I have begun my studies by looking into the different causes, critiques, and beliefs of feminist theories and feminism. I became intrigued by the different rights that women have fought for in the past and how absurd it seems to me that they had to fight for these rights. A clear example of this absurdity is that women in Germany had to fight for the right to engage in sexual relations before marriage. Men were able to engage in sexual relations without punishment. Men were able to do whatever they pleased. But women had to fight for a right that I believe is a freedom of choice, privacy, and belief. I did not realize that along with the harsh punishments from society there was also absurdity in the inequality of men and women. However, I feel as if a main root to this absurd example of inequality is one of the main contributors to women inequality, religion. I am not criticizing any form of religion or religion as a general practice but am stating that my findings have proven that religion, as it was first beginning, is one of the bases for the created inequalities. After all, in some religions women were said to serve their husbands or even be property of their husbands. Yet, some can argue that it is not the religion that has created the inequality but the interpretation of said religion, which I can agree. Many religions take the idea that women are to serve to the extreme. Abusing and using their wives as if they are an object that one can simply throw away.
Another fact of information I would like to reflect on is that feminists groups are broken down into very small parts. For example, there is black feminism which I found out through the information on Patricia Hill Collins. I was unaware that the groups of feminists broke down into race. I find this eye-opening because it illustrates that even within women working for a similar purpose; there is still inequality between this subgroup. In combination with being surprised at this subgroup, I was disagreeing with a belief by the Postmodern feminism. From the information I found, postmodern feminists believe that you must look to the future and not the past to solve the issues of oppression and inequality. I agree with this when trying to overcome the emotional aspects, it is easier to move on than look back. However, society must learn from the past. Society needs to look at prior events of inequality, oppression, etc. to see what went wrong, why it went wrong, and learn from what went wrong. A society cannot advance if it does not look at where it needs to advance from.
One factor that I find to be one of the main causes of this inequality is the fashion and film industry. Women and society are made to believe that all women must look “good”, look a certain ideal way. The female self-image is said to be a contemporary western society obsession that women must look “good”. (I put the word “good” in quotations because it is a very vague term that many can interpret in their own way. One woman may think that looking good is wearing a track suit and sneakers while another may think a dress and heels are the proper attire. But the term good referred to by the fashion and film industry is skinny, beautiful, sexy, etc.) However, this causes problems for this gender group because society criticizes women for not only being female but for not looking the way they are meant to look. The fashion and film industry has put into the mind of society that women must look “good” and that most women display their bodies sexually. It is for this reason that women are criticized as not being able to perform like men, being overly sensitive, etc. By saying that women display their bodies sexually, society is to believe that women are meant for one group of roles because their image is a self-definition to the world, a definition of a sexual, feminine being. Women are, as a whole and individually, being judged of who they are before they even open their mouths (something that I have been struggling with since the beginning of high school). If fashion and film were to change the perspectives that they take on women, I see society changing their ways as well. Yet, I do not see these industries applying this change anytime soon, if ever. It is for this reason; I find it hard to say that one day women will be completely equal to men. I know that the equality is growing and that it gets closer every day but I see places where women are also being pushed back when they take that leap forward to become equal. This imbalance in society was written before women even had the chance to fight it.
Sincerely,
A Girl and Her Heels
