Women To The Status Of A “Second Class Citizen” Free Essays

It is undeniable that women, in general, have suffered all sorts of discrimination and have been treated poorly by every society around the world for as long as history has been recorded. All countries in the world have announced their support to equal rights for women. Yet, on a daily basis, various forms of discrimination and violence against females take place around the world. We will write a custom essay sample on Women To The Status Of A â€Å"Second Class Citizen† or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sometimes, men install glass ceilings to separate women, which prevent them from moving up in their careers. Sometimes, it is manifested through salaries with women being paid less than men. Discriminatory laws and social norms, which give preference to men in different fields, also reduce women to the status of a â€Å"second class citizen†. Most societies have a patriarchal system, which governs relations between men and women. Patriarchy, which literally means the rule of the men, is a social system where men play the dominant role. It also means that men are seen as the heads of households. In patriarchal societies millions of women are forced to deal with different forms of discrimination and abuses at their work places and in their homes. Women take a subordinate or second-class role. This is usually reinforced through the following systems: 1. The economic system Men are regarded as breadwinners and therefore paid more than women. Women perform unpaid labour such as rearing children. With regards to property and inheritance rights, women are often discriminated against. 2. Culture and social norms and religious Culture is everything in society which is socially rather than biologically transmitted. For example, gender roles and certain types of behavior are learned and allocated to men and women – boys don’t cry, men must protect ‘their’ girls and women, men are the heads of households and so forth. Girls must be kind and nurturing, not aggressive or too pushy. Gender refers to the social system, which governs the relations between men and women. It is the different roles that societies prescribe for men and women. Unlike sex, which is biological, gender is determined by a given society’s values and norms, the social, political and economic system. So a man’s sex determines that he cannot have babies, but it is his gender role in most societies that determines that he should not feed babies and change nappies. Gender roles are cultural and culture is something that changes over time. The social role men play is linked to power and control and many people in our communities see it as part of the social order (the way things should be). Women can be good as a doctor but not a manager or president. Women are the top students in university but men professor are in majority. Some think that the feelings of superiority by men can be traced back to the biblical times of Adam and Eve as Adam was created in God’s image and Eve came from Adam. 3. Political systems Men write and pass the law. Until as late as the 1970’s, women were not allowed to vote in many countries, it also went without saying that governments, big business and international institutions were run mostly by men. Amazingly, many studies have shown that women who are subjected to violence and abuse are from all segments of society, including those from well-educated and well-off social classes. Yet, they don’t speak about it because of shame, fear or out of concern that it would negatively affect their social status. Societies and women alike share the blame for the situation by accepting the abuse and, in some cases, justifying it. On the other hand, women activists say that many females, regardless of their education, feel â€Å"insulted† when activists speak to them about the need to end the abuse they are being subjected to. It is common knowledge that almost every language and culture tends to be male-dominated though believe me women do have a part to play some times ago my cousin gave birth to her second child a second girl so i tell my friend about it and she says â€Å"oh the poor parent’s a second girl† i was applauded What the hell is that supposed to mean when both of us are second girls in the family. It’s truly a thing we as women need to improve who cares what the men think. How to cite Women To The Status Of A â€Å"Second Class Citizen†, Papers