Struggle of Women's Rights And Gender Equality in West( Myths And Realities).Through the Historical Lens

 

Women's rights and gender equality are some of the major issues, constituting the mainstream debate concerning the rights of women in west versus the rights of women in Islam. In the light of historical evidences ,the picture of the rights of women in the west appears highly bleak and ambiguous.

Going Through The Historical Lens

• It was not until 1920 when women were granted the right to vote .which was endowed to women 1400 years back in islam .
• Some of the rights of women such as education ,employment and owning property won recognition only after a long arduous struggle launched by the feminists such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Helena Cixous and Betty Friedan. Despite the strong feminist protests ,campaigns and advocacy groups,these women achieved what Islam has blessed the women centuries back without women's asking. It seems now that  even west needs to go a long way to promulgate and implement their rights islam has granted .
• For example, it is unfortunate that despite legislation ,20% of the American women were reportedly raped at least once in their lifetime ,and around 44% were sexually abused ,as reported in a study by George Mason University America.
• The atrocities faced by women in Euorope surpass those of the American situation. Statistics suggest that every one out of four Swedish women reports rape, and every one out of five women reports to have experienced sexual violence before the age of 16.
• Women are also objectified in  various commercials and advertisements in the west unlike that of the some Islamic countries.
• Ironically despite stressing on the gender equality ,even the UN does not have even a single woman judge in the panel of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  

This disparity in concept and action is of grave concern ,for despite beating the drums of gender equality as well as the rights of women ,the West stays dithering over the issue. This is the reality of women's rights in the west following the rise of feminism and response to this women-specific movement.