The Issue Of The Oppression Of Women

From short stories like “The Yellow Wallpaper,” to the court cases like Ellen Pao’s Suit vs. Kleiner Perkins, and even a data book like Women in the Labor Force, it is clear to see that inequality and mistreatment of women still exists today. People often say that inequality is a thing of the past, however it has been a serious problem since the dawning of civilization itself, and it is still so today. Women are often seen as lesser beings than men, and are treated accordingly. It is getting better, and women are starting to take their rightful places as equals in the workforce, and as equals in general. However, the world still has a long way to go before the inequality and mistreatment of women comes to a complete stop.

For centuries women had had to bow to men they were taught never to speak unless called upon or spoken to. That their sole purpose in life was to be a homemaker; a servant to the men in their lives fathers, brothers, sons. As time progressed women began to fight for their right to receive equal rights, education and vote. But that wasn’t enough in the year 2013 women still made eighty cents to every man’s dollar but that all changed one day. Women who were sick of being oppressed had risen up against the male chauvinism within society of the united states.The first measure was to take all men out of all positions of decision-making power immediately, and of any kind of social, professional position whatsoever. The men of society were

Frye opens the essay with defining what oppression is about which it targeted toward women and the minority people. Oppression happens when a woman or a person from minority group are denied the privilege that white male made to prevent from them to receive same rights as the white males experience. It results for them to be expected to smile, accept the fate and move on with daily life no what how unfair the situation is. Oppression is not only just limited to just one structure but also many factors in force which it includes the barriers and double binds. Oppression is not about not able to receive the privilege but the barriers that they had to face everyday that prevent them from able to move forward with their position. On the other side, double binds occur among to the barriers, mainly targeted toward the females because unlike males, they cannot win any type of situation. Women are double standard by white males, for example, women are expected to be prude, but not too prude which it leads for males to tell them to lighten up and be more flexible. They cannot enjoy sex too much or they will be labeled as slut, thus it shows how males set up structured barriers to keep women inferior from their social status. Oppression is more than just a group of people who are being treated unfairly, which Frye had explained one way to see oppression macroscopically by using an example, as to look at the birdcage. The first time you see the cage close enough, which you merely

"The Women's Rights Movement, 1848–1920 | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives." The Women's Rights Movement, 1848-1920. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Essays/No-Lady/Womens-Rights/>.

The oppression of women has been brought into light in the recent years but it was the norm in many societies in early history especially in premodern east Asia. During that time, the roles of men and women in society were determined by great scholars that had the power to get their voice to be heard and set general rules in society. In China, scholars like Confucius, Mencius, and Mozi had great impact on the way people divided the roles between men and women. The overall oppression of women in premodern east Asia can be seen through quotes from great scholars about how women should be obedient to men, should not make important decisions in their families, and are not spoken of equally to men in society.

Throughout history, the role of woman significantly changed. Since the 1800’s, American woman who are housewives have changed from household eye candy to breadwinners. In earlier days, women were seen as women who were intended to cook, clean, and take care of the children. They were not allowed to vote while men could. The rise of feminism changed the role women plays in society forever. Feminism is the encouragement of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. Woman voiced one’s opinion which helped them get equal rights. In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, she explored how women were not treated equally and the oppression of a woman by her husband was vastly common in the 1800’s. Gilman was also able to show how a woman was able to break out of the oppression of her husband with slow increments of change. In the play “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen, he explored how woman are not able to do all the things a man could and women were supposed to sit at home at the house looking like a pristine doll for one’s husband in the 1800’s. Ibsen also explored how a woman is also capable of taking care of herself and

. What is oppression? Oppression is the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control. Women have been oppressed since the beginning of time, and in 2016 women are still oppressed. Many people would argue that women, especially in Western societies are not oppressed because women have rights, and do not experience the injustices women in places like Saudi Arabia, India, Africa, and other impoverished places have to face. However, if those same naysayers enrolled in a sociology course, they would know every culture and society is different and has different sets of problems.

Historically, men have been considered the only sex and women, the Other, and as a result, men’s views and opinions have created myths of what women in society are expected to conform to and exhibit. Many of the expectations developed are restrictive and oppressive to women. One such expectation that men have developed and perpetuated is that a woman exists to fulfill his sexual needs. Man is the superior being and his “ideal woman” is one that will unquestionably submit to his domination (Beauvoir 201). In addition, men’s domination over women, places women in a state of dependence. Women are largely reliant on men for economic necessities and security. However, women’s reliance on men, leaves them vulnerable to male’s oppression on them.

Feminist perspective developed with the ideology that women face large amounts of inequalities in a patriarchal society. They aimed to address and rid the social world of this oppression of women by men. According to Bishop, (2015) “oppression occurs when one group of people use different forms of power to keep another group down in order to exploit them. The oppressor uses the power; the oppressed are exploited” (p. 133-134). Oppression must be by individual experience and not grouped into being the same for all. This includes understanding the original ideology of feminist theory being critiqued as only considering the experiences of middle class, white women. That black women, of lower class experienced oppression much different from the other women. Women are oppressed, thus has to be understood in a different construct that women are similar in some sources, experience of oppression but also experience oppression very differently from one individual to another. Feminist theories have further been expanded do its continuation throughout society and decades to encompass many more issues and arenas than just men and women relationships. Now it seeks to understand and address oppression based on culture, race, class, etc and not only for women but for all. Therefore, Bishop (2014) outlines five components that seem common to all forms of oppression and serve to maintain its presence in society.

In today’s society there is an abundance of problems facing women and their oppression. The world now is known to specifically target women for their race, economic status, sexuality, credibility and, their gender. Not only is it degrading for a woman in the twenty first century to be experiencing this discrimination, but, even more so that women faced these obstacles in the first place. As we play our parts and do our jobs, women must join together and resist anyone, or, any rule that objectifies or simplifies women. Resistance may not have started in this century, but, it is a duty that must be upheld in order to create an organized demonstration that women deserve just as much as the average man. As my wise friend once said “ Not shaving and conforming to society's beauty standards is so liberating as a woman. Yet at this point it should just be expected that women don’t have to shave. Such a shame” As I think about what she said, I begin to think about all the possible ways a woman can resist. How, in reality she can change things for her future rather than what the society wants her to be.

The oppression of women is best described as a steel cage, crafted over the centuries by the hands of patriarchal powers, enslaving flightless and chirp less birds. Birds may be benevolent and gentle, yet they embody a power most ferocious amongst all creatures. Though, it is of no fascination as to why women, in being similar to birds, transform from powerful peoples to frail figures. The molestation of power from these birds is done by the hindering cage encompassing them. The thick bars of oppression slice the wings of the benevolent beings, strip the voice of the once vociferous, and above all destroy the benign life of the feminine. These feminine figures have the potential to provide light when light is dark, fly the silky sky, and, of utmost importance, break free from the shackles that bear them down. Yet, only a few women have been notably brave to do so, and thus have confronted the powerful patriarchal powers that serve to enslave them and earned the titles of feminists. Feminism is an evolving philosophy which serves to destroy the intellectual paradigm that women are subservient to males by nature. Yet, although feminism is essentially a product of the contemporary world, many figures in history have demonstrated pre-feminist ethics of which has given birth to the philosophies of modern feminism. Sophocles’ Antigone, although fictional, presents an anecdotal example of a prominent proto-feminist figure, the protagonist Antigone. The work is set in Ancient

The first way that lead to womens oppression in women is thepremise of a divinity from the order that humans were created by God, in which women are seen as inferior to men, and men are seen as superior as well as closer to God. In the Abrahamic religons, Islam,Christinany, and jedusiaim, they believe that the first human was a man named Adam, and after him God created Eve.( ) Creation stories like these increased the belief and idea of womens inferiority in religious society, playing a huge role on womens sense of indemnity in said society. For examples in Christianity they belief“… God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him'” (Gen. 2:18-24). This reenfoces the belief that Eve was created

In A Room of One’s Own, through her fictional narrator, Woolf points out the issues and experiences of women under the patriarchal society in England. Mary, the fictional character of her essay, is put under situations where men look down on women. Trough Mary’s experiences, Woolf illustrates the oppression of men over women in society. Mary is asked to get out from the Oxbridge library because she has not a library permission from a male colleague at the university. Mary’s experience in the library recalls the concept of the “Angel of the house” illustrated by Woolf in her essay Profession for WomenWoolf remarks women’s conventional image of domesticity locked inside the household.

To be called beautiful is thought to name something essential to women’s character and concerns (in contrast to men --- whose essence is to be strong, effective, or competent). It does not take someone in the throes (agony) in advanced feminist awareness to perceive that the way women are taught to be involved with beauty encourages narcissism, reinforces dependence and immaturity. Everybody (women and men) knows that.” This quote means that society makes it that it is each woman’s responsibility to make sure she keeps up her exterior appearance. Never considering how brilliant or sweet natured she may be, she will always be judges on how she looks. I agree on what she saying in the quote, from my own personal experience as a woman I know their are diverse suggestions of beauty, specifically for women. In the quote I sense that it’s immature for someone to value a women based on only their looks, than what they can possess, like their abilities.

Gender equality is necessary for creating a foundation of a peaceful, fair and sustainable world where it creates a world of “Universal respect for human rights and human dignity” as it is a fundamental human right. A sustainable development only happens when the principle of “leaving no one behind” is