...feminism; rape; masculinities; violence; sexual harassment; biology is not destiny; and negative feminist stereotypes. I have chosen to discuss the two feminist theories that were previously mentioned due to the fact that they both focus heavily on the oppression of men in society, as well as the evident gender division between the sexes. I have chosen to focus on the six concepts that were previously mentioned because they focus on how women are oppressed, and mistreated in society. Radical Feminism Radical feminism supports the idea that patriarchy is the main form of oppression women face. The goal of radical feminism is the elimination of patriarchy. From a radical feminist perspective, women are oppressed in three main ways or areas: the state, the nuclear family, and through reproduction and mothering. Radical feminism also suggests that the lack of control women have over their own bodies and own reproduction is central to oppression. Radical feminists aim towards eliminating sexual, as well as physical violence against women (Calixte et al., 2009). The significance of radical feminism is that it focuses on what is seen as the major oppressors in our culture. Moreover, radical feminism opens our eyes to male dominance and how it has been highly normalized. It alerts us to how ‘normal’ or common images from pornography reduce women to sexual objects. Moreover, it makes clear that prostitution is a form of economic and sexual exploitation women. Instead of relying on preexisting...
Words: 2415 - Pages: 10
...Victims Nonetheless Scared to say anything, they hide their pain, these are victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence, such heavy words, when you hear these words, what do you think of? Most people think of a man beating a woman, and that's normal. Society has portrayed domestic violence as the majority of victims being women. People tend to forget that men can be victims too, society has portrayed them as macho men that don’t cry. Men should be recognized as victims of domestic violence too. Violence is violence, no matter the gender of the victim, and not recognizing those victims, makes it hard for them to speakup. Moreover, there are different types of Domestic violence. Physical, like kicking, hitting, choking, throwing items, and...
Words: 1865 - Pages: 8
...migrate after laying eggs? The truth behind this is the alleged cannibalism that happens when snakes keep their young. In a greater sense, the mistreatment of family members, usually wives, in a domestic scene is the same as keeping a snake and eating it after a few days. It is selfish. It is blameworthy. It is immoral. What is this monstrous thing beheld as it is not to be? The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) defines domestic violence as, “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation, whether occurring in public and private life (Mallorca-Bernabe 1-2).” In simpler terms, domestic violence refers to the abusive treatment one evokes another in the family context. Fifty years ago, domestic violence was not even recognized as a significant study or as a legal problem. It was not until the time when feminist activism developed concerning domestic violence that this issue surfaced publicly. From then on, domestic violence has been understood as abuse not confined to the criterion of being physical but as an act involving emotional abuse and sexual assault (Schneider 353-363). Physical violence, being the most evident of the three, involves acts that somewhat suffuse physical torment upon the victim. This encompasses slapping, hitting, kicking, burning, punching, choking, shoving, beating...
Words: 2580 - Pages: 11
...Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Alessandra Gonzalez Human Sexuality SOP2772 4/4/2016 Abstract Over the past couple of years gender equality and women empowerment awareness has caught the attention of many. Discrimination and violence towards women has slowly risen across different parts of the world. Throughout urban community’s women are married at an early age, are given the automatic task of being a housewife, and become pregnant fairly young. Throughout this whole process they must respect their husband or face the consequences of abuse. With nowhere to run these women have no choice but to stay in the hands of their abuser. Decision making is commonly known to be the cause of the domestic violence. New methods are being used as preventatives to these outcomes, while various movements are coming together to raise a higher awareness on women. Introduction The topic that I chose was gender equality and women empowerment. While going deeper into the different aspects of gender equality, specifically women, it slowly became jaw dropping. When asked to describe women empowerment people usually have the automatic response of “feminism” or a “feminist”. But what is the actual meaning of women empowerment? A topic such as domestic violence can slowly fall into the mix. Psychologically, women facing domestic violence can be traumatizing. In India, 40% of a representative sample of Indian women of reproductive age had experienced physical (35%), sexual (10%), or...
Words: 958 - Pages: 4
...In Georgia Warnke’s book Debating Sex and Gender, Gayle Rubin recognizes sex as the “raw material” of the bodies of female and male human beings, while gender pertains to the roles and functions those human beings have in society and the culture of which they are a part of. Rubin states that sexism is the general phenomenon in which females become “domesticated women”, or workhorses for men. Rubin wrote her influential essay The Traffic in Women in 1975, yet her definitions of sex, gender, and sexism are still applicable today. The issues that Rubin addressed are demonstrated in particular in today’s media, which reinforces gender inequality and objectification, through the depiction of women as hyper-sexualized, weak, and unskilled. This negative depiction of women exists especially in the gaming community, in which many have criticized the negative portrayal of women as sexist and severely problematic. Video games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption portray women in an almost exclusively violent and sexualized manner, which serves to reinforce the never-ending sexism and gender biases that society has upheld for centuries. Society as a whole can change the perception of gender and how women are perceived, but leaps towards progressive ideas need to be made first, starting with the video game industry as a whole. Throughout history, women’s roles have primarily been domestic – staying home and being responsible for the care of her husband and children. As Warnke...
Words: 1646 - Pages: 7
...Violence from a gender view what role does masculinity play in Ethiopia context. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main concepts in feminist approach 3. Hegemonic masculinity theory 4. The subculture of violence in peace and conflict 5. The perception on gender versus sex in Ethiopia 6. Gendered dynamics of violence 6.1 Masculinities and violence 6.2 Femininities and violence 7. Conclusion 8. References 1. Introduction The paper critically evaluate the theory which claims that violence has a strong gender dimension and what role does masculinity play in violence. There are feminist theories and assumptions regarding the societal construction of gender, as it is divided into two major categories...
Words: 4327 - Pages: 18
...Dear Prime Minister, My name is Shawn Thompson, a sixth form student at Kingston College (KC), with the prospects of pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in Gender and Development at the University of the West Indies. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you, our Most Honorable Prime Minister, about a perennial problem that has been entrenched in the ethos of our society since its incipient stages. In the Caribbean society today, gender-based violence is a major issue in regards to the patriarchal system that is still evident in the region. Patriarchal ideologies and practices are the main sources that influence such violence. Patriarchy can be defined as a family, community or society that is governed by men (Haralambos and Holborn); while gender-based violence is defined as violence that reflects the existing asymmetry in the power relation between men and women caused by patriarchal beliefs (Rico, 1997). Pargass and Clarke assert that, 71 per cent of Jamaican men beat their women and that domestic violence against Jamaican women is rampant and pervasive, which violate their fundamental human rights to equality and the right not to be subjected to any degrading treatment or punishment (Pargass and Clarke 2003). It is imperative to note to you, our Honorable Prime Minister that, the Jamaican society operates under the auspices of the wider Caribbean which operates under a patriarchal system, where males are seen as the dominant sex who should be head...
Words: 1180 - Pages: 5
...Chapter 5: Gender Stratification by sex is a feature found in most societies, with men generally being in a more dominant position in society than women. Men have traditionally been seen in a wide range of active and creative roles – as warriors, hunters, and workers, as political leaders or successful business executives, as scientists, engineers, inventors, and great artists. Women have traditionally been seen as housewives and mothers confined to the home and caring for their husbands and children. Even when working outside the home, women's jobs often seem to be an extension of their caring role in the home, looking after others as receptionists, secretaries, nurses, teachers, and social workers. Are these differences simply an extension of the biological make-up of males and females, or are they a product of the ways that males and females are brought up in society? (Nature vs. Nurture) SEX AND GENDER • Sex: (whether someone is male or female) refers to the natural or biological differences between men and women, such as difference in genitals, internal reproductive organs, and body hair. • Gender: (whether someone is masculine or feminine) refers to the cultural, socially constructed differences between the two sexes. It refers to the way a society encourages and teaches the two sexes to behave in different ways through socialization. • Gender role: is the pattern of behavior and activity which society expects from individuals of either...
Words: 8069 - Pages: 33
...in most countries, men commit far more criminal acts than women. For example, by their 40th birthday, approximately one in three males have a conviction of some kind, where as one in ten females have been convicted. This essay will explore the fundamental reasons as to why there is such difference between crime rates concerning men and women. It will also analyse theories from different sociologists including Carlen, Heidensohn and Lombroso. The statistics show how recorded crime comes predominately from males. This type of research reveals that males are responsible for approximately four know offences for every one committed by women, they are more likely to be repeated offenders as well as committing, in general, more serious offences. It also found that men are many times more likely to be found guilty of cautioned for offending. For example, men are 50 times more likely to be convicted for sex offences, approximately 8 times more likely to be found guilty for robbery and drug offences, and 5 times more likely to be convicted for violence against a person. Otto Pollack (1950) argues that official statistics regarding gender and crime are misleading, arguing that they do not account for the true extent of female criminality. He suggests that there are a number of crimes that females are more likely to commit than males. He states that nearly all shoplifting offences and criminal abortions are committed by women, suggesting that these types of crimes are not accounted...
Words: 1857 - Pages: 8
...ultimately, little to no social change would ever come about. Similarly to the Civil Rights Movement in the previously-segregated United States or the ongoing fight for women’s rights around the world, these uprisings of rebellion against the social status quo are never easily accepted. However, without these movements, civil rights in the domestic as well as international community would be much less expansive than they are today. For these reasons, it is important that the highly prominent issue of domestic violence within India receives attention. In order to fully analyze this problem, it is vital to know why it exists....
Words: 1188 - Pages: 5
...through the viewpoint of oppressed women who are seen to be subordinated by men. Their main aim is to liberate women from men, patriarchal society and the socially constructed stereotypes of women. In order to do so, there are different strands of Feminism, which are, Liberal, the least extreme or violent, Marxist, who link in capitalism to Feminism and Radical Feminists, the most extreme. These groups seek to bring about equality through different means and on different levels of severity. In addition to these, there are smaller and more modern groups of Feminism which are Dual Systems Feminists, who are similar to Marxist Feminists and Poststructuralists who believe other Feminists disregard differences between women. Liberal Feminists are concerned with the human civil rights, therefore they seek legal reforms and changes in attitudes and socialisation to bring about gender equality, which does not require a violent revolution. They are the closest Feminist theory to a consensus view on today’s society even though it focuses on the conflicts between men and women. Liberal Feminists reject the idea that biological differences make women less competent or rational than men or vice versa. They distinguish between sex and gender; whereby sex refers to the biological differences such as their reproductive role and physical differences and gender refers to culturally constructed differences between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ roles. As gender is culturally constructed and transmitted...
Words: 1397 - Pages: 6
...Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). To mark Convention’s 30th birthday, Kyrgyz women’s organizations launched a nation – wide collection of stories, testimonies and reflections about changes which CEDAW brought into lives of Kyrgyz women. The six selected stories, written by the NGOs and women selves were included into this brochure. UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations. It provides fi nancial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality. UNIFEM focuses its activities on the over-arching goal of supporting the implementation of existing commitments at the national level to advance gender equality. In support of this goal, UNIFEM works in the following thematic areas: • Strengthening women’s economic security and rights; • Ending violence against women; • Reversing the spread of HIV and AIDS among women and girls; • Achieving gender equality in democratic governance in times of peace as well as war. ActiveArt is co-founded by long-term art-collaborators Tarot Couzyn and Orla O’Flanagan. They work in partnership with local and national groups, to create innovative and participatory community art. Over the past 6 years they have worked in South Africa, Ireland and the Kyrgyz Republic creating art for egalitarian social and political change. “CEDAW in Kyrgyzstan: a movement towards justice” Copyright © United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) 2009 UNIFEM Regional...
Words: 9296 - Pages: 38
...Introduction Gender-based violence is violence against women based on women’s subordinate status in society. It includes any act or threat by men or male dominated institutions that inflict physical, sexual, or psychological harm on a woman or girl because of their gender. In most cultures, traditional beliefs, norms and social institutions legitimize and therefore perpetuate violence against women. Gender-based violence includes physical, sexual and psychological violence such as domestic violence; sexual abuse, including rape and sexual abuse of children by family members; forced pregnancy; sexual slavery; traditional practices harmful to women, such as honor killings, burning or acid throwing, female genital mutilation, dowry-related violence; violence in armed conflict, such as murder and rape; and emotional abuse, such as coercion and abusive language. Trafficking of women and girls for prostitution, forced marriage, sexual harassment and intimidation at work are additional examples of violence against women. Gender violence occurs in both the ‘public’ and ‘private’ spheres. Such violence not only occurs in the family and in the general community, but is sometimes also perpetuated by the state through policies or the actions of agents of the state such as the police, military or immigration authorities. Gender-based violence happens in all societies, across all social classes, with women particularly at risk from men they know. (United Nations declaration...
Words: 2076 - Pages: 9
...Women Lawfully Protecting Women: Brazil’s Women Police force It’s hard for citizens in the United States to consider the idea that honor can be used as a defense for murdering ones spouse when the commit adultery. Or that “violent emotions” could be used to justify a man to kill his wife and her lover when caught. This is not hard for citizens in many other countries to understand, nor is it something that doesn’t cross the men’s minds in countries when their spouses are not faithful. In particular Brazil has seen this happen many times, even as recently as the 1990’s. There are some important changes during that time and there are now Women Police stations set up through out Brazil to combat these crimes and other domestic crimes against women. The set up for these police organizations ran by women started during the recognized women movements in Brazil around 1985. This paper will look into the some of the history and cases in violence against women. Then how women movements helped propel specific gender issues. Lastly discuss the creation of Women Police Departments and their problems and success today. In 1979, Raul Doca Street, murdered his lover when she wanted to end the relationship. 1981 a famous Brazilian, Lindomar Castilho, shot his wife and her cousin, thought to be lover. In both cases the judge sentenced each man to merely 2 years in prison on the defense of “violent emotion.” Both cases were appealed and due to the protest of women groups they...
Words: 1884 - Pages: 8
...The notion of sexism is a very recent idea in our society. The idea that men were superior to and different from women was so deeply integrated into much thinking that most people never thought to question it. Throughout the history of ideas, female inferiority has been seen as the natural order of things. This is where feminism comes into place... feminism is the view which examines the world from the viewpoint of women, hence this 'traditional' view that men dominate women is challenged by feminists, as feminism believes that women are disadvantaged relative to men and that female interests are ignored or devalued by society. Feminism is therefore the movement which essentially campaigns for equality for women in society; examples of feminist groups which have campaigned for equal rights are the suffragettes and suffragists who protested for the right to vote for women in the 20th century. As Paula Trelchler herself put it... feminism is the radical notion that women are people. Liberal feminist Gavron suggested that women are trapped by the traditional roles within the family and that they should have more choice with regards to marriage and family life. Oakly further argued that the mother housewife role has been responsible for the subordination of women in the workforce. Female professional workers are three times less likely to be married than their fellow male workers. Oakly criticized Young and Wilmott, who in their 1972 study suggested that men were doing more in...
Words: 2457 - Pages: 10
