Essay Sample on Women and Economics by Charlotte Perkins Gilman vs. Women in Sports Today

Introduction

The role of women has always been a heated debate in the society, specifically, the modern-day society. While some societies have remained patriarchal, Hong explains that numerous communities have come beyond their native customs where the female human have no rights that she can demand in the face of their patriarchs to embrace gender equality. Often, the economic aspect of the woman has resulted in various societies lagging behind and subordinating the human female in the hands of the human male. The assumption that women are mere housewives whose role can be easily replaced by other people has been the selling proposition. This aspect has been refuted by Gilman who believes that the role of women is overlooked due to the application of cheap economic concepts in their roles. Currently, women have even been incorporated in sports, which were predominantly male engagements. Evidently, the human female has made significant progress in attaining their respectable position in the society as well as the world of sports.

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Gilman analyzes the economic value of women who have often been profiled as people who are overly dependent on men. She puts across a critical argument that economic independence between trade elements can only be achieved if they offer equal value. Hence, the common argument with patriarchs that women take more than they offer implies that they economically dependent on men. In explanation, Gilman states that women offer higher value for the men helping them to increase their overall output hence becoming very essential economic factors. However, the horses and valets add similar value if it is all about these economics. Hence, it is arguable that women are not worth the gorgeous lifestyles due to the wealth status of their husbands since their value as housemaids or children tenderers can be substituted for a price of lesser value than the much they earn. However, this analogy that motherhood revolves around simple household duties is misconstrued. They wake up earlier than men and sleep the last. They work harder for both the children, the men, and the men's family members proving that their value cannot be compared to that of a laborer. Hence, they are worth the much they earn from the men should they be dependent on them.

Beyond any doubt, women have proven that they can partake any role that had previously been labeled masculine. They have won the hearts of the society and are not only being allowed to undertake men's activities but also being elected as leaders of the society. This element comes with the understanding that being leaders means that they are rulers of the society, men included. The sports that had been profiled as unfit for women have, hence, also been discarded as old-day's analogies. Initially, the society believed that women were weaker and physically unfit for sporting activities. Bourne states that some societies believed that sports would harm the female human's reproductive parts, which is one of the logics that Gilman rebukes. Gilman believes that the assumption of women as reproductive tools has been passed by time and that the capacities of the women are beyond that level. Although arguable, women's participation in sports is with no refutation within their key abilities and rights.

As noted, women have been largely associated with beauty. The analogy that they are supposed to uphold beauty in every sense and keep off activities that compromise the looks is passed by time. Should the argument that women must avoid sports to remain beautiful be used in any context, it would be contradicting understanding that the most beautiful women have won the hearts of their fans in sports more than the less attractive. Possibly, while some physical activities such as extreme sports could affect their attractiveness, the spectators have always wanted them to maintain their beauty nevertheless. Most women in sports have maintained their beauty through the use of sports as fitness exercise that ensures that they do not lose their beauty while they participate. Nonetheless, seeking to impress the mainstream by focusing so much on beauty will apparently compromise the sports career, and the lady will in this way no longer be serving the purpose that takes her to the pitch. In this sense, beauty should come second while fulfilling the sports objectives have been attained.

The assumption that women are the primary elements of parenthood have also held them back from achieving sporting goals. The role can apparently be shared, but it depends with the type of society that the woman resides. Patriarchal societies might do less to support the women in sports and the fathers might be totally unwilling to allow their wives participate in sports with the feeling that they would not discharge on the duties of their motherhood. This being the case, the male humans should then realize that they are impeding the female human from participating in activities outside house chores, and hence, the analogy that women are not worth the economic support of the men does not hold any water. Nonetheless, women need all the autonomy to decide whether to delve into sports or not. Should they decide that motherhood is the social and individual responsibility while sports is an economic activity, no society has the freedom to impede their objectives.

Women, however much the effort they have put in achieving their intended position in sports, have still had to work a little harder to achieve the same recognition and commendation as men. The masculine nature still seems to rule over the feminine gender, but the efforts towards gender equality cannot be underestimated. Despite the little traction to women sports, they have been supported by the governmental and non-governmental institutions where their sports have been allocated similarly adequate resources not because they have similar traction but due to the pursuit for gender equality, economic independence, and women empowerment. The women in the sports arenas have not only been sportswomen but also advocates for the empowerment of women through their fame and resources within which they can reach. Essentially, the lack of traction to women sports does not imply that little has been achieved but can be used to benchmark the progress that the domestic industry has attained.

Conclusion

Overall, the human female is actually overworked than the human male. While the men focus on extra-marital engagements, the women cannot ignore the significance of their marital activities. Hence, they have to engage in both marital and extra-marital responsibilities as they strive to achieve autonomy. While the work at the homes is already overwhelming for them, their freedom to engage in other economic activities is always stressed. For such reasons, their ability to engage in sports is also compromised. However, with the necessary autonomy, they can easily engage in sports where they can continue with their advocacy and have more women join the field to gain the traction they need for an equal society. Overall, denying women their independence to engage in any activity on the basis of motherhood does not hold any water.

Bibliography

Bourne, Jessica. "The Image of Women in Sports Today." Serendip Studio's One World |. Last modified May 2, 2018. https://serendipstudio.org/local/scsisoc/sports04/papers/jbourne.html.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Women & Economics: A Study of the Economic Relation between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution: From the famous American feminist, social reformer, sociologist and the author of The Yellow Wallpaper and Herland. Musaicum Books, 2017.

Hong, Fan. Freeing the female body: Inspirational icons. Routledge, 2013.