Keyword: WORK | The role of women in society

At some point in human history, the role of women in society became bearing children. Of course, this was disguised in many ways. For example, as the dream of every woman to marry the Prince Charming and be happily ever after (with a bunch of kids, naturally). Or as the idea that every woman’s happiest day was when they would get married and start a family (and be pregnant as often as possible). Women who wouldn’t get married were spinsters or promiscuous, the kind no man would ever want. These women would be excluded from society and duly ignored. Or made fun of, as we can read in Jane Austen’s books. Married women with no children wouldn’t have their lives easier either, as a matter of fact. They were seen as having some kind of defect. “Real” complete women were those who got married and had children. Obviously, this is wrong. Women don’t need to get married and have children to be complete. They are born complete. As do men.

Try as they may, men never fully succeeded in selling this lie to all women. Most women bought it, it’s true, and many still do nowadays. However, working women (single or married, with or without children) have always been a reality throughout history. For example, Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1653) was a famous Renaissance painter. Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) found how butterflies were born (male scientists before her thought butterflies would magically appear in nature out of nowhere). Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) was the first ever computer programmer (yes, the first programmer was a woman, not a man). Dorothy Garrod (1892-1968) was the archaeologist who found evidence of the first farming people and made other groundbreaking discoveries.

True, only women can have children, but this fact should not be a reason to restrict women to just one role in society. It should not be a reason to treat women as merchandise either, giving men the “right” to make them marry whoever they might think fit. All in the name of future heirs. Male heirs, that is. Women are much more than that. They have brains and courage and are capable of extraordinary things, whether they are allowed or not.

When World War II broke up, men were eager to join the military to fight (on both sides). At the time, men would see women as “weak” and “in need of protection”, but they didn’t have any problem leaving women alone during a very dark and dangerous time. Alone and with no livelihood resources to support themselves and their children. Plus, men left their countries without anyone to make the economy work. Thus, it is hardly surprising that women decided to step in. Many found their place in war, despite not being allowed to fight. They were nurses, spies, entertainers, translators, secretaries, code breakers, strategists. Those who were “left behind” proved they were neither defenceless nor incapable of doing a “man’s job”: they became farmers, factory workers, administrators, members of the Resistance. They kept the economy working and made sure provisions of all kinds would reach the troops in the front line. Once men were back, broken and defeated (even those on the winning side), they realized that women not only had found ways to sustain themselves and their children, but had thrived in places where only men were previously allowed. Good luck in trying to convince women to go back being just bearers of children.

Yet, men tried, even to this day. Working women are constantly seen as “bad mothers” because they supposedly neglect their children. In addition, women who wish to further their professional careers are often seen as bossy and aggressive while men are seen as ambitious and driven. Women who don’t want children are (still) seen as abnormal and those who don’t want to marry have “their priorities mixed up”. Children are presumably more important than work only to women, never to men. In interviews, actresses and female writers are much more likely to be asked about their families than actors and male writers. It’s like women couldn’t stand alone without a husband or children, while for men that is not remotely important for their professions.

Women have always been able to stand by themselves. Each year we learn more and more stories of extraordinary women who broke the mould. Since the beginning of human history, women have been mothers and wives, but also property owners, business people, queens and administrators, artists and scientists, explorers and farmers, writers and sportspeople. Women have been everywhere and they have been doing everything. There are those who are competent and those who aren’t, just like men. So, maybe those extraordinary women didn’t break the mold. Maybe there was no mold, just prejudices. Keeping women out of the labour market is as senseless as it is useless. They will always find a way to get there, not because they challenge the system, but because it’s their natural place. It takes more effort to keep them out than to embrace their input. Women can further society the same way as men, not because they are “caring” or “peacemakers”, but because they are as smart and competent as men.