According to Global Gender Gap, the number of brutal assaults on women's sexual and productive liberty and gender-related homicides tripled between 2003 and 2013. An study of quantitative data from a sample of interviews with African-American women reveals that racial, religious, and sexual oppression have unjustly prevented the majority of women from reaching their full potential. Women's rights advocates have been warning and pleading with the state's authorities to impose laws against the rising violence against women by males, even though for years their voices went unheard. Persistent force of oppressions resistance by female gender have bared fruits in most countries across the world because women have started gaining a vote in the society. I believe that women can achieve as much as men and they have the ability to realize many dreams when they are given an opportunity. I, therefore, recommend that they should have equal chances as men pertaining critical issues in the state and people should stop the notion that there are male defined and women oriented activities.
Oppression involves preventing certain groups of people from exercising the freedom like the rest of the population, which could involve the use of physical force, authority or law in an injustice manner. Women discrimination has gone viral across countries creating a major concern that need to be seriously addressed. The oppression by a male to the female gender is a historic issue that has long been practiced in history when the woman was never appreciated as having much value to the society other than giving birth to babies and taking care of domestic affairs. They had no vote to critical matters; men were the one to make decisions and women follow them without questioning. In her book, Maria Mies describes the origin of women oppression under anthropology where she reveals that men used to practice hunting leading to expertise in weapon aggression and capture. The act of engaging in such physical activities made them powerful in seizing women and acquiring their private property by pillage and force. Men viewed them as feeble beings, and they seemed physically unwell especially when in labor pain during pregnancy, lactation and times of their menstrual period, hence women were not involved in many activities. Maria suggested that the vulnerable behavior must have influenced their submission that led men into taking advantage of them and decided to mishandle and use them as objects. The analysis places the beginning of women oppression by men and the oppression of slaves, which involved both genders in the same historic epoch.
Slavery played a major role in women oppression where powerful groups of people would raid the communities and took away strong young girls from their native land and sold them to foreign lands. When taken to the new locations they would be brutally molested, rapped and others beaten to death by their hostile bosses as there were no laws imposed to protect them. In the middle of nineteenth century, the historical study explores the slavery and post slavery formed in area of East Central Africa. The slavery act which is so inhuman at the time as it was promoted by a long distance traders based in Zanzibar. They collaborated with chiefs of Lungu during the exploration tour of David Livingstone who was an antislavery and first Westerner to explore those areas. The study reports that the traders led by Tippu Tip an Arab merchant, raided homes and killed the aged and took away the young girls. On the way, they sexually oppressed many young innocent women and even killed those who attempted to resist.
In the current days, women still experience oppression by men in various circumstances all over the world, domestic violence being the common in most homes. It is often said that sexism is a past phenomenon but is also clear to most people that this is not true because women are still expected to attend to most the domestic activities such as taking care of children, cook for them and clean dishes. Men believe that it is the responsibility of a woman to carry out all the domestic chores, which is not a positive take on feminine side considering some beleife in equal treatment in marriage. Sexual violence is another major issue as far as oppression on women is concerned where one use physical or cultural coercion to impose unwanted sexual. The most common incidences reported involving sexual oppression is rape. Sexual violence like other forms of violence causes psychological trauma, and make it tough for the victims of the act to experience autonomy, safety and respect. On 14 February 2015, a female student from a school of psychology in Mersin was molested, raped and murdered in Turkey. The other students were disgusted by the behavior and they went to the streets to demonstrate. Sexual violence incidences are also experienced at working places where by women are forced to sleep with their superiors in exchange for promotion or other favors.
Oppression may also be experienced as result of Religion and cultural beliefs whereby some religions impose rules attributing sexual power to women. Reproductive conditions such as menstruation, childbirth and breast-feeding are believed to make them unclean and therefore they are not eligible to control or lead in the worship. The beliefs deny women rights to express themselves before God instead; men control worshipping.
All forms of violence that cause oppression to women have not been perceived well by most of communities and organizations in most countries hence they have risen in number to support them in fighting the evenly growing tyranny by men. Fight for women liberation has spread across world as bush fire evident by movements conducting peaceful demonstrations on gender violence, legislation imposing laws and measures that protect the rights of a woman in the society. Formation of international women`s movements which is capable of challenging the ruling class and its governments. This movement has succeeded to convince government to set up programs such as internal women`s day which is a winning strategy whereby female gender issues are enlighten and create awareness of women role in the society. On 4-5 February 2017, thousands of women attended a “Non una di meno” assembly, held in Bologna adopting eight-point program and issued an appeal to trade unions to call a women`s strike. The strategy is meant to represent women and fight for positions in labor market. Call to re-establish a public funded network of family clinic with adequately trained practitioners, which will also include the anti-violence centers. Progressive campaigns for suffrage that asking superior class in government to allow women to vote and vie for posts in the legislation. The organization achieved its goal in 1990 when some states in West began to extend their vote for the first time almost than 20 years and women were given the right to vote and vie for posts in the government. Several organizations formed create classes to educate the women on their rights and their role in the society. They also empower women and provide them with financial support to engage in business to enable them cater for their family without depending on men or their husbands. The governments are imposing strict laws on rape crimes and other forms of sexual harassment to deter men from attempting the inhuman crimes. Women are being recognized in the authorities, given positions to represent their colleagues in fighting for their rights. Apparently the measures employed have enabled women achieve their prime goal; “gender equality.”
In summary, the target of equality can only be achieved with complete elimination of capitalism, which is the prime source of oppression and indorse socialism, which call for equal and fair treatment for all regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion or sexuality. Social reforms should match the planned economy to indemnity a state or society that is free from discrimination in the legal system, work place, at home, healthcare, on the street or on the social media.
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