Women's Rights
In most cultures men have been considered superior to women for thousands of years. The reason men were thought superior was that, through evolution, they were stronger because they were designed for hunting and scavenging. They have a more powerful muscle structure throughout the body including broader shoulders and a wider chest. Women were designed for motherhood allowing them to have a more feminine body that evolved to attract men whilst protecting their offspring. Originally men went out hunting while women stayed behind to look after the children and the cave.
Advancement of Technology
The advance of technology, especially the farming revolution, ended the concept of the cave man and that lifestyle. Advances in farming enabled hunter-gatherers to live in one place as opposed to following the game migrations and allowed women and men to diversify their roles and break down the gender work stereotypes.
Modern Day
Today this means that women and men should have equal rights because in today’s society it isn’t important how physically strong a person is but its intelligence and skill that matters irrespective of gender. However, even with the advances that have been achieved by women in the western world, unfortunately, it is still true that in many countries woman have a low status and are not able to vote, drive, work or have access to education. In some countries such as China, where male children are so much more highly sought after than girls, many girls are simply aborted.
Education
Education is a key factor in a person’s life as it creates a foundation for people to have a higher chance of succeeding in today’s competitive world. Unfortunately many women around the world don’t receive an education because of prejudice, poverty (read my other article about poverty), and culture. An example is India where a family’s wealth and status will determine whether the women in the family will receive an education or not. Sometimes when a family is very poor they cannot spare the women to go to school as they need them to work or run the house from an early age. And there are major problems for women in Asia also. According to a recent study most women in Malaysia have an average of one year’s education whilst most men have an average 8-year education. This shocking fact shows that Asian society has a long way to go.
Culture and Religion
Many Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, treat women appallingly and women generally seem to suffer in Islamic societies. Many Islamic countries observe Sharia Law under which women have virtually no rights whatsoever. They can’t sit at the same table as the men, can’t show any part of the bodies (including hair) and can’t speak to any other man without their husband’s permission. If I were in charge of the world I would make it possible for women to choose their religion in these countries. I believe they need to update customs that were designed for a society that existed a thousand years ago.
China
China has a terrible problem with abortion. In China millions of women have aborted their child before giving birth because it was a girl. They believe that men will work and bring in money to support the family whereas women have to be supported and provided with a marriage dowry. Unfortunately this has decreased the population of women in China dramatically and there are now many young Chinese men who cannot find a bride. If I were in charge of the world I would stop allowing people to abort their child because of its gender.
Summary
To sum up, I believe that we should live in a world with equality of gender. I believe that we shouldn’t judge a person by their gender but rather by how they conduct themselves. The world has improved in spreading equality for the sexes but it’s still got a considerable way to go until women have the same rights as men.
Image Link: HERE
http://www.catherinecollegelibrary.net/classic/wompr3.asp
In most cultures men have been considered superior to women for thousands of years. The reason men were thought superior was that, through evolution, they were stronger because they were designed for hunting and scavenging. They have a more powerful muscle structure throughout the body including broader shoulders and a wider chest. Women were designed for motherhood allowing them to have a more feminine body that evolved to attract men whilst protecting their offspring. Originally men went out hunting while women stayed behind to look after the children and the cave.
Advancement of Technology
The advance of technology, especially the farming revolution, ended the concept of the cave man and that lifestyle. Advances in farming enabled hunter-gatherers to live in one place as opposed to following the game migrations and allowed women and men to diversify their roles and break down the gender work stereotypes.
Modern Day
Today this means that women and men should have equal rights because in today’s society it isn’t important how physically strong a person is but its intelligence and skill that matters irrespective of gender. However, even with the advances that have been achieved by women in the western world, unfortunately, it is still true that in many countries woman have a low status and are not able to vote, drive, work or have access to education. In some countries such as China, where male children are so much more highly sought after than girls, many girls are simply aborted.
Education
Education is a key factor in a person’s life as it creates a foundation for people to have a higher chance of succeeding in today’s competitive world. Unfortunately many women around the world don’t receive an education because of prejudice, poverty (read my other article about poverty), and culture. An example is India where a family’s wealth and status will determine whether the women in the family will receive an education or not. Sometimes when a family is very poor they cannot spare the women to go to school as they need them to work or run the house from an early age. And there are major problems for women in Asia also. According to a recent study most women in Malaysia have an average of one year’s education whilst most men have an average 8-year education. This shocking fact shows that Asian society has a long way to go.
Culture and Religion
Many Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, treat women appallingly and women generally seem to suffer in Islamic societies. Many Islamic countries observe Sharia Law under which women have virtually no rights whatsoever. They can’t sit at the same table as the men, can’t show any part of the bodies (including hair) and can’t speak to any other man without their husband’s permission. If I were in charge of the world I would make it possible for women to choose their religion in these countries. I believe they need to update customs that were designed for a society that existed a thousand years ago.
China
China has a terrible problem with abortion. In China millions of women have aborted their child before giving birth because it was a girl. They believe that men will work and bring in money to support the family whereas women have to be supported and provided with a marriage dowry. Unfortunately this has decreased the population of women in China dramatically and there are now many young Chinese men who cannot find a bride. If I were in charge of the world I would stop allowing people to abort their child because of its gender.
Summary
To sum up, I believe that we should live in a world with equality of gender. I believe that we shouldn’t judge a person by their gender but rather by how they conduct themselves. The world has improved in spreading equality for the sexes but it’s still got a considerable way to go until women have the same rights as men.
Image Link: HERE
http://www.catherinecollegelibrary.net/classic/wompr3.asp