Evan: feminism is simply the approach that gives attention to women and making them feel equal to men or still to be given some dignity. In most of the works written by women, they have tried to give value to the women, and construct them as potential people who can help in building the society. They identify that society is not only made of men but women also and thus, they should be given the same special treatment that men are given so that they can upgrade their living standards (Plato). This will also mean that women will not entirely depend on men but they will be able to be independent especially in terms of finance. This is because when they are given an education, they are empowered to do anything they want just like men and that they can secure jobs that can help them to reach the standards that men have gone. Apart from education, there are many other areas that women can be given freedom, such as the freedom to make decisions especially concerning who and who not to marry. In fact, feminism also recognizes that women are not as backward as they used to be centuries ago and that they have qualities that men have or that they can also be as good as men. The only thing that they need is an opportunity to show it. This also seems to be the only thing that women have been denied and if it is given, then things can be different.
Eliza: Sometimes, I get confused on what exactly is meant by the approach. This is because more than once, women do not like doing what men do. For instance, very few women get their way into politics and even when they are forced so many of them remain adamant and they even do not want to vote, leave alone standing to ask for political positions. When you talk of giving women an opportunity, it becomes a confusing thing since I understand that in order for me to get an opportunity, I must fight for it, get the spirit needed and when they show stern intentions, and then they can be given the opportunities. It is also hard to tell if one can really utilize an opportunity that they did not struggle for in the best way possible.
Evan: You see Eliza; it is not true that women are adamant; the problem is that they are trained to be so. If you consider the work of Plato, you can see that Plato advocates that women should be given education. This means that they were refused and during this time; they were unable to do anything but sit at home and make things easier for men who dominated them. Men made women feel that education is only for men and that their work was to serve man. Since that time, only a few have managed to break this norm and to get the education. The other thing that you need to know is that once a notion has been created, it is hard to clear it. However, according to Plato, women are supposed to be given an opportunity to get an education. If only they get an education, then so many things can be changed about them. Plato argues for a society that is inclusive and that recognizes all the members. In Greece, women had very few rights if any! They were totally under the control of men as well under man’s protection. Their only work was to be household managers and nothing more. That meant that the only education they needed was on how they can manage the house and this was given by their mothers or elderly women and formal school was only for the men. Thus, Plato was trying to bring to attention the fact that women too are human beings and they needed to be treated with care and humanity.
Eliza: On the contrary, I think that every community has its own beliefs and customs. Of those customs, the people involved have to agree or dispute them especially if they think they are not fit for them. For instance, why can someone give birth to two children- a boy and a girl and give attention to one while he ignores one just because she is a woman? In a way, I think that women were surely weak. If we go back to the history of man before the formal education started taking root, there were both men and women and while men took up the idea of getting an education, women had nothing to do but to idle around the home. This could be the reasons why men took advantage of them. In fact, women are the cause of their own problems and when they get severe, this is when they cry out the loudest. I cannot deny that I am a woman, but women failed us during that time and they can be blamed for the suffering and pain that the other women who followed them have ever faced.
Evan: You can be right, but you have to know that from the start, men had control over women and they decided what women could or could not do. For instance, in the Greece community where Plato comes from, women were not married but they were actually bought! The pride price that was paid for them was a means of owning them and using them just like any other object (Penrose). Women did not have the right to marry the men they loved but any man who came and was accepted by the man of the home was the one who could marry the women of his choice. Fathers and brothers did not worry whether their daughters and sisters were leading good lives or whether they were treated well, but they almost believed that suffering was part of a woman! That is why in Plato’s Republic, Plato paints a woman as a capable being who can be a ruler or anything they think they can do. Plato also argues that women can even be better than men and they should thus be given an opportunity. He notes, “Then the woman has equally with the man the qualities which make a guardian…” The other thing that women need to do is to believe in them. This is because if they are given opportunities and they are not willing to take them up, then it will be useless and they not do anything with them. Plato also argues the first thing that women need is education, he notes in his republic, “… the same education which makes a man a good guardian will make a woman a good guardian…” (Plato)
Eliza: I seem to agree with you on this point. I realize that men are used to denying women opportunities. When you look at Mary Wollstonecraft 's writings, I notice that she too argues from the same point. She argues that women should be given an opportunity in education so that they get an education just like men are getting. After, getting an education, they should get jobs just as their male counterparts (Wollstonecraft). They should not be discriminated, just because they are female. They should be given the same salary and attention just as men are given. I tend to see that women are marginalized not only in the US but also in the whole globe. She also talks about issues of marriage and freedom of women such that women are not taken as slaves even when they are in their own homes. They should marry the person whom they think will care for them and treat them as human beings.in the least, women need to be given their rights and freedoms as well as respect that is also given to men. It is not good to look at men as the major members of society who are building the economy and societal matters while women are ignored as dependents who will not survive if men were taken away. Both are important members of society and they should be taken seriously. However, you still should see the fact that while Mary Wollstonecraft is trying to give the full potential that is given men to women, Plato still holds back the fact that women can be even better than men and he is only appealing for inclusion. Thus, if you consider the work of Plato and that of Mary Wollstonecraft, you can see that men are not ready to let go their domination!
Evan: Eliza you are right, but please do not forget that at the time when Plato was writing this, so much was hidden from women. He really played a big role in trying to show society that it was not right to have women stay at home and work like slaves for men. It was an era when even asking for a right for a woman was a crime! However, Plato took the risk of communicating that women too can be good leaders if they are given an opportunity. The work of Plato can be said to be the basis of the present day or the modern woman. (Penrose). If you also look at some organizations though, no women are to be given any special attention and a woman is only a flower who is used to give motivation to men to work harder. This is because some men still look at women with the same eye that was used in the past. It is then clear that women are marginalized and that they are only trusted if they get into careers that are thought to be feminine. These include sewing and tailoring, hairdressing, cooking among the others. Office work is meant to be preserved for men only. If you compare the works of Plato and Wollstonecraft, you will see that Plato was fighting in a different era and Wollstonecraft in a different era, when women rights had been recognized. Wollstonecraft is only asking for some more while Plato was starting from Zero and laying the foundation for women’s fair treatment.
Eliza: I find it hard to believe that there are some communities that until now do not look at a woman positively. For instance, in the Middle East, and particularly in Saudi Arabia women have only been allowed to start driving this year, 2017! In the past, it was considered a crime for a woman to drive (Plato). While I do not see any crime in driving, it was highly prohibited. In other countries especially in Africa, women are only to do home-related tasks and office work is preserved for men. So many of them are also forced to marry the men who bring pride price to their homes even without informing the bride to be! This means that they are actually bought just as Plato noted and these cannot be considered as legal marriages! This is a very bad culture that needs to stop and women should be given respect, honor, and dignity that are also given to men. It should be remembered that both of them are equally important and if one of them is taken, the other will not survive! Thus, they are equally important and women should be allowed the full rights that men are also enjoyed.
References
Penrose, Walter Duvall. Postcolonial Amazons: Female Masculinity and Courage in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit Literature. Oxford University Press, 2016, 2016.
Plato. The Republic. Courier Corporation, 2012, 2012.
Wollstonecraft, Mary. Wollstonecraft's Ghost: The Fate of the Female Philosopher in the Romantic Period. Taylor & Francis, 2016, 2016.
Mimizheng
FemaleViewpointreviced1.docx
0
