Like I have mentioned in earlier posts, a group of women from Rwanda came to Oklahoma last summer. They came to take classes and follow a local woman who was in the same profession that they had in Rwanda. These women had the opportunity to do this because of the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women's program Peace through Business. Peach through Business currently works with women from Rwanda and Afghanistan. This May my mom is traveling to Rwanda to work more with the women and give a presentation on community involvement/activism. Rwanda and Afghanistan are both such turbulent places, but the situation in Rwanda is different than that of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, not many people know of the horrible atrocities that occurred in Rwanda in 1994. The genocide that happened did not really make the news nor is it talked about on the news today. It began in April 1994. The people of Rwanda are currently observing a month of mourning, but you don't see it on CNN or read about it on the front pages of papers.
Today, the women of Rwanda are in an interesting place. A large portion of the men were killed in the civil war and genocide. Women now hold positions of leadership in government and run many businesses. Peace through Business has allowed many to expand their businesses. A woman named Gloria owns a company called GLO Creations. She runs a shop that sells T-shirts, wall hangings, pillow covers, and table cloths that she sews and batticks.
I think that the opportunities that Peach through Business provide to women in countries that have gone through hardship are wonderful. I am so proud of my mom for going to Rwanda to further help these women, and I hope that as she continues to be active in the program, my role can increase as well.
Another passion that I have is the representation of women in politics which was the main subject of the reading for this week. It is to my great chagrin that women are so underrepresented in government on all levels. I really agree with Rowe-Finkbeiner that young women first need to start voting before they will ever be taken seriously as candidates. For women's policy issues to even be considered women need to vote. Candidates need to know that women are a viable, important part of their constituency. Young women of today need to mobilize for equality, as Pat Reuss says (185).
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Reading Gender Paper
In her play The Eternal Feminine Rosario Castellanos examines and criticizes many stereotypical roles of Mexican women. The play follows the dreams that Lupita has while sitting under a dryer at a beauty salon. Lupita is at the salon to get her hair done for her wedding day. The contraption that makes Lupita dream was created to stop women from thinking. As the dreams progress, Lupita becomes unsure of her decision to marry and also comes to understand the truly important role that women played in Mexico’s history.
The beauty salon is an important part in Mexican women’s lives. The very wealthy women visit the salon once a day, often spending hours sitting idly. Men believe that this idleness will lead women to think, and women who think are a detriment to society. Castellanos is criticizing the notion that women should spend all of their time becoming beautiful without contributing anything else to society. The idea that women should not or do not think could be quite offensive. Castellanos portrays the idea in a way that becomes humorous though. She uses wit and humor to examine a very serious situation. And to most American women of today, this idea is so ridiculous that it cannot be taken seriously. Castellanos also uses Lupita’s decision to leave the salon without her hair finished to represent the new role that she believes women need to begin playing in Mexican society.
Because of the blackout Lupita’s hair cannot be completely set. She then asks for a wig to wear for her wedding day. As she puts the wigs on she sees stereotypes of appearance for different types of women: prostitute, feminist, mistress, and professional. As she disregards each wig, she slowly sheds the beauty myth. When she leaves the salon without her hair done, she leaves behind the notion that outward appearance is the most important facet of a woman’s life. She leaves behind the old role of women and accepts the new, more active role that women should have.
As Naomi Wolf writes in Beyond the Beauty Myth, “The beauty myth countered women’s new freedoms by transposing the social limits to women’s lives directly onto our faces and bodies” (270). Linda Scott counters this argument in Fresh Lipstick. Scott asserts that women can be beautiful and enjoy beauty accoutrements while still being a feminist and still taking an active role in their society. While I agree with Scott, I believe that Wolf’s claims directly apply to Mexican women’s worlds according to Castellanos.
Gender is obviously the primary theme in The Eternal Feminine. Castellanos is showing that the beauty salon and having the perfect hairstyle are only important to women. The salesman who sells the salon owner the dream maker contraption is condescending and manipulative. The owner is unsure as she as just purchased new equipment from him, but he uses the prospect of money to convince her. He is the one who perpetuates the thought that women should not be spending their time thinking. Castellanos assumes that all men and women conform to these standards. The only male figure that is portrayed in any type of positive light is the serpent in Paradise with Adam and Eve. And even he is typically thought to symbolize the devil.
Lupita does eventually break these assumptions, and she does so without a man’s guidance. Though Lupita does not outwardly claim to be taking a new path in life, it is certainly implied.
The beauty salon is an important part in Mexican women’s lives. The very wealthy women visit the salon once a day, often spending hours sitting idly. Men believe that this idleness will lead women to think, and women who think are a detriment to society. Castellanos is criticizing the notion that women should spend all of their time becoming beautiful without contributing anything else to society. The idea that women should not or do not think could be quite offensive. Castellanos portrays the idea in a way that becomes humorous though. She uses wit and humor to examine a very serious situation. And to most American women of today, this idea is so ridiculous that it cannot be taken seriously. Castellanos also uses Lupita’s decision to leave the salon without her hair finished to represent the new role that she believes women need to begin playing in Mexican society.
Because of the blackout Lupita’s hair cannot be completely set. She then asks for a wig to wear for her wedding day. As she puts the wigs on she sees stereotypes of appearance for different types of women: prostitute, feminist, mistress, and professional. As she disregards each wig, she slowly sheds the beauty myth. When she leaves the salon without her hair done, she leaves behind the notion that outward appearance is the most important facet of a woman’s life. She leaves behind the old role of women and accepts the new, more active role that women should have.
As Naomi Wolf writes in Beyond the Beauty Myth, “The beauty myth countered women’s new freedoms by transposing the social limits to women’s lives directly onto our faces and bodies” (270). Linda Scott counters this argument in Fresh Lipstick. Scott asserts that women can be beautiful and enjoy beauty accoutrements while still being a feminist and still taking an active role in their society. While I agree with Scott, I believe that Wolf’s claims directly apply to Mexican women’s worlds according to Castellanos.
Gender is obviously the primary theme in The Eternal Feminine. Castellanos is showing that the beauty salon and having the perfect hairstyle are only important to women. The salesman who sells the salon owner the dream maker contraption is condescending and manipulative. The owner is unsure as she as just purchased new equipment from him, but he uses the prospect of money to convince her. He is the one who perpetuates the thought that women should not be spending their time thinking. Castellanos assumes that all men and women conform to these standards. The only male figure that is portrayed in any type of positive light is the serpent in Paradise with Adam and Eve. And even he is typically thought to symbolize the devil.
Lupita does eventually break these assumptions, and she does so without a man’s guidance. Though Lupita does not outwardly claim to be taking a new path in life, it is certainly implied.
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