On The Subjection Of Women
On The Subjection Of WomenStruggle For Equality
Throughout history Women have been subjected to cruel and unfair treatment
in an inequal society designed to oppress the physically inferior woman. Men's
superior strength has too often debacled a woman's ability to strive for success
and reach one's full potential. A man's strength is an insufficient reason to
suppress the powerful voice, and intellect of women. Throughout their struggle
for equality, being oppressed, women have shown that they have the drive to
perservere and come out on top in an unjust society.
John Stuart Mill's work "On The Subjection of Women" tells the story or how
bad it was for woman in his time (1869), women were slaves of men;
they had no property rights; so far as the law was concerned (except under rare
circumstances) everything a woman owned really belonged to her husband; if she
inherited anything, for example, that inheritance immediately became the property
of the husband. In some ways women were even in a worse position than slaves;
slaves had somewhere to go after their work was done which they could call their
own Mill's response to all this is to urge a new principle of equality of the sexes;
that also means freedom for women, at least to the same extent as men have
freedom in society, since the principle includes equality of power. In 1869
women had little opportunity for success, but this was all in 1869. In today's
society women have the same opportunities as men. If they have the intellectual
prowess, and desire, a woman today can reach her full potential.
In the 21st century women determine the outcome of their endeavors. Their
potential for greatness is not suppressed as it was in John Stuart Mill's time. In
the present state of affairs women are not brought up to serve the men. They are
not brought up to be the exact opposite of men. They are brought up to be strong
independent individuals, who do not need to depend on a man for support.
If a woman struggles in today's world it is because of her own unwillingness to
put forth the effort to be a powerful and potent individual. There are isolated
cases where a woman is held back because of her gender, but for the most part if
a woman is just as qualified as a man their opportunities will be equal.
To utter the words female,woman, or girl in most people's mind denotes
inferiority. In "Woman" by Simone de Beauvoir she writes of females in the
animal kingdom and their traits. She writes of female creatures dominant, lazy,
and submissive. She poses the question what kind of female is manifest in
woman? I think the human female is unique from other species of female. For
the the traits that these individual animals possess, the human female possesses
them all.
Women's struggle for gender equality is coming to an end. The opportunities
for men and women are out there, the individual that has the drive to get the job
done will come out on top, whether male or female.