International Women’s day, March 8, 2012
Statement made by Students of International Women’s Issues (WMS 325) on behalf of Women of the
World.
We are Concerned about Gender Inequalities
Most people think gender inequality in western society is dead. It is assumed that because women have
the right to vote, to pursue education, to own property, and the right to do almost everything else men
can do, that there is no need for feminism. It has even been said feminism is dead, that there is nothing
from which women need feel discrimination. We strongly disagree. As young women of modern times,
we see the essential need for feminism everyday, in our homes, in our schools, and in our workplaces.
By taking our gender and ourselves seriously and haven been strongly conscientized through relevant
class experiences and readings (Burn, 2011), we hereby deem fit to join in demanding a certain amount
of respect from the world around us, a respect that unfortunately, we now see more clearly that we do
not always receive.
In general and mostly in subtle ways, we feel the effects of the stigma that accompanies being female all
around us. At work, we’re held back from tasks that require manual labor; we are often assigned work
that puts us in the housewife-role. It is assumed that we are our best at secretarial, assistant work, and
any advancement in leadership positions is seen as exceptional. While it might be less common for a
woman to be in charge, we feel that its rarity should not negatively influence its credibility, or the
competence of the woman who happens to hold the staff of authority. A leading lady is not a
phenomenon; we wish it would stop being treated like one.
On, March 8, 2012, marking the 101st anniversary of International Women’s Day, we took time to reflect
on things that need to change and can indeed change, if our voices can be made to resound and be
heard across the spaces around us; and if we can make others to also see what we now see better.
Following a brief workshop during our International Women’s Issues class, which incidentally fell on
March 8, we brainstormed and reflected on three areas of our lives: personal life, college-campus life
and life of women across cultures. This was with a view to coming up with real-life evidences of gender
inequalities which we may not have paid attention to before. And, in looking forward and learning from
women around the world who have dared to make their voices heard, we aimed to put a tag of these
various forms of inequalities so that definite proposals can be made on how these gender concerns can
be addressed.
Our Voices: Here are statements from students about inequalities in the three identified spaces
Reflections on our personal lives
Females still face many forms of unequal treatment as daughters, sisters, mothers and wives. In spite of
much touted individual freedom and rights in America, we continually observe these undesirable traits in
the ways that society – parents, co-workers, employers relate to us: Hear some of our lived experiences:
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“Because I am a girl, my father refuses to help me financially toward my education. I don't even know
how I will be able to pay for school next year. I know that he is not going to change his mentality
because of that I may not be able to come to school and graduate. Yet, that is the only way I will be able
to take care of myself in future without relying on the help of other people (especially men)”.
The problem: Son-Preference and perpetual undervaluation of the girl child’s potentials
“No matter how hard a woman works at their job. They don't get the same treatment as men”.
“My mother's and my sister's and my own work around the house should not be laughable and thought of
as "nothing" – as they are usually portrayed; and our chores should not be solely ours, but should be all
members- there needs to be less division between a "real job" and an “at-home-job”.
“When my parents went out, I had to do house-hold chore, because I'm a woman and oldest”.
The problem: Unpaid Care Work without which the “real workers” cannot get on with it.
“In my personal life, I feel as though the way women are judged because of their outward appearance is
not right and personal effort to try to get to know someone should be put forth. My sex is not all of me. I
wish people will look beyond my physical sex and see the real worth of a person”.
The problem: Objectification of women, taken to phenomenal proportion in media and the corporate
“profiteering” capitalist world.
“I feel like women/girls growing up should not be discriminated against for playing sports. Much of my
God-given ability has been restrained by streamlining “appropriate sports” for boys and girls”
The problem: Gender role stereotype – quite limiting of individual’s innate (human) potentials, regardless
of sex, and shortchanging females’ contribution to their world.
“Because of female misrepresentation, I have been given less pay at a job than a male who had been
working less time than me. We also held the same exact position”
The problem: Workplace discrimination. While earnings gaps may be rightly accounted for by many
factors such as skill, education, output differences among workers, gender-based earnings discrimination
has been studied and found to be accounted for by only one factor – the fact of being female.
“Inability to provide the same physical strength of the opposite sex”.
“I am weak because I am a woman. I am not able to work where I work because of my gender. Men are
always making jokes about how I can't do certain things”.
“I hate when people say "you do that well...for a girl."
The problem: Ignorance - confusing ‘sex’ with ‘gender’. Inability to recognize that sex differences are
natural – usually lower physical (muscular) strength of a female means she may naturally be unable to do
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certain things like more muscular men. What is unnatural is the gender difference: which is, not allowing
females to improve on what they are capable of doing; or expecting females to always perform differently
(lower) in things totally unrelated to sex differences.
“I will be graduating in May and it is not fair that I may not receive the same pay as a man in the
working world”.
The problem: gender discrimination in the workplace. Results from our inability as individuals and groups
to ensure that existing legislations that demand equal pay for equal work be enforced. Be informed and
call systems to account. Knowledge is power www.ilo.org
“The way violence both sexual and domestic has been sensationalized by the media affects all women. I
have been domestically abused, but society, culture, and the media told him it was ok”.
The problem: Normative sexual abuses – usually assumed, in law, to be consensual – regardless of the
underlying reasons. The physical abuse often goes deeper than the surface, with negative effects on
women’s ability to live a fulfilled life.
If only society gave more Voice to women to freely report and redress sexual abuse, if only countries like
United States of America would ratify and pass into law the Instruments of women’s human rights
(CEDAW)1, more women would walk freely without fear of violence and more men would desist from
such brutality.
Reflections on our lives in and around College (URI)
It would seem that inequalities are invisible on campus. But this is not true. Is it because we don't see it?
Is it because we are afraid to speak up? Whatever that reasons, there are many issues that we need to
work on right here on our campus just as we try to work on everything else. Gender issues are just as
important and are capable of limiting students’ perception of themselves and their future chances in
life; including the risk of passing these negative perceptions to their own children!
At the University of Rhode Island, students in different Gender and Women Studies classes are more
sensitive to gender inequalities on our small campus. Some of the issues noted are favoritism between
faculty and students, indications or direction/advising of what each individual will study,
misrepresentation of the Women Studies Department and most critical, the unequal pay between male
and female faculty as has recently been documented.
Specifically:
“Male Faculty seem to favor female students and because of that, they are more lenient towards female
students”.
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The United States is one of only a few countries, along with repressive regimes of Iran, Somalia, Sudan, North
Korea, who have neither signed nor ratified CEDAW!!
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The problem: Sexism – a form of gender discrimination usually thought to be harmless or benevolent to
the weaker sex! but sexism is unacceptable to us as fellow females. The underlying reason is a feeling
that we are not capable of excellence unless we are “helped”.
“ Athletes at URI get treated better by all faculty. It seems not to matter if they are male or female”.
The problem: Discrimination The system tries to punish “bad’ discrimination but is benign towards
“good” discrimination – or for a good cause. This still penalizes those who are not in the favored bracket
- non-athletes.
“At URI, there is a big division between the “hard” (male-dominated) sciences and the “soft” (femaledominated) sciences. Hard sciences are the ones that everyone talks about, they are the ones that get
the new buildings with new equipment. For many social sciences and other classes other than hard
sciences, there is usually no visible investment going towards them, as if they are not as important”.
The Problem: Male-bias . Big decisions are made in male-dominated board rooms and so they favor
male-dominated spheres of development. Since it appears that the hard sciences make the world go
round. This is the benefit of systemic huge investment over time by male-dominated governments all
over the world, including the government of URI.
“ Many students here are looked down upon based on what they decide to study. Female students are
usually stereotyped as being fashion majors. In most Women Studies classes at URI, you only see female
students, where did all the boys go. Do they not want to learn about All of the inequalities that happen
to all the women in their lives?”
“Not only the classes, students at this university mis- represents the whole department as a place for
only females, whereas the (gender) issues we learn about affect both males and females, and
generations to come”.
The problem: Gender Stereotypes from early life (early education, socialization by society). A more
balanced rounded education will result if both males and females are exposed to similar issues. Indeed,
male student who have taken the WMS 150 have testified to dramatic alteration of their views of life,
and they are now shun acts of discrimination, intimidation and sexism which they had been brought up
to consider “normal”.
“The biggest concern faculty faces at URI is the unequal pay. Male and female teachers with the same
qualifications receive a considerable difference in wage. It is not fair that females are getting paid less
when they start working because of different bargaining strength. This may not be clear on the surface,
but considering other factors such as rate of progression, types of initial contracts, access to tenure and
so on, there is marked gender wage-gap here in URI like in many Institutions in United States, in spite of
pronouncements of “Equal Opportunity in Employment”
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Reflections on Lives of women across cultures
Not only do we see more clearly the gender concerns that we daily deal with, we are learning a lot about
what women in developing countries, daily deal with. Thinking of their situation, we always consider
ourselves very lucky. Therefore we see ourselves in a position to intervene and contribute in any way to
addressing the tremendous burdens of their lives. One little way is to make our voices heard on their
behalf on this International Women’s Day. If more people learn about these issues happening across the
world from them, maybe their little gestures will add to what many Transnational Feminist Networks
have been doing for decades. Here are some of the gender concerns they face;
“ The women of the middle east countries are faced with honor killings, bride burnings, and other violent
acts.”
Problem: Violence Against Women (VAW), which extends into mortality inequality and ownership
inequality2. Women are not viewed as equals but treated as inferior or objects and so these barbaric
acts are felt to be justified when women refuse to do as they are told or fail to meet the
expectations/benefits of men.
“Women in many of the countries spend most of their time on housework – such as fetching water and
fuelwood from far places. They also have responsibility to take care of their children and feed their
families through farm work. Yet, all this work is not accounted for as contribution to their economy”.
Problem: Household inequality. The male breadwinner bias or the female homemaker mentality.
“Many girls in developing countries are not sent to school because of poverty and because they are seen
to be good only for marriage and housework”
Problem: Son preference, Basic needs, special needs, and professional inequalities. This issue touches
upon Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals. Son preference would also prevent women from
receiving and adequate and equal education due to the thought that men are those needed in the
“educated,” public sphere, as well as gender bias that women cannot and don’t learn as men do
(perhaps bordering on sexism) because they have “other duties.
“ In general, women are characterized as objects and looked upon as of lower status to men. They have
no part in decisions and have no rights to refuse what is not good for them – like having so many children
or refusing unsafe sex”
Problem: Patriarchy and androcentrism, which could be solved by addressing issues that place men
alone in the role of power.
“In part of Africa, women are treated as property, to be passed from man to man – as inherited widows
and even in bride kidnapping”
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According to Amartya Sen, women in developing countries face seven forms of gender inequality. Maternity,
Natality, Basic needs, Special needs, professional, ownership and household inequalities.
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Problem: ownership inequality and commodification of women. Cultural norms and values such as bride
wealth or dowry help continue to fuel these ills throughout the world. Chapter ten in “Forgotten Girls”
elaborates on the issue of bride kidnapping and the cultural ambivalence toward it.
“In many developing countries, women are victims of sexual abuse and rape, especially during war times
and political instability.”
Problem: Violence Against Women, specifically, political Rape - Using rape as a weapon or spoils of war.
Things Need to Change
“A way to fight some of these problems would be to include more women in the political sphere and
allow them to hold political offices. Then issues affecting women can be made more public and tackled”.
“I feel women around the world should have equal educational opportunities as men.”
“For women in developing countries one thing that I would really love to change is the high rates of
violence against them. Nobody deserves to be mistreated by anyone without protection of the law!”
“I would like to see that women across culture do not live in fear. I would like for governments/cultures
to change to understand that women are important and they should not be abused.”
“... women are human beings, fit to own property, not to be owned.”
“I hope that one March 8th all females will be allowed an education if they choose to.”
“I think women should be the owners of large corporations!”
“I want to see women in developing countries take command of their bodies, to have the freedom to
choose their own husbands, to refuse intercourse when they wish, and to have the right to have
children. Women are humans, not objects.”
“Ideally I would like to see women of developing countries have equal opportunities for education at all
levels”.
“I want to see young girls in every country going to school and being able to afford their education. I
believe that with education, we will be able to reduce inequality in many ways. Especially economic
inequalities.”
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We Take a Stand for All Women
We support the lives of our men and our children, but not in servitude to them. The “unpaid care work”
that we do helps to keep homes in order; it is not only critical to maintaining positive family lifestyles,
but also a necessity to keep the capitalist world in motion – so that all workers in the mainstream of
economies can be productive (Elson, 1991). The way society looks at us (women) therefore needs to
change. We are women of the modern age, not of the years gone by. We know we don’t have to
choose between our careers and our families; we know we can have both, just like men. We are also
aware that we can be protected by the laws enshrined in CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of all
Forms of Discrimination against Women), if all countries abide by it.
Regarding our education, we will continue to claim it as our fundamental right to development (CEDAW,
1979). Not only at the basic level, but at the highest levels, which free us from special-needs and
professional inequalities. Despite the fact that we feel less support and encouragement to achieve
higher education, and regardless of the tendency for parents to place their sincerest hopes (and funds)
into their sons, rather than their daughters, we demand the education we deserve.
We emphasize our reproductive rights (CEDAW, 1979) - to choose whether or not we want to give
birth; we demand the right to access birth control without shame, guilt, or questioning. All women who
procreate for humanity deserve access to quality care during and after pregnancy.
As women, we demand symbiotic relationships in our lives, and we require the recognition that
codependency, disrespect, and abuse are wrong. We also reject society’s acceptance of domestic
abuse; these are not marital rights, neither is a private issue; it needs to stop being viewed as one. We
demand the space to report rape without fear of being judged or doubted. It is our right to
protection(CEDAW, 1979) .
On behalf of the many “missing women and girls”3 in developing countries, we demand that structures
that privilege men and promote son preference should be dismantled and criminalized. Sex-selective
abortion, infanticides and high female infant mortality must be stopped. It is our right to
survival(CEDAW, 1979).
Part of what makes women so unique and essential to the world is our positivity and hope, even in the
face of overwhelming odds. Perhaps this is how we are able to survive in a hostile world, a world that
does not have the same confidence in us as we have in ourselves. We know that progress is inevitable;
we just have to be strong and patient enough to wait. We eagerly anticipate the day when our male
counterparts will view that progress to be as important as we consider it to be.
We are not less intelligent, less capable, or less assertive. We are just as essential to the developing
world as our male peers, and just as influential in politics, economics, and industry. We do not
appreciate our potential being underestimated or being unduly hyped as extra-ordinary. And so, we join
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It is estimated that over 70 million women are “missing” especially in parts of Asia, females who were never born
or were prematurely removed from the demography due to sex-selective abortion, female infanticide, high female
mortality and low female life expectancy.
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our fore-runners, the many Transnational Feminist Networks, to increase the momentum for gender
equality, to be explicit in all policies. We will not settle for anything less than respect, equality, and
complete acceptance from the world. Unfortunately, there’s still a long way to go. But we are going to
wait.
References
Amartya Sen, 2001. MANY FACES OF GENDER INEQUALITY. Frontline. Volume 18 - Issue 22, Oct/Nov.
Burn, Shawn Meghan, 2011. Women Across Cultures: A Global Perspective
CEDAW, 1979. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. United
Nations.
Elson Diane, 1991 (ed). Male Bias in the Development process. Manchester University Press
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day
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