Women’s rights are an age-long debated topic, and the fairer sex has been fighting for its rights since ages. However, one major change that the world has observed in the lives and rights of women is the shift in their roles from leading domestic lives to their roles in the economy and politics of various countries. Three such countries under discussion are the United States, China, and Afghanistan. The rights of women in these countries shall be observed one by one.
Women were not allowed to vote, work, gain an equal education and step into the political realm at one point in American history. In 1777, women were disallowed voting for candidates. However, changes rose in 1839 when women were allowed to hold property in their name. In 1870, the 15th Amendment allowed women the right to vote, indirectly, as it was issued that the rights of American citizens to vote cannot be taken away from any person on the basis of their color, race, and gender (Nwhp). Finally, in the year 1920, women were allowed to vote without facing discrimination. Women in the United States do share some better prospects than most of the women around the world. They are allowed to pursue an education at their own will, in fact, they are encouraged to go to college, and many young women work during college to pay their tuition (Nwhp). American women do not have forced marriages, in fact, they are at liberty to choose their partners. Furthermore there are no stigmas attached to their sexuality. Since 1969, women have made one-third of the American workforce, but today they make up almost half of the workforce. More women have participated in the political sphere since 2012, and in the previous year, Hillary Clinton almost became the president of the country (Ravitz). Women have also become sole breadwinners in families, and many are single mothers. However, disparities remain on issues such as the pay gap which still exists amongst men and women. Women of color have a greater disparity as they make 64 cents as opposed to a dollar made by a man (Ravitz). Women also face challenges in issues like abortion laws and maternity leaves which vary from occupation to occupation and state to state. Yet, they are doing well as many serve in professional fields and even serve in the army.
China is another enigmatic country on the map which holds a large population. However, Chinese women have faced huge discrepancies in their rights in the past, and many of them were deprived of their rights excessively. It was only after the fall of Imperialism and after Mao Zedong rose to power that the communists came to think gender equality would lead the country to success and utilize the country’s assets more wisely. There have been many changes in the Chinese society since the 1980s and various feminist movements have taken place to uphold women’s rights in China. What came as a major setback was the one-child policy that was implemented in the late 1970s (Attane). Although it was done to check the Chinese population, nevertheless it came as a blow to women’s right to reproduce. However, in other spheres of life like economics, politics, education and right to earn a living, China has held gender equality up high and allowed women to share the same rights as men in all cultural, socioeconomic as well as family life spheres without any discrimination. Women do remain uneducated and unable to work professionally if they belong to the rural areas of the country. Education is the precursor to better health and facilities, and women can lead relatively successful lives (Attane).
Chinese women happen to hold the highest employment rate for their gender amongst all other countries in the world. Three out of four Chinese women happen to be employed. Many women are successful entrepreneurs. Women also have a right to choosing their partners and decide when to have children and generally hold a satisfied view of life. Now that they are allowed two children, it has still not stopped women from growing their influence in the work industry (Attane).
One of the countries which stands in stark comparison from the above two is Afghanistan which has a serious disregard for women’s rights. Afghanistan today is a challenging place to live in and grow up as a woman. It is a strictly Islamic country, which follows the religious codes assigned to men and women. Matters were not always the same. During the influence of the Soviet Union in the country, Afghan women enjoyed the right to vote as early as the year 1919. In 1923, its constitution allowed equal rights to both genders indiscriminately. There was no strict dress code at the time and women could be seen wearing skirts, without headscarves and enjoyed a good education, worked in all mainstream professions and had a say in their marriage and reproductive rights. They went to the cinemas and universities and enjoyed normal lives as any western woman would (TheWeek).
Matters changed after the Taliban took over in 1996 and everything changed completely. They imposed the strict codes of the Shariah law, which banned all freedom that women had previously enjoyed, mainly their right to an education and having a social life. They prohibited women from going out publicly and restricted them to their homes. Women had no control over their married lives, and they had the highest fertility rates at the time. Each Afghan woman had at least six children (Trustineducation). Women remained uneducated and did not work thereafter. Their lives were domesticated, and the society was completely patriarchal. The dress code involved covering themselves up and no makeup or exhibition of their beauty or ornaments. While the present Ghani government is working to advocate some women’s rights, nothing substantial is being done to help them (TheWeek).
Works Cited
Attane, Isabelle. “Being a Woman in China Today: A Demography of Gender.” China
perspectives 2012. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
Nwhp. Detailed Timeline. 1980. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
Ravitz, Jessica. “Women in the World: Where the U.S. Falters in Quest for
Equality.” CNN. CNN, 16 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
TheWeek. Women’s rights in Afghanistan: The turbulent fight for equality. The Week
The UK, 24 June 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
Trustineducation. Life as an afghan woman. Trust in Education, 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 16
Jan. 2017.
