21st century women march on

by Jannelys Santos, highlights, Opinion, March 2009

In a culture of anti-talent, it seems as though the mainstream media serves little purpose. With all its colloquialism centred around futile issues, the media has become a place of perverse entertainment, void of any depth or significant social impact. Still, a recent incident between two rising stars – namely, Chris Brown and Rihanna – has shed light on a pressing issue. Rihanna’s father reportedly said that his daughter should continue her relationship with Brown. Violence against women might be considered a thing of the past, but the sad reality is that the issue is more pertinent than ever. It has been an issue women have faced for centuries, whilst efforts to eradicate have been plagued with misapprehensions from the start.

                According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The National Institute of Justice, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence, one in every four women has experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, while three in four women has been raped and/or physically assaulted since the age of 18. The Human Rights Watch reports a 42 percent increase in domestic violence and a 25 percent increase in sexual violence over the past two years. It is difficult to understand how such an intellectually and culturally advanced country can remain so obtuse about such a shocking matter.

                Why is it that we as a culture, both men and women, digress on the most fundamental of issues? Mutual respect between genders should be an innate aspect of life. Simply put, there is nothing that anyone could ever do which would justify violence against a woman (or anyone, for that matter). Most importantly, violence against women should not be considered a woman's issue – it is a universal problem which requires effort from both sexes. A true man should care enough for humanity to stand up for women's rights. There is no point in fighting terrorists overseas when you are a terrorist in the comfort of your own home, behind closed doors.

                The most daunting aspect of all this has to be the fact that there exist women who have fallen prey to this culturally indoctrinated misogynistic thinking which passively accepts this evil pandemic. What has become of the modern day feminist? Unfortunately, the term was quickly littered with misconceptions. In brief, the textbook definition of feminism states that it is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” Though feminism's birth cannot be pinpointed exactly, it is safe to say that its rise began sometime around the late 18^th century. Feminist scholars divide its history into three separate waves, beginning with the Suffrage movement around the beginning of the 20^th century, followed by the second wave dealing with the inequality of laws during the 1960s through the 1980s, and the third and current wave is a response to the previous wave's faults and limitations. The most prevalent misconception about feminism is that it is the idea that feminists hold the belief that women are superior to men. The average philistine thinks of a feminist as a man-hating lesbian, burning her bra and growing a mustache. Yet, in its purest form, feminism is a celebration of woman's infinite capabilities and the freedom to choose.

                Even the fact that feminism’s history is so recent is upsetting. It was only until 1920 that women were granted the right to vote. The Wright Brothers had already created the first gas motored and manned airplane. Albert Einstein published the Theory of Relativity and created the famous equation, E = MC2. Nonetheless, despite all these intellectual developments, it took 20+ centuries for man to admit that women were capable of making valid votes. Recently, President Obama passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which seeks to ameliorate the revolting reality – women earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. It is appalling that man had to “grant” women the right to vote, as if it were an act of mercy or kindness. Though I acknowledge the advancements, it is increasingly frustrating that man feels these rights are there’s to endow.

                With regards to the Chris Brown and Rihanna incident, however, a CNN survey reports that over half of all young people believe Rihanna was to blame for the entire incident. Somehow, both men and women are able to find logic in Brown’s actions. Have we lost sight of all attempts to progress? It is statistics like this which make me fear for the future of humanity as a whole.

                It seems as if, though publicly frowned upon, Americans are quick to turn the cheek when it comes to violence against women, refusing to accept it as a relevant issue. In our minds, it is something distant, occurring in third world countries where female circumcision still takes place. We shake our heads and frown and the floor while little is done to mend things. We turn on our television sets and giggle at the underlying sexism which pervades our entire lives. We know violence against women occurs; we just don't give a damn. Society continues to bow its head in silence, convinced that making March Women’s History Month could appease those of us with an actual conscience and utter disgust at the ongoing plight of women. Just as Obama’s election cannot mend the injustices done to African Americans, a mere tip of the hat to Emilia Earheart and Josephine Baker will not wash the hands of a world that continues to degrade and blaspheme the role of women in society. Who are we kidding? Most people are not even aware that March is Women’s History Month.

                Ultimately, we as women cannot look to anyone but ourselves for justice. If we are to change society’s mind, we need to adjust our own. Feminism must be an integral part of every woman’s thinking. Without advocating extremism, it is up to us to make sure that we respect ourselves and demand impartiality. Once we build a disdain for any act of degradation, society will be forced to take notice.