Women's Rights And Liberation

Women’s Rights and Liberation

[Name of the Student:]

[Name of the Institution:]

Women’s Rights and Liberation

Introduction

Women’s rights have become recognized with efforts made by the feministic movement. It was not very early in the human history that women's rights were given considerable attention. Instead, a feminine mystique have been associated with the fulfilment of women. Women themselves remained confused about their situation whether they meet the social standards or not. They could not understand the cause of their problems. Men could not understand what they need. Even being involved in equal rights movements, men could not support to the required extent due to their unconscious assumption that men were superior to women. The two articles under discussion shed light on the problems faced by women in a male-dominant society, disclose practical hindrances that get in the way, and urge women to do whatever is needed for finding ultimate satisfaction in life.

The Feminine Mystique

The article was written by Betty Friedan (1921-2006) in 1963. She was an author and lecturer, and belonged to the feminist school of thought. Friedan speaks of women’s rights from the perspective of their ignorance and asserts the significance of the issue. She talks about the situation of women in the middle of the 20th century (Friedan, 1963). She argues that women do not know what they lack in life. They fulfil all their duties to the full extent, yet they find themselves guilty before their conscience because of the prevailing mystique associated with their femininity.

She ascertained that women have been hearing about the glory of femininity that kept them from thinking beyond their routine life. They could not be able to establish careers, pursue higher education, or utilize political rights. The American intellectuals even used to criticize any efforts made by enlightened women to create awareness of the issue. They continued to trumpet that women were satisfied with their life in America. The writer exclaims the stirring voice inside a woman’s heart has been ignored and never responded to. The depressive and discouraging questions arising in women’s minds were never answered appropriately. The writer argues that women need something more than just serving their families, such that they have opportunities to grow to their full potential, and find their identity, maturity, and completeness.

Feminism and the Civil Rights Movement

The article represents memos of Casey Hayden and Mary King, which they wrote in 1964 and 1965 during their involvement in the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). They have given remarks that the movement failed in recognizing issues related to women. They stated that the movement focused only on the issue of racial inequality, and that no concern was shown to struggle for eliminating gender discrimination (Hayden, & King, 1965).

The two white female writers disclosed that any time a qualified and competent young woman came to the SNCC, she was assigned a low-protocol or less important job such as typist, receptionist, administrative assistant, cook, etc. The reason behind this attitude toward women was the assumption of male superiority that had been deep-rooted in the subconscious. The writers explained that both men and women of that period were not in a state of mind to be able to understand the seriousness of the issue and show effortless inclination to discuss it purposefully. They exclaimed that women are subjected to a kind of caste system wherein they are assumed to be subordinates of men who exploit them in numerous ways. Though the country’s law does not impose this subordination on women, the social situation will not allow them to escape their misery. The biological differences are often quoted to justify women’s subordination. The writers insisted that women should get rid of their deeply learned fears, have courage for changing their self-perceptions, and indulge in a movement to get their rights recognized by the community.

Works Cited

Hayden, C. and King, M. (1965). Feminism and the Civil Rights Movement. Retrieved November 8, 2019, from https://wwnorton.com/college/history/archive/resources/documents/ch34_02.htm

Friedan, B. (1963). The Feminine Mystique. Retrieved November 8, 2019, from https://cswa.aas.org/status/2006/JUNE2006/FemineMystique.html