Introduction
For a long time, women have faced oppression in various areas of life. For example, often performing the role of healers and caretakers in the community, they could not share their knowledge and skills. Such women were considered to be witches and excluded from society.
However, these prejudices were shaped by a patriarchal system in which men could not allow women to gain any power or autonomy. Even though today’s society strives for equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination, manifestations of outdated principles remain. Therefore, this paper analyzes different feminist views on whether women have succeeded in overcoming oppression.
Motivations Behind Women’s Oppression
Knowledge Possession
Women often served as midwives and nurses in the community. They had specific knowledge and resorted to traditional healing and spiritual practices (Ehrenreich and English 3). However, giving women the ability to take part in the birth of children or actually control human lives through the practice of medicine was not consistent with the patriarchal system.
In the Middle Ages, women who possessed more knowledge than they were entitled to were considered witches and burned at the stake en masse (Ehrenreich and English 9). Apparently, men could not allow women to gain any autonomy or importance in society. Therefore, they used oppression and physical extermination as a tool to intimidate and prevent women from increasing their role. In an attempt to avoid a similar fate, many women were forced to hide their skills and abandon the heritage of their ancestors.
Years of this have had several negative consequences for women. First, they have led to entrenched gender discrimination in various spheres of life. It was believed that the female gender is automatically associated with a lack of knowledge and skills that may be critically important for humanity. Therefore, women were excluded from politics and medicine for a long time, citing a lack of ability (Anzaldúa 5).
Secondly, the women themselves lost the knowledge that they should have learned from their ancestors. Starhawk emphasizes women’s reclaiming of their spiritual and healing traditions, which have been suppressed and stigmatized throughout history (15). Moreover, the very concept of “witch” has taken root as a deliberately negative one. However, initially, magical powers “arose from people who were deeply connected to the natural world” and were aimed at maintaining a balance between nature and humans (Starhawk 15). Patriarchy actively contributed to this distortion of concepts and the formation of negative meanings.
Even though women today have more rights and opportunities, the complete eradication of gender oppression has not been achieved. Many women, especially in marginalized communities, continue to live within the patriarchal system (Anzaldúa 64). For them, their daily routine is limited to childcare and household responsibilities aimed at ensuring the well-being of the family. This significantly limits the opportunities for self-realization and achieving personal goals for women. Although feminist movements have succeeded in raising awareness of the importance of overcoming gender stereotypes, absolute equality has not yet been achieved (Anzaldúa 128). Gender dynamics are often affected by cultural practices that can have a negative impact on them.
Racial and Ethnic Background
Another significant problem is that gender oppression is reinforced by racial and ethnic discrimination. African American, Latino, and indigenous women must not only resist male domination, but also stand up for their rights against other races. Overcoming oppression for such women lies primarily in the eradication of racial inequality (Rodríguez).
In their culture, they are discriminated against due to a traditional system that upholds the primacy of men in all walks of life. However, outside their cultural group, this pressure is reinforced by other social biases. While white women fight for gender equality, women of color are forced to work twice as hard.
Another striking example of the combination of gender and ethnic oppression is the biography of Delfina Cuero. Despite constant persecution and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious pressure, Indians managed to preserve their traditions (Shipek). Native American women, along with their communities, fought for recognition of their rights and sovereignty, which led to improvements in their status. However, issues such as health care disparities and violence against Indigenous women persist and remind us of ongoing oppression.
Ways to Overcoming Oppression
Many people consider developing a sense of community and sisterhood among women as one of the options for overcoming oppression. This implies that women can overcome oppression by embracing their identities and supporting each other (Rodríguez). This assumption is very reasonable, since individual efforts will not give the desired result, while collective action can contribute to achieving gender equality. At the same time, the concept of sisterhood implies unconditional support between women of different races and cultures (Rodríguez). An obstacle to this may be social discrimination and racial prejudice, which make it impossible for women to unite in the fight for their rights.
In addition, self-identification plays an important role in the fight for women’s rights. Avila notes that the preservation of curanderismo and traditional healing practices carried out by women can greatly contribute to the understanding of their role and importance in society (112). However, this requires recognition of traditional healing as a legitimate practice and social recognition of these roles, which is much more difficult to achieve than simply returning to traditional practices. This implies a transformation of traditional values and beliefs that have existed for a long time. However, most importantly, this requires recognizing that women are no worse in their knowledge and skills than men.
Conclusion
In conclusion, despite the long history of feminist movements and women’s struggle for their rights, they have still not been able to overcome oppression and gender inequality fully. Women are significantly less likely to occupy leadership positions compared to men. This applies to various areas of life, including medicine and politics. Moreover, gender discrimination is greatly amplified by cultural context and racial inequality. Therefore, to finally overcome oppression and achieve social equality, women need to act together and strive for self-identification and self-realization.
Works Cited
Anzaldúa, Gloria E., and Analouise Keating. This Bridge We Call Home. Routledge, 2002.
Avila, Elena, and Joy Parker. Woman Who Glows in the Dark. Tarcher Putnam, 1999.
Ehrenreich, Barbara, and Deirdre English. Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers. The Feminist Press, 1973.
Rodríguez, Prisca Dorcas Mojica. For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts. Hachette Book Group, 2021.
Shipek, Florence C. Delfina Cuero: Her Autobiography – An Account of Her Last Years and Her Ethnobotanic Contributions. Ballena, 1991.
Starhawk. The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature. Harper One, 2005.