Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity… if by strength is meant moral immeasurably man’s superior… if non – violence is the law of our being, the future is with women.
Gender discrimination or known mostly as “sexism” is a discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination of women. Attitudes, conditions and or behavior that promote stereotyping of social roles based on gender. During the early years, women are not entitled same rights and privileges as man. Women are not allowed to vote and mostly quire to surrender control of their property to their husbands. Moreover, their occupational and educational opportunities are severely limited. But when the equal rights amendment was propose as a legal or a civic innovation but the controversy it cause focused on the economic arena. Indeed, the connection between economic and political subordination in women’s relation to men has been central in women’s rights advocacy since the latter part of the nineteenth century. In the western political traditions, women were historically excluded from political initiative because they were defined as dependent – like children and slaves – and their dependence was read fundamentally economic. Nineteenth century advocates, along with the vote, claimed women’s “right to labor”, by which they meant the right for women to have their labor recognize, and diversified.
They emphasized that woman, has human individuals no less than men, had the right and need to use their talents to serve society and themselves and to gain fair compensation. Influential voices such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s at the turn of the century stressed not only women’s service but the necessity and warrant for women’s economic independence. Gillman argued simultaneously that social evolution made women’s move “from fireside to factory” inevitable, and also that the move ought to be spurred by conscious renovation of outworn tradition. Unlike before after the said ERA or Equal Rights Amendment, the discrimination of women was decreased by certain factors.
Today, a woman is considered to have equal rights; but, is it really true? Old stereotypes still exists in many things. Women have work hard for the rights that exist. They have made huge strides in changing the way society looks at them from the past. In the past, women were to stay at home, take care of the housework, the cooking, the baking, the laundry, and teach the children by raising them with chores, discipline, and help with their homework. Husbands were expected to come home from work, have dinner on the table and the house neat and clean for them. Times have changed, though. Many women work outside of the home – or even in the home – for pay. With today’s economic status, most family need two paychecks to make ends meet. Other women have college degree and want to put it to use or continue in their careers. Although family may be important to them, self – improvement and being able to help provide for the family may be of a concern. With this this shift in work situation, many women ask their husbands for help with the housework and the children – and are scrutinized for it. It is not always an easy situation for a woman to be married, work, and have a family, but, it is quite often a choice that is made.
An example to this was the late Corazon Aquino, she was the first female president in the Philippines, and is known for leading the People Power Revolution in 1986 which restored democracy to the country. She was named Time’s Woman of the Year in 1986. Cory was an amazing woman who had a huge impact on the freedom and welfare of millions of people. A woman with courage and dignity to face the reality; proving that a woman can be as much powerful as man that is what Corazon Aquino has proven the people of her country or even the world. She was discriminated but still she gave her best shot. She won the elections and ruled the country well. She was well – loved by many and she became popular by being the first woman to be her country’s good leader. Sure God created man before woman, but then again you always make rough draft before creating the final masterpiece. Woman was taken out of man; not out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled underfoot; but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.
By: RHEA R. MINA | Teacher I | Orani National High School | Orani, Bataan
