This week after reading the two pieces that were written in 1970. In “The Politics of Housework” Pat Mainardi makes a distinction between the Liberated Woman and Women’s Liberation. In “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” Anne Koedt calls for a reexamination of women’s sexual pleasure. After reading both articles I will be discussing. What do I understand the liberated woman to be? How might the liberated woman be important for women’s liberation? And How do these pieces show that “the personal is political”? After doing these weeks’ readings I can somewhat concur that A woman is referred to as a “liberated woman” if she has attained a sense of freedom, independence, and empowerment in different spheres of her life. In order to attain personal, social, and political equality, one must actively challenge and overcome hurdles as well as liberate oneself from conventional gender norms and cultural expectations. Because she acts as a role model and an impetus for societal change, the liberated woman is crucial to the advancement of women’s freedom. She challenges the current quo, encourages other women to do the same, and upholds her rights and autonomy by embodying the ideas of gender equality. The empowered woman becomes a representation of possibilities and a real example of how women may succeed without being constrained by patriarchal rules. The expression “the personal is political” was created in the 1960s and 1970s during the second wave of feminism. It represents the notion that broader social and political systems are intricately entwined with individual experiences and hardships. It acknowledges that topics that have historically been seen as private or individual, such as romantic relationships, the right to an abortion, and household duties, are really affected by and linked to larger systems of power and oppression. The works that illustrate “the personal is political” reveal how society conventions, expectations, and power structures affect and impact personal experiences, particularly those that pertain to women’s lives. They draw attention to the fact that problems like uneven pay, gender-based violence, reproductive rights, and gender stereotypes are not only personal matters; rather, they have a strong historical foundation in social, political, and economic systems. Individual struggles may be converted into collective initiatives for social change and women’s emancipation by identifying and solving these structural problems.

As women, we face challenges that we are expected to overcome, despite any problems that may develop. Men criticize and judge our every move, which Mainardi interprets as complaints from men, on top of everything else we have to put up with. Nobody is immune from this, and I, for one, am all too familiar with the situation because I see it even in my family’s older generations. According to my understanding, a liberated woman is someone who can look beyond what is stated, interpret nonverbal cues, and manage herself when these situations arise. The reading this week confirmed my conviction that being a woman means being complex, whether in terms of our biological makeup, thoughts, or emotions. Personally, I think it’s important for women to first have a strong awareness of themselves so that we can easily recognize when guys don’t fully view us for who we are. This goes beyond just having men comprehend our body. I believe that self-awareness is a result of not being understood in intimate relationships, which is evident when men are unable to assist women in experiencing orgasm. A woman who knows herself well enough to refuse an attempt by a man who does not value her enough to get to know her, be around her, or enter her life is a liberated woman. This week’s reading helped me comprehend why self-awareness, independence, and assertiveness are essential qualities for a free woman on a deeper level. The readings from this week show that the “personal is political” by highlighting the necessity of acknowledging all issues in order to bring about significant change in the world. When we decide to ignore or deny our actual emotions, we are collectively holding ourselves back. It is critical to speak up because it was brave people who recognized injustice and inequity and resolved they would not settle for anything less. 

What do you understand the liberated woman to be?

A liberated woman is a woman that feels naturally to make her own decisions and independently choose what she prefers in life. An independent woman can have kids or don’t have or don’t have them for a career. AN independent woman can decide about rules at home and responsibilities; she is equally with her partner ( men or a woman) building her family the way she thinks is good and safe. A liberal woman fights for her happiness and has any types of  friends she wants, risks new jobs,choses her life based of what she thinks is good, and makes decisions she wnats. 

How might the liberated woman be important for women’s liberation?

The liberated woman builds a new society and a new structure showing that the old rules aren’t the only ones. She can be an example for kids or an abused woman or gay people. She is showing new possibilities, and she is walking proof that a new, revised structure is a stronger part of the world. 

How do these pieces show that “the personal is political”?

When reading the articles” The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” and “The Politics of Housework,” we can clearly see how one’s personal decision affects the whole population. OWmans body and desires are controlled, her perception of work and family and her role in society. When one man wants a woman at home to cook and clean, he puts his sand grain in a desert of people like him. When men have the privilege to decide about women’s bodies, they control abortion rights and limit women’s freedom. Whoman must be personal and change the law around the-they should create, write, protest and more! When men have control at home, women cant decide and realize him without seeing more possibilities. Her children might be raised this way as well if they don’t have opportunities to see more. So we need to teach our kids to study, travel and help them understand what possibilities they have so they can improve the word 

What do you understand the liberated woman to be?

A liberated woman is a woman that makes his own decisions and roles. A woman can   have sex before marriage and a job after, if she wants, without being judged for it, and without worrying about other people, since other people should mind their own business and let the woman do whatever she wants.

How might the liberated woman be important for women’s liberation?

The liberated woman can be important for women’s liberation because they showed that a woman can be and do whatever she wants without the care of what society thinks, it can also show how important it is for them to have the same equal and opportunities as men since they will fight hard for their rights. Women must discover their potential and begin to react against the forces obstructing them from their goals. Only when large numbers of people demand a change to their oppression are they taken seriously. 

How do these pieces show that “the personal is political”?

While reading the articles “The Politics of Housework” and “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” it shows how women is interpreted by society with a very old cultural mind with the thinking that they can determine the woman body and desire  the personal is political, meant something really profound about how they understood their lives in relationship to larger political struggles. It’s mostly just like, a woman who is not in the workforce, and is a homemaker. The  husband works and the woman has to  find that they are unfilled or I feel oppressed or depressed or put down or ignored or lacking in a certain kind of personal dignity in terms of the autonomy of their life . The husband  has total control of the household. Making feel the wife to  almost kind of subaltern, and tend to be  a person who’s sort of subordinate their husband  which make all the time feel depressed but have to follow society norms and expectation. 

Ivan De Los Santos

Prof. Hollis Glaser

GWS 100-1300

Discussion 9

What do you understand the liberated woman to be?

I understand that a liberated woman advocates for women’s equality. Someone who believes then that no matter our gender, we should all be treated the same woman who is liberated also doesn’t accept living with gender norms and feeling like they’re in a box. They want to feel I did their person, and they don’t have to de depend on somebody. These types of women are the women that try to fight against the oppression and sexism that they endure all the time. 

How might the liberated woman be necessary for women’s liberation?

Liberated women are vital for women’s freedom because they are sociological outliers who provide a different perspective on societal norms; they deviate because they feel that we should all be equal and that all of the chances that men have should also be available to women.

How do these pieces show that “the personal is political”?

Reading the myth of vaginal orgasm by encoded shows how the world and itself are stuck in order times and how for some people, these traditional norms are always going to be how people live their lives and how the closed-minded people won’t ever change it talks about how if a woman isn’t stimulated it is because she’s being too frigid And that that is a problem. They should see it. Also, I believe that some men have Egos regarding sexual intercourse. For example, someone might not care about a woman finding pleasure and getting stimulated. On the other hand, I’m not like that, so I understand where women come from because I want to ensure that my girlfriend/wife Stimulator properly. Also, the politics of housework shows how women are fighting for equality. What I got from this text was that all women want is a partner who can help them whenever they need it at home so they can have time for themselves and be able to relax for one I completely agree; I believe that not only work-wise but at home too it should be 50/50, and it shouldn’t be one person working, and one person at home both articles explain how the personal is political because it is demonstrating to Woman how they should take care of homes and how they should Be getting a vaginal orgasm instead of a clitoris orgasm and if not then there’s something wrong with them.

The concept of a “liberated woman” refers to a woman who has gained some level of personal freedom and independence through her own efforts, rather than depending on societal norms or a male partner for her well-being. The liberated woman is generally associated with the second-wave feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which focused on issues such as equal rights, reproductive rights, and the sexual revolution.

The idea of a liberated woman is significant for women’s liberation because it challenges traditional gender roles and norms, and highlights the need for women to have agency and control over their own lives. The liberated woman is an individual who is free to make choices about her own future, rather than being constrained by societal expectations or patriarchal structures. By embodying this ideal, women can inspire others to seek their own freedom and empowerment, leading to a broader movement for women’s liberation.

Both “The Politics of Housework” and “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” are examples of how the personal experiences of women can be political. Pat Mainardi’s essay argues that housework is a political issue, as it reinforces gender roles and power dynamics within the home. Similarly, Anne Koedt’s essay challenges the medical establishment’s assumptions about women’s bodies and sexuality, and advocates for a more holistic approach to women’s sexual health and pleasure. Both essays show how women’s personal experiences are shaped by broader societal structures and power dynamics, and how these experiences can be used to fuel political activism and change. Overall, these pieces demonstrate the significance of the personal experiences of women in the broader struggle for women’s liberation.

What do you understand the liberated woman to be?

A liberated woman refers to a feminist who pushes for more equality for women. Liberated women don’t accept their society’s traditional values or restrictions on behavior. They want things to be equal among men and women. In 1960 a group of liberated women fought sexism in culture and politics to try to change the expectations of what women should be doing when it came to “house caring” and their behavior outside the home.

How might the liberated woman be important for women’s liberation?

A liberated woman is important for women’s liberation because they are going against the norms of society and fighting for equal rights for all. By stepping out of the traditional norms they are able to prove that it is possible for women to work and a man to care for the home for example. It can relieve tension in the home when work is equally split since now the load of the house won’t be on the women.

How do these pieces show that “the personal is political”?

Reading The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm By Anne Koedt to see how society is stuck in traditional roles and isn’t willing to compromise and adjust. When the women are now tried and aren’t able to be sexually stimulated and they are claiming that organism failure is caused by frigidity and advising women with frigidity to seek psychiatric care. Men have big egos so do know they aren’t pleasing a woman sexually they needed something to appease the men population. For a man to determine if a woman is in need of psychiatric care due to not being pleased vaginal was the most personal I have seen in politics. There are other factors that come to mind when dealing with a vaginal orgasm and mentally draining from maintaining a home all day can be a big trigger because all you want to do next is lay down and relax. “The Politics of Housework” show a detailed fight for equality within a home. Knowing that when she is on her way home that is her second shift and she just wanted help from a partner, there wasn’t any time for her to relax and reset after a day. Both articles show that the “personal is political” because they are shadowing women in the light of home takers and telling them how to act in bed sexually.