Suffrage, labor rights and the equal rights amendment are related because outside of marking the peak of the women’s suffrage movement, these rights are what allowed women to move closer towards the equity. Suffrage, labor rights and equal rights are not only indicative of the change that the movement is about; these rights are fundamentally necessary for any society to thrive and progress. In this week, we were presented with a video that discusses the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire- an incident that cost the lives of many workers due to negligence on the owner’s behalf. During the incident, 146 of the 500 workers, which were predominately women, had to fall to their deaths because the owners had decided to lock the fire escape exit doors. This incident was the breaking point that shed much required light on the dangerous circumstances in which sweatshop factories were built on. This event is a prime example of the need for labor rights, in order to protect the safety of all workers.

            When we think of gender justice, we think of equality for all regardless of gender, gender expression and sexual orientation. This is important because the premise of gender justice is simple- unprecedented equality for all. Labor rights are fundamentally also about equality for all, in the workforce. This is why labor rights are also gender justice issues, because we are acknowledging a disparity in the equity of all regardless of gender, race, gender expression and sexual orientation.            I see these historical issues enacted in today’s society in multiple ways. In the day to day, I see it when I find that my male counterpart makes more than I although we are assigned the same work tasks and are both equally qualified. This is an issue that is seen in many work environments and is an example of why labor rights are so important. As for equal rights, I have witnessed a male tell my transgender friend that she is wrong for using a “woman’s” restroom. I was absolutely stunned because it is completely against equal rights, and in this day and age it is disheartening to see that there are individuals who do not understand nor seem to want to understand. 

For this week, “‘What’s in a Name?’ On Writing the History of Feminism”by Claire Goldberg,I came across the history of “feminism,” and the origin surrounding it. Claire goes on to discuss how the term “feminism” does not have a set definition, as she mentions that it was often used for women’s actions that had happened prior to the existence of the word. As per the reading, “Feminism, so broadly accepted, was a term, then, that encompassed many different views about womanhood and many different strategies.” The extensiveness of the term saw “Jewish feminists,” “spiritual feminists,” “Christian feminists,” “Black feminists,” “multicultural feminists,” and others. Through their unique strategies, these feminists revolutionized empowerment and saw gains. Just as our history regarding unbound freedom and no discrimination are prevalent, so is the term “feminism.” 

            Feminists are common women who have the desire to see change in tomorrow, who seek to end the struggle that women face all around the world. In order to be a part of the feminist women, we must first understand what feminism is- and one can only understand such a broad term through its rich and critical history. Through the past, we are able to recognize the pivot of feminism and the precipice that has led to today feminism today.

This week I chose to watch Girl Connected, a powerful film that explores the lives of girls from Bangladesh, Jordan, Kenya, and India, as they work to demolish the gender inequity and brutality that they face in their everyday lives. Each of the five girls is fighting hard and thus they are an inspiration to not only their companions, but us watching the film as well. Some of the issues that the girls are fighting to end are the right to an education, child marriage, gaining knowledge of self-defense, depressing the rates of teen pregnancy and the freedom to be expressive. Witnessing their day to day in this film was insightful because we get to see how all prevalent the issue of gender discrimination and violence is and in turn, the courage it takes for these girls and others to partake in activism. As per Wendy Syfrets’ How to Think Like an Activist, “Every right, liberty and security we have exists because someone stood up and fought for it.” This is a truth that must be recognized when we discuss activism. After watching Girl Connected and reading this week’s readings, I would define activism as the courage to speak up against what is wrong, regardless if that means having to fight when need be, all in the name of bringing change for the greater good. Activism requires tenacity because change does not come easy, nor does everyone have the spirit to fight for what is right. 

            Some ways in which I have engaged in activism are through attending protests. During the summer prior to the covid19 pandemic, there was a Black Lives Matter march by my home and there were a few people that made speeches prior to the march. It was a great feeling to see that so many people had attended and were listening attentively- silently and receptively. I believe that attending walks, marches or protests that occur is a helpful and realistic way to engage in activism. When it comes to gender justice, I think educating those that are unaware is important but I believe that speaking up when the time is right is even more important. When someone is facing discrimination or some sort of oppression, I believe that it is up to any bystanders to speak up and not remain quiet. There is also a need for advocating the rights of all genders, in all settings because transgender individuals do face discrimination or obstacles when they are seeking professional help.

Recognizing patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity is important because it acknowledges that the root of the problem is institutional. For this exact reason, it is important that we work to deconstruct the system, and rebuild it from the ground up- entirely devoid of anything resembling patriarchy. For some time now, there has been a misconception as to what the patriarchy is and oftentimes, there has been a belief that the patriarchy is not a system but a person- specifically men. As Allan G. Johnson states in the article Patriarchy, the System, “If we are ever going to work toward real change, it is a confusion we will have to clear up.” As obvious as it may seem for those who understand that the patriarchy is an institution, there are still many people who are either not educated properly, or as Allan states, “blame individual men for patriarchy simply because they are men.” A perfect analogy is used by Allan G. Johnson in his article. He proposes the scenario of a man who rapes and expresses that from the individualistic standpoint, we would ask ourselves “what encouraged this man to rape?’ instead of asking ourselves: “what kind of society would promote persistent patterns of such behavior in everyday life?’ Is this because it is harder to gauge the fact that the problem runs a lot deeper than a few individuals who are not acting accordingly? When we analyze the actions of one individual, we are moving away from addressing the real problem. This is where the importance and meaning behind recognizing the patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity, come into play. 

            There are four levels of Oppression and they are Personal, Interpersonal, Institutional and Cultural/Structural. Each level is unique but they do influence one another. The patriarchy as we know it is a system, but there are individuals that enact the patriarchy in their personal thoughts, interpersonal actions, as members of institutions, and in the structure of our culture. The first level which is the Personal level, begins with feelings and beliefs which may be conscious or unconscious. This is due to the fact that the Personal level deals with our upbringing and the kind of environment we were in when we begin experiencing and establishing certain feelings which may come about unintentionally. The second level is the Interpersonal level, which deals with verbal cues and can be seen when a girl is told by her father that she cannot join the army because she needs to start a family. The third level is Institutional which is when we are exposed to the practices or procedures that have been at play at the expense of others. Whereas the previous two levels are looking at the individual, this level is dissecting the practices that have been put in to place, be it knowingly or unknowingly- but always at the expense of some people. An example of the Institutional level can be seen a law is passed that prohibits the rights of a woman having control over her body and what happens to it, which occurs more often than it should. Lastly, we are at the final level which is Cultural/Structural. At the final level of Oppression, we are looking at what has been depicted as “normal” and has been accepted by many for years, because it has been dubbed “right.” An example of this can be seen with the discussion of sexuality and the misconception that sexuality is rigid and set, when it is in fact fluid and can change as you age.

Privilege is derived from the Latin word privilegium, which is defined as an advantage by an individual or class, greater than what is accessible to others. Watching the video on “What is Privilege?” made me realize that while I am extensively more privileged than I give myself credit for, in ways that I take for granted I feel. Some ways in which I am privileged are that I come from a second generation of immigrants. I was fortunate enough that I could speak, write and read English and Spanish before I even began grade school, since I grew up with parents that spoke English and Spanish. My parents also had the opportunity to pursue a career, so I have never experienced poverty or lacked the resources I needed growing up. On the other hand, oppression is living a life not only restricted but molded by forces and barricades. Truthfully speaking, the video and readings from the week made it very apparent for me that I am not oppressed- I am far from it. However, I have experienced situations that I feel only ever happen because of the privilege that those in a place of power have. The example occurred at a previous job where an older man would make inappropriate comments to me and made me feel extremely uncomfortable. After reporting it to a supervisor, I came to find that he was not removed and my coworkers mentioned that they had heard the older man saying that I was always smiling at him, flirty and giving him mixed signals. I felt completely barricaded because of how the situation was handled. Most importantly however, I was astonished that the supervisor who had the ability to handle the matter appropriately, chose not to. 

            As I watched the video and surveyed the readings, I came to the conclusion that my privilege is real and in microscopic and macroscopic ways as well. As the girl starts off the video saying, “Some people are born into families where they have to walk miles just to get water. All I have to do is turn on the faucet- that’s privilege.” As obvious as that statement is, the reality is that the lives of plenty are deprived of such basic human necessities. The video was an eye opener because I was able to witness each individual move forward or backwards, becoming further distanced from one another as the girl read the statements. At the very end of the of the video, one lone African American woman stood at the very back and she did express how awkward it was for her. Overall, the experience for those in the video seemed to be disconcerting because of the emotions that were brought to the surface, especially as the gap grew larger between the participants. It truly is saddening to see how that privilege separates us from one another but it is important because acceptance of a problem is the first step in solving it. I think that in order for oppression to end, those who are privileged should acknowledge it, and use it in a way that is meaningful for those who don’t have the same privilege.