Progress

« Locations and forms of Power We are going to talk about the notion of “Locations and forms of Power” but more precisely here we will dwell on women’s power.

To begin with, I would like to give a definition of power, it is the capacity to have an influence on something or on a person, a group, a nation … This influence can be given or won an it can evolved across the time.

So does the women’s power has evolved? Indeed, we have seen, in class, that women’s power have changed since WW2.

We will wonder how they managed to take power and if they really have it today. To begin with, women’s role have changed. At beginning, the woman’s role was to stay at home, to cook, to do the housework and to care for her husband and children.

She was limited and a submissive and devoted wife.

For example, we have studied in class two pictures.

On the first we saw a couple, the woman looks happy and her husband looks glad too: indeed he has just offered her a cooking mixer.

On the second photography, we saw a woman who is squatting at a man’s feet, her hands on her breast and gaping at him, she is worshipping him like a God. Yet, thanks to a video we saw that in the 60s, woman began to rebel, to demonstrate with the Women’s Liberation Movement.

They felt discriminated against at work but also inferior to men, rejected, underestimated and frustrated. Women have worked for centuries but more particularly women of the poorest classes to survive.

But WW2 was a pivotal moment for middle-class women because women had to replace man, indeed there was a shortage of manpower because they were off fighting.

In the US, woman gave a positive image: she was patriotic, she helped in the war effort and to save the nation.

Woman started to feel useful for their country, recognized and powerful.

WW2 has changed people’s mentalities about women. Now, let’s talk about today.

Since 1920 they have the right to vote, now they fought for equality at work, equal wages and for more recognition and consideration. For example, we have studied an interview between a newscaster and a FEMEN activist.

It is a group which has existed for 5 years, they protest against male domination, dictators, religion and the sex industry.

They fight for woman’s freedom, emancipation, empowerment and recognition, equality.

Today, they use the bare-breasted approach, they take off their T-shirts and bras during a street performance in front of the media.

She explains that her naked body is a weapon to express herself.

Moreover, we have read an extract from a speech by Emma Watson to promote the HeForShe campaign.

She is the US Women Goodwill Ambassador and a feminist, she claims it.

She said that being a feminist just means defending women’s right, no hate men.

She said women should be as respected as men, they shouldn’t be discriminating against.

They should have the same skills, the same wages, job opportunities and responsibilities as men.

They should be allowed to make their own decisions. Power is not a question of gender ant it can be in women’s hands, women can be as bossy as men. So men and women are not on an equal footing still today. To conclude, we have seen that women’s role in society in politics, in economy has evolved for a century.

Thus, Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton, Christine Lagarde embody power today and yet there is still a lot to be done concerning gender equality maybe because men are too proud to be ruled by women.

They still have prejudice against them: women are not skilled and not charismatic.

Finally it is a question of education.. »