Feminism and Its Successes in Public and Private Spheres - Essay Example

Feminism and its Successes in Public and Private Spheres Introduction In essence, feminism is the belief that men andwomen should be accorded equal opportunities in political, social and economic platforms. Technically, feminism is a theory of civil liberty where members of the society collectively strive to create and establish gender equality in all aspects of life. Historically, the struggle for gender equality began in the late 19th Century, primarily during the industrial revolution period in Europe. However, the inception phase of feminism was swiftly quenched by predominant masculine perspectives of the 19th Century societies. Fortunately, feminism would re-surface for the second time during the 1960s and the 1970s. Basically, the second phase of feminism was not only the most popularized phase, but also facilitated achievement of identifiable objectives within the public and private spheres of women lives. The third phase of feminism extended from the early 1990s to present times (Fraser 2013, p. 18). Feminist movements are predominantly occupied with one basic principle; achievement of equal rights for men and women rights, especially the rights to enjoy equal opportunities in political participations, occupational positions, and ownership of economic resources. Theoretical Approaches of Feminism Liberal Feminism Since the inception of feminism, there have been numerous theoretical approaches used by advocates to further their ideological struggle for gender equality in public and private spheres. Among the most common types of feminism approaches are; liberal feminism, Marxist feminism, and radical feminism. Liberal feminists subscribe to the notion that male and female members of each society should be equally educated, and subsequently accorded equal opportunities for employment. Liberal feminists attribute most social and economic problems in societies across the world to lack of equality between men and women. As a solution to common problems experienced within conventional social settings, liberal feminists assert that men and women should have equal freedom to make personal choices (Karin 2008, p. 47). In structuring gender equality into existing social, political and economic institutions, liberal feminists propose that appropriate political legislations and legal reforms, particularly constitutional amendments, must be enacted. Among the main agendas of liberal feminists include the fight for abortion rights, equal pay in workplaces, and eradication of domestic violence faced by women. Therefore, liberal feminists believe that women must be mandatorily incorporated into male dominated fields. Radical Feminism Radical feminism is a theoretical framework which asserts that male dominance is the main reason for gender inequality in public and private spheres of life today. According to radical feminists, men have always collectively decided to exploit and control women. Radical feminists perceive domestic violence as a tool used by men in controlling women (Fraser 2013, p. 25). Therefore, the radical approach is fond of the idea that female subordination is a systematic mechanism used by men in creating and maintaining masculine dominance in all aspects of life. Unlike liberal feminists, radical feminists believe that gender inequality is a deeply rooted social injustice which can only be eradicated through total reconstruction of societies. As a proposition to the gender inequality menace, radical feminists emphasize that women must be separated from men. According to radical feminists, men and women are inherently distinct. Therefore, women should not be allowed to participate in social, political and economic fields that are dominated by men. Rather, women should be completely separated and allowed to conduct their duties away from masculine influence (Flax 2010, p. 23). Marxist Feminism Marxist feminism creates a direct link between the economic concept of capitalism and the social concept of gender inequality. According to the Marxist theory, all societies are capitalistic means of production, and women are the exploited group. In essence, Marxist feminists believe that the privileges and prejudices characterizing gender inequality are fruits of dialectical materialism in capitalistic societies (Karin 2008, p. 56). As a means of gaining maximum profits, men are highly likely to exploit women through merge pays. Away from economic platforms, men are still more likely to underpay women for their efforts. For example, Marxist feminists believe that unpaid domestic labor reserved for women is an example of a capitalistic arrangement meant to maximize benefits for the dominant male gender. As a proposition, Marxist feminists believe that gender inequality can only be eradicated through elimination of social classes and economic statuses in societies. Marxist feminists assert that as long as capitalism exists, gender inequality will prevail (Flax 2010, p. 26). Therefore, non-capitalistic means of production like communism and socialism are the only way through which gender oppression can vanish. Successes of Feminism Goals achieved within the Public Sphere Since the first and second waves of feminism, it is arguable that the social movement has achieved most of its objectives in liberating women from the tight patriarchal grips. Admittedly, there have been notable successes of feminism within the public spheres of life. First, there were numerous prejudices against women within the education and occupational contexts. During the 1960s, the percentage of female students admitted to colleges in the United Kingdom and other Western nations were only 20% compared to 80% of their male counterparts. By the 1980s, the number of female students gaining entry into college positions had risen to 45% against 55% of male students. In 2000, female students comprised 60% of colleges’ population while male students comprised of only 40% (Lindsey 2007, p. 59). Similarly, the number of women occupying middle level and top level occupational positions has risen steadily since the second wave of feminism in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the percentage of female CEOs across the top 100 UK companies was only 2%. This means that there were only two female CEOs against 98 male CEOs in the UK’s corporate world. By 2005, the percentage of female CEOs in top 100 UK corporations had risen to 40% against 60% of male CEOs (Lindsey 2007, p. 61). In this regard, feminism struggles, especially the work of liberal feminists have allowed more women to gain entry into academic and corporate fields that were traditionally reserved for men. Besides increased participation of women in education and occupational contexts, feminist struggles have also intensified the advocacy for enactment and implementation of gender discrimination laws. In 1975 at the peak of the second wave of feminism, the UK legislative assembly passed the Sex Discrimination Act which protected members of both genders from discrimination within employment, education and public service provision contexts. The 1975 enactment outlawed any form of discrimination on grounds of gender. After the enactment was implemented, there was a 38% annual increase in the number of women joining colleges as well as those entering into professional fields (Smith and Elk 2013, p. 197). In the United States, several legislations on gender discrimination laws have been also enacted since the 1970s. After legislations on gender discrimination were implemented, cases of college and workplace sexual harassment have reduced significantly. Also, the roles of women in politics have peaked as a result of increased enactments and amendments on gender discrimination laws. For the first time since time immemorial, political campaigns by liberal feminists made it possible for Denis McDonough to become the first female Chief of Staff at the White House in 2005. Undeniably, that was the highest position ever achieved by a woman in United States politics. In this regard, feminism has been successful in not only protecting women through legislative acts, but feminism has also catapulted women into high political positions that were traditionally reserved for men. Goals achieved within the Private Sphere Within the private spheres of women’s lives, feminism has played a significant role in fighting for reproductive rights, especially on the use of contraception and abortions in birth control. Prior to emergence and active campaigns by feminists, most Western societies were fully patriarchal in nature. Within male dominated societies, women had limited sexual and reproductive rights. In fact, most societies in underdeveloped nations of Africa practiced female genital mutilation as a means of controlling female sexuality. Currently, most nations in Africa and Asia have outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation, thanks to efforts by feminists (Smith and Elk 2013, p. 217). In addition, the use of contraception in family planning was prohibited by members of the dominating male gender. During the 1960s and the 1970s, feminists sensitized the world against the dangers of rapid population growth. As a result, feminists mobilized resources in fighting for reproductive rights of women, especially on easy access to safe contraceptives, and the right to abortion. In 1967, the UK’s parliament legalized the practice of abortion for fetuses below 28 weeks of gestation period (Lindsey 2007, p. 64). In other nations like the United States, abortion was illegal in all states before the 1960s. At the peak of the feminism struggle, most US states permitted abortion of certain conditions like pregnancy resulting after rape or incest cases. However, most states in the US are currently permitting women to procure abortions unconditionally. In this regard, it is admissible that feminism has succeeded in improving the reproductive lives of women in most countries across the world. Besides achievement of sexual and reproductive rights, feminism has also allowed women to own private property. Before the 1920s, divorce was not legally recognized in the United Kingdom. As a result, women could not inherit property from an estranged husband. In 1922, the UK parliament passed the Law of Property Act, which permitted husbands and wives to inherit each other’s property upon a partner’s death. However, still women could not dispose inherited properties. In the 1950s, women could not inherit land in the United States, thus men were the only heirs of family land. In essence, men dominated the control and allocation of economic resources. Since the 1960s, legislations on marriage, divorce and spousal death have enabled women to own property. For example in 1971, the United States Supreme Court permitted women to hold land title deeds (Smith and Elk 2013, p. 205). The 1971 Supreme Court verdict was a result of a case filed by the American Feminism Society in 1970 challenging the subjective property rights of women in American societies. Unlike traditional societies where men were the primary users of farms, women are currently eligible to purchase and develop lands. Therefore, feminism has been successful in enhancing the private lives of women. Conclusion In conclusion, it is admissible that feminism has achieved multiple successes in the fight for gender equality. Therefore, feminism has improved women’s public and private lives. Reference List FLAX, J. (2010) Post-modernism and gender relations in feminist theory. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 12(4), 19-37. FRASER, N. (2013) Fortunes of feminism: From state-managed capitalism to neo-liberal crisis. London: Verse Books. KARIN, S. (2008) Feminism, economics and utopia: Time travelling through paradigms. Cardiff: Rutledge Publishing. LINDSEY, C. L. (2007) Feminist attitudes and support for gender equality: Opinion change in women and men. International Journal of Social Sciences, 89(3), 59-71. SMITH, H. & ELK, W. (2013) Renewing feminism: Radical narratives and fantasies. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More