 Feminist Civil Rights - The Need Of The Hour
Added: 11/30/2007 |
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Throughout history, it has been perceived that women have always struggled for the sake of attaining equality, respect, and the same rights as men. Why? One prominent reason behind this can be the existence of the patriarchal social order in almost all civilizations, a distinct ideology in which men are superior to women and have the right to rule women. The preponderance of this saga is still pervasive in the new millennium and the feminist views of women, involved in the struggle for rights that most men take for granted, are being heard. In fact, the dominance of the notion of feminism is again increasing, and it should be said that the influence of the feminist civil rights and the struggle to archive those is common in several countries, round the globe.
When we do discuss of the feminist civil rights and its significance, need of implementation in the present society, there is a need to have a clear supposition of the basic definition of the word feminism. Now what is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. Feminists can be anyone in the population, men, women, girl or boys, though at best it is a term that is associated with the aspirations of women, exclusively, in general. On the other hand the civil rights happen to be the protections and and privileges of personal power that are given to all citizens by law, though it is claimed by the feminists that the concept of equality before the law is a vague concept, and law in each respect everywhere disciriminates in respect of sex. There is no doubt that the civil rights are rights that are bestowed by nations on those within their territorial boundaries, while natural or human rights are rights that many scholars claim that individuals have by nature of being born. But what ever may be the tall claims, the exponents of the ideology of feminism have always propound the needs of feminist civil rights , both in the national and international spectrum. However, it was the same concept of Civil Rights Movement that had the greatest impact on the account of feminism in the sixties. In many countries the advanced section of the women came forward and picked up on the similarities between the subordinate position of Black slaves and their own position of subordination to men, giving birth to new movement for the enactment of feminist civil rights. It was the same period when a pamphlet published by the SOCIALIST ACTION LEAGUE on "Women's Liberation Around The World," was circulated. Ruthann Miller, one of the best proponents of the movement of feminist civil rights through this pamphlet expressed a radical view in her attack against the sexist statements of Dr Spock – a well known campaigner against the War and in support of the Vietnamese, Black and Third World peoples; "What he and others in the movement must learn is that women are no different from other oppressed groups."
But from that time though there have been significant changes in the world political order, with the downfall of the practiced Socialist ethics, the condition of the women remains much the same. Throughout the world, especially in the third world countries, the condition of women is out of the frying pan into the fire. With the growth of crony capitalism they have been reduced into harsher commodities that can be either used or sold in the market. This, conversely puts forward of the need of feminist civil rights in a more confident note. It should be remembered, that the idea of supremacy and the emphasis on organizing group protest on the basis of oppression, which were key to the Feminist movement were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. Theoreticians like Sheila Rowbotham emphasize the influence that the Civil Rights Movement had on developing ideas that were later used in the Feminist movement. The Civil Rights Movement politicized and inspired women to shape society. But with much of the agenda remaining unfinished, perhaps there is a greater need to lodge a scrupulous movement, for a glorious future.
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