“FEMMES - HOMMES, VERS L’ẼGALITĖ UNIVERSELLE”
“WOMEN – MEN TOWARDS UNIVERSAL EQUALITY ”
FANI KARATZOULANGUAGE SCHOOLS
16 VELLISTR.
TEL.:041/253856-530550
FAX:041/533349
LARISSA 41222
GREECE
January 2005
The equality between the two sexes is one of the main issues that concerns and will continue to concern our society. Nowadays, as communication among people is easier all over the world, this issue concerns the whole universal population.
There are some international organizations that make efforts in order to achieve the greatest possible equality between women and men. Today all the countries have representatives in these universal organizations.
In spite of the fact that the equality between the two sexes is “ carved in store” , now societies all over the world have not achieved a complete equality. Despite the strong efforts made by the two sexes, some women have not managed, as yet, to the have same opportunities as men in society in general. Of course, over the last few years’ women have been trying more and more in order to reach their ultimate good- equality. Unfortunately, men are more preferred than women in high-level sectors such, as politics. Men think that they can do better than women and that is why they underestimate them. Thus, we scarcely discern women politicians in the crowds of their male counter-parts. Nevertheless, the last decade they proved to be as responsible and capable as men and deal with many high level tasks.
Moreover, nowadays more and more women are entering the work force. They have to combine their personal and family life with their professional career. As far as the children and the housework are concerned, men should help women more because they take care of their children and other responsibilities as they did in the past.
To sum up, obviously we can understand that as time passes, women’s tireless efforts bridge the gap associated with equality more. We all hope that in the future men and women would be in fact equal in all sectors of society.
Rempaki Marilina
Proficiency level
Many of us have heard the words of Mr. Pratt:
“ Why do girls need education anyway? After all you do not need a degree to put on a lipstick, do you?”
Our society has faced narrow – minded opinions like Mr. Pratt’s many times over the centuries. The relegation of women to the lower part of society’s ladder is a very common subject that has divided people’s opinions for thousands of years. In days gone by a woman’s role in society was the same as a child or a slave. An example is ancient Greece.
Initially, in ancient Greece men were the only ones allowed to make decisions affecting the community as a whole; men were the jury in the courts; and all of the “polis” several hundred public officials were men. Furthermore, from the perspective of social ideals, the areas written the polis were segregated: the public realm belonged to men, where as women were consigned to the private domain of the home. This picture, however, is not an entirely accurate one. In the first place, the men who possessed rights as citizens, were the minority of the population of all city states, including the most famous one, Athens. Secondly, there were many parts in which women had the major role and men the mind, the religious and economic sectors for example, as well as the various aspects of the community in the demes (or villages).
Finally, the social ideal, which consigned men to the public and women to the private realm, was no more than that: an ideal as, if looked at little closer, the reality is quite different. Specific ritual roles for girls in polis were more elaborate in fact, than those for boys. It is common logic that religion played a very important role in the ancients’ lives and most of the acolytes were young girls or women. In Agora we have the clearer examples of a discrepancy between social ideals and social practices as women had already begun to work in or around the Agora and it was impossible for them to be prevented from wandering about.
The misogynist to the lover of women in Lucian’s Dialogue on love says: “ If the assembly and law-courts were open to women, and if they could participate in political affairs they would elect you general or vote you a bronze statue.” But he goes on to acknowledge, such was not the case: “ men», he reminds his interlocutor, characteristically “speak on behalf of women.” However, for many years after that, from a male point of view, women’s chief interests were food and sex whereas many thought that any woman would use her charm to get what she wanted although no woman of a citizen stat would have engaged in sex for that purpose or for money unless she was both poor and “bereft of guardian and relatives”.
During the next centuries, women made great as far as political achievement. I was concerned in 1918, by the end of World War I, women had managed to the right to vote through a specific procedure during which men of every country were voted whether they would accept this or not. The chances were 50-50 and with the final positive answer of Arizona, women’s right to vote was ensured. That was only the first step. The fight for rights continued with the creation of feminism in the early 20th century, which began from France. Many more rights were also given to women like equality in hours worked as well as equal access to job vacancies and all with the hard work on part of women. Later we saw women in important positions in society, like Margaret Thatcher the first woman Prime Minister and Elisabeth the Queen of England. Nowadays, many governments have women representatives and many women are also running their own businesses. What is more men now share the housework and the children’s care as women work more outside the house.
Finally, scientific research have signified that although a man’s brain is larger, a woman’s intelligence quotient is way higher (a man’s IQ: 6.3 out of 12 – a woman’s IQ: 9.8 out of 12)
Well I suppose that these are enough arguments to persuade Mr. Pratt that women are capable of much more than just putting on a lipstick or whatever it is that he knows deep down inside or is simply afraid discovering!