Gender Differences in Africa
Molly O’Malley
College Writing II
Mrs. Wollenzier
September 24, 2012
Gender Differences Gender has played an enormous role around the world from the very beginning. A major part of gender differences involves woman continuously being treated as inferiors to men in many ways. Men seemed to have the upper hand in numerous parts of the world. Gender differences have and still are a problem around the world today even after progress has been made with laws being passed against it. A world without gender differences would be a colorless world. As seen in class, the very first people originated from Africa. Many African tribes saw the men as the leaders and the women were just their property. As read in the book “Things Fall Apart” men were able to buy their wives. Wives in these tribes were comparable to slaves. Women had to do whatever their husband said, or it would be very likely they would be beaten. In these tribes a man beating his wife was not perceived as erroneous since she was owned by him. A male being called a ‘woman’ was the worst thing to be called for them (Things Fall Apart). Even today someone calling a male a girl is one of the best punch lines.
In “Things Fall Apart” men worry of being weak or showing weakness. Many males had to worry of only showing masculinity, like Okonkwo did in the book. Life was not always easier for the men. The men had to be the providers and work for the family they had created. The men were the ones who had to have enough food and shelter for their family to live. As seen in the book, Okonkwo a strong, hard-working man, had many wives and many huts to live in. On the other hand, his father was lazy and had not worked hard. His father was not able to get many wives and often went hungry (Things Fall Apart). This shows men had to work hard to be able to get what they see fit and provide for their family.
Although gender differences happened in Africa, it appeared to have spread all around the world. National action
College Writing II
Mrs. Wollenzier
September 24, 2012
Gender Differences Gender has played an enormous role around the world from the very beginning. A major part of gender differences involves woman continuously being treated as inferiors to men in many ways. Men seemed to have the upper hand in numerous parts of the world. Gender differences have and still are a problem around the world today even after progress has been made with laws being passed against it. A world without gender differences would be a colorless world. As seen in class, the very first people originated from Africa. Many African tribes saw the men as the leaders and the women were just their property. As read in the book “Things Fall Apart” men were able to buy their wives. Wives in these tribes were comparable to slaves. Women had to do whatever their husband said, or it would be very likely they would be beaten. In these tribes a man beating his wife was not perceived as erroneous since she was owned by him. A male being called a ‘woman’ was the worst thing to be called for them (Things Fall Apart). Even today someone calling a male a girl is one of the best punch lines.
In “Things Fall Apart” men worry of being weak or showing weakness. Many males had to worry of only showing masculinity, like Okonkwo did in the book. Life was not always easier for the men. The men had to be the providers and work for the family they had created. The men were the ones who had to have enough food and shelter for their family to live. As seen in the book, Okonkwo a strong, hard-working man, had many wives and many huts to live in. On the other hand, his father was lazy and had not worked hard. His father was not able to get many wives and often went hungry (Things Fall Apart). This shows men had to work hard to be able to get what they see fit and provide for their family.
Although gender differences happened in Africa, it appeared to have spread all around the world. National action
Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Thing Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1959. Print. Rathus, Nevid. "Rape statistics." The Hathor Legacy. WordPress Admin, 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://thehathorlegacy.com/rape-statistics/>. UN Women. "United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women." UN Women. N.p., 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.un.org/ womenwatch/daw/cedaw/>. Woman 's Rights. Global Issues, 14 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.globalissues.org/article/166/womens-rights>.