Introduction
The structure of gender roles and ideologies is largely dependent on cultural inclinations. Women play an important role in the progress of our societies and should occupy a significant place in the society. They should never be seen and treated as inferior to men on the premises of gender. Gender has a lot to do with ability than one’s biological orientation (Brettell & Sargent, 2005). Both men and women should have equal opportunities as far as power, authority and property are concerned.
This is not always the case because in most cultures, men are regarded as superior and given more opportunities and easy access to resources. Islam accorded equal opportunities to both men and women in the society when it realized the important roles that women play in the society. However some believe that women are helpers of men and should not have equal opportunities.
Culture and the place of women in the society
As Brettell and Sargent note, women play an important role in preserving and fostering the human race. This is a unique position that they hold which is often taken for granted. Some cultures trim down the role of women to this; women should stay at home and give birth. In Athens for instance, during the Classical Period, girls did not have equal opportunities in education like boys. When writers like Marrou wrote about education, there was no mention of education for girls (Brettell & Sargent, 2005). This condition changed after Macedonians conquered Helleniasics.
Women were given equal chances in education as their male counterparts. Most girls did not however attend school since the society believed that women were best suited to perform household duties and give birth. Most girls got married at puberty while their husbands would be about double their age. This indicates that societal perception of women as assistants can be traced back to history.
Socrates believed that there are some things that women are supposed to know. These things were household chores. He saw these as the most immediate tasks for women. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently published a report suggesting that it is in Sub-Saharan Africa where one can find the poorest person and that the person is a woman. In the African culture, women are deprived of their dignity since the cultures are yet to reach a consensus on roles which women play in society. The level of education for the average girl child remains low despite efforts by governments and other stakeholders. The roles of women are confined to household chores and this has been a tradition since time immemorial (Brettell & Sargent, 2005). Although some cultures are gradually accepting the importance of the place of women, some still believe that they are lesser beings while men take up technical and economic responsibilities.
In many African societies women do not enjoy the benefits of equal status as men. Gender equality is still a dream. Cultures that have embraced gender equality have given their women equal rights to property, education and power. Men’s view points are however still highly regarded as compared to those of women. People prefer to take directives and commands from men than women. That is why men will be always be given rights to education, power and property ownership while women remain sidelined. Obligation which require technical skills are regarded as manly since women’s potential on the same is ignored or remains untested. It is common to find people opting to hire a male lawyer than a female one even if the woman in question is competent and qualified.
Internationally, the number of women leaders is still low. Very few women offer their candidature to be elected leaders but even when they do so they receive less support. Men are seen as potent leaders while women are perceived as deputies. On the other hand, when it comes to campaigning for leadership positions, very few women battle to take those positions. This is due to the fact that society has made women view themselves as undeserving when it comes to vying for such positions. This makes women to fear fighting for power let alone stay there since most people will not elect them nor even approve their leadership.
According to Brettell and Sargent, society responds differently to women and men leaders. These differences have effects on women leadership since in most instances response to women leaders is negative. As campaigns for the presidency of the United States of America picked up, Hillary Clinton’s campaigns had reached a peak. People were keenly observing her closely but all of a sudden most of that was directed to her way of life. One of the main complaints was about the low cut outline of an outfit that she had worn when she gave a speech on the Senate floor. Her campaigns gradually crumbled because people were more interested in her lifestyle rather than her potential as a leader. Research has shown that the public expects much from women leaders than men, the former are expected to combine leadership with compassion. This further illustrates that society has not fully granted women equal chances like men (Brettell & Sargent, 2005).
Although the perception towards women is changing over time, women are still being prejudiced. Culture determines the extent to which women have control in the society. The main duty of a woman is to safeguard human race. The first school that a child attends is through the mother. Napoleon once said, “Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation”. This is evidently true. Cultural beliefs hold that the mode in which a mother raises up a child determines how that child will be in future. The progress of any given nation therefore relies on how well mothers raise their children. Given proper education, training and opportunity, women are capable of many things. Florence Nightingale is remembered for her successful campaigns which advocated for reforms in the nursing profession and hospitals. Women bring about positive changes in societies if given chance.
Brettell and Sargent state that culture plays a big role in determining how we perceive femininity and masculinity. The perceptions differ within and outside a culture. First, young children are taught to respect their fathers to an extent they develop fear of addressing them. When a child grows with a perception that his or her father is superior, then this child is likely to grow knowing that men are generally the overall decision makers. This child will regard male members of a family than female even if the latter show more effort (Brettell & Sargent, 2005).
Secondly, the way which a father treats a mother within the family setting influences how a young child perceives the gender aspect. Cultures which support domestic violence make children to grow with a belief that aggression against women is not wrong. While some cultures take this as an effective way of correcting mistakes done by women, it has negative outcomes on the children in socializing them. Men who treat their wives well in the presence of children create a positive image. Such a tradition is likely to be imparted on the boy child and is likely to do the same in future. In most cases, cultures are what determine our perception towards many aspects and people in life.
Thirdly, the responsibilities of a mother in the household determine her place within homestead as well as the society. Some cultures support sharing of duties and responsibilities within the household. Men can help their wives to cook. This is common in western cultures. In the African setting, it is rare to find a man helping in the household chores as Brettell and Sargent note. Some cultures insist that women and girls are kitchen bound. Boys brought up in such cultures are likely to adopt and display similar attitudes towards female members of the family (Brettell & Sargent, 2005).
Conclusion
The position of women in society is dictated by cultural outlooks in determining their access to basic rights of education, authority and ownership of property. Different cultures have diverse beliefs on women’s position in the society; some reduce the responsibilities of women to household chores while others have emancipated them. Different organizations have been advocating for gender equality but this has not yet been evenly achieved as many societies still disregard important roles played by women.
Reference
Brettell, C. & Sargent, C. F. (2005). Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.