Intersectionality: Female oppression - Essay Example

Women experience oppression in varying configurations and in varying degrees of intensity. Cultural settings and patterns of oppression are largely influenced by intersectional systems in the society (Vicky 124). These patterns are associated and not limited to gender, class, and ethnicity. Many cultures endorse the issue of women beating as a way disciplining them. Some have traditions that allow wife inheritance even without the consent of the wife (Vicky 125). In this case, the women’s feelings and emotions are not regarded.

Millions of women worldwide undergo various forms of oppression which ranges from battering, sexual harassment, and psychological torture. Some statistics indicates that one out of two women in marriage experience domestic violence (Vicky 127). This is characterized by fear, intimidation, threats and bodily harm. While some people would consider women suffering in terms of what happens along the streets, it is equally important to focus on what goes on around their homes. Although some men would claim not to harm women physically, use of slurs and oppression language against them amounts to women oppression (Vicky 128).

The notion that many cultures believe that women are inferior to men is a misleading idea. This notion forms the belief that women depend on men and that they need men to survive. However, small things that are done and said about women constitute to the big problem of women oppression. For example, the uses of terms to refer to a woman are largely misused with terms like girls, babe and honey widely used in reference to the position of women under men. It is very rare to call a man a boy, something that proves the degree of women oppression in regard to terms used to describe gender equality (Vicky 129).

A majority of times, full grown women are referred as girls not because the intension is to harm or malicious, but because our culture has adopted view of women as junior. That is why such a language has become common and natural, like using good grammar. In many instances, women are not given equal opportunities as men (Lynne 58). They are underpaid, and are limited to some heights of achievements whereby only men have opportunities to be ranked above those heights. Some organizations pay women less in comparison to men who do the same work that is done by women (Lynne 59).

Some careers are never ventured by women as they are considered to be meant for men only. For example, many careers like engineering are dominated by men as women are kept out of this sector. In some developing countries whose cultures are still intact, chef’s work or any work associated with cooking is considered to be the work of women and men are not allowed to engage in it. However, it is important for women to rise and defeat the notion that male have right to oppress women. Women are considered to be the ‘other’ and this has led to them being taken advantage of.

The only way to stop women oppression is by addressing the underlying causes of these problems (Vicky 120). They reiterate that this can only be achieved through revolution. Women need to come out clean and state their problems and energize their efforts towards kicking away these problems. The root cause of all the problems affecting gender equality lies on the social class and gender identity (Beasley 16). Men dominate the women by taking advantage of weak points that exists