The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy defines feminism as being ‘both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms’. The feminist movement has been an ongoing process for the last two centuries and has been debated by many. Some argue that women have already achieved equality, which is highly true ‘on paper’ in terms of politics, laws and the workplace. However it could also be argued that the genders are not culturally and socially equal. This is particularly evident in some Media portrayal of females and through social dynamics within daily life.
Critical Analysis: Shirley Chisholm Speech Equal Rights for Women In her famous speech “Equal Rights for Women,” addressed to The United States House of Representatives in Washington D.C, May 21, 1969, Chisholm addresses the assumption about women in society being treated unfair. She expresses how women are viewed in society and the prejudice against women that’s being accepted daily and sought out to secure equal rights for women by introducing a proposal “that has been before every Congress for the last 40 years and that will sooner or later must become part of the basic law of the land..”(1), as the Equal Rights Amendment. In her speech she not only expresses and highlights how women are viewed differently in many aspects of life but she refutes common arguments and shows how gender discrimination is harmful for both men and women in society. Early in her speech, Chisholm relied on her personal experience to persuade her case for Equal Rights. Chisholm stated, “Prejudice as a black person is becoming unacceptable...” (1) While she then states “Prejudice against women is acceptable” (1).
What does it mean to be a woman? Where does it all originate? Prior to the 18th century women had no equality they had to combat social and cultural inequalities .Soon after feminism started to take root and in today’s world women see themselves on par with men. However they still identify themselves by the role they fulfil. If you ask a woman the question “who are you?’ immediately the response would be mother, sister, wife, grandmother or they give their professional title.
Motherhood and marriage is seen to be a key factor in the society of which The Bell Jar is set ,and is portrayed as one of the things that supresses female identity when Esther is asked to be “Mrs Buddy Willard” as if she is owned by Buddy and not her own person. Even though Top Girls is set in 1980’s England while Margret Thatcher is Prime Minister, it shows direct correlations to the ideas shown in The Bell Jar. Just as the bell jar itself portrays motherhood and marriage to be a hindrance to Careers In the form of Dodo Conway, Top Girls protagonist Marlene symbolises the other option women have in the choice between a career and a family. Marlene, unlike her sister Joyce, is shown to have given up her child for the chance to pursue a career as if having both is impossible; a lot like Jaycee is in The Bell Jar. This essay will argue that In both texts motherhood and marriage is shown to be a hindrance to both women’s careers and their female identity.
Another approach to her writings can be taken. Could Peggy McIntosh be elevating the “privileged ” even more by placing the focus on them? In Audre Lorde’s, the most powerful argument made, was differences can promote healthy debate and lead to a harmonious interdependency; the path to freedom. In Friedan’s piece she focuses solely on the plight of middle - class white women, and does not give enough attention to the differing situations encountered by women in less stable economic situations, women of other races or sexuality. Could Friedan’s studies be viewed as
Friedan brings emotion and anger to the plight of women in her era of feminism, highlighting a political issue that remained out of the spotlight for far too long. Modern feminists can learn a lot from Friedan as a pioneer for women speaking out for what they believe despite it being unpopular. Though her work mainly discussed the feelings of white middle class women, her work led to a more comprehensive study of oppression on multiple levels, called intersectionality. Though not a politician herself, Friedan was able to take steps towards bringing on meaningful political change, a problem many women are still facing today especially in the abortion debate. Friedan and Gilman’s work have formed the touchstones for the current feminist movements and will continue to play a huge role as women work to advance their rights further in the coming years.
Femininity, which is both a product of biology and a social construct, should be valued more by American society. As a woman, and especially as a mother, in America today, I have experienced several of the effects of society’s negative view of femininity. Sometimes people assume that, because I am slender, I must be physically weak. I work hard to keep physically fit, so I am actually very strong. I have been scorned by many people for putting off starting my career in order to stay home and raise my children.
Hester does not fall after convicted of a sin, but becomes a strong woman seeking equality between men and women and the letter she is branded “was a symbol of her calling” (Hawthorne 150). The letter allows her to live without the Puritans hypocrisy and the hardship women face and carves her into being an essential feminist character throughout the novel. An individual may need to understand the difference between the feminism in the women of the Puritan society and Hester Prynne. According to the tradition culture, there are two types of female images: the first type is the discriminated female image. For a long time, men are considered having superior intelligence and having a
This paper will explain some key factors in the views of women all around the world; why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stopped making progress, explaining the main causes of women’s leadership roles, and offering interesting solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential. Beginning in the early 1800s, many women took a leading role in the struggle for black rights. Black men had more rights than these black women and black men were not willing to let black women have an equal place at the table. This eventually abolished slavery then, led to the suffragist movement, which led to women winning the right to vote, and many other things. This led women’s rights movement of the 60’s and still occurs today.
Name: Isabella Lorduy Ariza Rationale The following text is a speech written by myself from the perspective of a Pakistani girl called Malala Yousafzai, who has suffered from discrimination and prejudice against women regarding the right of education, which is extremely important for me, since it is the base of wisdom and knowledge. It is directly linked to the course since it talks about the important role, which women represent, and the importance of equality in a society that has not been able to overcome an old and parochial point of view in which men are the only central figure. By writing this speech I wanted to explore a new point of view, in which I could actually feel what other individuals are suffering through women prejudice. The purpose of this article is to inform the readers about the massive impact which this problem has caused and apply this fact to real life situations. It is specifically directed to a young female audience, with the purpose of creating consciousness and awareness to these girls and showing them that no matter their age or their gender, there is always a way to fight for rights and equality.