Human equality (Man & Woman) Essay

Introduction Human Equality means the state of being equal before the eyes of God. All have equal responsibilities, equal rights, and equal parts in the society they belong. In ancient times men did not treat the woman – folk with justice and fairness, they show arrogant in that time and show to the woman that they are more intelligent and more knowledgeable from them. The inferiority complex from which woman suffers has its roots in the remote past. The social framework which has remained basically unchanged assigned to her a status much lower than that of man. According to the scriptures that woman was created for the man to be a â€Å"helpmeet† for him. Woman got its named because she was â€Å"taken out of man†. Her obligations were for marriage, procreation, establishing and maintaining a home, providing for the family, and as personal companionship of a husband. In ancient times man made society, the dice were heavily loaded against her. The powerful forces of custom, law and religion were ranged against her. Woman in ancient times could not own property in her own right. She could not choose her own mate. Woman had no right in anything around her. This research paper will discuss about the human equality happen to woman in the different places and to the different cultures they have. Body of the Paper Human Equality has been experience even since during ancient times, it is the practice of the people in the past that woman is not a high regard individual, the focus of the people at that time merely on the man who they think will be a great help for them. Human rights for the woman were being neglected. It is their belief that when a mother gives birth to a baby girl it is a bad luck for the family especially when it is the first born baby in the family. But when the mother gives birth to a baby boy the whole family well rejoice for the coming of the baby because they believed that it is a sign of good luck for them. Women rights refer to the social and human rights being an individual. From women’s involvement within the abolition movements, women became aware of the male dominance and oppression (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) in ancient times women are struggling for the equality treatment they get from their parents and from the people in the community. In ancient times in Athens woman role is to live controlled by the man in their lives and they are controlled by their father when they are not yet married. They are forced to marry in their teen’s period to a man whose age is 30s with the choose of their father, Once a woman was married her husband controlled all her property. Any property that she might have inherited would go directly to her husband, her obligations is just to follow what her husband wants and be a slave to him for the rest of her life. In Athens, woman had no rights to wander around the town, without a valid cause. Because they believed that any respectable woman would not be seen roaming in public. Athens women had virtually no political rights they don’t have the right to vote or to take part in the operation of the state. Woman was controlled by men at all stages of their lives they don’t have all the rights to go against the well of their husbands. They are totally the property of their husband. In Athens, the men usually spent most of their time away from their houses, women dominated their home life. In the absence of their husband the wife was in charge of raising the children and making clothes for the family. She’s responsible in supervising the daily running of the household chores. Athens is a totally slave based economy, where plentiful numbers of female slaves was their available for cooking, cleaning and carrying water from the fountain for the middle class families. In the poorest homes of Athens, the wife was expected to do all the household chores. At present times, Athenians women have already freedom from their husband. They can give birth normally and raise their child as what the other mother is doing. Women now can participate in all the activities in the society they belong. Some of the women now have a high position in their chosen career. In ancient China women lived under the rules set by Confucius. His doctrine stated that women weren’t equal to men, because according to him women were unworthy or incapable of a literary education they are just fitted to be a servant. Throughout ancient Chinese history women were in a position of servitude from birth until death. They were actually considered woman as a man’s private property (Heng) this was justified because they believed that â€Å"disorder of this world is not sent down by heaven, it is produced by women† (women in world history. com pg. 3). Women were subject from birth to their fathers and brothers. They had to obey them without question. Women were often despised by their fathers, so much so that many Chinese women had no name. They were simply called daughter No. 1, Daughter No. 2 and so on. At present government in China, Women are already recognized. They have an equal rights with the men in the society, The father can only suggest and recommend what is good for their children’s but the final decision come from the children. At this time in China after giving birth to the child they already got their names and they are already a part of the community. In the Islam concept, they propagate a concept of equality between man and woman because they believed that Allah has created both man and woman for their own specific purposes. Both have their own right to be respected and honored. But it is in their traditions that woman has no right to choose the right man for them to marry, it is the parents who will decide whom they will spend the rest of their lives. In this modern times, Islam women still agreed the decision of their parents in terms of their marriage, but some of them especially the educated ones choose whom they want to married not looking what might be the risk that they will get for their decisions. In these modern times the females enjoy their freedom to have quality education. Now they are free to go anywhere they want to travel. They can wear any styles of dresses and they can have anything’s they want to own. In Egypt, the woman were consistently concluding some contracts, including marriage and divorce settlements, purchase of property and even arrangements for self – enslavement, Under self – enslavement the servitude was stipulated for a limited number of years. And on the duration of self enslavement, women often received a salary of their labor. In regards to the occupation status of the woman the upper and middle class was limited only for the home and for the family for the reasons of the customary role of being the mother and the bearer of the children. In Egypt woman were not entrusted to any major religious task and any primary position in the government sector. At this present times in Egypt. Woman has already the rights to acquire quality education. And they have all the rights for a good job in the community. Some of the Egyptian women at this time have a good position in the government. They have all the rights to vote and can participate in any activities in the state. In Ancient Israel some of the liberal feminists believe that women were simply the property in Ancient Israel, and it is the men who have the complete control of female sexuality and fertility. In their society woman have had an inferior status in the law, their main obligations focus on their roles in the family, especially in the reproduction and upbringing of the children. The Jewish and Christian communities downgraded the place of the woman in the community. Because they believed that woman is only a part and they considered them as an outcast in the society. Today, Israel acknowledges the great participation of women in their success. Some of the women in their country at present serve in the government; they are now well respected and honored. Some of them get high positions in their chosen career; they have all the freedom to exercise their rights in the society. In 1950’s women were blamed for creating the ills of the society by just leaving their husbands and children to go to work, critics of the working mother maintained the view that if the woman were to ignore their deepest needs of domesticity and motherhood, it would lead to emotional instability. In that year equality reveal because men held the vast majority of the position in the work place and job opportunities offered to woman is only in the clerical positions. Despite the rapid success of recent years women still face many challenges in life. While they are equal under the law, Because of recent moves towards capitalism women have found it harder to find well paying jobs. Factories and businesses prefer to recruit men more because of women’s traditional responsibilities of having kids and maintaining households. Women are not seen as efficient as men are. So many women have gone into low-paying jobs or are receiving lower pay for the same work this though has had unfortunate side effect. Families, especially those in the country, want to have a boy to do heavy farm work and to continue the family line. If they get a girl it isn’t uncommon for her to be killed. Fewer girls than boys are enrolled education in some countries today, especially in poor areas. More than 70 percent of school dropouts are girls, some because many fathers want them to take a traditional role and look after the house. In ancient Romans, most women deal with the aristocracy. In the upper class families it was the men who got the best education and the best positions in the society. The women in their society shared over one overwhelming and pervasive role and responsibility as child bearer of the family. Roman women were usually married by the time they were twelve years old, sometimes even younger. Girls married very young and often died in childbirth because they were weakened from having many children without reprieve. Women were expected to have as many babies as they could because they were never sure how many of the children would reach the age of maturity. In Roman, women have no choice between having children or not, because they could not overrule their husband if he want to have a newborn baby from her. It is in their law that female infants could not bring the family name of the father and they are required to ask for a dowry in time of their marriage. The earliest power of the father was exercised over the exposure of the families, at birth, in a highly symbolic rite, newborns were be displayed – males and females – it is deposited at the feet of the father. He – without explanation or justification – either recognized the child as his by picking it up, or withheld his recognition by leaving it where it was, The recognized child will became the member of the family; and the unrecognized child was abandoned to the river or left to die by starvation. Roman Woman did have some personal freedom, but they had a little chance for individuality or personal choice. They were always the constant supervision of their fathers, husbands, male relatives, who regularly kissed them on the mouth to find out if they had drunk wine. It is their law that woman who drink wine, and to commit adultery will be punish by death. By their father or guardians. In Roman society the woman certain prescribed roles was a child bearer, mother, daughter, and wife. They are considered citizens but they were not permitted to vote or participate in the government functions. In Japan, in the early feudal period, samurai women were expected to exhibit loyalty, bravery, and take on the duty of revenge. As her warrior husband was often absent, the samurai wife also had important duties at home. Her responsibility was to cook food for the family and to do all the household chores. She was in charged to oversee the harvesting of crops, and managed of all the servants, and she’s responsible over all financial business in terms of earnings disorder. In all the matters concerning the well-being of the family, her advice was accepted and her opinions were respected. On her, custody fells the burden of providing the proper education of her children. She was required to instill a strong sense of loyalty to the samurai ideals of courage and physical strength. And the woman is required to obey and follow all the government procedures without any questions. Over the years, the independent samurai woman was replaced by an image which depicted the ideal samurai women as humble, obedience, self-controlled and above all subservient to men. Respecting one’s husband and family’s customs and tradition, and the rule of bearing a male child becomes one of the ideal woman’s most important tasks. By the later feudal ages, the law of primogeniture prevailed as increasing disputes over the claiming of the property that resulted that girls was being debarred from their rights to inherits properties from their parents and husbands. Supporting the deterioration in women’s position were both the Confucian doctrine and Buddhism which denigrated women’s intellectual and moral capacities to own a property of their own. After the 15th century, the teachings of the â€Å"Three Obedience’s† reigned. Stated as follows that; â€Å"A woman has no way of independence through life. When she is young, she obeys her father; when she is married, she obeys her husband; when she is widowed, she obeys her son. † A hundred years ago, women had little standing in the Church, like in society in general. Women were not allowed to receive communion during their monthly periods; and after giving birth to a child they needed to be ‘purified before re-entering a church building. Women were strictly forbidden to touch sacred objects such as, the chalice, the paten or altar linen†¦ They certainly could not distribute Holy Communion. In church, women needed to have their heads veiled at all times. Women were also barred from entering the sanctuary except for cleaning purposes reading Sacred Scripture from the pulpit, preaching, singing in a church choir, being Mass servers, becoming full members of confraternities and organizations of the laity, and the most important than all this that women were barred from receiving Holy Orders. In our time, a new awareness has arisen of human rights: of the basic equality of men and women, and of the need to secure equal opportunities to all. On account of this the attitude to women has also begun to change in the Church. Women may now be ‘temporarily deputed’ to be readers, Mass servers, cantors, preachers, leaders of prayer services, ministers of baptism and of Holy Communion. But the ban on ordination remains in place. Conclusions Human Equality in the Ancient times are difficult to achieved, the Woman in that times are maltreated and known to be an overcast of the society. They can’t fight for their rights because they are under the power of their father whom to be powerful for the control of their lives. Some of them suffered and died without any justice in their lives. In these modern times, Women are smarter than man, they have all the right before the laws, and they are free to do what is right for them. Some woman of today civilizations was holding high position in the government; they are exposed to any skills and works that only man can do. Since those early years, much progress has been made for women in developed and developing countries alike: in many countries, provisions guaranteeing the enjoyment of human rights without discrimination on the basis of sex have been included in constitutions; legal literacy and other measures have been introduced to alert women to their rights and to ensure their access to those rights; the world community has identified violence against women as a clear violation of women’s rights; incorporating gender perspectives into regular programmers and policies has become a priority at the United Nations and in many member states. Although much remains to be done to achieve full equality, the voices of women are being heard. There is a saying that goes, because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, â€Å"She doesn’t have what it takes. They will say, â€Å"Women don’t have what it takes. † (Clare Boothe Luce). Today generations, woman can already compete or surpass the accomplishments of the man in terms of work and positions in the government. Woman of today can do mush well than the man in all aspects of technology. Authorities have to realize those women are not going to face discrimination because they are only women. This world must realize that women of today are fighting for their rights because they want to be equal to men because they want to join their hands together to utilize potentials to the fullest of their abilities. In this expanding world it is important for all the people to be united to firmly stand despite of all the trials with the help of a common goal to express our own right and concern for life. Through all the successes of women’s in the 70’s and 80’s women began to dream big dreams. Crossing all the economic, social, psychological and political barriers we the women of the present times want to tell the male chauvinist world that we are not merely a commodity found in the advertisements. This is a wake up call for both the genders that the elimination or the decreasing number of either sex will pose greater threat to the future generations. In one of the scriptures, says a reminder for all the people concern that, â€Å"Be careful if you make a woman cry because god sees her tears. A woman came out of man’s rib not from his feet to be walked on, not from his head to be superior over, but from his side to be equal†. Finally and most important, that women of today are giving back to work and not simply taking, knowing that they are privileged to any aspects of life but mostly these women use their knowledge, money, and power to make the lives of the less fortunate a better one.. As women have fought a constant battle toward equality and opportunity, and the world was benefited by their works and accomplishments for the progress of all. References: Bains Kaur Gurmanjot, Because I am a Woman, Retrieved December 3. 2006 from http://www. livepunjab. com/node/1954/print Jacobw500, Role of Women in China – Ancient times and Today, Retrieved December 3, 2006 From http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/4637. php Lewis Jone Johnson, Women and Marriage in Ancient Rome – Chapter 1, Retrieved December 3, 2006 from http://womenshistory. about. com/cs/ancientrome/a/roman_wm_10101b. htm Mason K. Moya, Ancient Roman Women: A Look at their Lives, Retrieved December 3, 2006. From http://www. moyak. com/researcher/resume/papers/roman_women. html Modern Times 1950-Present Day, Retrieved December 3, 2006 from http://www. angelfire. com/ca/HistoryGals/Elisa. html Samurai Sisters: Early Feudal Japan, Retrieved December 3, 2006 from http://www. womeninworldhistory. com/sample-08. html Walsh John W. Women in Ancient Israel, Retrieved December 3, 2006 from http://www. crystalinks. com/egyptianwomen. html What is it all about – in a nutshell? Retrieved December 2, 2006 from http://www. womenpriests. org/summary. asp.