Comparison of the Role of Muslim and Japanese Women in Their Society - Research Paper Example

Running Head: Role of Women – Comparison Paper Role of Women – Comparison Paper [Institute’s Role of Women – Comparison Paper Introduction Since centuries, women have played a significant role in the progress, development, and prosperity of families, nations, and societies around the globe. In every era, she strived and struggled to fulfill her responsibilities as a mother, daughter, sister, and wife in the development of her family, and at the same time, she proved herself in various fields from medicine to art and from science to commerce. Such huge involvement of women in every society and era is one of the major reasons that literature is overflowing with information, debates, arguments, and studies related to the role and status of women in different societies, and more importantly, in different religions practiced in different parts of the world. However, despite of such huge significance of women, they have confronted a number of difficulties and tribulations in terms of discrimination, and only in recent years, societies are endeavoring to provide the deserving status to women, as indicated in religious texts. In specific, this paper will attempt to identify different aspects of role of women in two different societies: Islamic society and Japanese Society. One of the major reasons of choosing these societies is their comparable and contrasting features, whereas, one primarily influenced from sacred scripture of Holy Quran, and other more secular. In this regard, the comparison of role of women in both societies will allow the researcher to acquire a comprehensive understanding of both societies’ approach towards the existence of women. Islamic Society Although sacred scripture of Holy Quran has given significant importance to the status and role of women in Islamic society, however, studies have indicated that misconception of contemporary scholars regarding the terms of equality and sameness has created enormous problems and existence of discrimination in the Islamic society. The proof of significance of women in Islam is evident in various verses of the Holy Quran in which, mother is important thrice than a father (Halverson, 2007). In addition, every human being has been created based on equality; however, it is an agreed fact that every individual is unique in his/her own capacity and personality, and so although humans’ existence is based on equality, but they can never be equally same. Similarly, the Holy Quran has advocated and recognized the difference between men and women; however, this difference is based on distinguishing characteristics, rather than rights, and thus, women enjoy the basic rights of men in an Islamic society, and this is the reason that Quran anticipates the equal role of women in an Islamic society. However, the term ‘equal’ should not be taken in terms of characteristics, but rather responsibilities. Studies (Halverson, 2007) related to the role of women in Islamic society have specified that as abovementioned, the Holy Quran has given equal rights to women; however, a majority of Islamic societies remained influenced by male domination, and thus, the role of women remained confined to home responsibilities, such as nurturing, cooking, cleaning, and responsibilities as a wife. However, since few decades, societies practising Islam are encouraging education and employment of women equally, and more women are now acquiring opportunities to prove themselves and contribute like men equally in their societies. Although women at the time of Holy Prophet (PBUH) were encouraged to acquire education, and wife of Holy Prophet: Hazrat Khadija is the noblest example of the role of women at that time, as she was an educated individual and a successful businessperson as well. However, after death of the Prophet, secularization of religious notions resulted in confinement of women’s role to only their homes. Moreover, during different wars during the life of Holy Prophet, women participated in wars as nurses, water bearers, and at some places, even defended themselves with daggers. This shows that the role of women in the Islamic society is not limited and unenthusiastic, as shown by few Islamic fundamentalists around the globe (Halverson, 2007) In contemporary Islamic societies, women are playing very imperative roles besides their role of mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives. One of the evident proofs of important role of women is presence and election of female Prime Ministers in Islamic societies and countries that shows the significant responsibilities fulfilled by women in the Islamic society. Today, Muslim women are educated, have become doctors, engineers, businesspersons, pilots, athletes, etc, and at the same time, are fulfilling their responsibilities as mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives. Conversely, studies related to the status and role of women in Islamic society have argued that although recent decades have shown rapid progress and development of Muslim women (Khan, 2007). However, these women are now confronting more challenges, as such progress of women has began an internal fight of progressive women with radical movements that interpret Holy Quran and Islamic scriptures to prove the dominated role of men and justify the role of women inside four walls of the house. In response, a number of organizations are now striving to alter the narrow perspective of Islam, in order to facilitate Muslim women in acquiring their rights in Islamic society. Recent studies have specified that ‘dressing’ is the most problematic issue in Islamic societies that is the source of most of the arguments related to the role of women in Islamic societies. Adversaries of women’s empowerment argue that Islam has strictly ordered for women’s covering, and thus, women should stay inside their homes and cover their faces with hijab and burkah (Tahira, 2003). On the other hand, contemporary scholars have responded that women can even do scuba diving while wearing their hijab (headscarf); however, still, Muslim women are confronting huge criticism that is hindering the process of fulfilling their responsibilities and contributing in their societies despite of clear guidance of equality in the religion. Briefly, since centuries, Muslim women have played a significant and crucial role in the development and progress of their societies during the life of Prophet Muhammad, and even today in different capacities (Tahira, 2003). However, they have continued to confront a number of challenges and criticisms based on misconceptions of different verses of the Holy Quran, and thus, it is now very imperative to provide awareness to Muslims around the world that will enable Muslim women to play a more constructive role in their societies. Japanese Society In previous section, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of the role of women in Islamic society, and now, it will attempt to identify the role of Japanese women in their society that will provide a comparable and contrasting view of both societies in terms of their attitude towards their women. Studies (Chuang, 1999) related to Japanese women have identified two major perspectives of a Japanese society that are public and private. In other words, unlike an Islamic society, women rule and control the private life in the Japanese society, and on the other hand, men are responsible to dominate the public life of Japanese society that is quite contrasting than the Islamic society. Experts (Iritani, 1992) have specified that like Muslim women, Japanese women play an imperative role in nurture of kids and carrying out different house chores at homes; however, Japanese women are a step ahead of Muslim women by also dominating male members at home as well that is not visible in Islamic families. Recent studies have shown that the Japanese society has passed through a number of transformations during the last 150 years. In specific, Confucianism, feudalism based on Samurai, and Buddhism are the three major philosophies that have continued to influence the role and status of Japanese women in their society. Analysis of these three philosophies has indicated that all three were adversaries of women’s high status. For instance, Confucius advocated the significance of men as compared to women, and limited the role of women as daughter, wife, and mother, and thus, these roles are evident in lives of Japanese women. Besides Confucianism, women cannot achieve the status of salvation in Buddhism, and in feudalism based on Samurai, men as husbands enjoy the status of heaven for their wives unlike the role of Islamic society in which, women as mothers enjoy the same status for their children. Studies (Chuang, 1999) related to women in Islamic society indicated that women always enjoyed a legal status in their societies despite of discrimination and confinement in their homes; however, Japanese women until 1868 did not even exist lawfully during the Tokugawa ruling in Japan. In the result, women were not able to buy or sell any property, and Japanese men enjoyed every right in the society. Since the advent of Islam, the Holy Quran encouraged and promoted education of women; however, as discussed, secularization of religious notions limited their education to only religious, and same happened with Japanese women for a long time, as they were only allowed to learn ‘hiragana’ that disabled them to participate in business, political, and literary activities. As discussed earlier, Japanese women confronted huge discrimination and exploitation of their existence; however, World War II changed everything and brought prosperity for them. After the Meiji restoration, educators and politicians advocated the notion of equality between men and women, and the government even established laws for women’s rights, but nothing achieved until the end of World War II (Iritani, 1992). As before then, women could not vote, could not divorce, and could not acquire education, and so on. They were already dominating the private life in terms of performing house chores and controlling decisions of children; however, during and after the World War II, government encouraged and promoted participation of women in different fields to acquire and strengthen moral pillars of the country. A number of experts (Iritani, 1992) believe and credit Japanese women for economic prosperity of Japan, as they have played a major role in commercial and labor sector of Japan. For instance, even before and after World War II, Japanese government got huge textile contracts and encouragement women employment in these factories to achieve their export target. Some statistics (Chuang, 1999) have indicated that during these years, women constituted more than 50% of the labor force in these industries. However, even after such a huge contribution of women, they confronted unhygienic workplaces and low wages. One of the major reasons of such rapid progress of Japanese women in public life of Japanese society was participation of more than 7.1 million men in the war that vacated huge number of places for the employment in mines, mills, and factories around the country, and women were the only option for these vacancies. In other words, war became blessing in disguise in terms of the status and role of Japanese women, not to ignore huge losses due to the war. Since then, Japanese women were able to maintain their place in public life of Japanese society and like Muslim women, were able to come out of their homes and acquire education to become major contributors in various fields of engineering, medicine, science, commerce, and even politics. Today, a number of women are participating in politics and have even acquired significant positions in the government. In other words, Japanese women have gone through a transformation from their limited attitude and responsibility towards nurturing their children and performing house chores to continuing doing the same, as well as contributing economically as well. In recent years, the Japanese government passed a bill that included child nurturing as one of the responsibilities of men along with women in the families that is a significant alteration in the Japanese society in terms of the role of women. Before this transformation, Japanese women’s role was limited to learn house chores, get married at very early age, raise kids, and obey her husband. However, nowadays, Japanese women are involved in their employment while putting marriage option for their retirement. Although Japanese women like Muslim women have been able to evolve their role and status in their societies; however, they are still standing in between of the two worlds of past and present, as still Japanese women are more dedicated into their family, rather than employment (Iritani, 1992). Conclusion Conclusively, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of the two societies: Islamic and Japanese societies, and attempted to analyze the role and status of women in them specifically. Although the paper identified a few similar characteristics existing in the two societies; however, analysis of the Japanese society indicated differences in terms of the legal rights of Japanese women, as Muslim women enjoyed the same from the advent of Islam. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. References Chuang, Angie. (1999). Official Charts changing Role of Women in Japanese Society. Hartford Courant Press. Halverson, Nathan. (2007). Demystifying the Role of Women in Islam. Santa Rosa Press. Iritani, Evelyn. (1992). Women assume Stronger Role in Shaping Japan. Seattle Press. Khan, Asad. (2007). Muslim Feminism. Winnipeg Free Press. Tahira, Muhammad. (2003). Book Review of Azizah: a Unique Anthology. Atlanta Press. Read More