In this paperwork I am going to handle this question about the status of women in history. What roles were women expected or not expected to perform by the community? Has gender equality been into existence in the early days? The reactions of women as far as their status are considered. These are some of the questions that I will be handling in this paperwork.
Through the research, we find the Greek society practicing laws and customs that constrained the political rights and social access of females to such an extent that Greek women were abridged to simple trustees of their husbands. According to Plato views, he does not acknowledge this culture on how the Greek society was treating their women. Plato wanted this culture brought to an end, whereby, women would not only have the precedence of voting, but would have access to positions of power and accountability, such as being appointed as magistrates and priests- he wanted equality for women. It is, therefore, clear that the Greek women status were reduced by the set customs (Plato, pp280-283).
In Athenian society, women lives were tremendously limited. Plato makes it clear that women in the Athenian society were not supposed to leave home unescorted and could not take part in an election, hold communal office, own assets, or even attend community gatherings in their individual homes. They were fundamentally bound to the will and decisions of their husbands or fathers. According to my understanding, they were treated as sex tools whose major role was to conceive. It is, therefore, clear that the women status in the Athenian society were not respected by the community.
When it comes to performing important rituals, such as baptism; a woman is not entitled to perform these essential rituals. Through the literature review, it is clearly depicted that a woman may be holy and morally upright, but that does not qualify her to teach men in the church, or to perform baptisms ritual. From the book of 1 Cor. 14.35: it says that, it is an embarrassment for a woman to speak in church. It is, therefore, clear that a woman is not allowed to perform any task in church, baptism included. A baptism is depicted as a ritual that should only be performed by those in authority; hence, it should be conducted by the priests having charge of souls. Women are, therefore, not qualified for the practice of this ritual. According to 1 Tim.2.12:1 it says; `` I bear not a woman to instruct, nor to employ power over male, but to be subject to him”. it is, therefore, clear that the scripture too made the status of women to be inferior when compared to the status of men .Men status were treated with more seriousness as compared to women status that were prone to numerous limitations as depicted in this paperwork. According to pope Urban II case, he argues that a woman can perform the task of baptism, but only in cases of inevitability, a female is the male and the head of the family. In cases, whereby, the man is available for the purpose of baptism, then a woman is not entitled to carry out the task. In canal generation, it is said that women and men collaborate according to the authority of their good personality. The women are, therefore, anticipated not to be vigorous, but only the inert principle of generation. Through literature review, women are considered as suitable when it come to performing the rituals of baptisms incase of urgency. From this, we find that women statuses are, only, considered in the absenteeism of men (Thomas Aquinas, (1920), part 3).
The Turks community did not recognize the status of women with the utmost importance required. We find that the Turks people kept their wives at home and concealed them away so that they could reduce their chances of them seeing the light of day. In case they are to go to the streets, they are anticipated by the people to be enclosed and wrapped up in veils that make them look like plain gliding ghosts. The wealthier classes make it an order when they wed, that their wives shall by no means set foot outside the doorsill, and no male or female shall be admitted to observe them for any rationale whatever, not even their adjacent relatives. The husband is the only person entitled to authorize the permission of those to see or not to see his wife. It is, therefore, clear that women were treated as object that have no right to decide on whom to interact with. In case the wife has a higher rank, brought a higher dowry, the husband promises on his part that he will take no concubine, but will keep to her alone. It is important to note that the Turks are not forbidden by any law to have as many concubines as they please in addition to their lawful wives.
As for concubines, they either buy them for themselves or triumph them in warfare; and when they are exhausted of them, they have the precedence of selling them; but they are unconstrained to their liberty if they have borne kids to their master. The husband has the precise of choosing who to squander the hours of darkness with. This bring us to the worst mistreatment to have ever been practiced on human beings- that the husband has the right to sell or acquire a concubine during war (Foster, (1881), pp 357).
It is, therefore, clear that women status have always been unnoticed for a long time. Women have been seen as properties that can be sold or acquired through unethical means, such as war. Women have been constrained when it come to practicing their freedom, such as voting. It is important to note that, a woman getting a divorce from the husband is a tedious task that is almost impossible. Women have not been comfortable being treated as property by men and that is why we see a wealthier woman will not accept her husband to marry another woman.
Works cited
C.T. Foster and F.H. B Daniel, The life and Letters of Osier Ghiselin de Busbeeq, vol.1 pg
357(London: Hakluyt Society, 1881), pp. 219-221 .
The Fathers of the English Dominican Province, trans., The Summa Theological of St. Thomas
Aquinas (London: Burns, Oates & Wasbourne, 1920), Part 3, Question 67.
Women and war; from Aristophanes, L and other plays, Tran. Alan H. Sommerstein (New York
and Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Classics, 1973). Pp.200-202, 206-208.Reproduction by
permission of penguin Books Ltd .
The equality of women in the State is from Plato, The Republican, in The Dialogues of Plato,
trans. Benjamin Jowett, vol. II (New York: Armstrong, and Co., 1874), pp. 280-283.Translation
modernized by the editor.
