iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Equal Rights & Equal Opportunities
Starter – Watch the following video
The video is a satirical take on an article called the Good Wife’s Guide from Good
Housekeeping magazine in the 1950s.
The traditional view of women is that they are the weaker gender and more suited
to the roles of wife and mother than the world of work. Similarly, until relatively
recently those with disabilities were unlikely to have equal rights or equal
opportunities within society. In this unit we will explore the changing attitudes
towards women and disability within our society, as well as a range of Jewish
teachings on the matter.
By the end of this unit you will be able:
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Understand how the role and status of
women has changed in society
Know some religious teachings and beliefs,
and non-religious attitudes to the roles and
status of women in society
Consider the attitudes to people with
disabilities in society, and how this has
changed
Assess the importance of equal opportunities in society.
Questions to Consider:
● How have attitudes changed
towards the role of women in society?
● What are Jewish teachings on
disability bias?
● To what extent are equal rights
and equal opportunities practised in
Jewish communities?
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Please note that you will find that there is some overlap with the section 3 topics of
marriage and divorce and family responsibilities.
Furthermore, many of the
teachings that you have already used when discussing human rights are also
applicable here.
Gender Equality in the UK
The equal rights movement began in the eighteenth
century with people like Mary Wollstonecraft who argued
that if women were to be educated like men then they
would become just as capable of decision making and she
believed that male/female difference was all down to
upbringing. Harriet Taylor (partner of the philosopher John
Stuart Mill) believed that in addition to education women
required job opportunities and the vote.
The campaign for female suffrage (the vote) was taken up
by the suffragists (campaigners who used non-violent
methods) and the suffragettes (who believed that the use
of violence was permissible given the urgency of their
cause. The suffragettes used public civil disobedience,
rallies and acts of vandalism as well as leaflets and
campaigning to further their cause.
It was not until 1918 that women first gained the vote and
even then it was not on the same terms as men, with
stipulations such as women needing to be over 30 and
married to be able to vote. However, WWI helped to foster
changing attitudes towards women. During the war years
with the men away fighting in the trenches many women
took on traditionally 'male' jobs. This showed that women
were capable of more than just being wives and mothers.
By 1928, women were given the right to vote in the UK on
the same terms as men.
Throughout the twentieth century women were increasingly
seen as men's equals. During WWII women again took on
key roles in the country whilst the men were away. The
1960s saw the introduction of the pill and the Abortion Act
both of which helped to ensure that women had more
control over their own bodies and made motherhood a
choice rather than an 'occupational hazard of being a
wife' (as Queen Victoria put it)! In the 1970s legislation
promised women equal pay to men and made
discrimination at work illegal. In 1979 Margaret Thatcher became the first female
Prime Minister of Britain.
Legally women in Britain do have equal rights with men and
most people would say that they have equal opportunities
(although some people believe that the 'glass ceiling' of
gender bias makes it hard for women to reach the top jobs).
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
However, women in other parts of the world are not necessarily so lucky. In many
areas around the world women face inequality in the work place, unequal access
to divorce and education, forced marriage and domestic violence.
Tests your knowledge of the history of women’s rights in the UK here
Gender Equality in Judaism – Summary from Unit 2
Arguments for there being gender equality in Judaism
In
traditional
Orthodox
Judaism, women are for the
most part seen as equally
important to men, but having
a different role.
The equality of men and
women begins at the highest
possible level: G-d. In Judaism,
unlike Christianity, G-d has
never
been
viewed
as
exclusively male or masculine.
Judaism
has
always
maintained that G-d has both
masculine and feminine qualities. We refer to G-d using masculine terms simply for
convenience's sake, because Hebrew has no neutral gender; G-d is no more male
than a table is.
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Both man and woman were created in the image of G-d. According to most Jewish
scholars, "man" was created in Gen. 1:27 with dual gender, and was later separated
into male and female.
Women have held positions of respect in Judaism
since biblical times. Miriam is considered one of the
liberators of the Children of Israel, along with her
brothers Moses and Aaron. One of the Judges
(Deborah) was a woman. Seven of the 55 prophets
of the Bible were women. This point in particular is
important when arguing Judaism’s view on equal
opportunities for women in society!!!
The Ten Commandments require respect for both
mother and father. Note that the father comes first
in Ex. 20:12, but the mother comes first in Lev. 19:3,
and many traditional sources point out that this
reversal is intended to show that both parents are
equally entitled to honour and reverence.
There were many learned women of note. The Talmud and later rabbinical writings
speak of the wisdom of Berurya, the wife of Rabbi Meir. In several instances, her
opinions on halakhah (Jewish Law) were accepted over those of her male
contemporaries.
Arguments against there being gender equality in Judaism
There can be no doubt, however, that the Talmud also has many negative things to
say about women. Various rabbis at various times describe women as lazy, jealous,
vain and gluttonous, prone to gossip and particularly prone to the occult and
witchcraft.
In the Talmud, as long as women satisfied male expectations in their assigned roles,
they were revered and honoured for enhancing the lives of their families and
particularly for enabling their male relatives to fulfil their religious obligations. For
example, Berakhot 17a relates, women earn merit “by sending their children to learn
in the synagogue, and their husbands to study in the schools of the rabbis, and by
waiting for their husbands until they return from the schools of the rabbis.”
Women are exempt from all positive time-bound Mitzvot. (However, they are
allowed/encouraged to perform them, there is just no demand that they do so – as
they may be involved with other equally important matters).
In Orthodox synagogues, women cannot make up a Minyan, lead services or read
from the Torah. In some Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, women are
discouraged from pursuing higher education or religious pursuits.
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Changing Attitudes towards Disabilities
Starter – Watch the following video
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Look at this video made for the Paralympics in 2016 in Rio. How have attitudes
changed to the way people with disabilities are treated in society?
How important is it to treat all people equally in society? Why?
Until relatively recently those with disabilities were unlikely to have equal rights or
equal opportunities within society.
Throughout
much of history there was no social welfare for
those unable to work. In the medieval period it was
down to monasteries and convents to look after the
sick and disabled as best they could in their
hospitals. This ended with the dissolution of the
monasteries. Over a century later the Elizabethan
Poor law of 1601 specified that the 'deserving poor'
(i.e. those who could not work) should be provided
for by the local parish in poorhouses. By the
nineteenth century charities and organisations had
been founded to help support those with various
disabilities but equal rights and equal opportunities
were still a long way off. Even throughout much of
the twentieth century disabled children would not
have had the opportunity to go to a mainstream
school or gain a mainstream education. Mothers
giving birth to disabled children were sometimes
encouraged to put them in institutional homes.
Public places like shops, theatres and places of
work rarely had any special provision made to
ensure that they were accessible and many people
with disabilities faced regular discrimination and
prejudice.
pension at 50 rather than 70.
Attitudes began to change after WWI and WWII with
the return of many thousands of injured servicemen.
These men disabled in the line of duty had an
obvious right to be afforded some level of
protection by the country for whom they had made
sacrifices. Many were fit and capable despite their
injuries and did not fit with the
stereotypes people had about
what it meant to be disabled.
The Blind Person's Act allowed
blind people to claim a
As the twentieth century progressed attitudes continued to
evolve and there was a gradual move away from just 'looking after' the disabled
towards ensuring that people with disabilities could live as independently as possible
and participate fully in society. However, it was not until 1970 that the Chronically
Sick and Disabled Persons Act was passed. This act was proposed by MP Alf Morris
whose parents and parents in law were disabled. The Act stated that local
authorities had a responsibility to provide for the needs of the disabled and stated
that the disabled had equal rights to education and recreation. It also stated that
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
public buildings should be as accessible as possible and provide disabled parking
and disabled toilets. It was the first disability rights legislation in the world.
In 1995 the Disability Discrimination Act was passed which prohibited discrimination
against those with disabilities in employment, education or in the provision of goods
and services. In 2010 the Equality Act unified all previous discrimination legislation.
Whilst the law now reflects the principles of equal rights and equal opportunities
many disability campaigners believe that in practice there is still a lot to do. People
with disabilities still face prejudice and discrimination and still have difficulties
accessing goods and services.
Judaism and Equal Opportunities
Jewish teachings have plenty to say on the issue of equality, especially when it
comes to opportunities and treatment of those with disabilities.
Read the following sources and answer the questions that follow.
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Source 1 - Bereishit 1:27
“God created mankind in His own image”
What do you understand this source to mean and how could it relate to the topic of
equal opportunities?
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Source 2
“The quest for equality is the principal (major) social and religious dynamic of our
time…” (Former Chief Rabbi, Lord Immanuel Jakobovits)
Why do you think Judaism has an obligation to give everyone equal opportunities?
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Source 3 - Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin 4:5
If a human being stamps several coins with the same die, they all resemble one
another. But the King of kings, the Holy One, praised be He, stamps all human beings
with the same die of the first man; and yet not one of them is identical with another.
Therefore every individual is obligated to say, “For my sake was the world created!”
What could this indicate to us about Judaism’s view on the way people who have
disabilities should be treated and why?
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However, during the time of the Beit Hamikdash there are
examples of individuals with disabilities who do not have the
same opportunities as their peers.
The following is instructed regarding the Kohanim (priests) who
serve in the Mishkan:
Source 4 – Vayikra 21:21
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
“Any man among Aaron the kohen's offspring who has a defect shall not draw near
to offer up the Lord's fire offerings. There is a defect in him; he shall not draw near to
offer up his God's food.
Explain this source in your own words?
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What can it teach us about equal opportunities in Jewish practice?
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In the Talmud (Brakhot 32b) Rabbi Eleazar states that since the destruction of the
Temple every single Jew has been able to serve God through prayer.
Concluding Thoughts
When the prophet Samuel is searching for a new King of Israel, Hashem says the
following to him:
Source 5 – Shmuel Aleph 16:7
“And the Lord said to Samuel, "Look not upon his appearance, or the height of his
stature, for I have rejected him, for it is not as man sees, (what is visible) to the eyes,
while the Lord sees into the heart."”
Explain this source in your own words
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What do you think it teaches us about Judaism’s view on equal rights and
opportunities?
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
Exam Practice Questions:
(a) Identify three ways women are given equal opportunities in Judaism. (3)
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(b) Outline two ways people with disabilities are supported in society. (4)
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
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(c) Explain the way opportunities for women has changed in society. (6)
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(d) There should be no discrimination in religious communities against those with a
disability.
Do you agree?
Give reasons for your answer, showing you have considered another point of view. In
your answer you should refer to at least one religion. (12)
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
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Extra Information
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
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iGCSE RSTopic 4.2
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