What is a woman's worth? If she works.. her worth becomes more complicated as she has her own independence... her world is bigger. Financial independence is a marvellous tool to one's confidence.
What if she doesn't? What if she's a housewife? You seldom find non-working single ladies. I am not saying being a housewife is not a job. For me, I think I'd rather hold a regular job outside than stay at home and grow bonkers with the expectations plonked on me. Being a full time housewife... you are married to the house (and its contents) and be a wife. No easy tasks. I've great respect for those who have the potential to have a great career and yet are able give it up for their families.
Where then does her worth come from? Housewives don't get paid! A man's worth on the other hand comes from his work and his possessions. Take his job away and you'll be left with a shell of a man. Societies were mainly patriarchal and still are. Man still dominate. Many still think ownership - wife, children as possessions. I have colleagues who still tell me they have to get permission from their husbands to go out.... but sometimes they use this as an excuse to skip something they don't like.
In the Chinese culture, the groom's family basically 'buys' the bride. Thankfully, my parents didn't deem this practice necessary. 8) So, I'm very much still their daughter. In the Indian society, the woman hurls herself into the burning pyre when her husband dies. They call it suttee. Women cannot go to Mekah on their own, they need to be accompanied by a male family member. Women cannot vote until very recent times. In Saudi Arabia women still cannot drive because the religious leaders say if they allow the women to drive, they'll drive off to find other men! Crazy?
Culturally, if a man takes on mistresses (or wives) it's not really frowned upon. Society does not look kindly on women do the same, keep a paramour... In Egypt for example, female purity holds a crucial position in evaluating the worth of a woman and negotiating marriage contracts. If she is not a virgin then she's not marriageable. There is very little mention (or none at all) of the same for men.
And in recent days, in Malaysia we've religious authorities who meted up caning for women who had anak luar nikah (child out of wedlock). Only the women got punished. They never went after the men who did it to the women. As far as I know, it takes 2 to make a baby.... but only one party was punished, the other gets off scot-free. What actually is the woman's worth in the eyes of these 'religious' flers?
Next.... Why then is the divorce rates higher now? Is it because women today are worth more, especially those who have financial independence? In days of old, when a woman had to depend on her man to provide, she basically had no choice. She obviously could not go back to her parents. Having spent her life depending on her husband and with little education, she would find it hard to adjust to the outside world. She had no means to support herself. She was basically held hostage by her own life. No worth! It still happens sometimes.
So what is a woman's worth? Where is her worth? Self, career, marriage, kids, husband, family? It's a little of all I supposed. Just like the man's.
A woman's worth... if wisdom prevails, if responsibilities are equally shouldered.... in all honesty.. perhaps the family life too would get its full worth. Right now, dad works. Mom works.. children don't get enough of attention. It's actually good for the children to have a full time mom. But the dads must be prepared to share without prejudice all that he has. I'm in the mood to rant again today...
What if she doesn't? What if she's a housewife? You seldom find non-working single ladies. I am not saying being a housewife is not a job. For me, I think I'd rather hold a regular job outside than stay at home and grow bonkers with the expectations plonked on me. Being a full time housewife... you are married to the house (and its contents) and be a wife. No easy tasks. I've great respect for those who have the potential to have a great career and yet are able give it up for their families.
Where then does her worth come from? Housewives don't get paid! A man's worth on the other hand comes from his work and his possessions. Take his job away and you'll be left with a shell of a man. Societies were mainly patriarchal and still are. Man still dominate. Many still think ownership - wife, children as possessions. I have colleagues who still tell me they have to get permission from their husbands to go out.... but sometimes they use this as an excuse to skip something they don't like.
In the Chinese culture, the groom's family basically 'buys' the bride. Thankfully, my parents didn't deem this practice necessary. 8) So, I'm very much still their daughter. In the Indian society, the woman hurls herself into the burning pyre when her husband dies. They call it suttee. Women cannot go to Mekah on their own, they need to be accompanied by a male family member. Women cannot vote until very recent times. In Saudi Arabia women still cannot drive because the religious leaders say if they allow the women to drive, they'll drive off to find other men! Crazy?
Culturally, if a man takes on mistresses (or wives) it's not really frowned upon. Society does not look kindly on women do the same, keep a paramour... In Egypt for example, female purity holds a crucial position in evaluating the worth of a woman and negotiating marriage contracts. If she is not a virgin then she's not marriageable. There is very little mention (or none at all) of the same for men.
And in recent days, in Malaysia we've religious authorities who meted up caning for women who had anak luar nikah (child out of wedlock). Only the women got punished. They never went after the men who did it to the women. As far as I know, it takes 2 to make a baby.... but only one party was punished, the other gets off scot-free. What actually is the woman's worth in the eyes of these 'religious' flers?
Next.... Why then is the divorce rates higher now? Is it because women today are worth more, especially those who have financial independence? In days of old, when a woman had to depend on her man to provide, she basically had no choice. She obviously could not go back to her parents. Having spent her life depending on her husband and with little education, she would find it hard to adjust to the outside world. She had no means to support herself. She was basically held hostage by her own life. No worth! It still happens sometimes.
So what is a woman's worth? Where is her worth? Self, career, marriage, kids, husband, family? It's a little of all I supposed. Just like the man's.
A woman's worth... if wisdom prevails, if responsibilities are equally shouldered.... in all honesty.. perhaps the family life too would get its full worth. Right now, dad works. Mom works.. children don't get enough of attention. It's actually good for the children to have a full time mom. But the dads must be prepared to share without prejudice all that he has. I'm in the mood to rant again today...
6 comments:
in the UK there is an increasing number of househusbands particularly during the recent round of retrenchments. We experienced it too for most of last year. Also in our family, I have almost always earned more - I gather this is quite common. Actually as a family we don't feel any difference in any person's worth, but perhaps I have had the luxury of always being able to earn my own keep, pay my own way and ordering Capt Caveman about... :o ;)
I'm truly lucky my hubby appreciates my weight in gold tho I 'm a full time housewife:)
How much is a woman's worth? Its priceless, you cannot put a price on it, so don't go putting a price on it. ;p
Dino, as long as priceless is not the same as worthless.......
:D
AJ 7, this is from a man:-
"Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman." And generally when a man climbs to success, a woman is holding the ladder ! She may be the weaker sex, but not at the bargain counter . To be happy with a man, you must understand him a alot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and NOT try to understand her at all. LOL
PP: Good one!
Thomas: LOL! But very true.
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