As we all know the women’s history is pretty miserable. Only recently women has began to be noticed in policy, in work, in opinions. Although the XIX century is the time of women’s emancipation, I personally think that the XX century is the century of women. What is both interesting and even unbelievable that only in 1920 women got the right to vote in the USA.
Nowadays in the European countries and in North America women are going through their revolution. They make associations, they make their own companies, they are present in policy (like Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel) and they are still fighting for their rights, for example to have higher salaries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3cEzVqJuds
But, unfortunately, there are still countries in the world (and what is more terrible that these countries is more) where women have no rights. They even have no life. The best example is the culture of Islam, where the rules of life are dictated by religion. Women there are the properties of men.
Muslim woman can be killed by her husband or even brother without nothing. They do not go to the prison because this is their law. Sometimes it even happens in the European country where Muslim man feel unpunished: http://freethinker.co.uk/2010/10/13/muslim-woman-killed-for-opposing-an-arranged-marriage-for-her-daughter/
Bad situation for women is also evident in African countries. Women there complain about polygamy. Often they are one of the thirty other wives of their husband. The husband lives for a week with a different wife. Women have to work because they have a lot of children – there is also a problem with contraception and serious diseases like AIDS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBMi9XpnbcY – Interesting discussion, what do you think?
In Asia position of women is various. In India there is a lot of associations and feminist movements, and even the famous politician-economist - Amartya Sen – admits that only equality can help with developing country and preventing overpopulation in Asia.
However in China is no better. The cultural roots are too strong to make them disappear. There is more abortions with girls than with boys because in this country man is ordained and more expected. This can cause a demographic imbalance which can be a serious problem in the future. Only in the XX century Chinese authorities started a war with old traditions like tying feet to make women more dependent from men. That is why there are some places where woman are still treated in this inhumane way. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding
Despite the great progress in position of modern woman there are still places where woman is treated like different kind of human being (like no human being!). They are being beaten, killed and humiliated. Europe observes this and can do nothing because we need, THEY need a lot of time yet to lose their cultural habits and understand how bad effects of this kind of behavior will be in the future.
I agree with you. Situation of women in the world isn't the best... You said about african, chinese and muslim women. It's a really problem. But we should remember about women in Poland, for exemple. We meet very often with humiliations, molestations, unequal treatment men and women in job, for example. We must remember about other groups of people which they are exposed to discrimination - the disabled, homosexuals, ethnic and religious minorities.
ReplyDeleteExactly, it is shocking how culture, tradition and religion can influence on treating women even in XXI century! Not to mention the historical aspects... There are people who say that we shouldn't interfere in other cultures. Yeah, let's let them suffer for the rest of their lifes or maybe with a little of luck let them die fast, what the hell... Come on! I think that if we concider ourselves as civilized nation of Europeans we should do something with that!
ReplyDeleteThat' really a shame.. If male's are like that.. i guess watching there parent's and specially their father's treating their mother a trash. That should really create something in between boys.. yeah but they grow and do the same thing. How can this be improved??
ReplyDeleteIt's really a great road taking by woman's in some part of the world to be independent and survive on their own. We can also see success there. They should keep moving to different parts of the world and try to raise the education among other women's. I am not sure some of cultures are totally neglecting or would be neglecting about anything like this but we should really consider someone's life. which could be saved after performing such actions.
Tying feet to make someone dependent is outrageously hurting.. I haven't heard this before and similar kind of unjustic is not normal. How come people have no feelings at all.. Is it because we are all the time too affectionate and have a lot of feelings for them?
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ReplyDeleteI also agree with these opinions that the situation of women in the world still does not seem contrary to appearances in the world. In real life it seems to us that there is equality and universal acceptance. But there are still places in the world where the situation of women is dramatic.
ReplyDeleteSeveral months ago, fell into my hands a book titled "Snow Flower". It shows the dramatic stories of women from traditional Chinese families. Read the book, and heartily recommend, because it really shows the true situation of women in the world.
It is horrible, women are still not treated in appropriate way. That examples shows that people, especially men, need learn that woman also have their rights to a dinified life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with other opinions. In some parts of the world women have hard life. Always changes in economic and technology are faster than in culture but we can have a hope that internet and other modern invention will have a positive influence and will accelerate changes in this countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with other opinions on this subject. Treatment of women in other countries or cultures is sometimes terrible. A good example is China and Arabic countries. For quite some time, various organizations in the world are trying stop such behavior, but unfortunately they lose. What a shame.
ReplyDeleteThis presentation shows that we have got what to fight on. And that the worst thing in women's life isn't tha fact, that in a parliament there isn't parity.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't write about female circumcision which is practising in some african countries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation).
This is very sad that women in many countries are treated as inferior species. They are treated very objectively. The world goes forward, but there are places where still stands in the place. Most heard about the inhuman treatment of women in Islamic countries. I also heard about the inhuman practices in Cambodia, where a woman who is disobedient to her husband, can be doused with acid by him. Female circumcision is still a practice in many cultures. how to hurt defenseless little girls I can not understand it
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with opinions, that we - big civilization (Chinese civilization is older) should change life people's from other culture coil. We should them by other side. For example make available medicine.
ReplyDeleteThey have other habits and they like them. We can't do anything by violence.
Second thing "we" means who?
I never heard, that rich countries selflessly helped poor, miserable people. Their help is only dissimulation. It cover real intention. For example Free Ukraine - natural resources, Iraq, Afghanistan and much more - this same story - money...
So, we can't figure on selflessly help for disadvantaged women.
All the more they don't want it. But we like talking about it. We like feel, that we are the best (we can do everything), thinking, that we always have a right and only our life is good.
*We should HELP them (sorry)
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to discuss about that topic, because we simply can do nothing. Of course, womens' rights should be our major problem, but as we not once have seen, we can't do anything by just talking. We should fight more.
ReplyDeleteok, you're right, situation of women in european countries, for example, it's better than in Asia or Africa, but we still have a lot to do. In the media is dominated by the patriarchal model of family, state, etc. Women still earn less than men, less likely to find a job, get promoted, etc. We shouldn't compare ourselves to other countries, because it's a different culture, different traditions and religions. We have other problems and often don't understand this. I sympathize with these women and I'm glad that I live in Poland. By the way, you write about the many extreme situations, so I want to mention about Turkey. In Turkey still practiced honor killings, it's homicide of a member of a family, mostly women and girls, by other members, due to the belief that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family, it's terrible.
ReplyDeleteThe situation of women on other continents is different. I heard that there is polygamy in Africa and guess how much more it is unfair to women.
ReplyDeleteI read a few books which were described in the foot restraint little girls in China. I think that is a terrible and unnecessary practice. Well with the greater part of the country's already been abandoned.
Very remarkable insights. Although this times already passed, when women hadn't any right - this problem is still actually inmany countries. It is horrible that are such societies, in which people are doing such things in the 21st century. The woman isn't man's property, isn't also a machine to the work. She is a human being - she feel, she suffer and she is holding the same righ to worth life as the man.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that the discussion burst out. It is a pity that only on this blog. The problems of women (not only from distant countries) should be discussed everyday. I recommend you to take part in European Congress of Women in Warsaw.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinions that women situation in some parts of world is horrible. It is really shocking how they are treated in some cultures. We are not used to such things because we live here but for some women it is normal... For me it is unbelieveable. For example this foot- it is awful...
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad that in so many cultures women have such a bad situation. In Poland we have many problems too - humiliations, molestations, unequal treatment men and women in job. Unfortunately it doesn't change yet, even though we supposedly live in a democratic country.
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