Feminism and Female consciousness - Essay Example

Feminism and Female consciousness Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts 19 October 2009 Compare and contrast feminism and female consciousness with reference to at least one specific case each Analyzing the pages of world history one can find that the world turned for centuries during the indistinguishable domination of Patriarchal society. Female consciousness is a term which expresses a dimension of women’s collective enlistment. It is related with women’s personal or combined identity, together with beliefs, attitudes, and sensitivities. This promotes awareness to the women folk that they are the producers and nurtures of the society. Female consciousness encourages women folk to react with their traditional actions in the name of unique motherhood. “During these activities, spurred on by female consciousness, women undergo a radical change in consciousness through which they become politicized” (Gouws, Amanda, 2005). When women play the role of producer and protectors of life they realize that existing social system is threatening their children, but their role is subjected to social and political environment. A kind of conversion takes place in female consciousness. One of the major features of current female consciousness changed to feminist perception. A researcher can argue that Modern women play not only the role of an individual mother but also the symbolic mothers of the entire society. Feminist ideologists share their views about feminism through the concept of political movements, related with serious experiences of women. Feminism considers or demands equal status in politics, religion, economical, science and social. Women and children are victimized by the capitalist restructuring. Economic insecurity, increasing substance abuse, high rate of infant and maternal mortality rates, forced migration, unhealthy working atmosphere, and backwardness in education are some of female burdens worldwide. Johanna Brenner states that “Womens organizations that have emerged to defend women of the working class and the rural and urban poor find themselves caught in a contradictory field of power relations defined by three contesting forces: national states, religious fundamentalist movements, and the global centers managing the neo-liberal agenda”(Brenner, Johanna, 2003). Female consciousness gives more emphasis the idea that role and duties of women in male dominating society. Studies prove that the circumstances such as monotonous jobs obliging little skill and formed by nominal pay, poor and unhealthy working condition, social and religious isolation paved the way for the social and cultural phenomena feminism. The concept of women liberation was first in practiced in America which has a specific aim for women folk. Feminist movement in the initial stage had achieved some of their goals and they succeeded to survive from employment discrimination. They also won many issues such as reformation of low, equal status in media representation, equal representation in higher education sector, and financial freedom. Then the growth of feminist movement reflected in popular understanding of marriage and domestic life. The term feminism is not bounded in a philosophy or an ideology but it requires some specific motives or demands which is formed and nurtured by a group of people. If feminism related with some specific goals which is essential for the existence of women folk, female consciousness is related with some modifications which is essential for female society to maintain their status in a male dominating society. Impact of Feminism and Female consciousness in the working field and employment Feminists argue that a large number of discriminations formerly troubled by women in the field of working low and family low. In the initial stage women liberation movements demand healthy working atmosphere and a comfortable payment system. The book entitled Sourcebook on feminist jurisprudence by Hilaire Barnett gives relevant comments about the issue of low. The author remarks; “In England, the law –being the product of predominantly male legislators and male judges, has proven a stubborn subject: it was not until1990, for example, that husband’s immunity from prosecution for rape was removed” (Barnett, Hilaire, 1997). In this kind of social or political circumstances a female cannot expect justice. So feminists gave more emphasis on these kinds of social issues. Evaluation of female subordination, male domination in both social and domestic circumstances, sexual submissiveness is the most vivacious problems in present society. The concept of female consciousness faces the problem of conventional difference between the groups of man/woman. As a consequence of this gender discrimination became a growing and visible problem in the field of employment. At present women folk face the problem of balancing work place activities and domestic activities. Male dominating society willingly follow the idea that woman should take the responsibility of nurturing the family. Analyzing the concept of female consciousness one can see that woman got freedom in working place but she faces the problem of balancing her role in both working field and domestic context. Female consciousness throws light on the practical problems of a woman who has the role of a parent and an employ. Patriarchal society believes and follows the traditional concept of parenting and house making. The field of freedom feminists and the exponents of female consciousness have similar views. Both of them require freedom in working place and domestic activities. Regarding female consciousness one can see that it has been related to the different liberation movements and the concept of sisterhood. Different movements have paved the way for inculcating the female consciousness and one being the black power movement. The black movement enabled them to realize “Black is beautiful” (Yates, Graham, Gayle, 1975) They also realized that “Sisterhood is powerful” and same caused for the growth of female consciousness. But in the contemporary society sisterhood is part ideal and part reality (Gayle Graham Yates, 1975 p.102). Women’s liberationists try to make the women folk aware that they are not inferior to men and accuse them for the lack of self respect. Many have identified female consciousness as an important dimension of women’s collective mobilization (Amanda Gouws, 2005 p.200). Analyzing the different mothers movements and its value, it is identifiable that female consciousness and transforming into feminist conscious. It is this consciousness that enabled the women folk to challenge their private roles and became fully engaged in the political activities (Amanda Gouws, 2005 p.200). It is generally known that women have undergone ill-treatment and oppression in its most cruel conditions, throughout history—all this they suffered from the male sex. The study of women’s rights and feminism assumes significance of late with the increasing discrimination and violence against them. The social and economic conditions of women around the world mark the beginning of the problem. Though human beings are born equal and endowed with equal rights and abilities, the cry for equality of women with men continues throughout the world. Social system considers women to be weak, lack cognitive and decision-making abilities and re eventually kept aside in the ventures. They are not merely treated as subordinates but at times they are not even counted as human beings. They are killed at birth, burned to death for dowry and sold into slavery and prostitution. The society is conditioned of inequality of power and status resulting in denial to women of basic freedoms for survival with human dignity. In this context feminism occupies great importance. Humanitarian concerns have almost been forgotten as violent actions have been taken against women in the history of humanity. As a result of all this affecting half of the humanity at all times, gradually, there began serious thoughts concerning the situations of women, and these thoughts placed much emphasis on the equality of women with men. As a way of defining it, we may say that feminism is the belief in the social, economic, and political equality of both men and women. This concept of “feminism” took shape in the western world. Throughout most of Western history, women were confined to the domestic sphere, while public life was reserved for men. In medieval Europe, women were denied the right to own property, to study, or to participate in public life. At the end of the 19th century in France, they were still compelled to cover their heads in public, and, in parts of Germany, a husband still had the right to sell his wife. Even as late as the early 20th century, women in the United States, as in Europe, could neither vote nor hold elective office. Women were prevented from conducting business without a male representative, be it father, brother, husband, legal agent, or even son. Married women could not exercise control over their own children without the permission of their husbands. Moreover, women had little or no access to education and were barred from most professions. In some parts of the world, such restrictions on women continue today. A brief History There is scant evidence of early organized protest against such circumscribed status. In the 3rd century &BC;, Roman women filled the Capitoline Hill and blocked every entrance to the Forum when consul Marcus Porcius Cato resisted attempts to repeal laws limiting womens use of expensive goods. “If they are victorious now, what will they not attempt?” Cato cried. “As soon as they begin to be your equals, they will have become your superiors. It is said that Consul Marcus Porcius Cato did not allow to withholding the slaws which limited women’s use of expensive goods, and therefore women filled the Capitoline Hill and blocked every entrance the forum. He is reported to have said: “as soon as they begin to be your equals, they will have become your superiors.” It reflects the attitude of the male domination which was prevalent in the ancient times, in Rome. Though this is one important fact, we may also notice that there lived independent feminists. For example, we have Sappo who in the sixth century BC wrote lesbian poetry and even managed to run a girl’s school. In Europe there arose a thinking which saw the emergence of feminism, though not in an organized way. “In the seventeenth century English adventurer and political activist Aphra Benn was getting embroiled in the West Indian slave rebellion - and writing 13 novels” (New internationalist (1992). The age of renaissance saw a new phase added to the radical thinking which at that time was looked upon with suspicion, and even hatred, but which really contributed to the emergence of respect for all that is related to human life, and human progress. A new outlook began to be formed towards women during that period. Newton, Locke, Voltaire etc., propagated that science and reason were supreme and could give an explanation of the world and the things in it. So they began to look upon women in terms of ‘what is natural’ almost rejecting the divine element. Coming to the recorded history, we have evidences of isolated voices speaking in favor of women’s equal status with men. In France, Christine de Pisan called for female education. This is to be noted against the male dominant history of the 15th century. Then came Laura Certa, a woman from Venice in the 15th century who came up with Epistolae Familiares (1488), it was a collection of letters which spoke of women’s complaints Then major progress came along with the French Revolution. Olympe de Gourges saw women’s rights as equal to men, and mentioned in her Rights of Woman, that they too are eligible to go the Parliament. But the men leaders of the revolution did not approve of all these and they got the right to vote only in the year 1944. Britain was having an empire ‘where sun never set’, and they had established colonies in many parts of the world. This helped them to market their goods in such colonies. But there were always women who took part to boycott British goods. There was also a reactionary writing against British rulers, from the British persons themselves. Here a journalist, named Mary Wollstonecraft, deserves praise. She watched what was happening in France and came up with her ideas. “The contrast of the heady talk of "rights of man" with the realities of the "life of woman" motivated Mary Wollstonecraft to write her 1792 book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Wollstonecraft, Mary, 2009). Tracts and ideological books had been exchanged in the war of ideas around rights and liberty and freedom and reason for several years. Writings on the "rights of man" including one by Wollstonecraft were part of the general intellectual discussion in England and France before, during, and after the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft moved in the same circles as Thomas Paine, Joseph Priestley, Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworth, William Blake and William Godwin” (Lewis, Johnson, Jone, 2009). But all women would not agree that they belonged to a disadvantaged group. The situation was totally different when it came to the period starting from the 1960. The movement echoing the spirit of feminism now became more organized. “In the years between 1920when women won the vote, and the 1960s when the second women’s rights movement emerged activists were divided between advocating for protective t legislation for women in the work force on the one hand, and the passage of an equal rights amendment, on the other hand which suggested that rather than protection, women needed equal rights” (Barbara C. Burrell, 2004). The 1808 Weavers Strike in Britain should be mentioned as voicing for feminism.. In Britain in 1854 Barbara Leigh Smith took initiative to organize a group of women who called themselves feminists and campaigned to change laws. In America, even in churches there existed segregation and inequality, and in this context the name of Sojourner Truth needs a mention with great emphasis for her voicing out for the women’s rights and mentioning that black women should have the right to vote. The great revolutionary thinkers of all time—Karl Marx and Frederick Engels saw women’s liberation as necessary and part of social revolution. The 1960s saw a new trend in the U.S with civil rights movement and sexual liberation being stressed so strongly. Childcare, health, welfare, abortion, education etc., were the major issues now the feminists highlighted. Strong impetus was given to the feminist movement with the United Nations declaring in 1975, an international decade for women. The Latin American countries saw democracy returning during the 1980s, and this fact was greatly supportive of feminist movements therein 1979, the Convention on the elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women was held by the United Nations and this appears to be of noble purposes, which takes in to account the spirit of feminism and its importance in uplifting women in their standard.  Apart from political and economic rights, feminists are also battling over physical and reproductive rights, and Freedmans book discusses these at length. These have turned out to be complex issues with the spread of HIV, lack of contraception facilities and anti-abortion legislation (Estelle B. Freedman, 2003). Women are exploited at the workplace and in domestic places and are highly vulnerable to assault. Though, it is stated with pride that women are equal with men, and in democratic set-up they too should/get equal opportunities in political participation and in forming and running of the government, this still remains a myth, for in no country today, we may find 50% of legislative members, and there is not an equal number of women when compared to men, occupy and adorn public offices. Globally,, on average, women represent a mere 10% of the elected legislators and in most national and international administrative structures, both public and private, they remain under-represented. In India, for example, which is the largest democracy in the world today, women’s participation in decision-making is far below the expected level. Even the world’s prominent democracies today fail to incorporate women in the administrative arena of the government. The newly emerging trend in Feminism has given much scope for women’s coming up to adorn public offices and enjoyment of equal status with men. In the modern world women have always been in the forefront in matters regarding administration, government, art, literature etc., In Myanmar, there is lone frail lady fighting for democratic principles, and many of the Asian countries have been ruled by female administrators, and this is also the case with the western and, the Latin American countries have also placed women on par with men, since they have recognized and given importance to women especially in the period after 1980. Still we notice that women have been segregated when it comes to forming governments and from administration and they are denied opportunities to come up in life. The emergence of feminism has helped to avert this and bring in a great change in this arena. It has always voiced for the rights of women to be protected and their dignity respected. Patriarchy, the phenomenon of male dominance got entrenched firmly in every walk of social interactions.. “Man became the measure of all things”. The discrimination between man and woman was maintained in terms of domination and subordination. Passivity, submission and self-denial resulted in low self-esteem. The women remained most exploited owing to dependence. In this context the emergence of feminism has played a great role in shifting women from the traditionally male imposed clutches, and helped women to assert their freedom and abilities to a great extent. It is often said that women constitute a majority of the world’s population. But the reality speaks the other way. This is based on generalization emerging from the contemporary situation prevalent in Europe and North America. No doubt, women outnumber men substantially in Europe, the U.S and Japan. In countries like Asia and North Africa, women do not get adequate medical care. Failure to bestow on women medical care similar to what men get and to provide them with comparable food and social services results in fewer women surviving than would be the case if they had equal care. Then we must note another issue of ‘missing women’ in certain countries which accounts for the terrible story of inequality and neglect. Literacy is another area of concern for women where the feminist activists have played a prominent role to improve the level of literacy of women. This scenario is worse in the developing countries where women lag much behind men. Employment is another area of concern for women. Here too the case in the developing countries is very bad as the employment participation rates of women are on average only 50% those of men. Wage discrimination is a feature of developing countries. Other significant problems women face are violence, rape and sexual abuse. Strong feminist movements have succeeded to a great extent in protesting and changing the view many have always held throughout history, a view that women are mere objects admiration and enjoyment. In short we may say that feminism has contributed to the rights of women to be respected and enjoyed by women. It has helped to look upon women as persons capable of deciding and acting on her behalf, and to have equal access to resources and equitable social, economic and political support to develop her full potential. It has helped women transcend the barriers of color, race etc., which have no relation either to individual capacities and merits. Works cited: Gouws, Amanda (2005) Un)thinking citizenship: feminist debates in contemporary South Africa Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., p. 200 Brenner, Johanna (2003) Transnational Feminism and The Struggle for Global Justice, New Politics, vol. 9, no. 2 (new series), whole no. 34, Winter 2003, 19 October 2009 http://www.wpunj.edu/newpol/issue34/brenne34.htm Barnett, Hilaire (1997) Sourcebook on feminist jurisprudence, Routledge, p. 93 Yates, Graham, Gayle (1975) What Women Want: The Ideas of the Movement Harvard University Press, p. 101 New internationalist (1992) Simply...a history of feminism, 19 Oct 2009 http://www.newint.org/issue227/simply.htm Lewis, Johnson, Jone (2009) Mary Wollstonecraft Legacy, Overview of Mary Wollstonecrafts Life and Work 19 October 2009. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wollstonecraft/a/wollstonecraft-legacy.htm Wollstonecraft, Mary (2009) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 19 Oct 2009 http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_vindication000.htm Barbara C. Burrell, (2004). Women and political participation: a reference handbook, Political participation in America, illustrated, pg 8 Estelle B. Freedman (2003) No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women, 19 Oct 2009 http://www.curledup.com/noturn.htm Read More