappropriately, she might appeal to her father and brothers for help.” (Women in World History p. 56) “During a family crisis, a husband could ask for some of her jewelry for sale or pawn. If she gave him any, he was obligated to replace or return it when normality returned. In a divorce, the contents of the box were hers and went with her.” (Women in World History p. 56) In the last quote, you can see that even though a woman is seen as an inferior creature, she is still treated with respect and still taken care of as a precious gift. Although Hinduism offered a decent amount of respect for women, there were a serious amount of discrimination and it was intensifying each year that passed. With the discrimination and other situations like the power the Brahman priests’ obtained, the effect of a new religion to emerge in 600 B.C.E. “Buddhism… offered women more opportunities than Hinduism, although neither offered equality.” (Women in World History p.56)
The Islamic Culture is another perfect example of how women are held captive by inequality. “The practice of Purdah, a Persian word meaning ‘curtain’ … Women are separated with their own living space, they are socially segregated from all but their immediate kinship circle, and they must cover their bodies and their faces and whenever they appear in public places.” (Women in the Third World p. 12) Another religion where the women is submissive to the man, yet, in some ways more severe due to the fact that they must not be seen as much as possible. Women are isolated and kept out-of-the-way. Coming to the twentieth century, most Islamic cultures cease to practice Purdah, while the others still do. In the 1980s Legislation was passed “… to punish violence against women [including dowry deaths of brides, infanticide, and rapes of all kinds)… to mandate equal education for women in 1995.” (Women in World History p. 218)
The land of the free, home of the brave was not always so free and we all know this because not so long ago our not so perfect country became close to, compared to others, ideal. In the 17th century women and men, both, had a great challenge in managing the new world. Women began to have a lot more freedom then back home in Britain, but the more woman gained the more the men felt threatened. “Female ownership of property proved to be a threat that the legislators were unwilling to tolerate. In 1634 Maryland passed a law requiring women who inherited property to be marry in seven years or lose it.” (Social Issues in American History Series: Women’s Rights p. 10) Years later, about a century or two, the Susan B. Anthony Amendment was passed in 1919 and this allowed women to have voting rights. If we skip ahead to World War I, we see that women were allowed more opportunities then ever before. “Many women went to work for the first time, while others found it easier to advance in the jobs they held. The workforce increased by about 400,000.” (Social Issues in American History Series: Women’s Rights p. 123) Women were starting to take on many professions, teaching, nursing overseas, and assisting with war craft in factories. Like always the need to have power always comes knocking at the door of those who have the need to feel superior. Women were indeed needed during the war, and yet they were paid low wages. Thus causing the women, and who ever else who were willing to help, to fight for minimum wage. “Between 1912 and 1919, 14 states… passed the minimum wage laws for women.” (Social Issues in American History Series: Women’s Rights p.125) By the 1930s the fought for notion for minimum wage were overturned due to the case of Adkins v. Children’s Hospital. Throughout our American history, women have fought for the right for birth control, to vote, to work, to be free of old behavior codes and so on. Little by little we have successfully achieved everything we have fought for. Our ancestor’s sweat, tears and blood built this nation, we continue to add to their legacy in so many ways. A great example of how, to this day, women are still victims to discrimination are by simply looking around your surroundings. If we were to take a trip to any corporate office, what would we see? Would we see mostly males in high-end offices? Or would we see that the president of the company is a female? I was reading this article called “Glass Ceiling” and in it, describes its easier for a male to climb the corporate ladder versus a woman. “According to a 1989 survey of Fortune 500 companies, women comprised only 12.7 percent of the membership of corporate boards of directors.” (Glass Ceiling) Added to those statistics, this article shows “In 2006, only ten women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and only 15.6 percent of the corporate positions in those companies were held by women.” (Glass Ceiling)
Whether it’s the right to vote, the right to be free from ourselves or freedom from the power of men, women are in a constant battle it seems. Now if we, women, did not see the strength that we possess, we would've never had most of the freedom that we have today. From the beginning of time until today, there is a given impression that there is a constant struggle in our society. As the years past us by, we have taken some major leaps, but when will we fully have equality and is there such a thing? When does culture and human rights cross the line? One thing I do know is that we, human beings, have made so much progress through out the years. Maybe that battle for freedom, equality and for everything good might be over soon enough. I was never the one to be considered a feminist for we, women, have come a long way and all that is behind us. Why should we dwell on the things that are settled? We should not move back but forward, and we should educate ourselves of our history, so that we could possibly prevent the past from repeating itself.
