Feminism should be considered a global movement.

Sandra 11911403

Introduction

Have you ever noticed the lack of representation of women figures in history? It’s factual that women have always constituted 50% of the population, yet they occupy only around 0.5% of recorded history (English Heritage, 2016). Brace yourself — we’re about to explore why feminism isn’t just a local case. Historically, our societies have been constructed based on a male-dominated narrative where women and other minorities do not share equal rights, opportunities, and recognition as men. This disparity has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only individual lives but also the overall development and well-being of societies. Feminism refers to the belief in full economic, social, and political justice and equality for the sexes (Evans, 2015). Feminism isn’t about creating a sliding scale of who is worse off nor victimizing the mistreated; it is about understanding the ways inequality can affect minorities and society as we are all interconnected. This essay will argue that Feminism should be considered a global movement by looking into women’s underrepresented achievements, unequal challenges, and Feminism’s positive impact on society’s development.

Underrepresented Contributions

Feminism portrays the inequalities that women have been suffering throughout history, providing the public with a picture of how systemic biases and discriminatory practices persistently shape women’s lives. Historically, women and their major, societal contributions are underrepresented due to their traditional role as homemakers. Notable examples such as Caroline Herschel being a significant contributor to astronomy with her discovery of 35P/Herschel–Rigollet and the first woman to hold a government position in England, are often undershadowed by male astronomers like Galileo Galilei or Nicolaus Copernicus. A systematic bias as such creates an unequal balance in perspective, distorting our understanding of history and limiting the recognition of women’s achievements. It also results in the lack of female role models for the younger generation to look up to. Feminism, a movement that fights for equal treatment and opportunities, attempts to restore this imbalance of underrepresented women’s achievement. Judy Chicago, an iconic Feminist artist, is a remarkable example of feminism seeking to recite this historical imbalance. Her famous artwork ‘The Dinner Party,’ comprises a large triangular dining table, measuring 48 feet on each side, with 39 place settings for female historical and mythical figures and an additional 999 names carved on the table’s brick base. For instance, for English writer Adeline Virginia Woolf, Chicago thoughtfully conveyed Woolf’s advocacy of unrestricted expression with a blooming flower design and her identity as a writer with a quill pen (Brooklyn Museum, n.d.). The flower form serves as a metaphor for the fruitfulness of Woolf’s creativity. The delicate chiffon fabric used for her runner addresses Woolf’s mental fragility. On the front of the runner, the wave pattern embroidered around the letter “V” in her name can be either interpreted as a reference to her book “The Waves” or her death by drowning. In terms of color palette, Woolf’s plate features colors ranging from deep pink in the center to a light celadon at the outer edges. This color palette demonstrates the association with writing and paper, highlighting her contribution to literature (Brooklyn Museum, n.d.). Overall, The Dinner Party worked against the traditionally male-dominated society and challenged the limited representation of minorities, spreading the achievement of women to the audience around the world. This case study highlights the significance of Feminism on gender equality. It underscores the impact of Feminism on a global scale, demonstrating why it should be considered as a global movement.

Biased Challenges and Discrimination

Today, despite being considered a “more inclusive society,” women are still facing various kinds of unequal challenges and discrimination. The traditional homemaker stereotype is still present in modern society. First of all, conducted studies have shown that men do less housework in comparison to women, especially after a couple has their first child (Shepherd & Chiu, 2020). This is primarily due to said stereotypes about women. Subsequently, women do not acquire the same opportunities as society claims. Company managers often prefer hiring male employees over female employees going through motherhood, knowing the fact that they require days off for labor, recovery, and their newborn. As a result, many women are left with little to no room to progress in their careers while men do not experience the same issue. Why do men have the opportunity to pursue their careers and ambitions, while women often face the dilemma of choosing between their professional aspirations and family responsibilities? This is due to whats called “work-family narrative.” In addition, according to UN Women, there is a significant lack of diverse perspectives in the decision-making process in the workforce. Their study shows that only 27 percent of parliamentary seats, 36 percent of local government seats, and 28 percent of management positions are held by women (UN WOMEN, 2023). The indication of the study isn’t coincidental but a type of societal bias. There is a common misconception that men are more capable of important jobs or leadership positions. In fact, in reference to the Pew Research Center, 40% of the respondents across the countries surveyed men should have more rights to a job than women when jobs are scarce (Fetterolf & Horowitz, 2020). The aforementioned facts have demonstrated the seriousness of the issues and the importance of raising Feminism as a global movement.

Positive Impacts on Society (Economic, Social, and Political)

Feminists challenge the traditional male-dominated social norm, fighting for equal rights for all genders and raising the voices of minorities and the underrepresented. Promoting equal rights and dismantling harmful stereotypes, not only provides minorities the rightful social justice but also drives positive change and social growth in society. It has been shown that gender equality plays a crucial role in reducing poverty and promoting sustainable economic growth. According to a case study done by Collegenp, countries with higher levels of gender equality often obtain higher economic growth rates and a higher level of human development (Collegenp, 2023). Ranking first in gender equality (BBC), Iceland, for instance, promotes equal pay, parental leave, and women’s political representation (Ruggeri, 2023). This has significantly improved their economic growth by having a higher Human Development Index score, a bigger female workforce participation, and more women in leadership roles, which brings more diverse and unbiased decision-making and strategies to the table. The McKinsey Global Institute has also addressed the association between gender parity. In their “full-potential” scenario in which the participation of women in the workforce is identical to men, it is estimated that there will be an addition of 28 trillion US Dollars, or 26 percent to the global GDP in comparison to the usual scenario society has. This is equivalent to the size of the Chinese and the US economies combined (McKinsey&Company, 2015). An increase in global economic growth as such can potentially contribute to solving many major issues the world is facing today, highlighting the importance of gender equality and bringing Feminism on a global scale. Subsequently, Feminism has also contributed to social changes. As Feminist principles raise the voices of minorities, it has been promoting a much more inclusive and welcoming society by challenging stereotypes and gender norms. Feminism has been contributing to racial and social discrimination, leading to social movements and policy changes regarding the matter. Feminists have fought for and achieved women’s right to vote. The 19th Amendment in the United States granting women’s suffrage is a notable example. Today, Feminists are not only fighting for their own rights and justice, but they also play a crucial role in advancing movements for racial justice and LGBTQIA+ rights (Collegenp, 2023). Last but not least, feminism has notably contributed to greater political participation and representation for women. Since history, we have been lacking women’s representation in political leadership positions. Despite showing significant improvement today, politicians in most countries in the world are still predominantly men. By addressing gender inequalities, feminist activism pushes for more equitable representation in political institutions (Evans, 2015). With the necessary amount of representation of women and minorities, it ensures the minimum percentage of their participation in decision-making and policies (Collegenp, 2023). Furthermore, not only it bring in a more diverse perspective, it also challenges the traditional misconception that “only men should be in charge.” Ultimately, Feminism helps shape a more inclusive and equal representation in terms of political development.

Conclusion

In short, this essay has explored the impact of Feminism on the underrepresenting achievements, unequal challenges, and positive changes in society. Feminism has proven to have contributed towards restoring the balance of underrepresented women’s achievements, spreading awareness regarding gender equality and mistreatment, and providing economic, social, and political benefits to society. Hence, it is evident that Feminism should be considered as a global movement. As stated by Feminist author Mona Eltahawy at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, “At a time when women’s rights are under attack in so many places, it’s more important than ever to think globally and stand in solidarity with women around the world. Feminism isn’t just about the rights of women in the Western world — it’s a global movement that fights for the rights and equality of women everywhere (Eltahawy, 2023).”

References

Brooklyn Museum. (n.d.). Components of the Dinner Party. Retrieved from https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home

Chiu, A., & Shepard, K. (2020, February 28). What Taylor Swift wants you to see in ‘The Man,’ her gender-bending takedown of the patriarchy. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/28/the-man-taylor-swift/

Collegenp. (2023, April 29). The Power of Feminism: How Feminist Principles Drive Positive Change and Social Growth in Society. Retrieved from https://www.collegenp.com/article/the-power-of-feminism/

Eltahawy, M. (2023). Global Feminism: Mona Eltahawy. Retrieved from https://www.events.unsw.edu.au/article/global-feminism-mona-eltahawy

English Heritage. (2016, February 29). WHY WERE WOMEN WRITTEN OUT OF HISTORY? AN INTERVIEW WITH BETTANY HUGHES. Retrieved from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/why-were-women-written-out-of-history-an-interview-with-bettany-hughes/

Evans, E. (2015). Feminism and Women’s Political Representation. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137295279_7

Fetterolf, J., & Horowitz, J. M., (2020, April 30). Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality, Even as Many See Advantages for Men. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/04/30/worldwide-optimism-about-future-of-gender-equality-even-as-many-see-advantages-for-men/

McKinsey&Company. (2015, September). THE POWER OF PARITY: HOW ADVANCING WOMEN’S EQUALITY CAN ADD $12 TRILLION TO GLOBAL GROWTH. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Public%20and%20Social%20Sector/Our%20Insights/How%20advancing%20womens%20equality%20can%20add%2012%20trillion%20to%20global%20growth/MGI%20Power%20of%20parity_Executive%20summary_September%202015.pdf

Ruggeri, A. (2023, September 28). The world’s most gender-equal countries. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230927-the-worlds-most-gender-equal-countries

UN WOMEN (2023, September 7). The 11 biggest hurdles for women’s equality by 2030. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2023/09/the-11-biggest-hurdles-for-womens-equality-by-2030