Week of July 29

Assessment:

FINAL: Test will be open from 9 a.m. on July 26 to 11 a.m. on Monday, July 29^th.

Global Movements

Global and transnational women’s movements are campaigns and groups nationwide and around the world that use a variety of tactics to change women’s position in society. Women’s movements goals are not necessarily wanting women to be higher than men, they just want women to have the same equal opportunities and rights as men. These movements go off the fact that women are entitled to the same rights as men, regardless of where women live, and their ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and social class. Transnational movements also recognize that feminist movements are different everywhere dependent on all the different cultures.

Although people think transnational women’s movement are recent, the first dated back to 1858. Founded in Switzerland, Association Internationale des Femmes resulted in the first formal international women’s organization, ICW (International Congress of Women).  This first step in the door led to advocates for women’s suffrage by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and also a push towards women’s talk in the League of Nations, later the United Nations. Transnational women’s movements have a huge effect in the global economy, politics, and overall social life around the world and how the world reacts and treats women as a whole.

A recent example of a transnational women’s movement is called WLUML, standing for “Women Living Under Muslim Laws”. After starting in 1984 due to a case of three Muslim women’s death, WLUML works as a transnational movement hosting different campaigns. Their most recent campaign is the “Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning of Women”. While advocating for women’s rights all the time, they also provide counseling and shelter to those women affect by harsh and unfair treatment, usually Muslim women. This is a good example of a transnational women’s movement because the stoning of women would not be a huge issue in America. Although there are many deaths in America, it is not common to be stoned. Plus, most of our society is Christian, not Muslim, so these advocates are not needed as much in America as they are in some parts of the world. We have our own movements in America that are appropriate to our culture. 

Global Movements

            Transnational feminism remains a huge component of the larger movement of feminism. However, there seems to be some confusion concerning the role of transnational feminism and the precise definition of this subcomponent to feminism. To elucidate this concept, transnational feminism is basically feminism on a grand scale. It is a sort of “big picture” and holistic feminism. Furthermore, transnational feminists are feminists who unite regional feminist interests with global feminist interests. They target the worldwide feminist movement, so they are, in a manner of perspective, macro-feminists. These feminists may render aid in the form of relocating to other areas with women in need, which in a way promotes them to “missionary feminists”. These feminists may also originate from an area of severe female oppression and venture out into the world in order to promote awareness of the problem.

            A recent example of transnational feminism pertains to the Afghan group called the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). The inequality and discrimination women face in Afghanistan is emotionally and physically paralyzing. RAWA remains one of the only women’s groups in Afghanistan due to the dangerous circumstances they encounter on a daily basis. Because of their exhaustive efforts, RAWA has garnered international acclaim and assistance. Women from all over the world have supported RAWA through financial donations and personal time. Numerous women have moved to Afghanistan to join RAWA in the fight for women. Such women campaign for women’s equality and seek aid from all corners of the world. RAWA and organizations of the like represent global or transnational feminism at its finest. 

Global Movements

Global or transnational feminist movements deals with women throughout nations working together to make sure that women’s needs and interests are included into intergovernmental treaties and policies.  The core belief of transnational feminist movements is that women are designated the same rights as men, no matter a women’s ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion, location, or social class.  Diversity is recognized and valued by transnational feminist.   Diversity is the center of all women’s needs globally because different regions equal different needs that need to be met for the betterment of women.  There are several aspects of transnational feminist movements. For starters, the sharing of research, strategies, and information among nations, advocate influencing policy and awareness through transnational feminist networks.  These networks are geared toward inserting a feminist aspect in transnational advocacy and activism.  With the United Nation’s treaties, address women trafficking, emphasis on environmental sustainability.  TFN also have activities in coalitions have been formed intergovernmental organizations, partner with other organizations such as humanitarian organization, created global networks in support of different gender equality struggles, use of CEDAW to ensure women’s rights.  Due to the activism of transnational feminist movements, women have been prioritized in publications, policies, and programs in the United Nation.  

The United States and CEDAW

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/08/opinion/baldez-womens-equality-treaty

Week of July 22 to July 26

Textbook Readings: Chapter 10 & 11

Video #5

Topics Covered:

National and Local Women’s Movements

Transnational Women’s Movement and Networks

Assessment:

Blog Entry

Women in Political Power

Aside from voting, women’s participation in the government is crucial. In 1932, Hattie Wyatt Caraway was the first woman to be elected and serve in the US senate. Women’s representation in government is symbolic because it is consistent with the ideals of justice and equality at the heart of representative democracy. (Because women are half of the human population.) Women who serve as political leaders also serve as positive role models for girls and women alike, sometimes leading to greater political engagement because women tend to become interested in politic when they see other women successfully participating in law making.  Furthermore, the female presence in government improves men AND women’s assessments of women’s capabilities. Starting with Madeline Albright (the first woman to hold this position) in 1997, there have been three females to serve as U.S. secretary of state, including Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton.

Increasing women’s political power and representation is consistent in Goal 3 of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, “to promote gender quality and empower women.” Unfortunately, women remain significantly underrepresented in governments throughout the world. On average, women hold 7 to 28 percent of cabinet positions, depending on where you are in the world. Women are typically appointed to positions dealing with family, social affairs, health, education, and women’s issues. As we can assume, this is a result of sexism. Although the offices women hold are often less powerful than others, they put women in positions that they are best able to shape policies which reduce gender inequality and benefit women and families. There is also some evidence of gender stereotypes actually helping women promote their policies because they are credible authorities in regard to these issues.

Power

There are 49.75% of women in the world in relation to men, yet just above 20% of them hold world political power. What’s wrong with this picture? Women’s needs and women’s confidence are way too low. When a woman is in office, they address what the typical women needs. They advocate for women’s health care rights, rights dealing with a women’s right to her body, and the rights for what the child needs because women are the primary caretakers of children. Men do not know what it is like caring a child, or what children need to be taken care of. Men do not know women’s health aside from the various students that go to medical school, in which these men do not hold political office anyways. Women’s practical importance of being political leaders is that they get the women’s voice out there.

Women’s symbolic importance is also very strong, if not stronger, than the practical importance of why women should hold political power. The face of a woman, whether or not she is making the right steps to advocate for women’s rights, inspires other women out there to make a difference. It gives them confidence to go out of the box and realize gender inequality exists and it takes major advocating to help stop it.

A great woman political leader in the United States that first comes to mind when I think of it is Hilary Clinton. As former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton advocated for women everywhere. Not only did she advocate for women’s rights, she was the leading Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential election. She won more primaries and delegates more than any woman in United States history. She also was in the Senate for New York, being the first woman to be on the Senate after being the First Lady and the first women senator from New York. She is a great example of a leader women can look up to.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard provides a great example of a great woman political leader outside of the United States. As the Prime Minister and Leader of the Labor Party from 2010-2013 in Australia, she was the first woman to hold either position. She advocated a health reform where she led to the increase of 270 placements in emergency doctors, offered 3,000 nursing scholarships over ten years, and funded many hospitals for physical and mental health for the better well-being of Australia. She also extended tax cuts for parents who had trouble paying for their child’s education. These are just two of the many things Julia Gillard did not only for Australia, but to help women and gender inequality in Australia.

Power

            There exist several types of leaders in the world, ranging from social, academic, and religious managers. Each leader harbors differing amounts of responsibility and influence depending on their field of expertise. Undoubtedly, one of the most significant spheres of impact on a governance scale involves politics. Politics affects all citizens of a country; therefore anyone in a position of political power possesses massive power.

A political role is an esteemed position for anyone, but especially a woman. Throughout world history, female oppression, waged by a male-dominated society, plagued women everywhere.  For example, most women around the world were not granted the right to vote until the beginning of the twentieth century. Thus, their voices became silent. They garnered no representation in government falsely committed to serving them and their basic needs.

Unsurprisingly, when countries granted women with suffrage and the right to hold public offices, the authority of women skyrocketed. For instance, Margaret Thatcher, was one of the most influential and inspiring women of the twentieth century. Incidentally, the British people voted her as the first female prime minister of Great Britain. This incident completely altered Britain forever. First of all, this election personified Britain’s changing social perception of women as equals and as valuable rather than inferior to men. Thatcher’s election also exemplifies a method of practicality in that she originated from a working class family, and this upbringing enabled her to propose adequate fiscal policies for the citizens of the United Kingdom.

In the United States, South Carolina’s current governor is Nikki Haley. Haley remains the only woman to every serve as governor to this great state. Therefore, this election is monumental in that she is the first female governor to serve the state of South Carolina. Furthermore, Haley is of Middle Eastern descent, making her the first female governor and first non-Caucasian governor of South Carolina.  Besides symbolic reasons, Haley’s governorship is truly practical in that she relates to the women of the state of South Carolina. She also adds a new face with novel concepts to the conservative and Republican movements in South Carolina. She is truly an inspiration. Reelect Nikki Haley for Governor!