Charles Darwin's Influence On Malala Yousafzai

Throughout the past 200 years, women have fought against male-dominated societies to gain the basic human rights of freedom, safety, and equality. Despite the significant progress that has been made by women and the United Nations, this ongoing struggle towards women’s rights is still felt in many parts of the world today. Women and girls alike continue to be oppressed, and must fight against the authorities that try to abase them. One of Pakistan’s most determined young women, Malala Yousafzai, spoke openly against the Taliban’s destruction of girls schools. This courageous act made Malala a target for the infamous Taliban. She survived their murder attempt, and became one of the world’s most recognizable female figures in the fight for
peace and equality. Although many notable women, including Malala Yousafzai, have stood up for their rights throughout the past two centuries, a continual pattern of gender inequality remains in today’s modern world. The issue of gender inequality has been in the public eye for over 200 years.
One of science’s most influential men, Charles Darwin, was a frustratingly sexist male who published several works detailing man’s superiority. In Descent, Darwin stated that, “Man is more courageous, pugnacious and energetic than woman, and has a more inventive genius. His brain is absolutely larger, but whether or not proportionately to his larger body, has not, I believe, been fully ascertained” (Darwin 1). He drew the conclusion that men have larger brains, and therefore are infinitely smarter and better at using their brains than women. In the same chapter, he continued with his imagined superiority of man. “The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the two sexes is shewn by man's attaining to a higher eminence, in whatever he takes up, than can woman - whether requiring deep thought, reason, or imagination, or merely the use of the senses and hands” (Darwin 2). Darwin, who was widely regarded in the scientific community, published this work with no scientific backing. This influential man, who promoted incorrect evidence without solid facts, propagated the idea that men are superior in intelligence and skill level to women. Acts like that have continually set back equal gender rights. Almost 100 years prior to Darwin’s Descent, Mary Wollstonecraft was an active member behind women’s rights during the French Revolution. She wrote a heated letter to a French bishop who had
said that women should only receive enough education to be domestic wives. In her letter, Wollstonecraft said that, “It is then an affection for the whole human race that makes my pen dart rapidly along to support what I believe to be the cause of virtue: and the same motive leads me earnestly to wish to see woman placed in a station in which she would advance, instead of retarding, the progress of those glorious principles that give a substance to morality” (Wollstonecraft 1). Her argument was that if women were educated the same as men, and allowed to use their intellect to the best of their extent, the entire human race would improve. Unfortunately, her effort towards equal education for young girls and women did not stir up a movement great enough to change the world over the last two centuries.
Echoes of Wollstonecraft’s struggle for fair education remain in Malala Yousafzai’s journey. The modern Taliban rule that she lived under every day was eerily reminiscent of the French government during the revolution in the eighteenth century. In her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Malala declared that, “We are living in the modern age and we believe that nothing is impossible. We have reached the moon 45 years ago and maybe we will soon land on Mars. Then, in this 21st century we must be able to give every child a quality education” (Topping). It is clear that Malala’s intentions are to engage the world community in proper education for all humans. However, the Taliban’s extreme tactics against women are holding back the progress of their society. In a research report made by Physicians for Human Rights, it was stated that, “No other regime in the world has methodically and violently forced half of its population into virtual house arrest, prohibiting them on pain of physical punishment from showing their faces, seeking medical care without a male escort, or attending school” (Iacopino 11). The Taliban’s oppressive policies set back gender equality and women’s rights in the Middle Eastern countries they ruled. Malala’s brave fight against her sexist and tyrannical government is as noble as every other woman who has stood up for her rights. During the French Revolution, there were several fearless women who raised their voices against the male-dominated society that controlled them. One particular female, Olympe de Gouges, was an outspoken activist for women’s rights until her death. The French government set out a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which was wonderfully laid out and gave men equal rights to safety, property, and liberty (Declaration 2). However, these so-called equal rights still excluded minorities and women. After this public declaration by the government, de Gouges published her very own pamphlet, the Declaration of the Rights of Woman. She prefaced her bold revisions to the governmental decree by stating that “considering that ignorance, neglect, or contempt for the rights of woman are the sole causes of public misfortunes and governmental corruption, they have resolved to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable, and sacred rights of woman” (de Gouges 1). Her version of the declaration demanded parallel rights between men and women, which she did by editing each of the 17 statements to include women, the first one being, “Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights” (de Gouges 1). Another shocking change that de Gouges made was an amendment to the eleventh statement of the declaration, in which she wrote that women “may therefore say freely, I am the mother of your child” (de Gouges 2). Changes like these were scandalous at the time, and Olympe’s passion and inner fire brought her life to an early end under the guillotine. Her anger and disappointment towards the authorities that controlled her existence resonates with any modern woman. Several comparisons can be drawn between the fiery personalities of De Gouges and Malala, yet their struggles occurred more than 200 years apart. The progress that seems to have taken place in some parts of the world since the French Revolution has obviously not reached everywhere. Women are still working towards the goal of complete human equality between the sexes. The constant struggle for equality that has been happening for generations around the world has not yet come to an end. The United Nations Development Programme creates Human Development Reports based on statistics of men and women all over the globe. A Gender Inequality Index exists, which is a compilation of the maternal mortality ratio, adolescent birth rate, share of seats in parliament, and the amount of population with some secondary education, among a few other factors (Human Development Reports). The trends that the GII demonstrates are alarming. The index indicates that overall in the world between 2005 and 2012, 10% more males received some secondary education than females. The GII also shows that in 2013, women possessed only 21.1% of seats in parliament throughout the world. These figures demonstrate that gender inequality persists in every country. Some regions, such as the Arab States, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest amount of gender inequality (Human Development Reports). However, the other world regions are almost as bad, and the data gives some insight on where a movement towards equality can be made. Malala, who hails from Pakistan in South Asia, is an extremely influential young woman that has managed to rise up from the severe female oppression that exists in her country. Her struggle reflects the ongoing daily struggle of girls and women around the world today who are striving for equal rights. Over the past two centuries, women have begun to raise their voices against patriarchal oppression and the unending inequality that exists everywhere in the world.
Beginning with the introduction of women’s rights during the French Revolution, all the way until Malala in today’s modern society, ladies have constantly been trying to gain awareness for this important social issue. Despite some progress being made in terms of freedoms and rights, gender inequality remains as a serious problem in every society. Malala, the voice of a young generation of women urging for equality, addressed the issue with a very simple statement. “Sometimes people like to ask me, why should girls go to school? Why is it important for them? But I think the more important question is: why shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t they have this right?” (Topping). It is on the shoulders of the humans of today and the future to answer Malala’s question with a newfound liberty, peace, and equality.
Works Cited
Darwin, Charles. "Descent of Man." The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. John Murray, 1871. Print.
De Gouges, Olympe. The Declaration of the Rights of Woman. Paris, 1791. Print.
France. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Paris: L'Imprimerie De Baudoin, 1789. Print.
"Human Development Reports." Table 4: Gender Inequality Index. United Nations Development Programme. Web. 20 Feb.
2015.
Iacopino, Vincent. The Taliban's War on Women: A Health and Human Rights Crisis in Afghanistan. Boston: Physicians for Human Rights, 1998. Georgetown University Law Centre. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
"Profile: Malala Yousafzai." BBC News. 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
Topping, Alexandra. "Malala Yousafzai Accepts Nobel Peace Prize with Attack on Arms Spending." The Guardian. 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Wollstonecraft, Mary. "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman." Letter to M. Talleyrand-Périgord, Late Bishop of Autun. 1792.