The 19th and 20th centuries were a detrimental time for women everywhere. It was a time to fight for equal rights so women can exist freely in the same nature as their male counterparts, women were actively pursuing suffrage, educational rights, better working conditions, and putting an end to restrictive and stereotypical gender roles. Women, everywhere we’re taking a stand and fighting for the opportunity to be more than housewives

There are various publications where one can learn about the extensive history of the feminist movement and the ideas & attitudes behind it. One can begin by analyzing The Politics of Housework by Pat Mardini for a better understanding of these attitudes and what they wish to convey. This article discusses the cycle of “servitude” experienced by women in regards to their husbands, which was much of the root of the feminist movement. Women began to grow weary of this constant battle between their own happiness and the happiness of their husbands. Mardini discusses the difference between liberated women and women’s liberation and how it is linked to housework. Ultimately Mardini highlights that women’s liberation is not a political movement. I find this interesting because while there were political aspects like suffrage many of the changes that needed to take place and still need to take place today can be easily fixed on a societal level. She discusses the nature behind housework and that it shouldn’t be as complex as it has become- as to people in a relationship there shouldn’t be expected roles but room for both parties to contribute evenly based on their own strength. She also explains that it is easy to see why men are the way they are as they have been able to maintain a particular lifestyle at the hands of a woman their entire lives however it is up to the wives to put their foot down and ultimately end this less than productive cycle that has been causing a rift for decades. Once a woman chooses to be liberated and free from this oppressive cycle things may change but women deserve to be just as free to move and exist as men even in terms of taking care of the home.

Similar ideas are discussed in the article the myth of Vaginal Orgasms (Koedt 1970) and fragility taking the conversation beyond housework to even the oppressive nature of sex and the lack of satisfaction for women. Koedt states that Fragility, as defined by men, is the failure of a woman to have a vaginal orgasm. The issue, however, is men’s lack of understanding of the female anatomy where there is a large confusion concerning Vaginal organisms which are less common, and clitoral orgasm which are more common. Instead of men learning and understanding this, the fault is placed on the woman when the men simply don’t understand the female anatomy. The article also discusses the pressure put on women during sex and even feeling the need to fake an orgasm to avoid upsetting their partner or them thinking something is wrong with her. The article also discusses bisexuality lesbianism more so as a fear of men’s giving women finding more sexual liberation in same-sex relationships.

In the same nature as housework, sex is also something that can be discussed within society to create a change in household and public narratives. This is also an area where women need to become liberated and break from the restrictive expectations associated with sex and the completion of housework.

Equal amendment rights 

Tara Law spoke about the amendment rights and the day Virginia fought for equal rights to vote hoping to be approved in other words the ERA. The equal rights amendment was passed by he congress in 1972 . The amendment consists on 3 sections and I quote 

Section 1 .Equality of rights under the law should not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex 

Section 2 . The congress shall have the power  to enforce, by appropriate legislation , the provisions of this article 

Section 3 . The amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification. 

The nation woman’s party officially made the first amendment in 1923 but then decided to focus on the major issue at hand which was that of woman’s equality. 

At first this movement did not have much support as the focus for some women was on different issues . It was until decades before the ERA began to get attention. 

The rights was first written by Alice Paul who is the actually founder of the National woman’s party . 

However the amendments rights fails due to mobilizing anti-feminist .In my opinion adapting the long-overdue Equal Rights Amendment could help bolster existing statutory protections under attack, making it a key element in the fight for gender equality

Historically men have placed an extreme emphasis on women’s perceived shortcomings yet at the same time have also held us to an incredibly high standard regardless. Trying to get your male partner to share the housework or being unsatisfied sexually are things women have been conditioned to settle for and that men have been conditioned to find themselves comfortable with. Men have even gone as far as creating justification for this experience that more often than not, benefits them and not women. As stated in the Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm, when we are not sexually stimulated or satisified by what is satisfying to men, we are deemed dysfunctional and met with claims of mental illness and problems with development. As if we are programmable artificial intelligence, we are supposed to train ourselves to like what they like so that men can be satisfied at all times. As summarized by Koedt in their excerpt ‘The myth of the Vaginal Orgasm’ “Once having laid down the law about the nature of our sexuality, Freud not so strangely discovered a tremendous problem of frigidity in women. His recommended cure for a woman who was frigid was psychiatric care. She was suffering from failure to mentally adjust to her “natural” role as a woman.“ (Koedt 1970).

Narratives and myths like this contribute to the global societal objectification of women. We are not viewed as human beings with thoughts, feelings, senses, the ability to feel pain, and the list goes on. It has been dehumanizing living as a woman once you realize the abundant lack of empathy men have for you. It is isolating and scary to live in a world where you are expected to be a tool for the pleasure and emotional fulfillment of men, their children, and not yourself. Even down to things like maintaining basic routines that are a necessity for living and functioning, men will boil it down to feminine work. Feminine meaning work that is not worth doing, work for the weak or lesser, etc. In ‘The Politics of Housework’ Mainardi talks about the many ways their husband routinely downplays, complains about, or tries to avoid housework altogether.

“I don’t mind sharing the work, but you’ll have to show me how to do it.”MEANING: I ask a lot of questions and you’ll have to show me everything every time I do it because I don’t remember so good. Also don’ t try to sit down and read while I’M doing my jobs because I’m going to annoy hell out of you until it’s easier to do them yourself.” -(Mainardi 1970) Within my household, the men do the same thing. It is obvious that they know how to maintain cleanliness when they find it necessary, like when they take time out to clean their gaming consoles or take the time out to get ready for work. They care for things they find worth caring about. That is rarely the cleanliness of their own living space as women are expected to carry the burden of that care as well. 

In Pat Mainardi’s, “The Politics of Housework”, Mainardi presents a plethora of assumed responses or excuses that a man or partner with a “stronger personality” would present to express why they are dominant and must not be the one to take on tedious housework tasks along with their hidden and honest meanings. Anne Koedt’s, “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm”, presents the Freudian ideas that a woman must reach their orgasm through the vagina and penetration only and if one does not, there is a psychological issue that must be addressed as soon as possible. The excerpt from Betty Friedan’s, “The Feminine Mystique”, addresses the concept of what a man would expect the perfect woman to be like, to define her purpose and limitations in life. I noticed something that these texts shared in common and that is the fact that many things that a woman does and is affected by has been established by men and yet these men are not familiar with the female body or psyche and fail to ask women what their needs and wants are, thus keeping women categorized and treated as second class citizens, dismissing everything that women have to say for themselves in their defense or comfort simply because a man has established these behaviors as society’s norms. I believe MeiQi Chen’s snapshot depicts the expectation of a woman, the feminime mystique very well. The color pink being dominant expresses just how feminine society expects women to be and how she should not have any interests in the interests of male activities. Her many arms depict the many mundane tasks she must take on and only worry about these activities, although it can but assumed that the cigarette is something she took up as her only leisure to decompress. Although she seems grounded in her position and peaceful, she does not seem as if she willingly wants to be there but rather was placed there as it seems that she may be frowning.

I believe there still is a major failure to truly ask and listen to women’s needs as these texts also express the idea that men share when women speak up on their liberation which is to “beware of the double whammy. He won’t do the little things he always did because you’re now a “Liberated Woman,” right? Of course he won’t do anything else either.” (Mainardi, 6). Women have been expected to contribute to a man’s success by taking care of basic housework, which is work that anyone can and should do for themselves but this would take time to unlearn the behavior of catering specifically for men and learning to put one’s priorities first, especially in today’s time. Despite there being a time when women may have felt comfortable in achieving the feminine mystique for the sake of the male gaze and men’s success, women have decided to achieve bigger dreams with or without the support of men. There is also nothing wrong with finding happiness in being a housewife as long as one does not contribute to self sabotage and falls back on the ideas put in place by men to oppress women.

                                                   Response to Jaisly Dominguez

I like how Jaisly’s photo demonstrates a female robot doing multiple things at a time. This shows that as women we are always multitasking, overworking. Women would take care of the house, the children, and take care of their husband. While women do all these things, they still don’t have a job. Although this does not occur as often as it did eighty years ago, instead today some women are the head of the household. They would pay the bills, clean and take care of the children while some men just leisure around being a couch potato. Some men still believe that women should stick to being the housewife to do all the chores because it’s a “ woman’s job”. For example some men are still stuck on the idea that women should be the cook, the washer and the dishwasher. Men would do other things like paying the car, phone, light, and cable bill. A long time ago women would be at home while their husband would go to work for money. Women have been through many atrocities. Some of these atrocities were not being able to vote, not working, getting paid less, and lacking significant education. 

Women are also being taken advantage of in terrible ways. For example, many women I know were sexually abused by a man. It could’ve been by a family member or a stranger. We were told to stay silent because people would not believe us. Instead they would side with the rapist. Women were silenced because if not they would be seen as fast or filthy or they would be accused of seducing the man. Many times I look back at photos of these women because many of them were being taken  advantage of because they were too hard working. Sometimes I put myself in their place. I believe that women deserve to be treated with respect. We should be given respect especially by our men in the community. Not only do we bring life to this world but without women the world would be a hectic place. There is much more that a woman is worth than being a house maid. We should be able to get an education, pick our own jobs, vote, wear whatever we want, and be free to do what men do. 

In conclusion just like we have a Black lives matter movement for black people being targeted, women should have a movement called “Women lives matter”. This should bring awareness to the inequalities that women face around the world. In addition there should be a civil rights movement strictly for women to end the inequalities and the problems that women faced. Although these things don’t happen as often anymore. Women are being treated poorly in other countries

The first article “The Feminine Mystique” focuses on how women’s lives were planned for them, they didn’t have any say or opinion. As women grow up they are thought to be presentable to maintain a husband and that they need to get married and have children. Women thought the husband was the one who needed to provide and make decisions for them, such as when they should talk, wear, and get an education. Women were taught to keep their husbands happy, weren’t allowed to argue with their husbands, and to cook, clean, take care of their children, there should be no place to complain. The main job was to only provide money. Women weren’t allowed to be in politics or talk about politics. “ they wanted the men to make the major decisions. They gloried in their role as women, and wrote proudly on the census blank “Occupation:  housewife.”With women being taught those things it makes it difficult to choose their own opinion or have a dream because all their life they are thought to please men. Not being able to form an opinion makes it hard for them to protest. Most people are scared to state their poor because they are scared people will judge them or not support them. That kind of thinking makes them stay in their comfort zone, and keep being mistreated and being told what to do.

Pat Mainardi, “The Politics of Housework” focuses on the idea that men think that since they work they shouldn’t do housework and that housework is a woman’s job. “buying groceries, carting them home and putting them away; cooking meals and washing dishes and pots; doing the laundry digging out the place when things get out of control; washing floors”. These chores are not only a women’s job because it’s necessary to eat and live clean. There should be no gender when it comes to cleaning, it’s an everyday need. If a man lives alone and doesn’t wash the food or broom and clean their clothes, that house would smell and create bugs. A man is a grown man and not a child if he’s able to provide or state an opinion he’s able to take care of himself.  Men were taught that being a man meant only providing money. They weren’t taught how to take care of themselves or their children because it was known to be a women’s job. I think men should be taught how to take care of themselves and to provide for themselves, women aren’t maids or an object they can just boss around. Women have emotions and opinions.

I think this society still treats women and is unfair, and there are still many families where women do more things, while men do nothing. Women have to do housework at home, look after children, cook, and even have very few opportunities to go out. This kind of life can also be said to be “you are tired of doing nothing at home all the time, and I have to go to work to make money to support my family, and I have to listen to you when I come back.” This makes it seem that women do nothing at home all day long, but they are not. Just like the snapshot I published, a woman is like a person with a thousand hands and can do everything at the same time.

I am not sure who’s snapshot post was it because their name did not appear with their snapshot, but the one I am going to reference towards an image with a woman in the kitchen, and some words say, “Why, I’d be delighted to put my needs last again.” This image depicts the idea of what women back then presented to fulfill their roles within their home and partner. The idea of a woman staying home, caring for their kids, and supporting their husbands always seemed like the ideal image that many women wanted. Still, it is a false narrative because they envied men and lacked their potential as women, their own nature. A sexual and social role defines women according to what is appropriate and acceptable. Women lacked their participation in the world because of this desire of what a woman should be like.

A quote references back to the snapshot I posted of a woman doing chores that is actually a robot. The text “The Politics of Housework” by Pat Mainardi emphasizes the idea that for women to be liberated, they had to share their housework with their husbands as if it were a group effort. It also discusses the oppression that affects the views of what women are expected to do. According to Mainardi, “I can only explain it by stating that we women have been brainwashed more than even we can imagine, Probably too many years of seeing television women in ecstasy over their shiny waxed floors or breaking down over their collars.” (pg 1-2) Women are built into a system that empowers more men than women. Women that have consistently been doing their job are the reasons why men feel dominated. Men would rather dominate in fixing a cabinet or a light bulb than doing something that needs repetitiveness. Women are left with household services.

Reading this text, I interpret it in a way that men feel exploited by women, and what I mean by that is that men probably feel as if they are overworked and don’t benefit enough compared to women because women stay home. But they are honestly oblivious of how much women do. Men believe that they are above housework because some decide to do manual labor.

Women hold a big part in the creation of what is an ideal household. First, they are emotionally for their kids 24/7, plus they make sure their husbands are alright. They are always up on their feet in chores like dishes, laundry, cooking, buying groceries, taking the kids to school, etc. When women break that repetitive cycle and want a break, some men tend to use that to their advantage to make their women feel weak for not doing their “job.” But some men do help liberate that stress physically and mentally a woman feels.

Women spend most of their time creating a perfect home while their husbands live up to their money and career. I feel that women lack exposure to what is out there for them because they play a position that was automatically given to them.

In the snapshot that my classmate Safiya Saidah Charles uploaded, it depicts a housewife who is bored from her house duties. She is sitting on an object, right next to her is a bucket, a scrubbing brush as well as holding a broom. In this snapshot made by the artist Jill Marie, it captures the image of this woman being frustrated by her husband’s rules and wanting to break free from them so she can get the job she wants.  From the article “The Feminine Mystique” by the author Betty Friedan, talks about the struggles of housewives in the 1950s who were expected by their husbands to take care of responsibilities such as caring for their children, doing chores, cooking, discipline the children into well-mannered people and build their own property. The wives were unsatisfied with their duties and they wished to do more in life and to get their own career they desired in life. I agree at the fact that women in general who made decisions to try to leave their chores in order to work outside the home and make a living instead of being trapped in their houses exclusively. In the second article “The Politics of Housework” by author Pat Mainardi, mentions about the women in general who are desperately trying to escape from their chores which were set up by their spouses. The husbands make up excuses to their wives in order to avoid housework. The woman at the very ending wrote a list of chores that she had endured in. The husband also claimed to the wife that they were happy in the past but he only meant to be happy for himself. All of these actions cause a strain between their marriage because the husband in reality, is selfish. From the last article “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” written by author Anne Koedt, discusses about the harsh realities of women who are inferior to men as they are being controlled by males. Another issue with some women is that they cannot receive orgasm which actually leaves them feeling afraid because of the effect. In the past, there was a man by the name of Freud who explains about the achievement of reaching an orgasm in women by the way of vaginal orgasms in the proper way. Another man who is named Mr. Rieff went on to say to for Mr. Freud with the quote “Analysis cannot encourage in women new energies for success and achievement, but only teach them the lesson of rational resignation” (Koedt, pg 3). I agree with Mr. Rieff’s sentence about learning in success of achieving through the values of sexual orgasm because the females must know their limits when it comes to sexually in life. And I also agree with the women trying to achieve orgasm and just vaginal or clitorial. They also receive orgasm by having sexual fantasies, mentally, and through other sexual physical activities. Every woman has the right to desire an orgasm whenever it’s either physically or mentally aroused, especially when it comes to their limits.