Introduction
Women have been one of the most important elements of society but were never able to make an eminent place in the world, due to the dominance of men all over. This gender of society has forever been the lower one, with male supremacy and authority taking their toll through time. With the passage of time, some women did come up with questions raised as to why they were not given equal opportunities as men. With the rising enthusiasm of women, they seemed to long for a place in society, thus began getting out of their households to work in equity with men.
Roles of Women Changing in the World Today
The role of women in today’s world is no longer one that pertains to the boundaries of the four walls of the home. The need for women to get out and bring home bread money is increasing, and so is the spirit of being able to achieve a name in the world ruled mostly by men. Women are now leaving their homes to work, and are becoming outspoken with their emotions, and are no longer shunned down by their counterparts. We have evidence of many women bringing a name to themselves and to their country, with examples of their governance. These are good motivating factors for those females who would like to be heard by others in their lifespan.
The Factors that Remain the Same
Despite the fact that women have been trying to walk up the ladder of success in competition with their male partners, some elements remain unchanged. Acculturation, i.e. the mingling of different cultures has taken place all over the world, but many people still condemn the elevation of women. If acculturation is prevalent in most parts of the world, then there should not be a problem for people to adapt to changes in the country they reside in as foreigners. Secondly, if broad-minded individuals come to reside in those nations where narrow-mindedness is seen, and they get married here, they should be able to change the thinking of the latter group of people, and let women be liberated to some extent. At times even multiculturalism or pointing out the importance of different cultures is not helpful in the walks of life, as it leaves no positive impact on the degraded genre of the community, which is that of the despaired women.
Are Women Becoming More Empowered?
The term ‘power’ means different to every individual. It basically means to have the liberty and authority to do things at one’s own will. From the stories we have read and studied, we can see the example of Liu Hui, who is a restaurateur at such a young age. This shows the courage and determination of the woman, but she does not claim to have achieved this state the easy way. Women have always had to struggle more in comparison with men.
In a country like China, where a lot of the West has been influencing the youngsters’ minds, women seem to be taking care of domestic issues, child-rearing, and working full-time. The story of how Liu Hui switched from a dirty cigarette rolling job to a restaurant business was a tough one, showing her freedom to choose her next profession, as an independent individual. Holding discrimination amongst men and women is not a secular issue. No religion says to disrespect or dishonor females. Women like the Japanese one in the study, know they have to work, and do so with high spirits; it gives them a feeling of self-content and further motivation.
Are Women Essentialized in Specific Gender Roles?
Studies show that women have undergone plenty of mistreatment in family lives due to the authoritarianism of the male members. Changes have come through to some extent, like we can see from the visual aid, that in the past, women did not say much to their families, especially after marriage. They would just indulge in household chores, and not be allowed to interfere or participate in the family decisions. But now many households contain those women who talk back and voice their opinions against their mothers-in-law, especially in countries like India. Despite the essentiality of the women being employed and bringing home bread money, they are hardly appreciated and they just work like robots day and night.
Some rural areas have no system of division of labor, i.e. the distribution of work in a fair and equal manner. Women are burdened with piles of work, and some of the chores are very energy consuming also, due to the trend of domestication (people taking care of animal breeds) of animals, etc. Hard labor is taken from the female gender, but with no outstanding rewards. These issues have convinced women to be confident with time, and with the influence of the West, in many countries.
The Western world still had some liberty held for their women, whereas the Eastern world lagged far behind in this regard. But with the notion that whatever the ‘West’ did was right, and ‘better, people have started changing their views about their lifestyles. Many have begun liberating their female counterparts to go ahead and build their careers and do as they please to help contribute to the family. This has also become a need of the hour today.
One other issue that has been addressed in the visuals was that of Muslim women wearing scarves in the Western world. Girls are seen wearing a headscarf, and this indicates that they have the freedom to practice their faith and beliefs according to their religious and family requirements. There are racial discriminations world over. Ethnic groups bring in their own matters and try to impose whatever they think is right for them. There was once a time when everyone was afraid of the people who would have more influence on society but now the weaker gender specifically, has gained enough strength to deal with everyone whilst doing well for themselves too, which they never did earlier.
Women have always been the lower class, and will remain to be so. The emergence of women’s power and governance has not made women equal or superior to men, nevertheless, they are striving to make their place in the world. They will not be given due importance as men, but their hard work and effort in every field for attainment of equality, or how similar people are to one another, will remain, because of their inner sense of inferiority.
Women need their say in matters, to maintain their self-respect, and be regarded for the hard work they do. Their extra efforts to succeed in the road of economic development have given them more chance to withhold an ego, with which people refer their kinship relations, and work to maintain it. This is the only way they can flourish, and live with dignity, rather than disgrace. They should be treated with care and encouraged toward advancement, rather than be enslaved.
References
China From the Inside: Part A and B. Web.
Covered Girls: Web.
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.
Rosenberger, N. A Japanese Woman’s Path of Resistance.