Interpretation of inequality between men and women
Feminism starts from inequality between men and women, from social, historical and cultural constructions that determine the participation of each gender, in turn endorsed by the laws in force and promoting the patriarchal system.
Feminism arises since ancient times as a social movement, one of the most relevant struggles for history, for women with the aim of obtaining rights. In the first instance there is "the first wave" in approximately 1960 until 1980, which was particularly based on obtaining rights that man did, such as the right to property, to work, there were also manifestations that were rather political,Focused on obtaining the woman’s vote, and those women who participated in the movement were called "the suffragists". In "The Second Wave", the claims were avoided rather to an issue about sexuality, abortion, family, marriage, etc.
After suffering and World War II, a precursor figure is located, which contributed to the formation of feminism and established new principles. Simone Beauvoir presents his book "The Other Sex" in 1949 where he analyzes the situation and role of women in a given context. On this premise, it is that feminism emphasizes and enhances as a radical feminism.
It is from this phrase, which Simone broke with the established idea that femininity was defined by biological reasons, and then stated that the roles of both men and women were assigned and were based on a social construction.
Several authors today, establish the differences in "gender" and "sex". Starting from what sex is, it is a matter determined by medicine and biology, which can be understood as chromosomal sex, gonadal, hormonal, physiological or anatomical sex. On the other hand, the genre starts from a social, historical and cultural construction: are those roles designated to each genre, which were established, accepted and reproduced over time. Also, the genre can also be attributed the qualities or characteristics that man or woman has as for example, the woman is loving, she is weak, she is sweet, she is submissive.
When Simone says "Woman is not born, you get to be", it refers to social construction and stereotypes to fulfill that the female gender leads.
Society throughout history meets a fundamental role in this social construction of terminologies and acceptance based on ethical, moral, and good customs established. This also makes the structuring of the roles of each individual and their own participation, according to their gender and sexual orientation.
This author also mentions the "concept of human being as freedom, therefore as transcendence: as a being that you want, what you want, that projects". From this concept, it is understood that both men and women being beings who want, who live, project, dream, should be free beings. However, at present, we can say with certainty that the society in which we find ourselves is governed under social constructs, and it is these that generate an inequality between the female gender and the male gender.
The roles assigned according to gender begin from the moment they are born, from the clothes, the colors, the toys that are allowed to play: “The girls are put a doll in hand from their earliest childhood tobe instilling the vocation for motherhood;They are taught to be sweet, lacking initiative, resigned, etc.". The same institutions are responsible for complying with social guidelines. In hospitals, in schools, in houses, or the Church itself as an institution and Catholicism predominant religion at least in Argentina. The indoctrination of part of the school institutions, both in primary and in secondary school with a decrease in conservative, patriarchal line and without a gender perspective.
As for inequality, it is clearly constituted about the sexual difference that was believed to be a biological issue, and the woman was left as "weak sex", or as the author calls "the woman as a subject built asotherness". This means that, the woman simply for her biological condition of being a woman has her condition as a result of procreating. That is, the fact of being a woman understands it as an act of vulnerability for everything that entails being a woman in terms of physiological issues such as menstruation, pregnancy, give birth, motherhood. It is not a rejection of the female body and the physiological issue, but are issues that differentiate us from the male gender.
As for motherhood, the feminist in question considers it as something imposed on women for the simple fact of being a woman. And it is not misguided. If we go back in time, and analyze the situation of women who decided to be a mother, it is precisely because of the role assigned by society. Society is the one who established women that their only objective is to create a family, have a marriage, have children. Society set aside women, granting them in contrast to the great protagonist roles of history, with works and rights, that the woman identified with the assigned guidelines of the time without questioning and without the right to decide their destiny or theirown dreams. Thus is that the woman, accepted that role and responsibility that entails, that is, unpaid domestic tasks and child parenting.
The idea of our grandmothers, mothers or aunts is to be mothers, we have a man next to us, as if that were our only goal. The reality is that social and cultural contexts changed radically. Today, the change of paradigm lies that the woman aims. So, the woman was doing a place in history and continues to claim for the lack of rights in different areas of our life.
While Beauvoir does not criticize or question the decision of women who decide to be mothers, she sees it as an obstacle. "What must be condemned is the ideology that encourages all women to be mothers and the conditions under which they have to be". Returning to the issue of social construction again, the fact that women have been granted the role of staying at home performing domestic tasks or taking care of their children, it was a way of silently having much of society and contributingWith the order, that is, the imperative that women have of being a mother is not because.
In a nutshell, motherhood as a starting point is an imperative from the society that forces women to comply with the idyllic stereotype of a woman and prevent, thus, the realization and emancipation project of women. It is this same imperative, that from the misinformation in terms of integral sexual education, it is that many women who do not want or do not know if they want to be mothers, end up being in deplorable matters, or social, economic, cultural and political situations thatMaybe they would not have wanted to have a child, or the responsibility of parenting and everything that implies.
At present, the fight of legal, safe and free abortion is precisely in force for these reasons. Not all women are in the same economic situation, or in the situation we would like to be mothers. Maybe we still haven’t decided if we want to be. Maybe today is not the time, perhaps in a couple of years. And regardless of the reason we want to be, it is that many women manifest themselves in favor of abortion for a matter of public health, which avoids the death of many women who carry out the clandestine abortion, to avoid thatput your life at risk.
The emancipation of women is also the possibility of being able to decide on our body, about our dreams, about our responsibilities, about our freedom and about our independence.
Beauvoir, also denounces “marriage and family as myths to destroy, institutions that must be abolished if you want to achieve a true release of women and adolescents.”As the Church or school, family and marriage are established institutions and imposed above all to women, with sexist, conservative and patriarchal ideologies, which oppress the woman stipulating unpaid work as we already state. Destroying institutions that prevent the free decision of women, it is the only way in which a parity can be achieved between genders, and a future where children and adolescents can be part of their decisions.
Social constructions and stipulated and categorized roles for each gender leave us as a clear distinction of rights, which is reflected in the current laws. This inequality established in society is transmitted to intrafamily relationships, thus reinforcing the patriarchal system and stigmatization of women as responsible for domestic tasks and children’s care.
This, we can see it clearly in Law 26.061 “Integral Protection Law”, where in its art 7 it establishes:
[…] “The father and mother have common and equal responsibilities and obligations in regard to the care, development and integral education of their children.
State agencies must ensure appropriate policies, programs and assistance so that the family can properly assume this responsibility, and for parents to assume, on equal terms, their responsibilities and obligations."
Another legislation where we can observe that the patriarchal social construction is protected by the laws, which are not yet modified, is the same employment contract law, which establishes that the 100% remunerated maternity license is 90 days for thewoman and 2 days for men.
Legislation intensifies social constructions or stereotypes established in society, affirming while child care or housework are merely female work. The existing labor legislation, and the conceptions established in society, limit the responsibility of the male gender and in any case, they also endorse the absence of their prominence, resulting in the naturalization of women as the only person responsible for the intrafamily scope and care of the care of theHouse-
In conclusion, based on a society in which social constructs were established over time, which were accepted and reproduced, is that today we find a society with gender inequality where the woman is in the background. Where the institutions themselves generate this inequality either through teaching or part of the State, through laws that emanate inequity as it does in the maternity leave and the absence of legislation that establishes the paternity license. The same laws encourage the patriarchal system and reproduce to the smallest areas.
Personally I believe that the feminist movement opened the doors to deal. That is why the issues set out that should be part of the public agenda to analyze and carry out, laws that protect women in their body’s decision under the imperative of being mothers, who cooperate with female emancipation. I also believe that more rights should be granted to men in terms of domestic areas as it is in the case of the paternal license. All these issues I consider them significant, since they would point to an equitable society.
Bibliography
- MARIA TERESA LOPEZ PARDINA. Simone Beauvoir. II. PF.
- Simone Beauvoir. "The other sex". 1970.
- Law 26.061 Integral protection http: // services.Infoleg.Gob.Ar/Infoleginternet/Annexes/110000-114999/110778/standard.htm
- Law 20 744 of employment contract art 158 incos) – special licenses and art 177. http: // services.Infoleg.Gob.Ar/Infoleginternet/Annexes/25000-29999/25552/Texact.htm
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