An Evaluation of Sexism Throughout History

Sexism is no stranger to history. Nor is it a stranger to the present. The long fight for equality was not ended when women gained suffrage in 1919. Sexism mayjust be the disgusting product of religious readings that have been revered and strictly followed by many for hundreds of years, Adam and Eve, a Christian-based story in the bible, is firmly believed by many across the world. The same goes for The Healing, a guide written by Avicenna, one of “the most significant philosophers in the Islamic tradition” (Rizvi 1) Values from these readings have made a large impact on the portrayal of women in society even to this day.

Throughout history, women have always been the counterpart to men. In Adam and Eve, Eve is made from the rib of Adam (Genesis, 2:22). This is an implication that women could not exist if it weren’t for men. A woman is portrayed simply as a being of man, not a being of her own.

This is still relevant today, especially in Christian households. It is common for a woman to be expected to marry a man that will provide her while she does the cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. Single women are often pestered to marry men to avoid not being able to support themselves In the work place, women also rarely hold leadership positions such as President or CEO, but rather work under a man. Women only hold about 24 out of 500 CEO positions throughout the Fortune 500 companies (Egan 1). Many households run under a patriarchal system.

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The man is expected to set their foot down and make the rules and the woman is expected to be submissive to the man. It is clearly stated in Adam and Eve that “he [Adam] will rule over you [Eve]“ (Genesis 3:16) Adam is given power over Eve, and she is to listen to Adam.

A Christian follower is prone to believe that men are given superiority over women through the eyes of God. A similar value is evident in The Healing where Avicenna states “he must own her but not she him,” (Avicenna 6) implying a woman is reduced to being property of a man. Both stories clearly state that men are above women. Many hold the same value today. The father is often supposed to be the authority figure in a household while the mother follows his rule. If the man is hungry, the woman is to cook. If the man is sexually frustrated, the woman is to sexually pleasure him, Not only are women often told what to do, but the man expects the woman to know to do as he wants when he wants Women being ruled by men is even evident in our government. Congress, which is made up of over 80% men, has say in women‘s rights such as the right to abortion and contraceptive.

This year alone, 30 laws in 14 states have passed bills making it harder to receive abortions, stripping the rights of women across our nation (Phillips 1) Women are also expected to save themselves for one man and one man only, while men can easily get away with having multiple partners. Avicenna believes that a woman who engages in sexual intercourse with multiple men “causes great distain and shame” (Avicenna 6), He is implying that a woman who has had multiple partners in her life is no longer valuable Today, even in teen boys, males seem to value sex with a virgin over sex with a female who has multiple partners, A woman who has been sexually involved with multiple men is often seen as a whore. Men even often boast about how many virginities they have taken. On the other hand, men who have been sexually involved with multiple women are often cheered on and looked up to by other males.

Later Avicenna also states that “she cannot be married to another at the same time But in the case of the man this avenue is not closed to him…” (Avicenna 6) He believed that while a woman is to be loyal to one man, a man does not have to be loyal to his wife, and is able to have multiple wives. This sets a double standard for men and women. The Quran even states that a man may “marry woman of your choice in twos’ threes‘ or fours’ but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly, (with them), then only one,”  so as long as a man can handle more than one wife, he is allowed to have multiple wives. Not only are these Muslim values, but Christian polygamous relationships can even be seen in modern TV shows such as Sister Wives, in which a male, Kody Brown, has 4 wives who remain loyal to him (IMDB, 1). More commonly, a woman cheating in a relationship with a man is much less acceptable in our society than the man cheating, Sexist values seem to have gained their roots in works as early as the Bible and The Healing. Due to the enormous amount of followers both works have, it seems that sexism is inevitable. Woman are portrayed as mere objects of men in both readings. The teachings in these readings are those that many rule their life with causing the epidemic of sexism to be spread through the family, the church and our society.