Role of Women in Democracy for Ancient Greece -myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theRole of Women in Democracy for Ancient Greece. Answer: The word Democracy is derived from the Greek term democratia which means peoples rule. In the ancient Greek city-states during the middle of the 5th century BCE the political system was denoted as democracy (OPry, 2015). In this context, a pertinent question arises related to the role of the people in democracy at that time. In addition to this it is also important to conduct an in-depth study on the role of women in democratization of the society. In response to that, this essay will put focus on the relation between democracy and women in ancient Greece and further extend the discussion in the light of present case scenario. Women are always neglected in politics and nation building process. This was not being altered in ancient Greece as well. In Athens women had a little scope to participate in politics but no right to get in power. The patriarchal underpinnings were always there which incited philosophers like Aristotle to identify women as evil. In fact, women did not have the right to vote where as their male counterparts were easily joined in plebiscite. On the contrary, in Sparta women had enjoyed more freedom in terms of inheritance of property or education. However, the political forums were intensely dominated by men and strictly isolated women (OPry, 2015). In relation to this, the term Oikonomia referred to women although this word connotes household management. The Greek male intelligentsia deliberately used this term sarcastically as a symbol of lack of chivalry. The so called classical age of Greece made the life of women so miserable that often the term Oikonomia was used as a sense of sl ave. It is true that Greece introduced the very idea of equality and installed it in the socio-political system in form of direct democracy but the involvement of women in this political discourse is a matter of question. Gradually in course of time, the idea of democracy incorporates a number of new perspectives and it requires a revision of the existing concept. In this regards, the question of equality in terms of gender holds the focal point. In the 21st century the matter of gender equality in democracy becomes very popular as a research. Empirical evidences shows that in the developing countries like India, Brazil, Pakistan or Nigeria there is a common perception that men can perform better than women in politics (Haerpfer, 2009). In compare to that, most of the advanced countries reflect their advancement in participation of women in politics. For instance, in US the number of female participation in Parliament is 19.6% which is not satisfactory but well enough than the rests (Fraile, 2014). In analysing the percentage of female participation in recent politics it is imperative to understand the civil liberties and its necessity in modern times. In addition to this, the culture and social prejudices as well as religion play as an impetus to stir up the situation. Today, out of 191 countries only 9 countries have female head of the state (Fraile, 2014). Moreover, the Arab countries have the worst rate of women representation. According to the Feminist scholars, civil liberty became develop with the advent of democracy and liberty in ancient Greece. The French Revolution and the foundation of Citizens rights in America fostered it towards permanence. However, all these efforts did not take care of the women in society. It was a general declaration which further manipulated by male chauvinism. Furthermore, lack of confidence in their political abilities and the electoral process is held responsible for underrepresentation of women in democratic politics. Therefore, it is cr ucial to organize the women to initiate movement against discrimination. It has to keep in mind that equality is a broader concept and should not be partial to any particular group or gender. Women movement for equal rights is not a new trend rather it has been started since the 20th century (Haerpfer, 2009). In this context, it can be argued that in the African and Middle East countries fight for equality was commanded by the women actually. In Morocco, women played a pivotal role in democratize the country in 1990s (Dahlerup, 2017). Therefore, from the present case scenario it is very clear to acknowledge that women are always considered to be a major element in democracy so far and without their participation it is no possible to preserve the true essence of democracy. In this context, the attitude of democracy towards women should also be come under scrutiny. The ancient democratic form of government in Greece possessed a different kind of perception in compare to the modern idea of democracy. At that time, democracy and its regulations were always beneficial for the male members of the society. Women got deprived since then. The same process is happening in so called modern age. The renaissance ideas might enlighten us but that was not enough to perceive the concept of equality. Women got their right to vote in UK in 1918 but it was too late for democracy to recognize women as a part of it (Haerpfer, 2009). In 1995 during the UN world conference on women the focus was shifted from the traditional perception that women did not possess adequate qualification or political interest to govern (Dahlerup, 2017). Instead of this the UN council suggested that it was important to reform within the democratic system rather than questioning the ability of wo men. This viewpoint dynamically changed the existing feeling about women and some scholars were started preparing a master plan for incorporation of women in politics. Therefore, it can be stated that democracy was not responsible for creating a hostile socio political environment for women rather it became a platform for women to cry for equal participation in politics. The key principles of French Revolution liberty, equality and fraternity are considered to be the backbone of modern democracy. However, in the Islamic and developing countries people are still inclined towards the traditional concept of womens inability in politics. It contradicts the key principle of democracy where equality irrespective of class, caste and gender should be practiced. Therefore, it is important to incorporate the female representatives in political sector. Besides this, in democracy the government represents the people. It means the role of the government must have a broader representation and in that case including the female members of the society can ensure the transparency. In addition to this, women are identified as a productive unit of a country. Therefore, inclusion of the women in politics can help the country to make progress. It will also motivate other women to get interest in politics and retain the very establishment of democracy. Reference List Dahlerup, D. (2017).Has democracy failed women?. John Wiley Sons. Fraile, M. (2014). Do women know less about politics than men? The gender gap in political knowledge in Europe.Social Politics,21(2), 261-289. OPry, K. (2015). Social and Political Roles of Women in Athens and Sparta. Saber And Scroll, 1(2),Retrievedfromhttps://digitalcommons.apus.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030context=saberandscroll Top of Form Haerpfer, C. (2009).Democratization(pp. 145-157). New York: Oxford University Press.Bottom of Form