Women have had it rough throughout history. Their declining position in the world started during the Neolithic revolution, into Rome, and past the Renaissance. However, at the turn of the twentieth century, women began advocating for equality no matter their governmental situation. This promotion of women's rights is evident in communist nations during the twentieth century and their fight against hundreds of years of discrimination. It can be seen that women were brainwashed into believing that their rights were equal with the male population through the use of propaganda, yet this need for liberation continued despite government inadequacy at providing these simple rights. Women in communist countries struggled for rights in the twentieth …show more content…
century, and the degree of this inequality is severe throughout these nations. In documents 3 and 4, it is shown through governments documents that women were given the same rights as men. Document 4, an American study published by the National Science Foundation in 1961, shows the percentages of women holding professional jobs in the Soviet Union. However, there are many reasons as to why this document is false and presents alarming statistics. The first red flag can be noticed when looking at the publisher – a foundation from the United States, based in Washington D.C.. Because the document was published during the Cold War, a time where the United States feared the Soviet Union and spread its own propaganda to show the extreme negatives to communism is comparison to a perfect democracy. With a knowledge of the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, it can be inferred that much of the study was falsified to prove that the United States was better than the Soviet Union in every way, including women's rights, when in fact the statistics may be severely different. Document 3 also shows that women had the same rights and opportunities as men in a communist country. This document, from the North Vietnamese Constitution of 1960 writes that women enjoy the same equal rights as men in politically, economically, culturally, socially, and in domestic life. In theory, this document proves that women shared the same opportunities as men in communist North Vietnam. However, this document only shows that North Vietnam wrote about equality, and does not prove that women had equality. It is very easy for a country to write something in a constitution and not put those words in action. This can be seen in the United States in many instances where a statement was written in a government document, yet no change was seen. Documents 3 and 4 prove that women may not have seen inequality in a severe degree, yet this inequality was still evident when looking past skewed data and false hope given through unfuLfilled promises. Documents 1, 2 and 7, however, prove that there was a drastically different situation when looking at statements given by women for women regarding their rights.
Document 7, a letter to the First Lady of a Romanian Communist dictator known for a lavish lifestyle urges for changes in the country. Written by an anonymous women's group, the document shows the harsh differences between the working class and the upper class. The letter speaks of a life where after spending hours toiling in factories or building sites, women can not find a source of food despite the strenuous work they give to the country daily. It clarifies the desperation for change in a time where women are the least of concerns of leaders, and where one woman is living a life of luxury, another mere miles away may not find food for days on end to support her family which leads to hunger and misery. Document 2, written by a woman Soviet official demands that a member of the Komsomol should not allow the necessary veiling of a female family member. This statement was groundbreaking in a time where women, especially Muslim women, were treated like nothing more than objects. Document 2 pushed boundaries and enforced strict repercussions for anyone who would argue the mandatory veiling being abolished in the communist Soviet Union. This document proves that women were mistreated through the veiling, and is written by a woman for other women. Lastly, Document 1 validates this same mistreatment in Russia …show more content…
post-revolution. Alexandra Kollontai, a Russian communist revolutionary depicts a period where no concern in given towards the women of the working class. She states that the Party did not pay any attention to the liberation of women, despite having a strong class of working women. Kollontai speaks with a sense of purpose, and determination towards the attainable positive future of women. These three documents shows that women in communist countries did not see any positive effects on women's rights through the government, and their liberation was not a prime concern of the communist party. When looking at a negative situation, Documents 5 and 6 look towards a bright future of equality and peace in a communist society.
These documents explicitly show that it was evident through the countries that women had a lesser standing than men, yet offer a solution and promise of equal opportunity regardless of gender. In Document 5, an artist paints a picture of a China where women provide to the country, their family, and have their wellbeing improved. This poster, while propaganda, was commissioned to support birth control in China during a period of rapid population increase that harmed the country in many ways. The document provides a sense of pride, and hope for the future of China in a way that supports women and men. It can be concluded that because of the negative situation of the time the poster was painted, a need for change for women is being published throughout the nation. Document 6, a statement given by Fidel Castro in 1974 puts these emotions into words. He specifically states that the present condition of womens rights in Cuba are not satisfactory, and that there is an imminent need for change. His speech, given to the Federation of Cuban Women can be taken in a sense that he is merely speaking to gain their support. However, if that was Castro's only intention, he still showed a support for women that inspired not only the women he spoke to but activists as well. He speaks of a future of equality that is attainable for women and men. Castro urges the
party to realize the support and hardwork that the Cuban communist women have provided to the cause, and to give them equal support as well. Document 6 proves that Castro, in realization of the harsh mistreatment of women during the Cold War, supports an equal future for women. Both Document 5 and 6 prove that women were mistreated to a high degree in their communist society, yet demand an improved future that will support women and provide equal opportunities that are biased towards no gender. Women in communist countries struggled for their rights during the twentieth century, and the degree of this inequality is severe throughout the nations where they advocated as seen in the Documents shown. Despite having hundreds of years of inequality on their shoulder, women in communist nation urged for change. Fighting a government that preached equality yet did nothing to eliminate the inequality between genders, a new future was evident and attainable for these activists.
In document one, alexandra Kollontai states that the communist party does not care for the female working class. She says that even though the bourgeois do have a women's movement in affect, the working class had no help. She herself is a bit of an anomaly seeing as she had a reputation in economic and social literature before the Russian Revolution. She was one of the few women with such a title before the revolution. Because she had this advantage, she was able to see exactly how the female working class is suffering. In document six, Castro made a speech to the Federation of Cuban Women saying that the Cuban Communist Party is very discriminatory towards women. He acknowledges that women contribute to the party and have sacrificed a lot for the revolution. He even admits that women have higher revolutionary qualifications than men do. Even though Castro made this speech to the Federation of Cuban Women, they were not his intended audience. He was speaking to the communist party, showing his discontent for the way women were being treated. He then goes on to say that they are currently trying to fix this issue, further supporting the women's rights movement in Cuba. Document seven is an open letter by a women's group in Romania for Elena Ceausescu, the wife of the Romanian, communist dictator. The letter says that Ceausescu should know what it is like for the working class women. They spend many hours working and are expecting to come home and do even more work to provide food for their families. It then goes on to state that this lifestyle is very hard and strips them of their will to live, saying that that is ‘utter misery and injustice’. Elena Ceausescu is known for her lavish lifestyle and since she is the wife of the leader, she doesn't face discrimination. Even though she doesn't struggle, she still has the power to change something for the female working class and yet, she doesn't. This goes to
In previous times, the equality between men and women were at dramatic differences. It is frequently believed that women’s suffrage was desired and fought for only in England and the United States during the 19th century. Though these movement changes in their reasons and tactics, the battle of female suffrage, along with other women’s rights concerns, cut through many national boundaries. Women’s rights and suffrage had changed drastically from the 1890 till the time of Nixon’s Administration. During these time markers women had been treated poorly, they felt as if they weren’t equal to the other citizens of the world, especially the men. There are countless activities involving women, but the most spoke about topics is, women’s rights, their suffrage, and the roles they played.
Today, nothing remains of the former social role of women. Nearly all professions are open to women. The numbers of women in the government and traditionally male-dominated fields have dramatically increased. More women than men earn bachelor’s degrees. Many women's groups still prevail and are major political forces. Although the two movements hoped to achieve different things and used different tactics, they still came together to gain women’s rights and have achieved more than anyone would have ever anticipated.
Bolsheviks entered the political world in 1917 with the ideas of deliberating women and making them equal to men as well as this idea of westernizing Russia. Based on the book, both ideas were closely associated. Women were seen as raw materials that can be used to transform. As a result, women who were already member of the Communists party were sent to the countryside to transform primitive women also known as babas and transformed them into Comrades, the free and knowledgeable women. These transformed women would then move to the city and work in factories and industrial workshop to westernize and industrialize Russia and that will symbolize women freedom and equality to men. Even though these women will have a much lower...
The thought of women having equal rights has caused major controversy throughout American History. Women have fought for their rights for many years, wanting to be more than a wife or a maid. Women’s Rights Movement was an effort by many women around the U.S standing up for themselves. Feminists like Charlotte Perkins Gilman had a big impact on the movement by writing stories and articles, she spread awareness by writing these. Throughout this Movement women got the right to vote, and many more opportunities they were not offered before.
“Honey, you’re not a person, now get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich!” If a husband were to say these words to his wife today, he would likely receive a well-deserved smack to the face. It is not until recently that Canadian women have received their status as people and obtained equal rights as men. Women were excluded from an academic education and received a lesser pay than their male counter parts. With the many hardships women had to face, women were considered the “slave of slaves” (Women’s Rights). In the past century, women have fought for their rights, transitioning women from the point of being a piece of property to “holding twenty-five percent of senior positions in Canada” (More women in top senior positions: Report). The Married Women’s Property Act, World War I, The Person’s Case, and Canadian Human Rights Act have gained Canadian women their rights.
In conclusion, women throughout the decades have strived, from protesting to going on trials, to point out their rights. “Will women soon be treated equally as men?” A day when women and men having the same rights is still under way and has a far way to go as from the antebellum period. However, what makes women so unique, especially during this era is the numerous of contributions these respectful woman played a part of in order to see dramatic changes in America’s society. Some of the extraordinary ideas developed by them explains the success leading into what we call America today. Therefore, it is proven that women are certainly not helpless species, but are useful citizens who aroused much commitment for their “race” and nation.
Many ancient laws and beliefs show that women from all around the world have always been considered inferior to men. However, as time went on, ideas of equality circulated around and women started to demand equality. Many women fought for equality and succeeded in bringing some rights. However, full equality for women has yet to be fulfilled. This issue is important because many women believe that the rights of a person should not be infringed no matter what their gender is, and by not giving them equality, their rights are being limited. During the periods 1840 to 1968, total equality for women did not become a reality due to inadequate political representation, economic discrepancy, and commercial objectification.
At this point, the difference perspective in ideology and political action has divided the women movement into some feminism types; socialist, Marxist, radical, liberal and many others. While liberal feminist focus their struggle for equality on civil, economic, and political rights, and education, the feminist socialist and Marxist believe women 's oppression is “the product of the political, social and economic structure within which individuals live.” (Tong, 1998: pp.94). Although some other people suppose that the feminist Marxist and socialist is quiet different, but both of them believe the source of women oppression are capitalism and patriarchy. The Marxist feminism is rooted in 19th century thinker such as Marx and Engels, whether
The rights of women have expanded tremendously in the United States over the years. Women 's rights are a lot more flexible. They are allowed to be independent. While these new milestones are a big step forward for woman 's rights in the United States there are still things that need to be corrected. While in other countries women 's rights have not changed at all. There are women in some countries who are denied the right to go to school. They are also not considered equal to men. I will be comparing women 's rights within marriage as well as the justice system in the United States to those of women in other countries in the justice system as well as being married in the Middle East.
Society has long since considered women the lessor gender and one of the most highly debated topics in society through the years has been that of women’s equality. The debates began over the meaning between a man and woman’s morality and a woman’s rights and obligations in society. After the 19th Amendment was sanctioned around 1920, the ball started rolling on women’s suffrage. Modern times have brought about the union of these causes, but due to the differences between the genetic makeup and socio demographics, the battle over women’s equality issue still continues to exist. While men have always held the covenant role of the dominant sex, it was only since the end of the 19th century that the movement for women’s equality and the entitlement of women have become more prevalent. “The general consensus at the time was that men were more capable of dealing with the competitive work world they now found themselves thrust into. Women, it was assumed, were unable to handle the pressures outside of the home. They couldn’t vote, were discourages from working, and were excluded from politics. Their duty to society was raising moral children, passing on the values that were unjustly thrust upon them as society began to modernize” (America’s Job Exchange, 2013). Although there have been many improvements in the changes of women’s equality towards the lives of women’s freedom and rights in society, some liberals believe that women have a journey to go before they receive total equality. After WWII, women continued to progress in there crusade towards receiving equality in many areas such as pay and education, discrimination in employment, reproductive rights and later was followed by not only white women but women from other nationalities ...
Throughout time, there have been certain influential individuals that have dominated their age and have forever marked that era with their name. Among them are Cleopatra, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, and Nefertiti, with many others. One thing these leaders have in common is their gender: they are all females. In this day and age, it’s a rarity to come across strong, powerful women who have been allowed the opportunity to be powerful. It begs the question, if these women were alive today, would they have the same chance to change the world as they did? However, it’s not only the powerful who feel the sting of sexism, because the misogyny in today’s society affects each and every woman, of every color, age, and shape. The most important lesson to learn for the cultural and societal growth of people is to understand the causes and affects behind anti-feminism. Sexism takes many forms, yet it can be broken down into three main parts: the portrayal of women in media, the oppression of women in society, and the boundaries of women through laws.
The fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union marked the end of an era in which official ideology and state policy often masked the reality of citizens' lives. This contradiction was particularly acute for women, a group that the Soviet model of communism was intended to emancipate (Basu, 1995; Bystydzienski, 1992; Corrin, 1992; Einhorn, 1993; Millarand and Wolchik, 1994; Nelson and Chowdhury, 1994; Rueshchemeyer, 1994). Under the guise of Marxist-Leninist ideology, women were accorded an equal right to work and to participate in the building of socialism. The Soviet model, which was imposed to a greater or lesser extent on all of the Eastern European countries, was meant to embody this precept.
Throughout history, women have remained subordinate to men. Subjected to the patriarchal system that favored male perspectives, women struggled against having considerably less freedom, rights, and having the burdens society placed on them that had been so ingrained the culture. This is the standpoint the feminists took, and for almost 160 years they have been challenging the “unjust distribution of power in all human relations” starting with the struggle for equality between men and women, and linking that to “struggles for social, racial, political, environmental, and economic justice”(Besel 530 and 531). Feminism, as a complex movement with many different branches, has and will continue to be incredibly influential in changing lives.
Throughout history, there have been constant power struggles between men and women, placing the male population at a higher position than the female. Therefore, in this patriarchal system women have always been discriminated against simply due to the fact that they are women. Their rights to vote, to be educated and essentially being treated equally with men was taken away from them and they were viewed as weak members of society whose successes depend on men. However, this has not prevented them from fighting for what they believe in and the rights they are entitled to. On the contrary, it has motivated them to try even harder and gain these basic societal rights through determination and unity. In Mariama Bâ’s book, “So Long a Letter”, the