SSP2 (ETHICS)

CHAPTER IX

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

Nicole A. Estal
Kenneth A. Orocay

ABE1A

Page | 1
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

INTRODUCTION

- The first part of the introduction are examples of different situations that make women
less powerful because of unequal treatment in them. 4 paragraphs gave examples of
unequal treatment in women.

A woman in almost any part of the world is faced with challenges that make it difficult for her to
realize her potential as a person.

For example, if one were a young girl in southern India, she is snatched away from her family to
be forced to marry a much older man.

That man and his mother treat her like an unpaid servant and a producer of children. She raises
the children, works constantly in the house and on the farm, and receives beating from her
kidnapper husband and his mother. If she manages to escape and report this crime to the
police, they will most likely bring her back to her abductors and abusers because in their eyes
she is the property of that family.

- Because of the unequal treatment, a theory has been developed. The next part of the
introduction is about the feminist ethical theory. The feminist ethical theory explains how
the perspective of women is different from the usual ethics and why it is important.

This feminist ethical theory is a theory born from the realization that women have a different set
of issues that male-dominated ethical theories cannot fully address. The clear example for these
are the forms of discrimination and violence particular to women like the belittling of their work
as homemakers and child bearers. Although traditional ethics could explain the injustice of the
violence of trafficking and rape, it does not easily understand the violence of discrimination and
marginalization. Thus, a woman's lens is needed to explain why certain social structures are
ethically wrong.

Another reason for the necessity for women's perspective in ethics is the different way women
reason morally. Women have a different way of deciding on the best action to take given a moral
dilemma. Studies have shown that women have a different way of assessing the good and
understanding how best to realize the good.His way of thinking about the good and acting on it
has not been reflected in abstract, calculative and law- or rule-based thinking of men. Because
of this, philosophy has had a bias against women's forms of ethical reasoning. This has always
been considered too particular, narrowly focused on the domestic, and lacking in gravity
because men set the standard of what questions are worthy of philosophical reflection and how
to arrive at the good.

Page | 2
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

WHY FEMINIST ETHICS

- The next section is “Why feminist Ethics” . This section consists of some struggles that
women face and the injustices they experience and how the feminist theory is important
in finding out the reason why this happens and how we can solve this problem.

Women's ethics:

To a large extent, feminist ethical theory can be understood as both a response to, and a
movement against, a historical tradition of more abstract, universalist, ethical theories such as
utilitarianism, deontology, and in certain respects, contractarianism and virtue theory, which tend
to view the moral agent out of a calculus of utility or duty, or else as an often either as an
autonomous, rational actor, deliberating out of a calculus utility or duty, or else as an often

disembodied and decontextualized ideal decision- maker, unburdened by the non-ideal

constraints of luck (moral and otherwise), circumstance, or capability (Nagel 1979; Brennan
1999; Nussbaum 2000) Specifically, feminist ethicists contend that this top-down, juridical,
principlist theorizing has largely neglected the centrality of physical, social, and psychological
situatedness, power differentials, and, importantly, the voices of women whose lived
experiences have simply not been part of any ongoing moral debates (Young 2005; Jaggar
1992; Walker 1997; Lindemann Nelson 2001; Held 1990; Tessman 2005)

As Alison Jaggar argues, traditional ethics emphasizes male-centered issues of the public and
the abstract while dismissing the private and the situated .As a result, women, and "women's
issues" that have to do with care, interdependent relationships, community, partiality, and the
emotions, are de- centered, and relegated to the margins of serious intellectual (and specifically
philosophical) inquiry (Tong and Williams 2014; Jaggar 1992).63

- The next part of this section is all about how traditional ethics is used in society and the
difference between it and feminist ethics.

It is true that many of the theories studied in the first half of this book presuppose that the
ethical person must be trained to act as an individual whose ethical mind is autonomous and
not dependent on anyone but his own rationality. The basis of acting on the good is a set of
criteria which guides us in calculating the good act from an abstract perspective. Abstract
deliberation means thinking about the good based more on what rules or laws it follows. These
could be rules of social cohesion and order. For instance, how do stealing and cheating violate
principles of private property or ownership? If one steals, is social order not disturbed? Are the
principles of private ownership, which is the keystone to much economic activity, not violated
and disrespected? The rules could also be rules of deliberation. For instance, how does one

Page | 3
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

properly think about stealing? What are the proper steps in coming to a moral understanding of
stealing? Is one's own decision about this particular case of stealing consistent with the kind of
decision arrived at by one who follows the proper steps for genuine moral thinking?

-The reason why these rules are important to traditional ethics is because these male-defined
frameworks think about people as independent or autonomous individuals, who act using their
reason which calculates the good based on clear formulas that certainly lead the free person to
a clear decision on what is acceptable as good to all rational, free persons.

-The emphasis on traditional ethics was to find a way for free and autonomous persons to have
a systematic process for arriving at a universal conception of the good on which to base action.

-This method of arriving at a conception of the good was concerned mainly with questions of the
good in the public sphere and in acts that shape the historical unfolding of civilizations or the
development of nations and communities.

For the female ethics, they have another voice or another ethical rationality that is not confined
to these traditional theories. Rather than decide purely abstract rationality, they wish to show
that women's conception of the good is relational and situated or concrete.

In Carol Gilligan's groundbreaking book, "Another Voice", she shows that women decide the good
based on their concern for preserving relationships and for their concern for the welfare or
feelings of others. Rather than focus on abstract, universalizable rules, they decide based on the
concrete needs of the persons involved and how their decisions cultivate or harm their
relationships with other people. Women have another way of articulating the good which
deserves to be recognized as another way of moral deliberation.

When some women think about stealing, they do not think about how an autonomous, rational
being ought to think about stealing but they would think about it like a person whose meaning
and worth are tied in a community of persons whose well being is founded on those
relationships. Thus, their main concern when they think about the good is who will be harmed by
one's action and decision. And the harm, of course, concerns the interests and well being of
people, but it also considers if relations will be preserved and if the interests of the parties
concerned can be preserved and cultivated. Often, this is known as the ethics of care because
of its interest is deciding for what is best, such that everyone is cared for

The ethics of care balances the way people think of the good

EXPLANATION PAGE 65

Page | 4
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

EQUALITY AND DISCRIMINATION

- The next part is all about the equality and discrimination women face just because of
their sex. Women’s inequality has been a big issue for centuries now and some reasons
are explained in this section.

The primary concern of feminist ethics is the question of equality. For as long as the dominant
world civilizations have existed, women have been treated as the lesser sex that has to suffer
abuse and discrimination. This takes on many forms, the most pervasive of which are sexual
exploitation, confinement to only a few tasks in society taking on significant leadership rules in
the family and the which are not equally compensated, the prevention from public sphere, and
the expectation to rear children while often bearing the burden of providing for their sustenance.

The reason for such abuse is that women aren't considered as valuable as men and therefore,
can be used, neglected, and abused without remorse.

On the whole, women have accepted their lower status and do not challenge it. They have
embraced the double burden of child bearing and housework even if they have high status in
society.

The reason for this acceptance of women’s marginalization is because people have taken this
lower status to be ordained by the gods or by nature.

Why is the inequality of women accepted and propagated in society? Feminist thinkers have
shown that the acceptance of women’s inequality lies in how the discrimination is inscribed in
culture and society. For instance, circumcision is accepted because certain societies value the
fidelity to their husbands.

Women today are defined by how their bodies are shaped according to how the media have
determined their desirability. The main traits of desirability are; thinness, firmness, that is still
defined by soft lines, flawless skin, silken hair and whiteness-and to the same extent firm, round
breast. Women are often objects to men to act upon. This is supported by the mass media and
is portrayed in their commercials every day.

Page | 5
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

There is no social support system for mothers who want to work unless other women are
employed to care for her children. Women are taught the value of nurturing relationships and
peacebuilding while in the economic realm. aggressiveness and competitiveness are the values
that define success. Society supports inequality, and, because inequality is built into our
societies, it is accepted as natural.

Thus, a very important theme of Feminist ethics is to emancipate women from social structures
that keep them oppressed and unequal. The struggle for justice and liberation has focused on
certain themes which reflect the different aspects of emancipation for women.

The first phase of their struggle for liberation was the struggle for equal rights, which took the
form of the suffragette movement. Here, women demanded for the equal right to vote, and later
expanded to the demand for equal rights in various aspects of social life. This phase began
around the turn of the 19th century until about the latter part of the 20th century.

After women had institutionalized the respect for their rights, they next focused their work on the
analysis of the social structures that oppressed them.

In this phase of the liberation struggle, women were able to examine how oppressive the social
systems were because these defined them as housewives and caregivers, objects of men's
sexual desires and ownership, and as non-productive citizens whose contribution was limited to
keeping the home functional. It was at this phase when women realized that they should not
only want to have equal rights as men but also that they wanted to be recognized as different
and equal to men.

Many development agencies focused on setting up programs that gave women equal
opportunities to earn an income, explore their role in society, and take leadership.

It was also at this time that Western women discovered that their own aggressive definition of
what it meant to be women and what women should want was oppressive to non- Western
women. Women from Asia and Africa asserted that their own analysis of how their own
definition of womanhood was different but equal to that of Western women.

Filipina feminists at this time explored how their traditional cultures should be embraced for how
they celebrated the centrality of women's roles as nurturers and healers, as much as they
celebrated their role as warriors and community leaders. There are numerous examples of
women leaders such as Gabriela Silang, Gregoria de Jesus, and the countless babaylan who
were the precursors of the Filipina activists, development workers, politicians, and educators of
today.

EXPLAIN PAGE 178/179/180/181

Page | 6
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

HOW WE CAN WORK TOWARD EMANCIPATION

- The next part of this topic is all about the ongoing emancipation of the women and how
different parts of the society oppressed them.

The women's emancipation movement is an ongoing project with women continuing the struggle
for equality while discovering various and creative ways of being a woman. The aims of the
movement continue to evolve with more and more women exploring social realities and
exposing how economic, communication, governance, and cultural systems oppress women.
As before, feminists of all genders explore how women can continue to push against the
boundaries of oppression. Despite this, it is still clear that women are not fully equal in our
shared world. Thus, we must ask ourselves how to think about the good with a mind to realize
gender equality and genuine liberation.

There are many areas to consider when thinking about doing the good using a woman's ethical
perspective. The first, of course, is to protect the rights of women. As women activists rightly
remind us, women's rights are human rights. This means that the first thing we must do with
regard to the liberation of women is to ensure that all their rights are preserved. The right to life,
the right to the means of survival, the right to education, the right to bodily integrity, the right to
access health care are all rights.

The right to education is important because it prepares people to intelligently and freely
participate in the life of their community.

But many women are denied the most basic education and thus are deprived of the knowledge
about how their government works, about their economic systems, and the goings on in the
world around them.

The bodies of women are also violated all the time for various reasons. Some cultures believe
that husbands can use their wives sexually without her consent.

Other societies believe that women can be kidnapped and treated as sex slaves and indentured
servants just because they are unprotected.

So many societies believe that rape is a weapon of war and that men can violate the bodies of
women to sow fear in a community. The right of women to their bodily integrity and to their
dignity as human beings must be respected and protected

Page | 7
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

the right to their reproductive health. Women who bear children have a right to medical
treatment that pertains to their health from pregnancy to motherhood.

This means access to prenatal medicines and care, access to safe childbirth methods, and
mother and child health care.

It may also mean access to birth control methods because having too many children may be
dangerous for women. In some cultures, women are deprived of this basic care because they
are too poor and are not prioritized by their government. It is also possible that they are just not
valued as much as men and do not receive equal support. Whatever the reason, reproductive
health must be prioritized by a society.

Violence against women is another special area of concern. Because of the status of women as
a lower form of humanity and because they are often seen as property, women are subjected to
all kinds of psychological and physical abuse.

Other than rape, they are prone to physical beatings and psychological torture from abusive
spouses. Thus, there must be a special focus on the analysis of the roots of this violence and
legislation and social reform to prevent it. There are laws specifically addressed to prevent
violence against women and there are organizations that educate the public about the violence
and counsel its victims. If society is made aware of what acts are effectively violent against
women and women are counseled to realize the abuse that they do not have to suffer, then the
violence could end.

It is important to engage in critical thinking with regard to women's issues. Every society needs
to explore and reflect on itself. Why are they so prone to do violence against their women? What
function does the oppression of women fulfill? Why is it necessary? Usually, the practices that
propagate violence against women are rooted in some practice that was useful for a society.

Another thing to do is analyze social institutions and practices to expose the violence they
commit against women. Some institutions seem benign but actually propagate violence. For
instance, the institutions that enshrine women's purity and honor may actually end up enslaving
them by keeping them away from the public sphere.

This means that we should genuinely appreciate those that prove to be empowering and reform
those that work against women's interests.
Of course, this is difficult work. It seemed easier in the 20th century to judge how societies
treated their women based on standards that Western women set. For instance, Western
feminists determined that all forms of unpaid domestic work and housewifery were a form of
enslavement.

Page | 8
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

Women and men must come together and allow the meeting of their horizons to show each
other how their practices have destructive and creative potentials for the liberation of women

EXPLAIN PAGE 184

THE ROOTS OF WOMEN’S DISCRIMINATION

- The next part of this topic is all about the roots of discrimination against women. It
tackles why women should not be discriminated against and how women were the
dominant sex back in the day.

Women should not be discriminated against. Based on their contribution to human civilization
and its continuing development, misogyny and chauvinism do not make sense. In most
societies, women bear the brunt of child rearing and are the first persons to introduce children
into the ways of their civilization. In many societies, they raise their children while earning a
livelihood. In modern and traditional societies, women are depended on to run a household,
especially in ensuring the well-being of all from nutrition to health. In most developing countries
(which means in most of the world), women manage family farms which produce most of the
food for the poorest people. They also preserve the world's biodiversity against the onslaught of
monoculture factory farming by working on these small farms and keeping the traditional
farming methods alive. In the preservation of these methods, they are also preserving
low-carbon, sustainable food production and processing practices.

There are studies that demonstrate how women were actually the dominant gender in early
human history until about 1500 BC. There was a time when human beings revered the earth as
a mysterious bearer of life.

As long as women were associated with the powers of fertility, they were revered and thought of
as the superior sex. There were even cults where men would undergo painful genital mutilations
so that they could become like women. However, there was a turn in human history at about
1500 BC when penis worship replaced womb worship. The theory for this shift is that at this
point, human beings were developing agriculture and were learning more about the fertilization
of eggs. In other words, they realized that the male principle was essential to the development
of life. Unfortunately, men began to think they were the active source of life while women were
the passive receivers Thus, the penis was revered as powerful and somehow women were
looked down on and even oppressed.

The reason for the oppression may be to repress the cult of women worship. Perhaps, some
theorists claim, men were so jealous of their newfound status as dominant that they needed to
suppress the possibility of the return of womb worship.

The status of women as oppressed is the result of historical developments.

Page | 9
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

It is not a necessity of nature that women are treated as the second sex and men the superior
sex.

There is no necessity based on human nature or the eternal order of the gods that men are the
superior sex. It could be true that men are thought to be superior because generation upon
generation of certain societies have built institutions that favor men over women.

EXPLAIN PAGE 187

THE BABAYLAN IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

- In this part it explains the importance of babaylan in our philippine history

Women played a very prominent leadership role in pre-Hispanic Philippine society.

Along with the datu and the blacksmith, they were important persons in society because only
they could communicate with the spirits. The spirits were persons from the other realms of the
earth who could help with a bountiful harvest, cure sickness, or cause discomfort or death. They
were able to bring good fortune or misfortune.

women who the spirits chose to The Babaylan were communicating with them through some
process of initiation. For whatever qualities they were chosen, the babaylan were very important
to the community because their welfare depended on these women. If people were suffering
from physical, spiritual, or psychological maladies, the babaylan would help. And if they were
suffering misfortune, the babaylan would guide them through it.

The babaylan were the priests, poets, counselors, and myth keepers. When the Spaniards
came, the babaylan also led the people in resisting the invaders. They would lead revolts or
gather communities to live according to their way of life, away from the influence of the
Spaniards.

It is unfortunate that the Spaniards finally succeeded in hunting down and killing the last
babaylan leaders. The coming of these invaders signaled the beginning of the lowering of the
status of women in Philippine communities. Henceforth, women were made to retreat from the
public sphere and Western, male values were imposed on the people.

However, the babaylan were never totally suppressed and up to this day, we find them in
various communities among our different religions. And with the overthrow of the Spaniards, we
find a resurgence of women in the public sphere as leaders, healers, and culture keepers.

Page | 10
 CHAPTER 9

THE QUESTION OF WOMEN AND THEIR EMANCIPATION

CONCLUSION
- This part concludes the topic about the women and how to free them in their
emancipation

Feminist ethics demands an opening of our perspectives about the meaning of being human in
a way that does not discriminate against but celebrates the different possibilities of womanhood.
This is an essential task because the oppression of women necessarily means the oppression
of men as well. We often think that men benefit from the oppression of women given the fact
that they get the more respected jobs, the positions of power, the higher pay, and the best care.
However, men are in this way the perpetrators of violence, defined as the violent sex, and bear
the responsibility for

always being defined to be strong and non-feminine. Thus, men are immediately associated in a
certain way with violence, aggressiveness, and detachment from their emotional life. Any
self-aware man will tell you that that is not healthy for their emotional development. And so,
everyone must engage in the movement of women's liberation as an act of social justice and as
an act of liberation of all mankind as much as it is a liberation of womankind.

Page | 11