Women: A Story of Inequality, Abuse and a Glimmer of Hope
Monday, July 25, 2011
This paper was written with a wonderful group of girls for my social justice and social change class. We also had to present the information. It was fun to work with a different group of girls and I'd do it again.
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Assignment 2: Integrative Approach to Social Change
Women: A Story of Inequality, Abuse and a Glimmer of Hope
by Kala Bennett-Alexander, VS, EMP and AW. July 25, 2011
Introduction
For decades women have been considered the weaker sex, treated unequally and abused. Women were almost considered the “others” in certain situations. History tells us the trials and tribulations women had to endure just to live one day to the next in a world where they had no rights, no laws to protect them. This inequality left them to be abused, manipulated and exploited. The fact that men viewed them as unequal’s made it almost alright to abuse them, and there the cycle of inequality started. We have come a long way from the 1800’s, but women are still not viewed as entirely equal on both the work and home front in today’s society.
If we do not irradiate the notion that women are not equal, the instances of abuse will continue to arise with the ebb and flow of inequality. Women have a lot of potential, by educating young people about equality, and instilling strength and belief in young girls to strive to be the best they can.
Inequality
Historically women have been oppressed by gender inequalities in the workforce. Over many years the roles of women have changed dramatically. Traditionally women were not seen to be in the workforce. With the events of World War II and the feminist movement women were able to gain voices and gain certain jobs mostly in the areas of teaching, nursing and serving. Even though these roles were very gender stereotypical of what a women should be doing. As stated in the article ‘Success in your Career’, they say that during World War II women were in the work force “ as the demands of the war created a need to put able bodies to work creating the goods that our servicemen were using to protect our freedoms”( Editors in Career Planning Career Tips Life Skills). Even though women were doing a good deed and helping out in the war, if these women wanted to help out in any other way, they did not have a choice because the roles of care giving and cleaning were still seen as a women’s job.
Workplace Inequality
Today women are taking on roles that in the past you would see only men in. Some of these roles would be managers, doctors, police officers and lawyers. Women were seen as to be delicate and sensitive to emotions and subordinate to men. However, women today have proven that they can exceed in the work force. With this being said Christine Williams article, “The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the Female Profession” she states that, sex segregation is a two way street and we need to drop barriers and have occupational and economic equality. Women are faced with the glass ceiling and the glass escalator. The glass ceiling is “where women go to a certain level in a corporation and she cannot go any higher that they are stopped right there with their positions and wages (Williams, 326). Williams also states, the glass escalator is the fact that some women are able to take advantage of some positions that males are dominated in. Some positions that were females oriented men are still involved. Men can also enter a female dominate position and they can reach or go higher than a female if she was in the position (Williams, 326).
Kristen Day states, “feminine gender identities are produced not in isolation, but through negotiation with and (frequently) polarization from masculine gender identities” (Day, 110). Meaning that feminine gender identities are looked at after, and decided based on masculine identities. While Connell says “I take ‘masculinity’ to be socially constructed form of life or project in time, which approaches the bodily differences of men from women into a social process of gender” (Connell, 143). The meaning is that men and women are raised differently from one another. Through these gender classification individuals have to find a balance in society to what works for them in the labour force. In time, women and men in the workforce will be treated completely equal.
Home Inequality
While looking at gender inequalities when it comes to the household, it is an ongoing issue. Historically, the roll of breadwinner has been fundamentally tied to masculinity, while the role of housekeeper and caregiver has been tied to that of femininity (Pilcher & Whelehan 1989). The nuclear family was always the ideal household. This consisted of a father, mother and the children. The father would be the breadwinner who would work and the mother would be a stay at home mom to clean and take care of the children. Even though these are the stereotypical roles of gender inequalities in the household it is shaped at birth. Right from birth our parents interact with children differently based on their sex; what a boy does from a girl. These gender roles are what shape an individual on how things will be run in their household. If you were raised in a home where they require the women to stay home to care for the family you are more likely to do the same.
Today even with the rise of the cost of living, gender inequalities in the home have changed. Women are increasing joining the workforce and are less likely to be stay at home moms. However, as stated in Arlie Hochschild article, ‘The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home’ talks about how even though they may be working at home they are still responsible for majority of the chores and childcare. This is why it is called the “second shift” because they have jobs in the public sphere and then come home to the private sphere and do more. Majority of the time, women put in more hours of work week between their job and the home. The stay at home image is also fading because education plays a major factor. The more education the women or even man receive, the more likely they are to pursue careers. Pilcher and Whelehan state that “males are doing more cooking, cleaning and household work than they were in the 1950s (Pilcher & Whelehan 1989). Even thought women are thought to be considered equal there are still many people who breed hate and inequality which leads to abuse of those women caught in the crossfire.
Violence against Women
Violence against women comes in many forms and affects many women on both micro and macro levels of society. Each level has been influenced by society’s history involving the inequalities women faced both enduring abuse and unfair treatment.
History
Today’s generation of people believe that violence or abuse against women is a thing of the past, but the reality is that women all over the world are being abused and mistreated. History shows that from the beginning of time women were expected to comply to all demands made by the men in her life. When she was old enough she would marry a man that would then have certain expectations of her and her duties as a wife. In the 1800’s wife beating was extremely common and only caused outrage if it was extremely brutal or life threatening (Wojtczak, 2009). Even thought it was common knowledge and acceptance that a man had the right to beat his wife if she annoyed, disobeyed or spoke ill towards him, the news in the mid 1800’s was rampant with reports of wife beating, but only found interest in the most extreme cases of violence. In 1853 Henry Fitzroy MP remarked that “no one could read the public journals without being constantly struck with horror and amazement at the numerous reports of cases of cruel and brutal assaults perpetrated upon the weaker sex by men who one blushed to think were Englishmen.” (Wojtczak, 2009). This comment makes one think that society at that time believed that yes, the man did have right to do with his wife as he wanted, but only to the extent wherein the women is not disfigured, maimed, or killed.
Physical abuse was considered to be something normal to do to women; but in the world we live in today physically abusing your spouse is considered a crime. In 1909 the law of kidnapping women was passed. Before that date a person could kidnap a woman who was over sixteen without punishment (Morris, 2011). Being captured by a person that you do not know, or whom you do know and keeping you hostage is something that physically, emotionally, and mentally damages any human being. Women have been through a lot over the years; dealing with the law, community members, and husbands alike. Women were not allowed to ask for a divorce without proving to the court with evidence of disloyalty. Without solid proof the woman was not able to file for divorce until the year 1925. Even then, the women had to come up with £1,500 to obtain the divorce, which in the end would mean they would not be allowed to remarry (Morris, 2011).
In Canada, we were blessed to have Margaret Mitchell as one of the first politicians to raise the issue of violence against women in a court of law. Ironically, Ms. Mitchell was a social worker and represented the New Democratic Party. She is known most for one incident which during a municipal meeting she demanded that the government take action to stop domestic violence against women and the other male MP’s laughed at her. It is sad to think that just a couple decades ago, we as Canadians were so backwards and unfair. It is thanks to strong supporters of equal rights such as Ms. Mitchell, that we as women are permitted to thrive as we do today.
Micro
Abuse can happen to anyone, but women and girls seem to be victimized more so than others. Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse, is when one person in the relationship or marriage tries to over power and control the other person. Domestic abuse that involves physical violence is known as domestic violence. Domestic violence and abuse are used for one goal, to gain and maintain total control over the victim. Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to control and manipulate their victim. The abuser may also threaten, physically hurt their victim, or hurt those who matter most around them. Domestic abuse usually will escalate from threats and verbal abuse to physical abuse.
Even though physical and sexual abuse is considered the most obvious danger, emotional and psychological trauma of domestic abuse can be very harmful. Emotionally an abusive relationship can make you feel worthless; it can lead to anxiety and depression, and these issues can be aggravated if there is substance abuse involved as well. The issues women go through while in an abusive relationship can leave lasting scars and many women suffer from mental health issues due to the abuse. Also, women who have children and are in abusive relationships risk losing their children and the risk of an entire breakup of the family. Also, the victim of abuse may have feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation. Substance abuse is usually part of the problem or can add to the problem. In many cases the abuser uses some sort of substance. For instance, alcohol or drugs and the victim of abuse may also use some sort of substance to numb themselves from the physical and emotional pain. Abuse leaves lasting scars on an individual, and in many if not in most cases, victims of abuse need some sort of counseling or intervention. It is very important to mention the signs of an abusive relationship. The most obvious sign is fear of a partner. If the victim feels like they have to constantly watch what they say or do in order to avoid a blow-up, most likely the relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs of an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles their partner or tries to dominate them.
Macro
Although abuse is considered to be a thing of the past in the Western world, it still exists behind the privacy of doors all across the world. Places like Africa and some parts of Asia still treat their women as second rate. For example, in China the male-female imbalance is rising, and there have been reports that there have been targeted abortions of female fetuses after their sex is detected by ultrasound (Lubman). This reflects the low status given to women in most parts of the world. It is perhaps the most violent and disparaging manifestation of the anti-female partiality that infects "patriarchal" societies. There are also many kidnappings of women and female children, wherein they are never to be found again. This happens most often in China when a girl is born into a family that has several other girls ahead of her. It was said that in the 1970’s in China that almost 44.4 percent of female children born to families of six or more children, would mysteriously go missing (Lubman).
Society has become more advanced in the years since the one-child only policy in China was enacted. After the World War II in Canada, women slowly managed to gain small advantages in the work force, to some extent. According to Stats Canada, most, but not all, women staying in shelters on April 15, 2010 were there because of abuse. Of the 4,645 women in shelters on that date, 71% reported abuse as their reason for seeking refuge. The majority of women reported emotional abuse (66%) and physical abuse (53%), while relatively large proportions reported threats (40%), financial abuse (39%), harassment (28%) and sexual abuse (25%) (Cotter & Burczycka). The trend is rising in our society, women are becoming more aware to their surroundings and their legal rights. Some are leaving their abusive partners. This shows by the rate of growing abuse shelters in Canada. While the overall number of shelters in Canada has increased, the growth among the different types of shelters has varied. Statistics Canada states there were 22 more shelters in 2010 than in 2008. Transition homes increased the most and continued to be the most common type of shelter for abused women in 2010. Other increases in 2010 were noted in the number of second-stage housing facilities (up 11 shelters or 11%) and women’s emergency shelters (up 6 shelters or 9%) (Cotter & Burczycka).
Women with disabilities seem to be more victimized than women without disabilities. In Canada, women with disabilities are one in one-half times more likely than non-disabled women to experience some sort of violence in their lifetime. Furthermore 67% of those disabled women surveyed had been physically or sexually assaulted as a child, compared to 44% of non-disabled women (Hick).
In Canada, there are around 509,860 cases of reported and unreported sexual assaults per year, which amounts to 1,397 sexual assaults per day. This daily stat is refined into one women or child being assaulted every minute of every day. Abuse can cause a breakdown of the family which causes many societal problems, for example children may be taken and put into foster care (Commonly asked questions about violence against women)..
Linkage Between Inequality and Abuse
Violence and women’s inequality are inextricably linked. Violence against women and girls is not only a consequence of gender inequality, but reinforces women’s low status in society and the multiple disparities between women and men (UN General Assembly, 2006). Violence against women is both a cause and a result of women’s unequal status in our society, or in other words, violence is a manifestation of women’s inequality (Collins, 1993).
Unbalanced power in relationships render women into a subordinate position than makes them socially and financially dependent on men, with limited access to resources, finances, employment, education and healthcare. Where they exist, cultural, socio-economic, structural and institutional barriers reinforce marginalization of women and any co-existing gender inequality. Such unequal power relations increase women's risks and vulnerability to exploitation and therefore leading to abuse (Kaye, 2004).
Gender inequality and discrimination are root causes of violence against women, which are influenced by a long history of power imbalances between women and men. Violence against women all boils down to women’s general lack of power and control, as well as societal norms that deem what a women’s role is in society, which in turn condones abuse. Inequalities between men and women are numerous in quantity. Inequalities span across public and private realms of life, as well as social economic, cultural and political rights in response to limitations put against women in regards to their choices and opportunities (Causes, protective and risk factors ). Inequalities can increase a women’s risk of being abused, involved in a violent relationship and exploited. Inequalities and abuse for women are intricately entwined and can almost always be expected to be experienced together in some form or another.
When a woman is considered as “less than” her male counterpart, the potential for abuse to occur rises dramatically. When a man considers himself better than his spouse, demanding no resistance, perfection from his spouse and absolute compliance he is more likely to emotionally abuse his spouse by always putting her down, which in turn can mentally convince a women that what he says is true, and finally, if non-compliance or just the need to release anger arises the man may then result to physical abuse.
Integrative Social Action Plan
Promoting gender equality is a critical part of violence prevention. We need to start as early in a child’s growth as possible, starting in primary school before the children have fully formed gender attitudes and behaviours.
Gender equality should be an important topic even in kindergarten. Making the differential between boys and girls may only be blue and pink, dolls and trucks at this age, but if you engrain in a child that both boys and girls can play the same games and like the same things, it puts each gender on an even playing field, which lessens the chance of a male child feeling dominant over a female child in the future.
A good focus must also be placed on pre-adolescents and their interaction with the opposite sex. Girls entering puberty often become either over exuberant about their sexuality or they become recluse. Girls at this age should be engrained with strength and stability, possibly operating a mentoring program in which girls of a certain age have a mentor who is older and can help them work through their feelings regarding self worth, self esteem, peer issues etc.
Our plan is to have a National Girls Movement. The advocacy plan to advocate on behalf of marginalized, and oppressed women and girls, attending to them when they are young. We will go to classrooms from an early age of development of children, typically Kindergarten. We will stress the issues of inequality of men and women along with the issues of abuse, in an appropriate age level approach. To teach the children from a young age is to instil proper judgement and age appropriate conduct between boys and girls, of all ages. Girls and boys have to realise they are different in some ways, but as a human being they have equal rights and equal opportunities. For instance, a girl can be the Prime Minister or a boy can be a stay at home parent if he wishes. We as a society label which jobs are considered female or male, but if we change the outlook of our future generation, then slowly they will change societies labelling system towards a more equal society. This will always be an ongoing issue and we believe that this type of program should be implemented in regular school teaching curriculums.
As we are learning in Social Justice and Social Change class, change is never immediate. An ongoing fight against inequality will inevitably be a topic for change for even our children and many other generations after us. However, we hope that throughout positive reinforcement regarding equal rights for all, our children will rewrite our wrongs and society will strive to be the best.
Conclusion
For many decades women have been looked down upon, singled out as the weaker sex. But what constitutes weakness? An average woman may not be able to lift a sixty pound suitcase, but they endure nine months of gruelling pregnancy, sickness, doctors appointments, poking and prodding and finally hours (and sometimes days!) of labour. If that isn’t strength, maybe the dictionary needs a new definition for strength. Society itself needs to let go of the old world belief that women are the lesser sex, that they belong in the kitchen, and that they should always come second to their husband or brother.
“Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community.” African Proverb.
References
Causes, protective and risk factors . (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2011, from United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women: Causes, protective and risk factors
Collins, M. (1993, May 1). Violence against women a symptom of inequality. Canadian Speeches , pp. 15-17.
Commonly asked questions about violence against women. (n.d.). Retrieved 07 20, 2011, from Canadian Women's Foundation: http://www.cdnwomen.org/EN/section05/3_5_1_1-violence_facts.html
Connell, R.W. "Live Fast and Die Young: The Construction of Masculinity among Young Working-class Men on the Margin of the Labour Market." Journal of Sociology 27.2 (1991): 141-71
Cotter, A., & Burczycka, M. (n.d.). Shelters for abused women in Canada, 2010. Retrieved 07 22, 2011, from Statistics Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11495-eng.htm#a1
Day, Kristen. 2001. “Constructing Masculinity and Women’s Fear in Public Space in Irvine, California” Gendeer, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography 8 (2) pp.109-127
Glossary. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2011, from BC Society of Transition Houses: http://www.bcsth.ca/content/glossary
Hick, S. Social Work in Canada: An Introduction. Toronto: Thompson
History of Domestic Violence: A Timeline of the Battered Women's Movement. (1999, 09 01). Retrieved 07 18, 2011, from Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse: http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/herstory/herstory.html
Hochschild, Arlie Russell, & Machung, Anne. 1989 The second shift : working parents and the revolution at home / Arlie Hochschild ; with Anne Machung Viking, New York, N.Y
Kaye, D. K. (2004). Gender inequality and domestic violence: implications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention. African Health Sciences Vol 4 No 1 .
Lubman, S. (n.d.). Infanticide detailed in China . Retrieved July 24, 2011, from Abortion TV: http://www.abortiontv.com/Misc/ChinaAbortions.htm
Morris, M. (2000). Some facts and dates in Canadian women's history of the 20th century. Retrieved 07 14, 2011, from Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women : http://criaw-icref.ca/millenium
Pilcher, Jane and Whelehan. 2004. "Domestic division of Labour. " In Fifty key concepts in Gender studies. eds. Jane Pilcher and Imelda Whelehan,30-37. London: Sage.
Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women. (2009). Retrieved 07 22, 2011, from World Heath Organization International: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/gender.pdf
Statistics Canada (2011). Violence against women
Williams, Christine L. “The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the “Female’ Professions” in The Gendered Society Reader, edited by Michael S. Kimmel and Amy Aronson, pp. 322-338. 2007 Oxford University Press.
Women in the Workplace- The Changing History of Female Labour. (n.d.). Success in Your Career, Retrieved 07 18, 2011, from http://www.successinyourcareer.com/datafeed/women-in-the-workplace-%E2%80%93-the-changing-history-of-female-labor
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Assignment 2: Integrative Approach to Social Change
Women: A Story of Inequality, Abuse and a Glimmer of Hope
by Kala Bennett-Alexander, VS, EMP and AW. July 25, 2011
Introduction
For decades women have been considered the weaker sex, treated unequally and abused. Women were almost considered the “others” in certain situations. History tells us the trials and tribulations women had to endure just to live one day to the next in a world where they had no rights, no laws to protect them. This inequality left them to be abused, manipulated and exploited. The fact that men viewed them as unequal’s made it almost alright to abuse them, and there the cycle of inequality started. We have come a long way from the 1800’s, but women are still not viewed as entirely equal on both the work and home front in today’s society.
If we do not irradiate the notion that women are not equal, the instances of abuse will continue to arise with the ebb and flow of inequality. Women have a lot of potential, by educating young people about equality, and instilling strength and belief in young girls to strive to be the best they can.
Inequality
Historically women have been oppressed by gender inequalities in the workforce. Over many years the roles of women have changed dramatically. Traditionally women were not seen to be in the workforce. With the events of World War II and the feminist movement women were able to gain voices and gain certain jobs mostly in the areas of teaching, nursing and serving. Even though these roles were very gender stereotypical of what a women should be doing. As stated in the article ‘Success in your Career’, they say that during World War II women were in the work force “ as the demands of the war created a need to put able bodies to work creating the goods that our servicemen were using to protect our freedoms”( Editors in Career Planning Career Tips Life Skills). Even though women were doing a good deed and helping out in the war, if these women wanted to help out in any other way, they did not have a choice because the roles of care giving and cleaning were still seen as a women’s job.
Workplace Inequality
Today women are taking on roles that in the past you would see only men in. Some of these roles would be managers, doctors, police officers and lawyers. Women were seen as to be delicate and sensitive to emotions and subordinate to men. However, women today have proven that they can exceed in the work force. With this being said Christine Williams article, “The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the Female Profession” she states that, sex segregation is a two way street and we need to drop barriers and have occupational and economic equality. Women are faced with the glass ceiling and the glass escalator. The glass ceiling is “where women go to a certain level in a corporation and she cannot go any higher that they are stopped right there with their positions and wages (Williams, 326). Williams also states, the glass escalator is the fact that some women are able to take advantage of some positions that males are dominated in. Some positions that were females oriented men are still involved. Men can also enter a female dominate position and they can reach or go higher than a female if she was in the position (Williams, 326).
Kristen Day states, “feminine gender identities are produced not in isolation, but through negotiation with and (frequently) polarization from masculine gender identities” (Day, 110). Meaning that feminine gender identities are looked at after, and decided based on masculine identities. While Connell says “I take ‘masculinity’ to be socially constructed form of life or project in time, which approaches the bodily differences of men from women into a social process of gender” (Connell, 143). The meaning is that men and women are raised differently from one another. Through these gender classification individuals have to find a balance in society to what works for them in the labour force. In time, women and men in the workforce will be treated completely equal.
Home Inequality
While looking at gender inequalities when it comes to the household, it is an ongoing issue. Historically, the roll of breadwinner has been fundamentally tied to masculinity, while the role of housekeeper and caregiver has been tied to that of femininity (Pilcher & Whelehan 1989). The nuclear family was always the ideal household. This consisted of a father, mother and the children. The father would be the breadwinner who would work and the mother would be a stay at home mom to clean and take care of the children. Even though these are the stereotypical roles of gender inequalities in the household it is shaped at birth. Right from birth our parents interact with children differently based on their sex; what a boy does from a girl. These gender roles are what shape an individual on how things will be run in their household. If you were raised in a home where they require the women to stay home to care for the family you are more likely to do the same.
Today even with the rise of the cost of living, gender inequalities in the home have changed. Women are increasing joining the workforce and are less likely to be stay at home moms. However, as stated in Arlie Hochschild article, ‘The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home’ talks about how even though they may be working at home they are still responsible for majority of the chores and childcare. This is why it is called the “second shift” because they have jobs in the public sphere and then come home to the private sphere and do more. Majority of the time, women put in more hours of work week between their job and the home. The stay at home image is also fading because education plays a major factor. The more education the women or even man receive, the more likely they are to pursue careers. Pilcher and Whelehan state that “males are doing more cooking, cleaning and household work than they were in the 1950s (Pilcher & Whelehan 1989). Even thought women are thought to be considered equal there are still many people who breed hate and inequality which leads to abuse of those women caught in the crossfire.
Violence against Women
Violence against women comes in many forms and affects many women on both micro and macro levels of society. Each level has been influenced by society’s history involving the inequalities women faced both enduring abuse and unfair treatment.
History
Today’s generation of people believe that violence or abuse against women is a thing of the past, but the reality is that women all over the world are being abused and mistreated. History shows that from the beginning of time women were expected to comply to all demands made by the men in her life. When she was old enough she would marry a man that would then have certain expectations of her and her duties as a wife. In the 1800’s wife beating was extremely common and only caused outrage if it was extremely brutal or life threatening (Wojtczak, 2009). Even thought it was common knowledge and acceptance that a man had the right to beat his wife if she annoyed, disobeyed or spoke ill towards him, the news in the mid 1800’s was rampant with reports of wife beating, but only found interest in the most extreme cases of violence. In 1853 Henry Fitzroy MP remarked that “no one could read the public journals without being constantly struck with horror and amazement at the numerous reports of cases of cruel and brutal assaults perpetrated upon the weaker sex by men who one blushed to think were Englishmen.” (Wojtczak, 2009). This comment makes one think that society at that time believed that yes, the man did have right to do with his wife as he wanted, but only to the extent wherein the women is not disfigured, maimed, or killed.
Physical abuse was considered to be something normal to do to women; but in the world we live in today physically abusing your spouse is considered a crime. In 1909 the law of kidnapping women was passed. Before that date a person could kidnap a woman who was over sixteen without punishment (Morris, 2011). Being captured by a person that you do not know, or whom you do know and keeping you hostage is something that physically, emotionally, and mentally damages any human being. Women have been through a lot over the years; dealing with the law, community members, and husbands alike. Women were not allowed to ask for a divorce without proving to the court with evidence of disloyalty. Without solid proof the woman was not able to file for divorce until the year 1925. Even then, the women had to come up with £1,500 to obtain the divorce, which in the end would mean they would not be allowed to remarry (Morris, 2011).
In Canada, we were blessed to have Margaret Mitchell as one of the first politicians to raise the issue of violence against women in a court of law. Ironically, Ms. Mitchell was a social worker and represented the New Democratic Party. She is known most for one incident which during a municipal meeting she demanded that the government take action to stop domestic violence against women and the other male MP’s laughed at her. It is sad to think that just a couple decades ago, we as Canadians were so backwards and unfair. It is thanks to strong supporters of equal rights such as Ms. Mitchell, that we as women are permitted to thrive as we do today.
Micro
Abuse can happen to anyone, but women and girls seem to be victimized more so than others. Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse, is when one person in the relationship or marriage tries to over power and control the other person. Domestic abuse that involves physical violence is known as domestic violence. Domestic violence and abuse are used for one goal, to gain and maintain total control over the victim. Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to control and manipulate their victim. The abuser may also threaten, physically hurt their victim, or hurt those who matter most around them. Domestic abuse usually will escalate from threats and verbal abuse to physical abuse.
Even though physical and sexual abuse is considered the most obvious danger, emotional and psychological trauma of domestic abuse can be very harmful. Emotionally an abusive relationship can make you feel worthless; it can lead to anxiety and depression, and these issues can be aggravated if there is substance abuse involved as well. The issues women go through while in an abusive relationship can leave lasting scars and many women suffer from mental health issues due to the abuse. Also, women who have children and are in abusive relationships risk losing their children and the risk of an entire breakup of the family. Also, the victim of abuse may have feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation. Substance abuse is usually part of the problem or can add to the problem. In many cases the abuser uses some sort of substance. For instance, alcohol or drugs and the victim of abuse may also use some sort of substance to numb themselves from the physical and emotional pain. Abuse leaves lasting scars on an individual, and in many if not in most cases, victims of abuse need some sort of counseling or intervention. It is very important to mention the signs of an abusive relationship. The most obvious sign is fear of a partner. If the victim feels like they have to constantly watch what they say or do in order to avoid a blow-up, most likely the relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs of an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles their partner or tries to dominate them.
Macro
Although abuse is considered to be a thing of the past in the Western world, it still exists behind the privacy of doors all across the world. Places like Africa and some parts of Asia still treat their women as second rate. For example, in China the male-female imbalance is rising, and there have been reports that there have been targeted abortions of female fetuses after their sex is detected by ultrasound (Lubman). This reflects the low status given to women in most parts of the world. It is perhaps the most violent and disparaging manifestation of the anti-female partiality that infects "patriarchal" societies. There are also many kidnappings of women and female children, wherein they are never to be found again. This happens most often in China when a girl is born into a family that has several other girls ahead of her. It was said that in the 1970’s in China that almost 44.4 percent of female children born to families of six or more children, would mysteriously go missing (Lubman).
Society has become more advanced in the years since the one-child only policy in China was enacted. After the World War II in Canada, women slowly managed to gain small advantages in the work force, to some extent. According to Stats Canada, most, but not all, women staying in shelters on April 15, 2010 were there because of abuse. Of the 4,645 women in shelters on that date, 71% reported abuse as their reason for seeking refuge. The majority of women reported emotional abuse (66%) and physical abuse (53%), while relatively large proportions reported threats (40%), financial abuse (39%), harassment (28%) and sexual abuse (25%) (Cotter & Burczycka). The trend is rising in our society, women are becoming more aware to their surroundings and their legal rights. Some are leaving their abusive partners. This shows by the rate of growing abuse shelters in Canada. While the overall number of shelters in Canada has increased, the growth among the different types of shelters has varied. Statistics Canada states there were 22 more shelters in 2010 than in 2008. Transition homes increased the most and continued to be the most common type of shelter for abused women in 2010. Other increases in 2010 were noted in the number of second-stage housing facilities (up 11 shelters or 11%) and women’s emergency shelters (up 6 shelters or 9%) (Cotter & Burczycka).
Women with disabilities seem to be more victimized than women without disabilities. In Canada, women with disabilities are one in one-half times more likely than non-disabled women to experience some sort of violence in their lifetime. Furthermore 67% of those disabled women surveyed had been physically or sexually assaulted as a child, compared to 44% of non-disabled women (Hick).
In Canada, there are around 509,860 cases of reported and unreported sexual assaults per year, which amounts to 1,397 sexual assaults per day. This daily stat is refined into one women or child being assaulted every minute of every day. Abuse can cause a breakdown of the family which causes many societal problems, for example children may be taken and put into foster care (Commonly asked questions about violence against women)..
Linkage Between Inequality and Abuse
Violence and women’s inequality are inextricably linked. Violence against women and girls is not only a consequence of gender inequality, but reinforces women’s low status in society and the multiple disparities between women and men (UN General Assembly, 2006). Violence against women is both a cause and a result of women’s unequal status in our society, or in other words, violence is a manifestation of women’s inequality (Collins, 1993).
Unbalanced power in relationships render women into a subordinate position than makes them socially and financially dependent on men, with limited access to resources, finances, employment, education and healthcare. Where they exist, cultural, socio-economic, structural and institutional barriers reinforce marginalization of women and any co-existing gender inequality. Such unequal power relations increase women's risks and vulnerability to exploitation and therefore leading to abuse (Kaye, 2004).
Gender inequality and discrimination are root causes of violence against women, which are influenced by a long history of power imbalances between women and men. Violence against women all boils down to women’s general lack of power and control, as well as societal norms that deem what a women’s role is in society, which in turn condones abuse. Inequalities between men and women are numerous in quantity. Inequalities span across public and private realms of life, as well as social economic, cultural and political rights in response to limitations put against women in regards to their choices and opportunities (Causes, protective and risk factors ). Inequalities can increase a women’s risk of being abused, involved in a violent relationship and exploited. Inequalities and abuse for women are intricately entwined and can almost always be expected to be experienced together in some form or another.
When a woman is considered as “less than” her male counterpart, the potential for abuse to occur rises dramatically. When a man considers himself better than his spouse, demanding no resistance, perfection from his spouse and absolute compliance he is more likely to emotionally abuse his spouse by always putting her down, which in turn can mentally convince a women that what he says is true, and finally, if non-compliance or just the need to release anger arises the man may then result to physical abuse.
Integrative Social Action Plan
Promoting gender equality is a critical part of violence prevention. We need to start as early in a child’s growth as possible, starting in primary school before the children have fully formed gender attitudes and behaviours.
Gender equality should be an important topic even in kindergarten. Making the differential between boys and girls may only be blue and pink, dolls and trucks at this age, but if you engrain in a child that both boys and girls can play the same games and like the same things, it puts each gender on an even playing field, which lessens the chance of a male child feeling dominant over a female child in the future.
A good focus must also be placed on pre-adolescents and their interaction with the opposite sex. Girls entering puberty often become either over exuberant about their sexuality or they become recluse. Girls at this age should be engrained with strength and stability, possibly operating a mentoring program in which girls of a certain age have a mentor who is older and can help them work through their feelings regarding self worth, self esteem, peer issues etc.
Our plan is to have a National Girls Movement. The advocacy plan to advocate on behalf of marginalized, and oppressed women and girls, attending to them when they are young. We will go to classrooms from an early age of development of children, typically Kindergarten. We will stress the issues of inequality of men and women along with the issues of abuse, in an appropriate age level approach. To teach the children from a young age is to instil proper judgement and age appropriate conduct between boys and girls, of all ages. Girls and boys have to realise they are different in some ways, but as a human being they have equal rights and equal opportunities. For instance, a girl can be the Prime Minister or a boy can be a stay at home parent if he wishes. We as a society label which jobs are considered female or male, but if we change the outlook of our future generation, then slowly they will change societies labelling system towards a more equal society. This will always be an ongoing issue and we believe that this type of program should be implemented in regular school teaching curriculums.
As we are learning in Social Justice and Social Change class, change is never immediate. An ongoing fight against inequality will inevitably be a topic for change for even our children and many other generations after us. However, we hope that throughout positive reinforcement regarding equal rights for all, our children will rewrite our wrongs and society will strive to be the best.
Conclusion
For many decades women have been looked down upon, singled out as the weaker sex. But what constitutes weakness? An average woman may not be able to lift a sixty pound suitcase, but they endure nine months of gruelling pregnancy, sickness, doctors appointments, poking and prodding and finally hours (and sometimes days!) of labour. If that isn’t strength, maybe the dictionary needs a new definition for strength. Society itself needs to let go of the old world belief that women are the lesser sex, that they belong in the kitchen, and that they should always come second to their husband or brother.
“Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community.” African Proverb.
References
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Collins, M. (1993, May 1). Violence against women a symptom of inequality. Canadian Speeches , pp. 15-17.
Commonly asked questions about violence against women. (n.d.). Retrieved 07 20, 2011, from Canadian Women's Foundation: http://www.cdnwomen.org/EN/section05/3_5_1_1-violence_facts.html
Connell, R.W. "Live Fast and Die Young: The Construction of Masculinity among Young Working-class Men on the Margin of the Labour Market." Journal of Sociology 27.2 (1991): 141-71
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Williams, Christine L. “The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the “Female’ Professions” in The Gendered Society Reader, edited by Michael S. Kimmel and Amy Aronson, pp. 322-338. 2007 Oxford University Press.
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