2015

Varikoti Sai Samyukta

ASSIGNMENT - 1 What is the understanding of Feminism in West and East? How does modernity influence gender roles, particularly in India?

What is the understanding of Feminism in West and East?

Feminism is a range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal to define,

establish, and achieve equal political, economic, cultural, personal, and social rights for

women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education

and employment.

Feminism in the West: Feminism began in the western world in the late 19th century

and has gone through three waves. In first wave, feminism was oriented around the

station of middle or upper class white women who involved suffrage and political

equality. Second-wave feminism attempted to further combat social and cultural

inequalities. Third-wave feminism is continuing to address the financial, social and

cultural inequalities and includes renewed campaigning for greater influence of women

in politics and media. In reaction to political activism, feminists have also had to

maintain focus on women's reproductive rights, such as the right to abortion. In western

world, feminism mainly began due to the reasons that women were not given the right

to vote and the wages given to them were far less than those of men.

In the United States, radical feminism (abolish patriarchy in all social and economic

contexts) developed as a response to some of the perceived failings of both New Left

organizations such as the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and other feminist

organizations. Initially concentrated in big cities like New York, Chicago, Boston,

Washington, DC, and on the West Coast, radical feminist groups spread across the

country rapidly from 1968 to 1972.

Radical feminists in the western world called for a radical reordering of society in which

male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts. Radical feminists seek

to abolish patriarchy by challenging existing social norms and institutions, rather than

through a purely political process. This includes challenging traditional gender roles,

opposing the sexual objectification of women, and raising public awareness about rape

and violence against women. The New York Radical Feminists (NYRF) took a more

psychologistic (and even biologically determinist) line. They argued that men dominated

women not so much for material benefits as for the ego satisfaction intrinsic in

domination.

In the United Kingdom, feminism developed out of discussions within community based

radical women's organizations and discussions by women within the Trotskyist left.

Radical feminism was imported into the UK by American radical feminists and seized on

by British radical women as offering an exciting new theory to replace Trotskyism. As

the 1970s progressed, British feminists split into two major schools of thought: socialist

and radical. In 1977, another split occurred, with a third grouping calling itself

"revolutionary feminism" breaking away from the other two.

Australian radical feminism developed slightly later, during an extended period of social

radicalization, largely as an expression of that radicalization.

Feminism in the East: True equality and respect for women may be found within Islam.

The Quran, as we have seen, expresses women's equality and the Prophet did much to

improve the status of women. The early female believers were actively involved in the

struggles of the nascent Islamic community. They supported and aided the early Muslim

men to adhere to their faith. In short, Islam does not debase woman (as Western society

does) but rather respects her and regards her as different from but equal to man.

In India, Patriarchal system of families exist and majority of population living in the

rural section of the society, women are treated as burden to the family for the reasons of

education, dowry etc. The fact that girls are needed to assist their mothers at home,

most of the women in rural areas are uneducated. In an Indian household, a male child is

treated very different when compared to a female child in all aspects like giving pocket

money, or sending them to long distance for education or employment. Feminism in

India was challenged by various minority groups for not entirely addressing the needs

of minority populations. Mainstream feminism in India was upper caste and Hindu in its

orientation and did not address the concerns of minority women. This led to the

formation of the Awaaz-e-Niswaan (The Voice of Women) in 1987 in Mumbai in largely

Muslim part of the city. The Muslim community has personal laws that often were

considered harmful to the rights of Muslim women.

How does modernity influence gender roles, particularly in India?

Although the scenario of male domination has decreased comparatively in Indian

society, there are still many issues which vary the gender roles. Long back, in Vedic

period, there were no disparities between male and female. But in the later times, the

traditional system of oppressing females has started. The customs and traditions like

‘Sati Sahagamanam’ etc. were abolished and eminent people like Raja Ram Mohan Roy

and Eshwar Chandra Vidhya Sagar have conducted many movements which emphasized

women education. The role of women in various sectors in the present Indian society is

far different from the past. But the country is still severely male-dominant and

unwelcoming to movements that go against sex and gender traditions in India.

In religious matters, the customs and traditions were blindly followed without knowing

the biological reasons behind them. Women were not allowed to take part in all types of

worship. They were not allowed to enter into few temples (in Kerala). In some places,

they are not allowed to touch the idols of Linga. Earlier, the tradition was that women

take care of the kitchen and children; man was the earning member of the household.

This tradition was followed for many years, which is the main reason of women for

having no major role in any development matters. But now, though the trend is changed

and women go out of the home and work the whole day, men don’t take charge of the

kitchen, though he is unemployed. In political sector, though they promise to have few

seats reserved for ladies in their manifesto, it never passes into the law due to the male

dominant political parties. Legally, though the transfer of patriarchal property is equal

between sons and daughters, it is rarely followed and women get less share. And the

share which she gets is used for dowry. Her right to manage the land and income from

the property is very less.

Modern influences are affecting the younger generations in parts of India, where girls

are beginning to forgo the more traditional ways of Indian life and break gender

stereotypes. All these traditions and customs are slowly vanishing in the present

generation due to the development in the modern world, especially in India. There are

many policies come up not only for the dalits but also for emphasizing the participation

of women in the present development sector. There are many state governments

assisting women for the education and dowry etc. The patriarchal system of families is

vanishing and women are also going out of home and working. Women have landed in

highly respectable careers. Development and modernization would solve many

problems and bring people a better life.

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