Male and female
In the world, women are more in number compared to the men, which means if they are educated and given a chance, they can contribute highly to the economy. In most developed countries, gender discrimination has decreased, and women are given equal opportunities, the same that men are offered. However, some parts of the world are still struggling with providing equal opportunities to both genders. These parts still stick to the mentality that men are superior to women; thus, women should remain at home or do minor jobs, while men do the major work. Among the places that still struggle with gender equality in Southeast Asia. The paper will cover women and gender in Southeast Asia related to prestige, power, and other social aspects.
Men have been considered to have greater prestige compared to the female, regardless of dominance over women and whether women have a higher official or unofficial power. Southeast Asian culture has given the men the power, making them dominant in comparison to women (Ortner, 39). However, in the case of prestige, the story is different. Both the women and the men have various activities that they do, which define their prestige. For instance, women do body decoration, an activity that is a source of prestige to them. On the other hand, men are creators of songs, which is a source of prestige (Ortner, 64). It will be fair to state that prestige and power are different in Southeast Asia because while power is not equal among both genders, prestige brings some equality.
The power difference in Southeast Asia can be determined by the leadership role both gender play in society. Men are considered to be the sole leaders, while women are considered to be minors and cannot rule in the manner the men do. Even though women are allowed to rule, they can rule among themselves, and not the whole community (Ortner, 69). However, some authors disagree and say that women have more control than men when the example of French peasants is concerned. Yet, myths of male dominance state that both genders believe in the formal notion that men are superior to women and have a more excellent status and prestige.
When cultural aspects are considered, female power does not count, and it can only be exercised in hidden ways. Women in Southeast Asia are believed to occupy the domestic sphere of life, while men mostly occupy the common area, which is entire because of the motherly role of women. Women are restricted from social life because of the mothering responsibilities they have, which mostly contains them in the domestic realm. In contrast, men are not limited, making it easier for them to explore the public domain (Ortner, 75). Women do play a role in religion in Southeast Asia, but the male has occupied significant positions in religion.
In conclusion, Southeast Asia is still male-dominated despite the many years of evolution. According to their culture, the men have more power and prestige compared to the female. Both men and women do activities that are the source of their prestige. For instance, women do body decoration that is a source of female prestige. Women are considered to lack the ability to rule; thus, men are given the leadership role. However, women are allowed to be leaders among themselves. Men are known to dominate the social realm of life, while women are known to dominate the domestic field. The mothering activities restrict the women in the domestic sphere, while the men have nothing that restricts them; thus, they access the public realm. Though there has been much improvement in gender inequality, Southeast Asia is still struggling to adapt to gender equality.
Work Cited
Ortner, Sherry B. “Gender hegemonies.” Cultural Critique 14 (1989): 35-80.