Paper Example: Role of Women in the Past and Present

Compared to the past, the role of women has significantly changed over the years. In the past, women were housewives, and their primary purpose was bearing children. Their roles have evolved through affirmative action and activism, making women regarded as equal to men.

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In primitive society, people lived together in tribes, and there was no monogamy as people practiced group marriages. In such groups, it was impossible to know the father of a child. Women were used in tracing ancestry, hence giving them an elevated position in society. Men and women were considered equal, although they performed different tasks. While women had the role of bearing children, staying around the camp, doing agricultural activities and breeding animals, the men went out to hunt. Over time, limits were placed on the predominant form of group marriage. Marriage within people of the same degree of consanguinity was prohibited as it leads to more reduced stock. Pairing slowly developed, and there was a division of labour depending on different groups. Men were skillful hunters, farmers and even better worriers, hence started making claims. The concept of private property developed and some men had improved production techniques making them richer. Men were now divided based on their means of production. Advanced methods overtook the production role of women. The loss of equality in a production led to women being segregated. Women could only bear children with their husbands, and their position changed to that of bearing children and staying at home. The role of women had no economic value, and they mostly served as unpaid housekeepers. The role of women was inferior, and men who were called upon such roles felt degraded. The role of women was socially necessary but contributed nothing in capitalism.

Given the above, the children also observed and understood how power in the family was given to the males and handed this practice down to other generations. The contradictions and role of women are reflected in the beliefs and the culture of the society. The same society that sanctified motherhood questioned whether a woman had a soul. Historically, the state of affairs seems to benefit certain people. Men benefited from the status quo of women. Many men still believe that women should not be employed and their role is in the household.

Besides, violence against women has been prevalent throughout history; encouraged for specific purposes. Such abuse included maligning women in subtle ways, and social structures supported it. The ancient times, as written in the Hammurabi code over 4000 years ago, women who were raped by men shared the same punishment as the perpetrator. They were all thrown into a river. This punishment encouraged the rape culture as speaking out for the women meant death. Greek mythology has many instances of women being raped. Early Roman law deemed women to be the property of men. Based on the offences, the mean could beat their wives, punish them or even murder them depending on the offence. The Catholic church later also endorsed beating the women, making giving men a right to judge their wives. The act of beating was shown as a way of caring for their wives. The beatings took place until 1870 when men in America were no longer allowed to beat their wives in the Indian society; the violence culture was seen through honour killings and dowry.

In the 20th century, there was a movement bringing women to the forefront of various social arenas. Women achieved reproduction freedom through birth control and legalization of abortion, they had a right to vote, and they gained access to employment and education. Women fought to get their retribution for historical abuses. Western society was forced to re-examine its long-held culture and views of women. In the 1900s modernism came into play with the rise in technology. The role of women rose to social and political prominence. Abuse of women remains prevalent, especially in Islam cultures. However, generally beating of women and lack of consensual sex is illegal and anyone committing these crimes can be jailed.

To sum up, the role of women has significantly evolved, and it is much different today compared to the past. Women now work outside the home, and their household role is mostly supportive. Also, women have more power compared to the past; we see the women such as Oprah Winfrey, Mitchell Obama and the Turkish president. Abuse of women has significantly reduced, and with more activism, there will be more improvements in how women are treated.