GENDER
FROM HERE TO 2050

SUMMARY

Thanks for technical progress and democracy, the 20th was the women liberation century. Unfortunately, this assert is only true for the free world area. In many not free countries, women still endure big offences and notably legal inequalities, a status close to domestic slavery and the dreadful female genital mutilations.

What is the future? The UN and other world agencies mainly focus on some indicators to follow the progress. Unfortunately, they are not appropriate and mask a gloomy reality. Regarding the future of gender, the 21th will show a dramatic increase of domestic slavery and barbarous habits.

In 2050:

-One woman in four will suffer a subordinate situation (Compared to one in seven by 1980).

-The world population will include 360 million domestic slave women.

-380 million women will be at risk of genital mutilation (80 millions in 1980, 165 millions in 2005).

These figures show an expected increase of gender inequalities because the most backward countries are also those which will have the higher growth of population.

The only hope could come from a Muslim reformation, but we do not see any serious calls for it. On the contrary, the Islamic surge is annihilating all the progress made in the 20 the century in various regions of the world. It could also influence the gender evolution in Europe through immigration and islamization.

1-DEFINITION - 2-FREE COUNTRIES - 3-NOT FREE - 4-FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION - 5-TRENDS

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1-DEFINITION

People distinguish sex differentiation with gender. Compared to the biological sex differentiation, gender is supposed to be a social construct. In our opinion, above the biological differentiation, there are some ecological laws which exist in all animal groups before any social constructs.

11-Law of nature

We have to introduce these ecological laws which intervene between sex differentiation and gender (Such as family, society, religion and culture).

111-Ecological laws

To identify these ecological laws, we have just to return like Rousseau to the natural state of any human being.

Like any animal, a man cannot live outside a group. Firstly, any man in is early childhood or at the end of his life cannot get food or protection by itself and needs the adults. Ageing is a first ecological law. Secondly, among adults, we find a second ecological differentiation based on pregnancy: Adult females cannot hunt or fight during pregnancy and must rely on male for their food and protection. Thirdly, in the natural state (No powder milk or supermarket!), breast feeding is the only way to feed the kids and only adult females can perform it. It means that during breast feeding, women cannot hunt or fight and have to rely on males.

In all living species, these three ecological laws result in distinct role between males and females. Adult males hunt and fish to get food. Females are pregnant or occupied to feed the new born's. This separation is not a social construct and does not involve subordination or power. It is just a natural fact as obvious as the biological sex differentiation.

Indeed, compared to the distinction between sex differentiation and gender, we have to introduce the ecological laws. See the next drawing

DRAWING 1

Whatever the kind of family (community, polygamy, polyandry or couple) pregnancy and breast feeding remain unchanged (Only male seahorse can get pregnant!).

Some scholars claim that we must also take in account the mind dimension. They state that every society recognizes an emotional difference between men and women (For example, the male strength and dominance, and the female gentleness!). On the other hand, feminists argue that some mind attributes are common values to women: For example, priority on relationships over rights, less abstract form of reasoning. They claim that these attributes are better than men values.

In our opinion, there are not enough scientific evidences about these facts. We have better to consider that ecological differentiations are just limited to ageing, pregnancy, and breast feeding.

112-Impact of technical progress and society

Feminist may object that society, knowledge and technical progress have transformed these ecological laws. In fact, recent technical progress have only disconnected sex and pregnancy. With family planning, women can choose to be pregnant or not. This technical progress does not change the fact that only women can get pregnant (Cloning and future genetic progress could change this situation but they imply ethical debates)

On the other hand, it is right that progress in nutrition have replaced the impact of breast feeding on women. These changes have allowed women to decrease the amount of time devoted to new born's but they have still to take care of them. In any animal society, a new born only knows his or her mother and does not pay too much attention to the father.

Many academics believe that the variations of human behavior are unlimited. It may be true for adults but it is certainly untrue for new born's. We must conform ourselves to this specific psycho-physiological reality.

12-Gender domain

Gender is built up on sex and ecological differentiations. Family, society, religion, culture and all social constructs such as education have transformed eco-biological males and females into sociological men and women.

As a result of the patriarchal model of family predominant in the early societies, the natural differentiations have confined women to an inferior position with respect to men. For example, the UN evaluated that women (half of the world population) do 2/3 of the world work, earn 1/10 of the world income and own 1/100 of the world property! Of course, stats detailed by regions would show a different view but globally, women endure inequalities.

Feminists use to distinguish legal or formal inequalities and substantive inequalities. The latter remain even when a formal equality has been established. To remedy to the effects of past discrimination, they emphasize affirmative action and reversal discrimination: These measures are supposed to boost women into fields usually dominated by men (Such as Business and Politics).

In fact, technical progress and democracy are the main drivers for promoting gender equalities. On the other hand, obscurantism remains a constant hurdle. Consequently we have to distinguish the today gender situation in free countries and in not free countries.

1-DEFINITION - 2-FREE COUNTRIES - 3-NOT FREE - 4-FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION - 5-TRENDS

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2-GENDER IN FREE COUNTRIES

Clearly, one of the most important event of the 20th was the liberation of women. Contraceptive pills have brought a sexual revolution in disconnecting sexuality and pregnancy. On the other hand, legal gender inequalities have been suppressed and some remnant substantive inequalities are rapidly disappearing in most free countries.

21-Inequalities on the decrease

211-Legal inequalities

Until the eighteenth century, most of women were incapable of making contracts, owning property and were excluded from jobs, government, business and law. Even in the private sphere, the role of women depended upon the ultimate authority of men.

In western countries, in the nineteenth century, the gender equality has been implemented : Women are free to choose their husband, to divorce, to apply for any job, to run a business, to vote, to manage a company, to own property. They have exactly the same rights as men.

There are few institutions in which men and women compete separately ( Sports and combat front line in the army are quite the sole exceptions. In fact, the gender inequalities regarding army was a great woman advantage. Many wounded men have bitterly missed to not be born as a women!).

In short, it could be said that legal gender inequalities are not existing any more in the West.

212-Substantive inequalities

Feminists claim that gender inequalities are yet existing through habits and practices and call for affirmative action or reverse discrimination. The main observed discriminations are related to the housework and employment.

In the US, 77% of the mothers of school age children are working because few families could survive with a single income (It is not only a question of preference or of personal fulfillment. For many women, working outside the home may not be viewed as a gain in status but as an unwelcome economic necessity). As a result, it seems obvious that men and women should spend an equal number of hours in unpaid housework such as child care, cooking , home cleaning and so on.

In fact, studies show that employed women do less housework and child care compared with women who do not work for pay. It means that today men and working women share most of the homework. However, as we have seen above, child care cannot be entirely shared because new born's require the mother and not the father but this fact may be easily compensated by a man overwork regarding other home works ( Such as cooking).

Many studies show that women earn less than men for the same job and responsibility: As an average, US women earn 77% of what men made. Of course, the difference in salary could be justified by the fact that men do not take maternity leave. On the other hand, any society must consider that pregnancy and early child care correspond to a vital issue. According to this fact, business should be obliged to provide women with the same salaries and careers as men. Of course, business should have a compensation (for example a diminishing of the payroll taxes compensated by fiscal taxes).

Another topic is related to the share of women in political bodies. Although women have gained formal political rights in free countries, the women representation remains low in the political bodies. Some countries have adopted quota or parity systems but opinions are divided on their usefulness and legitimacy in our democracies.

22-Equality and responsibility

Of course, total gender equality and large freedom of choice in every matter may have some unwelcome consequences for women. These consequences cannot be viewed as some new substantive inequalities. They are just the tribute to pay for freedom.

For example, domestic violence is often ranked among gender inequalities. Since women are free to divorce, they have always the possibility to send at bay a violent partner. This problem only exists in countries where the formal equality has not yet been implemented.

Another example is related to the extend of poverty among the female headed households. Globally Female-headed households account for one-quarter or more of households in North America, and Europe. For many reasons, these households are often poorer than the traditional families. However, this fact cannot be included in gender inequalities because it is the consequence of free women decisions such as divorce or the choice to have children outside marriage.

It means that we cannot extend at large the notion of gender inequalities. Freedom has for counterpart rewards and penalties and involves a great sense of responsibility. You cannot campaign for freedom and hence call for assistance and subsidies when your free decisions are bringing a lot of misfortunes.

In conclusion, we may state that the 20TH was the women liberation century. Unfortunately, this assert is only true for the free world area.

1-DEFINITION - 2-FREE COUNTRIES - 3-NOT FREE - 4-FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION - 5-TRENDS

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3-GENDER IN NOT FREE COUNTRIES

Although, the gender inequalities have been largely suppressed in free countries, some radical feminist movements tend to connect gender with racism, colonialism and so on. Clearly, they target the “white dominant male” who is hold responsible for all the sorrows of the world.

On the other hand, they ignore the huge gender inequalities which still exist in not free countries. Instead to research what Augustine has said on gender, our scholars would have better to focus on the big offences that women endure in many regions of the world: Absolute legal inequalities, a status close to domestic slavery, the dreadful practice of female genital mutilations.

31-Absolute legal inequalities

There is an old saying that you can judge a society by the way it treats its women. It is also said that you can judge a man by the way he treats women. In our Western countries, and long before the emergence of formal equality, this saying was encrypted in the definition of a gentleman.

On the contrary, and according to these criteria, the Arab and Muslim civilization certainly records the lower standards because gender is mainly defined by Islamic law (The Shariah). Although the Islamic law is dominant in only a few countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan and so on), there is an increasing demand for greater implementation of it, or the adoption of some of its elements into broader legal systems in secular countries such as Algeria or Turkey.

311-Marriage and divorce

In most Islamic societies, the law permits polygamy (It is prohibited in Tunisia). Polygamy may be a strong source of subordination. That is why the U.S. Supreme Court suppressed Mormon polygamy in 1879 because of the incongruence of polygamy with democratic principles.

Polygamy is mainly practiced in rural areas. In Mali and Sudan half of marriages are polygamist. Women are always fearing a second marriage and try to have as many children as possible (notably sons) in order to discourage husbands to take another wife.

Islamic law gives the husband the right to divorce simply by declaring his repudiation. Obligations after divorce are minimal and favor men in the custody of children with devastating psychological consequences for women.

312-Inheritance and properties rights

A woman only gets half the amount of the man in the same relationship with the deceased.

In theory, women have rights to independent ownership and to engage in activity outside the home. However these rights are limited by obedience in marriage (women owe obedience to their husband, and beatings for disobedience are justified) and social practices.

313- juridical and Political rights

Shariah law, gives lesser weight to the evidence of women in legal hearings. Women can endure death penalty for adultery in some countries. Formal political rights may exist but are fruitless in dictatorships.

314-Education

There have been some dramatic progress in women access to education. However there is still a gender gap as shown by the following drawing comparing percentages of illiterates in some free and not free developing countries.

DRAWING 2

Not free---- Female---- male---- Free---- Female---- male

Egypt--------- 56------- 33-----Tailande--- 6,1------ 2,9

Yemen--------74------- 32----- Mexico----10,9------0,7

Iraq-----------76--------45------Korea------3,6------0,9

Despite some efforts and success (Tunisia), legal inequalities remain high in many countries. The attempts to promote change through legislation have had little impact. These strong legal inequalities are enforced by some specific and religious habits.

32-From gender to slavery

In addition to the legal inequalities, social and religious habits annihilate the few legal rights that women could exercise.

Let’us suppose that we ask you the following question: According to your opinion what is the status of a person:

-Who is confined within four walls and who needs a permission to go out.

-Who must wear a dress which impedes her ability to walk and see.

-Who is not allowed to drive a car.

-Who is arrested when she is with a man and taken to a hospital to determine whether she has recently had sexual intercourse!

-Who cannot choose her husband and who can be beaten by him.

-Who receive less food and health care than her male family.

-Who is nevertheless obliged to work along the day in rural areas.

Of course you will not invoke a minor status like those of our gentlewomen in the eighteenth century. You will certainly answer that such a person is just a slave. In our opinion, you will be right.

The real situation of women in many countries is close to domestic slavery: When she is young, her father decides for her on matters ranging from education to marriage. After marriage, her husband decides everything about her life such as pregnancy, employment and so on. Finally, when she becomes a widow, her sons command her until her death. What is more, women face multiple forms of violence including rapes, mutilations, beatings, ritual honor-killings and so on.

Facing this situation, women activist cannot do anything. What is more, the islamist surge reinforces everywhere this obscurantist trend (See below).

1-DEFINITION - 2-FREE COUNTRIE - 3-NOT FREE - 4-FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION - 5-TRENDS

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4-FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

We are now going to deal with the worst abomination with regard of women situation in many countries. An estimated 135 million of the world's girls and women have undergone genital mutilations. They are practiced in sub-saharan Africa and are common in some countries in the Middle East ( Egypt, Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates). They have also been reported in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia (Among Muslim populations).

Many scholars apply benign neglect to these facts and only expose at large their own interpretation in accordance with their cultural relativism framework. Regarding Free World Academy, we are committed to tell the truth and the truth begins with the knowledge of the reality (According to the old scholastic saying: The Reality is the Truth). That is why we have decided to expose at large these facts even if they are quite disgusting for any civilized mind.

41-The mutilations and their effects

Female genital mutilation refers to the removal of part of the female genitalia. The procedure consists to cut the clitoris. The most severe form is infibulation: After the removal of the clitoris, the skins are sewn in order to cover the vagina. A small hole is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to escape.

The effects of genital mutilation can lead to death. Chronic infections, intermittent bleeding, abscesses and benign tumors can result. Use of the same instrument on several girls without sterilization can cause the spread of HIV.

In the case of infibulation, the first sexual intercourse can only take place after the "opening" of the woman. It means that the woman is "opened" by her husband ( Some new wives are seriously damaged by unskillful cutting carried out by their husbands). During childbirth, infibulated women, have again to be cut to allow the baby to emerge.

42-Causes

Circumcision is a very old practice coming up from the Antiquity. It is expected to diminish sexual desire and hence to protect virginity. In many societies, it is difficult for a woman to marry if she has not undergone mutilation.

With Islam, female genital mutilation has acquired a religious dimension. A saying ( hadith) attributed to the Prophet Muhammad refers to it: "Yes, it is allowed. If you cut, do not overdo it, because it brings more radiance to the face and it is more pleasant for the husband." This Prophet's saying states that circumcision is allowed. As a result, some authorities of islam claim that female circumcision is islamic. They encourage the parents to do their duty: Have their daughters circumcised!

To protect islam from criticism, some women scholars activists invoke cultural relativism. In short, these muslim women activists say: “OK, we accept to condemn female genital mutilations but the Western countries have not the right to criticize our great Muslim culture because male circumcision is equally practiced by the Jews and chastity belts were imposed to Christian women in the early Middle Ages”.

These arguments are non senses: Firstly, male circumcision is less painful and has not the same consequences as female mutilation. Secondly, chastity belt did not mutilate women. Thirdly, it is a no starter to recall us about out dated stories. The problem is what is really existing today.

Anyway, you can interpret these facts as you like. Just let’s us give you our own opinion: We simply state that peoples which apply female genital mutilation are not civilized.

1-DEFINITION - 2-FREE COUNTRIES - 3-NOT FREE - 4-FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION - 5-TRENDS

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5-TRENDS

What is the future of gender equalities? Are they expected to rise or to decrease? Compared to the progress in the last century, the 21th will show a dramatic return to domestic slavery and barbarous habits for an increasing number of women.

51-UN agencies: Windows dressing

The UN and other world agencies mainly focus on some indicators to follow the progress of gender. Unfortunately, they are not appropriate and mask the gloomy reality.

The first indicator states that the women's share of seats in political bodies should reach 50%. Obviously, this criteria is non significant in dictatorships. In order to satisfy it, some of the most repressive regimes have appointed a lot of puppet women in political bodies. According to this criteria (Women as per cent of parliament), France (6% in 1995, 12% in 2004 ) should have the same ranking as Syria (10% in 1995, 12% in 2004)!

The second indicator calls for universal access to primary education, and for reducing the “gender gap” in secondary education. It is true that primary and secondary school enrollments for both girls and boys have increased during the 1990s in almost all regions of the world. Nevertheless, in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the gender gap in education remains. Since the populations of these two regions are among the world’s fastest growing, it would result in an increase of the absolute number of illiterate and poorly educated women.

The third indicator states that average female weekly earnings as % of male earning should be equal 100%. This indicator ignores that the availability and timely reporting of relevant data in North African and Middle east countries are often deficient. In our opinion, this indicator may be dangerous: It could incite to promote labor slavery side by side with already existing domestic slavery.

The fourth indicator states that men and women should spend an equal number of hours in unpaid hours work. Considering what we have described regarding women situation in some countries (slavery status and female genital mutilation) this wishful thinking indicator seems like a bad joke!

It is interesting to note the following facts:

-Firstly, these indicators only address problems existing in our free societies such as unequal paid between women and men and the share in housework job. In other words, the most repressive regimes are providing us with an agenda to eliminate the few gender inequalities that are remaining in our countries!

-Secondly, they do not say a word about the most important fact since women exist on the earth: The free choice regarding pregnancy through planning family and the distribution of pills. This surprising omission is only due to the muslim hostility to women free choice.

-Thirdly, they do not take in account the minor status of women and the female genital mutilations because it should not be in accordance with the politically correct and the cultural relativism mood that are prevalent in these agencies.

In fact, when we take in account the real prospects, we may expect a dramatic regression of the women status in the world.

52-Real trends

Compared to the progress of the last century, an increasing number of women, will endure a bad situation, both relatively and absolutely compared to the world women population.

521-projections of minor status and domestic slavery

We have used the US census bureau demographic projections by country and then we have determined, according to the present women situation in each country, the percentage of girls and women who could endure a minor status in the future. The results are given by the next drawing (in Million of women).

DRAWING 3

YEARS--------------------- 1980---- 2005---- 2025---- 2050

Women world population---2240---- 3200---- 3950---- 4600

Women at risk--------------- 330----- 580----- 850-----1150

%---------------------------14,7%---18,1%---21,5%--- 25%

In 1980, one women in seven was at risk. In 2050, one in four will be exposed to a subordinate situation (More than one billion!).

Among these figures, we have isolated the number of women exposed to domestic slavery (In Million).

DRAWING 4

YEARS--------------------- 1980---- 2005---- 2025---- 2050

Women world population---2240---- 3200---- 3950---- 4600

Women at risk---------------- 92----- 175------260----- 359

%--------------------------- 4,1%--- 5,4%---- 6,6%----7,8%

Once again, the results show a sharp increase: In 2050, the world population will include 360 million slave women.

522-Projections of female genital mutilations

We have taken in account the demographic projections by country (Women 50%) and in each country, the percentage of women presently subjected to female genital mutilations ( According to the country, this percentage can range from 5 to 90%). The next drawing indicates the number of women in million and the percentage at risk compared to the world women population.

DRAWING 5

YEARS--------------------- 1980---- 2005---- 2025---- 2050

Women world population---2240---- 3200---- 3950---- 4600

Women at risk---------------- 85------165----- 260----- 380

%---------------------------3,8%---- 5,2%----6,6%----8,3%

We could expect that these outdated practices would decline. In fact, these figures show a dramatic increase because the most backward countries are also those which will get the higher growth of their population. In 2005, 380 million of women will be at risk of genital mutilations (80 million in 1980, 165 million in 2005).

43-The driver: The islamist surge

The islamist surge is the real driver of this situation: The increase in family planning has brought about a widespread decline in fertility. However, the fall in fertility rates is fast in some countries (Notably Europe) and very low in many muslim countries. The reason is simple: Islamists claim that a large population is recommended by religion. They believe that the larger the population of muslims, the greater the power. They explain that family planning represents a western conspiracy to reduce the number of muslims.

As a result, the most repressive regimes for women are those which can expect the greater increase in population. Consider the next drawing (In millions):

DRAWING 6

YEARS--------------------- 1980---- 2005---- 2025---- 2050

Yemen----------------------- 9------- 20------ 34------- 71

Afghanistan------------------15------- 29------ 50-------81

By 2050, the Afghan population will outpace the German one!

The only hope could come from a Muslim reformation but it cannot be expected in a near future:

-Firstly, we do not see any serious calls for such a reformation among the Muslim world.

-Secondly, on the contrary, radical Islamism is expanding on the fast lane: Few years ago, the hijab the more visible islamic criteria, was only worn by old women or by women living in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Today, everywhere in the world, most of muslim women, even very young girls, wear the hijab.

In short, the islamist surge is annihilating all the progress made in the 20th century in various regions of the world.

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