Rise Of Women In Ancient Greece
"In politics if you want anything said, ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman." (-Margaret Thatcher). History is told from a man's perspective. Powerful women are often viewed as novelties, and history itself is rarely explored from a female perspective. Why is so little thought given to the women that raised the men who shaped our world as it is today? Why is only slightly more thought given to the women in power that made and continue to make the world a more livable place for women (and men) everywhere? Despite the relapses that occurred throughout history, women's roles in general are on the rise; that is, women's influence and importance in world affairs and society have been gradually increasing over time. The steady rise
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of women can be traced back to ancient times. For example, Dr. Joann Fletcher in her article "From Warrior Women to Female Pharaohs: Careers for Women in Ancient Egypt" for the BBC website says that women in ancient Egypt were "portrayed in a very public way alongside men at every level of society." She says Egyptian women "enjoyed a form of equality which has rarely been equalled." In this case, not only did women hold a higher than normal status in society, they were viewed as equals to men, and even sometimes received equal pay (Fletcher), something that our society has yet to achieve. Such equal opportunity was given to Egyptian queens that they were able to hold the position of "king" in the event of their husband's death (Fletcher). This level of equilibrium makes it seem like our modern society has regressed, when in reality our society is in the process of achieving this degree of equality. Of the 298 women that have been elected to the U.S. Congress, 102 of those women are currently serving in the 113th Congress (Manning 1), the most there have ever been at any one time. The amount of women we have in the legislative system shows progress and the promise of more to come. The rise of women continues in ancient Greece.
In his article "The Rise of Women in Ancient Greece," Michael Scott says that after the Peloponnesian War, women in Athens "began to work outside the home," alongside the men, out of economic necessity, and in Sparta, many women owned land. He says women during this time wrote their own words, thereby showing that despite their inability to vote in Athens, they enjoyed a degree of literacy denied of even ancient Egyptian women and many women and girls in some countries in our modern world. Though they enjoyed little freedoms in Athens, Sparta offered women a certain degree of equality. Scott asserts that "Sparta […] brought its women perhaps more to the fore than any other city in mainland Greece;" women were given physical training and some even won Olympic games. Women also held positions of power on the coast of what is now western Turkey; take, for example, Queen Artemisia, who ruled for several years without a husband at her side after his death (Scott). Regardless of their second-class citizen status in Athens, women in ancient Greece did see an increase in their influence in city affairs, much like women today see increasing impact in world politics with the election of more women into executive positions, such as Germany's first female chancellor, Angela Merkel ("Angela Dorothea …show more content…
Merkel"). In addition to Angela Merkel, the world has also seen other female political giants that continue to serve as role models for girls everywhere, encouraging them to grow and challenge their position in society. Margaret Thatcher, for example, was the first female British Prime Minster and was elected to three consecutive terms, though not without several downturns in poll rankings (Women who Changed the World 156). Thatcher's reelections show that in spite of any unfortunate events that befell her country during her time of office, she was still trusted by the people and Parliament to steer the country on the right course. Benazir Bhutto is another female political powerhouse, though arguably less famous than Thatcher. Bhutto was "the first woman to lead a Muslim country in modern times," and worked toward social justice and against sexual discrimination (Women who Changed the World 189). Her election as Pakistan's Prime Minister amongst a people who society assumes to condone the subordination of women is revolutionary; it shows that even cultures that are deeply steeped in tradition and religion can believe in the relative equality ability of women in power. The rise of women is not exclusive to politics, but also extends to fields, like science and math, that were once typically dominated by men.
Hundreds of female scientists have made discoveries that have changed the field of science forever. Take, for instance, Mary-Claire King, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who discovered that breast cancer is heritable and that "chimpanzees and humans are 99 percent genetically alike," (Svitil) findings that people today consider to be common knowledge. Historically, there are female scientists such as Rosalind Franklin, whose studies of DNA fibers directly led to the identification of its structure ("Rosalind Elsie Franklin"), Marie Curie, recipient of two Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry and discoverer of the element radium (Women who Changed the World 80), and Dorothy Hodgkin, who also received a Nobel prize for chemistry and identified the structures of penicillin, vitamin B12, and insulin, allowing for these compounds to be mass-produced (Women who Changed the World 133). It is evident that the discoveries these women made continue to benefit humanity today, and also continue to inspire more girls to become scientists, expanding the overall influence women have on the sciences and the
world. Recently, our world has seen an unprecedented role reversal between men and women. A Pew study from June 2014 shows an increase in the amount of stay-at-home dads, meaning more and more women are choosing to be working mothers, and more men are accepting of that fact. Our society is changing so that men do not have do feel emasculated if their wives are providing for their families, and women do not have to feel as if they are abandoning their families for their career. In fact, there are several women that are chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies like General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM ("Women CEOs") that also have families, although whether or not their respective husbands have chosen to be stay-at-home fathers is at their discretion. Women leading major companies is a contemporary phenomenon, and it would be difficult to deny there will not be more women in these positions in the future. Before women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, they were in the blue collar work force, doing their part for their country while the men were at war during the second World War. The advancements women have seen in regards to their status have not been met without regressions or relapses; it is difficult to discuss the role women have or have had in society without addressing the housewife phenomenon. Ruth Schwartz Cowan, in her article "Two washes in the morning and a bridge party at night: The American housewife between wars," says that after the end of World War I, "[housework] was no longer regarded as a chore, but as an expression of the housewife's personality and of her affection for her family," (150) almost as if the housewife's personality was defined and limited by her ability to do housework. Indeed, women who hired servants to help with the housekeeping were considered to be wives of a lesser caliber; a lack of servants was now "widely regarded as a potential virtue" (Cowan 151). A woman's character in housewife culture is not defined by her own personal values or morals, but how well her children's clothes have been pressed, how clean her kitchen is, etc. She is not a woman, but a wife and mother. Society has come a long way since this ideology; women are now earning their own money if they so please and are no longer defined by their ability to hem slacks, and if a woman today lives the life of a stay-at-home wife and mother, she does so of her own volition, free of societal pressures. Today in the media we see our culture trying to improve its representation of women. Celebrities are speaking out against domestic violence, equal pay, and more, and people all over the internet are banding together against rape culture, catcalling, and the overall objectification of women. The rise of women in our culture may seem like an obvious fact, but considering the ups and downs we have seen in our status, it becomes less visible. Someday our world will see the equal payment and treatment of all genders, and it is up to all genders to achieve it.
of women can be traced back to ancient times. For example, Dr. Joann Fletcher in her article "From Warrior Women to Female Pharaohs: Careers for Women in Ancient Egypt" for the BBC website says that women in ancient Egypt were "portrayed in a very public way alongside men at every level of society." She says Egyptian women "enjoyed a form of equality which has rarely been equalled." In this case, not only did women hold a higher than normal status in society, they were viewed as equals to men, and even sometimes received equal pay (Fletcher), something that our society has yet to achieve. Such equal opportunity was given to Egyptian queens that they were able to hold the position of "king" in the event of their husband's death (Fletcher). This level of equilibrium makes it seem like our modern society has regressed, when in reality our society is in the process of achieving this degree of equality. Of the 298 women that have been elected to the U.S. Congress, 102 of those women are currently serving in the 113th Congress (Manning 1), the most there have ever been at any one time. The amount of women we have in the legislative system shows progress and the promise of more to come. The rise of women continues in ancient Greece.
In his article "The Rise of Women in Ancient Greece," Michael Scott says that after the Peloponnesian War, women in Athens "began to work outside the home," alongside the men, out of economic necessity, and in Sparta, many women owned land. He says women during this time wrote their own words, thereby showing that despite their inability to vote in Athens, they enjoyed a degree of literacy denied of even ancient Egyptian women and many women and girls in some countries in our modern world. Though they enjoyed little freedoms in Athens, Sparta offered women a certain degree of equality. Scott asserts that "Sparta […] brought its women perhaps more to the fore than any other city in mainland Greece;" women were given physical training and some even won Olympic games. Women also held positions of power on the coast of what is now western Turkey; take, for example, Queen Artemisia, who ruled for several years without a husband at her side after his death (Scott). Regardless of their second-class citizen status in Athens, women in ancient Greece did see an increase in their influence in city affairs, much like women today see increasing impact in world politics with the election of more women into executive positions, such as Germany's first female chancellor, Angela Merkel ("Angela Dorothea …show more content…
Merkel"). In addition to Angela Merkel, the world has also seen other female political giants that continue to serve as role models for girls everywhere, encouraging them to grow and challenge their position in society. Margaret Thatcher, for example, was the first female British Prime Minster and was elected to three consecutive terms, though not without several downturns in poll rankings (Women who Changed the World 156). Thatcher's reelections show that in spite of any unfortunate events that befell her country during her time of office, she was still trusted by the people and Parliament to steer the country on the right course. Benazir Bhutto is another female political powerhouse, though arguably less famous than Thatcher. Bhutto was "the first woman to lead a Muslim country in modern times," and worked toward social justice and against sexual discrimination (Women who Changed the World 189). Her election as Pakistan's Prime Minister amongst a people who society assumes to condone the subordination of women is revolutionary; it shows that even cultures that are deeply steeped in tradition and religion can believe in the relative equality ability of women in power. The rise of women is not exclusive to politics, but also extends to fields, like science and math, that were once typically dominated by men.
Hundreds of female scientists have made discoveries that have changed the field of science forever. Take, for instance, Mary-Claire King, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who discovered that breast cancer is heritable and that "chimpanzees and humans are 99 percent genetically alike," (Svitil) findings that people today consider to be common knowledge. Historically, there are female scientists such as Rosalind Franklin, whose studies of DNA fibers directly led to the identification of its structure ("Rosalind Elsie Franklin"), Marie Curie, recipient of two Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry and discoverer of the element radium (Women who Changed the World 80), and Dorothy Hodgkin, who also received a Nobel prize for chemistry and identified the structures of penicillin, vitamin B12, and insulin, allowing for these compounds to be mass-produced (Women who Changed the World 133). It is evident that the discoveries these women made continue to benefit humanity today, and also continue to inspire more girls to become scientists, expanding the overall influence women have on the sciences and the
world. Recently, our world has seen an unprecedented role reversal between men and women. A Pew study from June 2014 shows an increase in the amount of stay-at-home dads, meaning more and more women are choosing to be working mothers, and more men are accepting of that fact. Our society is changing so that men do not have do feel emasculated if their wives are providing for their families, and women do not have to feel as if they are abandoning their families for their career. In fact, there are several women that are chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies like General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM ("Women CEOs") that also have families, although whether or not their respective husbands have chosen to be stay-at-home fathers is at their discretion. Women leading major companies is a contemporary phenomenon, and it would be difficult to deny there will not be more women in these positions in the future. Before women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, they were in the blue collar work force, doing their part for their country while the men were at war during the second World War. The advancements women have seen in regards to their status have not been met without regressions or relapses; it is difficult to discuss the role women have or have had in society without addressing the housewife phenomenon. Ruth Schwartz Cowan, in her article "Two washes in the morning and a bridge party at night: The American housewife between wars," says that after the end of World War I, "[housework] was no longer regarded as a chore, but as an expression of the housewife's personality and of her affection for her family," (150) almost as if the housewife's personality was defined and limited by her ability to do housework. Indeed, women who hired servants to help with the housekeeping were considered to be wives of a lesser caliber; a lack of servants was now "widely regarded as a potential virtue" (Cowan 151). A woman's character in housewife culture is not defined by her own personal values or morals, but how well her children's clothes have been pressed, how clean her kitchen is, etc. She is not a woman, but a wife and mother. Society has come a long way since this ideology; women are now earning their own money if they so please and are no longer defined by their ability to hem slacks, and if a woman today lives the life of a stay-at-home wife and mother, she does so of her own volition, free of societal pressures. Today in the media we see our culture trying to improve its representation of women. Celebrities are speaking out against domestic violence, equal pay, and more, and people all over the internet are banding together against rape culture, catcalling, and the overall objectification of women. The rise of women in our culture may seem like an obvious fact, but considering the ups and downs we have seen in our status, it becomes less visible. Someday our world will see the equal payment and treatment of all genders, and it is up to all genders to achieve it.