Gender Imbalance across Centuries

Since the beginning of time, sexuality has been at the heart of literature. Authors of blogs, journals, poetry, and, more frequently than not, novels, appear to discuss this. In today’s culture, there is tension between different individuals who have different views on sensuality. Few people embrace bisexuality, although others do not. There are several facets of the sexuality topic that can be explored.

Women were not valued in society in ancient times. They were seen as artifacts designed for reuse and a little more. Women who were barren were subjected to punishments such as being banished from the community and being left for dead. It did not occur to anyone that it could be the husband that was impotent. Men, on the other hand, were viewed as being superior beings. In the case where a woman could not bear children, a man was allowed to take another wife and as many as possible afterward (Anderson 210).

Leadership in the community was set aside and dominated by the men. Women could not show up in a council meeting leave alone comment anything at all. They were there to be heard and not to be seen. In some societies, women were not even allowed to look at men in the eye, and even worse in others, they could not address males while standing. A trespass of those rules attracted severe penalties to ensure that a repeat of the mistake was not witnessed again. Women played the role of following what had already been decided.

The art of leadership in the past was mainly monarchial. That tells us that it followed a well-stipulated hierarchy. The heir to the throne was supposed to be the firstborn son and not the daughter of the king or emperor that was ruling a given territory. In the event where the ruler was not lucky enough with bearing sons, he would try his luck with other female till a son was born. A woman ascending to a throne was regarded a taboo and was condemned with strongest terms possible. (Brown 545).

The ancient kingdoms were rampant with warfare and invasions. The measure of power was only done by war between the conflicting nations. If an empire was defeated in battle, then it was automatically taken over by the stronger kingdom. With the rule of conquest in mind, none of the sides was willing to lose. The power of a nation or an empire lied in its military force. The kingdom that displayed superior militia and advanced weaponry always won. Emperors and kings would spend most of the time building a powerful army. Women were strictly not allowed to be in the military. They were charged with the duties of nursing children and cooking for their husbands who were majorly in the army.

A long time ago before the pre-Cambrian period Christianity had not spread to most parts of the world, but even so, there were norms that were guiding the society. Among the norms was the guideline on sexuality. Sex before marriage was strictly prohibited and to reduce the chances of this occurring the male and female residences were kept far apart. During the ritual dances, boys and girls could dance together, but body touches were not allowed. The elders kept a close watch on the dance floor to ensure that there was no mischief.

Marriage in the ancient civilizations was highly regarded as a ritual, and as such, it was carried out within the strict confines of the marital norms. A woman would be engaged to a man at the time of birth, and it would forever remain that way. Ladies did not enjoy the luxury of making their own decisions. Courtship was unheard of, the man and the woman would only make physical contact after the marriage ceremony. The lady was expected to remain pure by keeping her virginity till she was married (Kaestle, Christine, and Adrienne 39). In most societies, there was a test that was done to ascertain the virginity of a woman. After marriage women were expected to remain loyal and show love for their husbands. Divorce was never allowed to take place in the event of conflicts no matter what.

Over the years, women have always felt that their sexuality has often been overlooked as opposed to that of men. Women have not in the past been given the opportunity to participate in roles branded to belong to men. In the civilized world, ladies have been allowed to dominate in sectors in which they were not allowed to be associated with before. It is a new society with modern things and current ways to do things. There have been several movements advocating for gender equality in an attempt to prove that women are as good as men are which of course is true since we are all human beings. However, there is this common belief that ladies are weaklings and cannot handle tough situations.

Allow me to take you to the past where there was a clear distinction between the chores meant for men and those intended for women. Females were usually involved in house-related tasks while men were engaged in field-oriented duties which were believed to be more cumbersome than the former. Women would clean the house, wash utensils, babysit, and at times till the land in the case of farming communities. Men, on the other hand, took part in cattle grazing and hunting activities. Could be that the duties were divided by who was stronger than the other? That statement holds some truth since it would be obscene that women were in the field hunting while men remained at home.

At one point in time, there came this saying that what a man can do a woman can do best (Brown 549). In my own opinion, this saying holds some truth for some situations but not all of them. Unlike the past, females have now embraced leadership positions, and it is evident that they are good at it. Organizations that are led by women have been reported to be less corrupt as opposed to those headed by men. These firms have also registered a faster rate of growth than those led by males. Therefore, women are known to think critically and come up with long-term strategic plans that trigger the growth of an organization. As far as leadership is concerned ladies can do better than men. That comes as an eye opener for better leadership that males have been despising all along. Women can run things exclusively but of course with the support from men.

Education in the modern society has turned out to be very crucial. This is the key, so they say. Learning is a continuous process that never stops throughout one’s life. When school was first introduced, women were not given access to learning in the way that men did. This was greatly influenced by early marriages where young girls were married to senior males. To this day the ratio of men to women that are learned is wanting although it is becoming favorable with time. Initially, the chances of a female attending school were almost negligible (Lewis and Sybil Durand 37).

The United Nations was formed after the world war, and its main agenda was to orchestrate for the rights of women. It was realized that females had been oppressed in the past centuries and it was time for them to smell the roses. Women were given the right to education and even the right to own property and make decisions among others. It was pointed out that for civilization to be realized men and women alike had to have access to education. When the ladies joined the school, they took on easier units such as literature while the men took on Mathematics, Physics among other disciplines. However, over the years the ladies have also been able to take tough courses such as engineering that were previously taken by men (Lewis and Sybil Durand 40).

Women were also allowed to own property independently. They can now purchase land and invest in real estate or even smart farming. In the recent past they were not allowed to drive, but in the modern society they can own and drive vehicles of their own choice. In fact, women and more careful drivers than men are. The number of ladies driving nowadays is almost subduing that of women. It is called the strength of a woman. They have come out in large numbers to take part in the revolution too. The kind of determination being shown by women is clear indication that they are out to make up for what they were unable to do in the past.

Most of the rights that were rolled out by the United Nations were in favor of women. There are equivalent repercussions for those found guilty of harassing females. Rape cases, for instance, are met with life imprisonments for those caught in the act. A man who beats his wife for any reason is also subject to prosecution and a consequent jail term if found guilty. The rules have demanded respect for ladies from men in ways that I cannot explain. Women can now rule over men; something that was unheard of in the past. Oprah Winfrey who is the former richest black woman in the world is a good example showing that females can be so powerful. The lady who surpassed her regarding wealth was from the African continent, and that was quite encouraging (Brown 543).

The Bible is the book of reference for Christians, and it outlays principles on how things should be done in a Christian way. This work particularly majors on the issue of sexuality right from the time of creation. It is clear that marriage should be between a man and a woman. People who were found with sexual offenses were stoned to death. The Bible also talks about the modes of dressing that is modest for men and women. It is evident from the Scripture that females should not wear attires meant for males and men should not wear clothes meant for women. It is absurd that nowadays all the happenings are in contradiction to the Christian teachings.

In the world that we live today, we have individuals who have chosen to be bisexual. These are the people who are gay and lesbians. The constitution of most governments is drafted according to the teachings of the bible and does not allow for such shameful acts. It is absurd that the bisexual individuals have been demonstrating for their rights and are demanding that they are given the right to sexual freedom. Unfortunately, some countries have been compelled to allow for homosexuality and lesbianism in their respective constitutions. The supporting explanation for making such decisions was the fact that this is a free and democratic world and everyone should be given the right to express feelings for a sexuality of his or her choosing. Some other countries have sworn never to allow bisexuality in the constitution (Anderson 212).

There is also the issue on the mode of dressing. This has majorly affected the women. Whereas the Bible insists on respectful styles of dressing, most ladies have resolved to dress poorly. Females should cover their bodies and try as much as possible to hide their nudity. The mode of dress code displayed by a majority of the women nowadays is a far cry from what the Bible talks about. Some of them dress in clothes that make them half nude even in the event of adverse weather conditions. They also clad in trousers which are attires meant for males. The pants have also been made tight hence becoming a recipe for lust among men.

The trends of behavior in society are more often than not dictated by the societal expectations. For instance, most cultures around the world do not allow men to cry. Tears coming from a man are seen as a sign of weakness. As a result, men hardly cry unless it is indispensable. There are instances of extreme grief that may make a man to shed tears. Abraham Lincoln, for example, used to shed tears in his presidential speeches while addressing serious matters affecting the nation (Lewis and Sybil Durand 50). Mothers bring up their sons with teachings on how to cry privately. Women, on the other hand, are considered to be emotionally weak and tend to express their feelings by shedding tears. During such times they look up to men for support, and if men are in tears, then they will not be of much help.

In contrast to culture, science argues that crying is very important for both sexes. Research shows that people who cry develop strong emotional overtime as compared to those who hold their tears. Shedding tears get rid of emotions which otherwise if held within would lead to a psychological breakdown. When men cry it is a clear indication that they are telling the truth and is an important aspect as far as the integrity of men is concerned (Kaestle, Christine, and Adrienne 50). However, most cultures still hold that men shedding tears is not recommendable since they are known to be emotionally strong and are looked up to by the whole community. Also, it is also believed that when a man cries, it reduces on his masculinity. I have personally ever been involved in an incident where I had to be every inch a man by not crying and thought I should tell my friend Martin about it in the following letter:

Dear Martin,

How is Pal? It has been long since we last heard from each other. How is your family doing? Friends should lose contact for this long. I have taken it upon myself to break the silence. I hope that you are getting on well with school. Have you made any new friends over there?

Unfortunately, last week I had an accident while I was riding my bike. I fell and sustained a dislocation at the left elbow. I have never experienced such a painful event in my life, but because my sister was riding with me, I had to endure and hide any crying response. Later at night in my room after coming from the hospital, I cried all night.

I wish to hear from you soon. Please drop by at any time.

Regards,

Victor.

Emotions are of great importance in the social setting, and everyone should feel free to express his or her feelings irrespective the sexuality. From the saying that a problem shared is half solved it is essential to have someone that you can confide when you are facing a difficulty. This should be a person who is always ready to listen to you. For couples, emotions are expressed regarding love and affection. The role of the society is to assess the prevailing situation and share their opinion. In most occasions, the views of the community might not matter because it is made up people with different views on the day to day occurrences.

The roots of culture more especially in the past were made of myths and misconceptions. The myths and misconceptions were meant to ensure good moral behavior among the young people. It was believed that ladies should not climb trees nor should they ride bicycles. The aftermath of doing that was believed to be that they would lose their virginity. As climbing trees, I accept that could be very dangerous for the females, but riding bicycles is just alright. In the modern world, most ladies do ride bikes more comfortably. Ladies never used even to be incorporated in football teams and other games such as hockey. In the civilized world, however, ladies participate in almost all the games in which they compete nationally.

The field of medicine, aviation and engineering hardly had any women. They majorly made inventions and innovations in the fields mentioned above. It was only recently that women had made decisions to pursue these careers. There are many third world countries in which there is no female pilot or even a female captain. The few lady engineers who have managed to overcome all the obstacles are doing so well in the industry. They developed magnificent structures accustomed with motherly love. Sexuality knows no limits and one’s sex does not dictate what he or she is capable of doing. We all have equal abilities male and female alike. All that is required of our focus and commitment. In the 19th century, who knew that at one point in time there would be a woman president?

The building blocks of literature entirely lie on sexuality. Men and women are structurally different in the way they reason, in the way they behave, in the way they talk and even on their reaction to certain situations. What makes male or female is far much beyond just our body organs. These differences have in the past raised concerns with regards to the expectations of women and men. In the past females were vulnerable to the restrictions that had been placed on them on what to do and what not to do. Civilization has given ladies the chance to discover themselves and taper into their capabilities limitlessly. Men have also been made to understand that in as much as they are meant to be the head of families; women deserve equal chances as males (Brown 460).

Works Cited

Anderson, R. M. “Positive sexuality and its impact on overall well-being.” Bundesgesundheitsblatt-Gesundheitsforschung-Gesundheitsschutz 56.2 (2013): 208-214.

Brown, Michael. “Gender and sexuality I: Intersectional anxieties.” Progress in Human Geography 36.4 (2012): 541-550.

Brown, Michael. “Gender and sexuality II: There goes the gayborhood?” Progress in Human Geography 38.3 (2014): 457-465.

Kaestle, Christine Elizabeth, and Adrienne Holz Ivory. “A forgotten sexuality: Content analysis of bisexuality in the medical literature over two decades.” Journal of Bisexuality 12.1 (2012): 35-48.

Lewis, Mark A., and E. Sybil Durand. “Sexuality as risk and resistance in young adult literature.” The critical merits of young adult literature: Coming of age (2014): 38-54.