Women Status in Europe and Americas

  Today, we’re going to talk about the social and economic status of women in Europe and America. These two continents would be divided into four parts to be discussed--- Europe, Russia, North America and Latin America.

1. Europe

    According to the latest research on The Gender Gap of World Economic Forum, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Swiss and Denmark accounted the first five places in it.

All these North Europe countries had paid high respect toward women. Especially Iceland, it was the origin of the recent feminism event ”Free the Nipple” and the fairest friendly country for women. Actually, Iceland had put women issue into society in1850s and Iceland women could have voting right at 1915, which was earlier than The United States for five years. Furthermore, Iceland had the first female president in 1980, who was a single mother and had rich experience in politics and she even renewed for three terms and retired in 1996.

  Iceland, one of the happiest countries in the world, deserves us to explore and learn more from the country with ice and fire.

2. Russia

    Although concluded as a part of Europe continent, Russian women do not have the same status as those in North Europe. Because the severe imbalance of men and women’s population, women would try every mean to get men’s attention and be as meek as they could to make men pleased. From 16^th, the Orthodox Church had published a code that ordered women to quiet and follow commands of their husbands. In recent years, things got worse. Many Russian men were alcoholic that they had a bad temper and would abuse their wives. In Russian, the divorce rate had reached to 60% that about a third of Russian children have no fathers and single mothers have to take care of them by themselves. Which is more unfair is that smoking is another habit of Russian men that they had a shorter ages then women, which means that women have to do more job than men because of the health factor. However, the average salary that Russian women got is men’s 65%, which is completely unfair to them.

  In my opinion, there is still a long way for Russian women to fight for their basic right and get respect.

 

3. North America

    According to the latest research on The Gender Gap of World Economic Forum, North America had narrowed down about 75% of political status between men and women and got the 4^th place on the women economic status around the world. However, women’s labor participation in every region of career was 86%, and The United of States account only 50^th in the business management by women’s part. It would be worse to see the political aspect that only 30% of high level of political circle, which still had a lot of improvement to do to catch up the friendly environment that North Europe established to women.

 4. Latin America

    To people’s surprise, there are 8 countries already attained the equality in education and health area between men and women and half of them are from Latin America--- Brazil, Bahamas, Belize and Guyana. There are about 56 female president and more one fifth were from Latin America, and there are three reasons to explain this special phenomenon.

(1.) The social revolution had the same pace with women revolution---

     After WWⅡ, the pace to democratic increased, which led to the instant and simultaneous status change on both women and aboriginals that they had the chances to combine to each other and develop the new political views to win voters’ hearts.

(2.) Legal protections on women’s participation on politics---

    Until now, there are more than 14 countries in Latin America had passed a law which stipulated that women should account for 40% of candidates in any kinds of votes. Thanks to this law, Argentina had beaten The United of States and Canada to get the better ranking in women’s political status in the world and got the 23rd place.

   I think that this research must break many people’ bias on women status connected to the countries’ development that Latin America got higher place than North America area. 

(3.) People expect the new faces---

     Many countries in Latin America had experienced the dictatorial military government and countless democratic government which claim to carry out more new policies. However, voters did not see the actual change and progress that they tried to want someone new. That’s why women become a fresh choice and advantage instead of a barrier in political circle.

 I think that this research must break many people’ bias on women status connected to the countries’ development that Latin America got higher place than North America area.

Now, let's see some videos to make a comparison between women status in Western and Eastern world.

Women status in India: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8A1MNwidzU

Women want you-- The Gender War in Sweden & Iceland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SFeaIMSgiw

 Please Don’t be surprised, there are still many secrets about women status that you don’t know. Just follow me and I would uncover them one by one for you.

To be continued

Traditional Clothes of Countries around the World--- Episode 1

Today, we’re going to admire some glamorous traditional clothes from different countries. 

(Of course women are our models)

Asia--- 

        1. Taiwan Aboriginals 

        

        2. Japan Kimono

        3. Korea Hanbok

        4. Chinese Cheongsam

        5. India Saree

        6. Vietnam Ao Dai

        7. Indonesia Batik

        8. Philippines

        9. Thailand

        10. Bhutan

        11.  Arabic

        12. Mongolia

Europe---

            1. Spanish

          2. France

          3. Italy

       

            4. Greece

           5. Germany

            6. Hungary

            7. Ukraine

          8.Poland

          9. Denmark

10.  Holland

            11. England

        

          12. Iceland

          13. Norway

               14. Russia

             15. Swiss

To be continued

     

         

Women Status in East Asia

 Next, let’s talk something closer to us—women status in East Asia. Generally speaking, women in East Asia have higher status than those in West and South Asia. As it is our living circle, it’s time for us to look more details about women status.

1. South Korea—According to recent research on women social and economic status in Asia-Pacific area, which was called “Women Accomplishment Index”, South Korea was in 12 place, the second-last in 13 countries. “Women Accomplishment Index” is based on women labor participation rate, high education access, chances to get manage position and their salary. Furthermore, South Korea did not list 8^th March as International Women’s Day, which also revealed the disrespect to women. There are several reasons for this phenomenon.

First, South Korea society put men in high position and women should cut off their own social circle with males and job after their marriage to follow their husbands. Second, they pay high esteem to “mother” and emphasize the dedication and sacrifice image of women. As a result, women are responsible for cultivating children and protect their children a lot. Because of devoting themselves to the family, South Korea women usually put the family benefit as the most essential part and act the guard as defending the aliens.

  As the consciousness of feminism increased, South Korea had made some change such as the first woman president, which is something Taiwan should learn. Under the influence from Europe and America, South Korea would certainly attain the equality status between men and women.

2. Japan—Just like their nation flower, Sakura, Japanese women represents the role of combining meek and indomitable. According to Japan Government, only 0.8% of the councilors were women and only 6.2% of manage position were account by women which made Japan the last place in OECD. (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Stocking in the same situation as South Korea, Japanese Women were facing tough and unfriendly career environment. Fortunately, Japan prime minister ABE Shinzō had realized how serious it is if the women labor participation still keeps low, Japan would not only confront aging society problem but also come up against the insufficient of the labor market. Thus, Mr. ABE Shinzō started to carry out a series policy to raise women’s participation in labor market. We could expect fine transformation of women in Japanese society in the near future.

 3. Taiwan—Compared to South Korea and Japan, women have a better status in Taiwan society thanks to the high liberty and consciousness. From 1960s, because of the main industries in Taiwan were highly labor used that it needed women a lot in that circumstance, the participation of women labor had kept increasing and attained 45% now. However, as the transformation for the industries in recent 20 years, women became the victim under the trend and lose their abilities, which are the issue needed to be seem and solved. 

    In other aspects, Taiwan is in the same situation as Japan and South Korea that women have fewer chances to promote and get lower salaries compared to men. While women have to take care of children and the household chores after work, men should try to share the burden with them and it would bring a better marriage and decrease the rate of divorce. 

                                                  to be continued

Reasons for Women Status in India

 This time, we’re going to dig deeper to the ancient India, finding out the connection between religion and women status and how did it influence the India society now. 

The reasons contributed to the tough environment that Indian women face could be divided into about two aspects---traditional and legal. 

Traditional

 1. Caste system -- Caste system in India had profound influence that Indians still obey it until now. According to Indian ancient code, the status of women was as low as the labors and they had to follow their fathers, brothers and husband all their lives. Some even said “Serving for husband is the only divine job that women should do.” and “Women without husband just like soul without a body, lake without water.” Immersed in such thoughts for almost thousands of years, no wonder it would be a mission impossible to change Indian’s bias in a short period of time.

2. Hinduism and Islamism— These are the two religions that most Indians believe in. In their codes, men had to raise parents that they had the right to inherit all the properties. And it should be men to hold their parents’ funerals that they could save dead people’s souls. As a result, most of parents are eager to have a boy instead a girl that leads to the serious imbalance of human proportion and inequality of men/women status.

 3. It is said that dowry decides the treatment of women in their husbands’ home. Due to the old tradition of India, it is necessary for women to bring a bunch of dowry to their new family. Some women couldn’t marry because of this trite and even maltreated because of the fewer dowries she brought. Thus, women usually viewed as money-losing propositions in India that millions of female infants disappeared every year in India.

 4. Sati (Loyalty)—The most crucial sentence that Indian women would face. Indians believed that dead men could enter the heaven and their family could be saved if the widowers sacrificed themselves with fire. Women could choose to be burned with their dead husbands or dressed delicately and carried by relatives to be burned after their husbands’ funerals. Both choices would win people’s applause and get fine reputation for widowers. Although the Indian government already announced the act as illegal and protests from countless feminism groups, superstitious Indians still consider Sati the sacred duty that women should do that many of them “force” widowers to complete the ceremonies.

 Legal

 1. Old justice system—There are too few judge in India that it could take a lot of time to sentence. According to the data, it is about fifteen judges to hold a million people’s case. This situation cause the slow pace of judging countless rape cases and thus make those rapists become savage.

 2. Low literacy—Because of being oppressed, Indian women have rare access to education that they couldn’t know the rights which should belong to them.

 3. Low participation in politics—Although there had been a woman president for 8 years, women’s participation in Congress only account for 11%, which is completely weak to do anything for the ordinary women. 

From above, we all know the reasons why Indian women suffer a lot under unfair and injustice circumstance. Although we are far from India, we could still do something for them such as donating to charities or becoming a volunteer to help them. At least we already understand thier culture and we have to pay proper respect to them.