The diversity in cultural views on the role of the male and the female is an interesting topic because of the similarities and disparities on the views of different countries. While some countries treat the male and the female equally, there are also some nations which clearly delineate the role of each one.
In China, the difference in gender roles is what others may call a “gender crisis”. China has always been known to be a country where gender inequality is prevalent, maybe even the norm. For centuries, it has always been a male-dominated society; men ruled and women were subservient to them. Parents preferred sons over daughters; thus resulting in female infanticide and an unbalanced population demographics. Women during the early times in China served as slaves, concubines and prostitutes. In the traditional Chinese society, they were not allowed to seek formal education. They did not have any rights and were often forced into arranged marriages. Later on during Mao Tse Tung’s rule, the women were given the opportunity to obtain formal education and occupy prominent positions in government and in other sectors of society. Mao was instrumental in improving the role of women because he believes that China can become a world power if women are empowered. Mao further believed that women should not only produce for the home but also for the state . Although the role of Chinese women has changed through the years, gender equality is still not at its best in China.
Similar to China, some Middle Eastern countries also experience gender inequality. In Turkey for example, there is a big employment gap between the male and female. This phenomenon is a result of the cultural view that the male should be the breadwinner of the family. Most Middle Eastern countries consider women as second-class members of the political community. Suad further explains that nowhere in the Middle East were women allowed to vote as early as men. In terms of economic aspects, women in some countries in the Middle East still cannot own businesses and are not allowed to travel without permission from their fathers or husbands. In the area of law, women inherit less than what the men receive and they are considered lesser legal witnesses than men. Furthermore, unlike men, they do not have the right to file for divorce or get custody of their children.
One of the greatest differences between the Islamic world and the Western world is the issue of gender equality. Western countries, like the United States and the European countries are known to treat men and women equally. A large part of the labor force is composed of women. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that white men no longer dominate the workplace since they account for about 45percent of all workers while white women and women of color make up 47 percent of the workplace. They also occupy several high-level positions in the government and in the private sector. However Western women still plays an important a vital role when it comes to domestic tasks or child rearing but men have started to share the tasks with their wives.
Gender roles vary amongst different cultures. Through the years though, there have been shifts in gender roles in several cultures of the world. But what is noteworthy is most cultures, if not all, are slowly moving towards an environment of gender equality.
Works Cited
Branigan, Tania. China's great gender crisis. 2 November 2011. 21 September 2013 <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/02/chinas-great-gender-crisis>.
Faqs.org. "Gender roles." 2013. www.faqs.org. 23 September 2013 <http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/8/Gender-roles.html>.
Globerover. Women in Chinese culture. 29 March 2010. 21 September 2013 <http://globerove.com/china/women-in-chinese-culture/1788>.
İlkkaracan, İpek. "Why so few women in the labor market in Turkey?" Feminist Economics (2012): 1-37.
Nosotro, Rit. Women in China. 2010. 21 September 2013 <http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t3w24womenchinap2kk.htm>.
Suad, Joseph. "Gender and Citizenship in Middle Eastern States." n.d. www.merip.org. 23 September 2013 <http://www.merip.org/mer/mer198/gender-citizenship-middle-eastern-states>.
