Women Rights, and Restrictions in Eastern and Western Cultures - Essay Example

Women's Rights, Roles, and Restrictions: A Comparison Between Eastern and Western Culture (Fill in with your information etc.) Abstract Since as far back as time began, women have been considered and therefore treated as inferior to men. Women's designated roles were to be nothing more than that of getting married, and spending the rest of their days staying home bearing children and raising the family. Men and women were immediately put into 'separate spheres', with men being the ones with 'skill', who were supposed to work and provide for the family, while women were the 'nurturers', and were expected to stay home and be the perfect wife and mother. Times have changed drastically since then in countries such as the United States, yet women's rights and liberations have not come nearly as far for women living in the Middle East. The considerable distinctness in how women are treated differently when comparing the West and the East is rather alarming and perhaps the most incredulous part of all is how few people across the world actually seem to realize it. Women's Rights, Roles, and Restrictions: A Comparison Between Eastern and Western Culture Over the past few decades, women's rights have changed dramatically, regarding issues ranging from their participation in the work force to how they are treated as a human being. Although this change may seem altogether positive, the actuality of it differs from different parts of the world. When comparing the Eastern and Western culture in reference to women, there are many things to consider, all of which can be understood more clearly by addressing the following questions: 1. How are women treated in the Middle East 2. How are women treated in the West By discussing these two questions, the comparison of how surprisingly different these two separate localities are is made impressively clear. How are Women Treated in the Middle East When discussing how women are treated differently in Middle East countries compared to the Western culture, the difference is quite extreme. In countries such as Canada and the United States, women are basically at the point where they can dress, speak and act however they please; whereas in a Middle Eastern country such as Iran or Iraq for example, a woman's actions and wardrobe are specifically laid out for her and expected to be followed. In the Middle East, women are seen as sources of seduction that are responsible for man's inability to resist them, and because they are considered to be the inferior sex, it is assumed to be their duty to control their sexuality. As Ayubi states, "it is believed that women must be hidden and separated from men so that the males are not overpowered by feminine sexual appeal." (p. 3). Due to this theory, there is a custom to which all women living in Middle East countries are expected to abide by - veiling. Veiling is a custom which involves the woman covering her entire body (including hair) except for the hands and face. It has become a symbol of female virtue and obedience to Allah - the Arabic name for God - and is a crucial part of the Islamic code which stresses sexual segregation. Spivey (n.d.) wrote that women are expected to dress this way due to the fact that women are merely "sexual beings who need to be controlled." Men and women are considered to be in two 'separate spheres'; with men's role being in the 'public sphere', and women's in the 'private sphere'. Women veil themselves when they go outside, onto the street, or into shops, because they have entered the 'male sphere'. This way they are considered 'invisible' and show that they respect the men, and that they understand they are in man's domain. Middle Eastern society revolves primly around the concept of public morality. Honour and respect are of the utmost important in this type of society, and upholding this honour for the family is a vital responsibility. This is believed by some - mostly men - to be a reasonable explanation as to why women are expected to play such a minor role in these countries. As Mernissi states, "Many men see women as the weak link in the chain that is the family's dignity. In order to safeguard the family's honour, male kin believe they must keep a close watch on their female relatives." (p. 46). Men's perception of women here is astoundingly severe, especially compared to how men in Western countries perceive women. Although it is obvious that even in places like the United States women continue to be considered the 'lesser sex', are still looked at as purely sexual beings who should fulfil the domestic role, and are undoubtedly treated inferior compared to men - yet when compared to the freedom of women in the Middle East, the treatment of women in America seems pretty acceptable. The Middle East consists of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Although these countries all differ in certain ways, their overall treatment and expectations of women in general are in a particularly close range. Women's position in Middle Eastern society is particularly minute, with men acting as the clearly more authoritative figure. Women tend to have less education, less experience in life altogether, and an incredibly less amount of personal rights - while men dominate the workforce, primarily control marriage contracts, and are even acceptably allowed to acquire additional wives. Polygamy is actually commonly practiced in the Middle East, although most countries have moved somewhat away from it. The Koran states "Marry of the women who seem good to you, two, three, or four, and if ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only)". Men are basically allowed sexual liberation and practically endless freedom in all other aspects of their lives as well, while women are expected to spend their lives doting on their husbands, raising a pure and proper family. "Women have been the victims of the struggle against 'imperialist culture' and 'Westernism'. This is because women's liberation and women's rights were seen as imperialist and western concepts." ("Institute, n.d.). As Spivey states, "The issue of women in Middle Eastern society is clearly a multi-faceted one." (n.d.). For a society that overtly and publicly admits to viewing women as overly sexual beings, and which is so concerned with honour, the use of certain things seems quite practical. As Spivey goes on to state, "The practices of veiling and separation of the sexes arise from the necessity for this control." (n.d.). How are Women Treated in the West When discussing a Western country - such as America, which is a prime example - the topic of women's rights is one of great debate. Some point out how incredibly far women have gone - how admirably they have stepped up and fought for equality, while others speculate and argue that it is still a 'man's world'. Regardless of either or any other opinion, the treatment and expectations of women are far more convenient when compared to that of the Middle East. Becoming highly more recognized and represented in the 1960s and 1970s, women's liberation has been discussed and fought for over many decades. Although America is still overpowered and 'run' by men, women have definitely made themselves a key element of life, in many more ways than one. Women in the workforce - something which once would have been laughed at, is now a staggering figure - women hold 53 percent of all professional jobs in the United States in today's world. Women have left their once expected domain of the home, and rather than forcing themselves to devote their entire life solely to being a wife and mother, they have fought for the right to freedom of choice. They are able to educate themselves more, and are therefore already more eligible for all areas of work. Although much discrimination and sexist attitudes still remain, women have come an incredibly long way in an amazingly short amount of time, and although certain developments have freed women for roles other than motherhood, "the cultural pressure for women to become wives and mothers still prevents many talented women from finishing college or pursuing careers." ("Women, 1995). In the early history of the United States, it was considered that a man owned his wife as equally as he owned his material possessions. Women had no say and no voice in legalities or anything of the sort - a woman was even defenceless to the point of not even being able to object to her child being sent to a poorhouse. During the mid-1800s, several laws were passed allowing women such things as being allowed to sue her husband, as well as the freedom to own separate property from her husband. Feminism effected many changes in Western society, "including women's suffrage; broad employment for women at more equitable wages; the right to initiate divorce proceedings and the introduction of "no fault" divorce" ("Wikipedia, 2005). Although things such as these seem rather taken for granted in today's world, in early America it was considered a huge step forward for women all across the country. During the 1960s, several laws regarding the economic status of women were passed. "The Equal Pay Act of 1963 required equal wages for men and women doing equal work." ("Women, 1995). "The staggering changes for women that have come about over those seven generations in family life, in religion, in government, in employment, in education" ("National, Women in the workforce of America were a colossal factor in women's liberation. Women had expected positions, so-called 'women's work', which included things such as secretarial work, hospital attendants, waitresses, and cleaning women to name a few. The high paying, highly respected work automatically went to the men, and the jobs which required nurturing were seemed perfectly suitable for a woman, and simply not good enough for a man. There is a great distinction between the West and the Middle East - the irony is that in the beginning, everything worked the other way around. The attitude of women in the East was in fact at first more favourable. For example, in Ancient India, women were not deprived of property rights or individual freedoms. After about 500 BC however, things changed, and required obedience of women towards men was part of the evolution. Women had to walk behind their husbands, could not own property, and widows could not remarry. Where in the East women's rights actually took a step back, in the West women's rights was bounding ahead. Having a prominent social life and the freedom to choose practically any career or life decision is experienced by women in the Western culture, whereas women living in the East almost seem to be living the life that an American woman did over one hundred years ago, especially regarding the assumption that a woman should be solely concerned with the home, and with raising and caring for the family, as is made through the Arab proverb, "To forfeit one's family is to forfeit one's dignity." (Spivey, n.d.). Through trial and tribulation women have come far in many aspects of their liberation and freedoms, and yet in comparison of these two countries, the similarities appear quite vague and the differences crucially substantial. Perhaps one day the rights of women will be equal everywhere, with unfair restrictions set aside, and true equality reached at last. References Ayubi Eisenberg, B., & Rothsdotter, M., 1998, History of the Movement, Retrieved December 18, 2005, from http://www.legacy98.org/move-hist.html "Institute", n.d., The Universality of Women's Rights and Post modern Theories, Retrieved December 17, 2005, from http://www.secularislam.org/women/postmodern.htm Mernissi Spivey, C., n.d., The Invisible Society: Women in Middle Eastern Culture, Retrieved December 19, 2005, from http://www.is.rhodes.edu/modus/96/Spivey.html "Wikipedia", 2005, Feminism, Retrieved December 16, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism "Women", 1995, Women's History in America, Retrieved December 15, 2005, from http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm Read More