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paper 1

OUR STANCE ON THE WOMAN QUESTION

The woman’s question is one of the urgent matters to be dealt with. It becomes all the more vital when we see that half of the world’s population comprises women. Therefore, a nation can develop at its best only if women shall be mobilised together with men for productive efforts.

But women, whatever socio-political system they are in, are oppressed systematically. The oppression is sanctioned by social customs of which both women and men become the uncritical recipients. Social customs then degenerate into prejudices leading to the stunting of conducive physical, psychological and emotional growth of women. And such unfavourable situation of women is sanctified by religious formulations which further strengthen the superior position of men and give little room for women to question male superiority.

Women’s struggle from oppression then is a struggle for humanisation and so it is an integral part of the total struggle for liberation. The approach then to women’s liberation should be a natural one: an integral approach, women-men working together. This approach is nothing new as it is inherent in the Christian point of view.

The first human being was made male and female, jointly given dominion over the earth (Gen. 1.27). In Christ the equality of male and female is fulfilled in “no Jew, no Greek, no master, no slave, no male, no female” (Gal. 3.28). Jesus’ practices in dealing with women show no discrimination against women (Mk. 15:40) and he never specified any role of women (Lk. 10:42).

Theoretically, women and men should work and fight together for common goals and interests, especially

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the liberation of the whole society. But historically, women have been the first slaves; therefore, it is ridiculous to assume that the slaves and masters work together for the liberation of the slaves. In fact, the records stand that any new move from the women’s part which would be a threat to male domination had been slyly put down by bringing into play the cultural and social factors.

The oppression of women became all the more pronounced with the emerging of different class groups and class struggle as presently reflected in the so-called “democratic” capitalist societies. There strong women organisations have been organised and maintained totally by women (feminist-suffragists), proving that women are capable of maintaining such a complex organism. But these women’s liberation movements fail in the fact that they grow towards women-men confrontation. And in a patriarchal social structure, the odds are quite formidable.

On the other hand, in socialist and communist countries where women are given more opportunity, there is also no guarantee that the situation will not turn into a class reduction as shown in the history of countries espousing this system. It is no doubt however that in the revolutionary struggle of these countries where women and men are working together for a common interest and goal, women have achieved a different position. The danger is that after reaching a certain stage, women will fall back into the ‘housewife’ role. Our concern is to avoid this.

In areas of endeavours where women predominate, they themselves should prove that they are capable of doing the organisational and related work. But men committed to the same goals should consciously help women by giving up coveted position or/and power in the leadership. Thus, because they share the long-term goals, i.e. the liberation of the whole society, women and men should not clash on a sexist basis. In areas where men and women are active, both sexes must strive to strike a balance in representation and leadership roles.

The common goal of nations in Asia is the liberation from poverty and the struggle for self-reliance. In a number of Asian countries, the societies are basically agricultural, backward and poor. The widespread poverty in these countries is due to uneven distribution of income, the sprawling of transnational corporations, repressive and unstable political conditions and the domination of cultural values. In such an exploited and oppressed situation

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women as a group, who constitute more than half of the region’s population, suffer doubly.

The role of women in such societies is confined to being wife and child-bearer. Women have been systematically conditioned to these traditional roles. This confinement and restriction have led to their alienation from educational, political, economic and cultural processes of their societies - the whole social productive system.

A relevant education then must be made accessible to the vast majority of women to enable them to participate meaningfully in the socio-economic process. Only in this involvement and participation shall evolve the true essence of their liberation. But above all, they must be engaged in the struggle for making this possible not only for them but for all members of their national community.

Our tactics and strategies should be to find common goals for women and men in our Asian countries and then together work out the means and ways to achieve these goals. There should be a conscious change in the realm of attitudes as both women and men work together to build a society where all shall be developed, where the people and not foreign domination rule supreme. The struggle to build this humane and egalitarian social order should be done simultaneously with the raising of a new consciousness in male members towards the women members and the women about themselves. Men have to be open to criticism and women be more courageous in getting and claiming their rights.

The task is not easy and it cannot be completed by merely formulating it. But at least we, in our own areas of work and influence, should begin and work out this particular task. Steps toward the building of this new consciousness have been done in this workshop. We should follow these steps in our own national movements and in the regional level.

And the debates and areas of contention which need deeper study and research should also be followed up like the social changes which have happened in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cuba, East Germany, and other countries in the Asia region, and the specific characteristics of our own countries as to their socio-economic-political systems. For we should be equipped with such knowledge and awareness so we can tackle our common task seriously and scientifically.