Whether we like it or not, Women’s Day is part of our lives. Flowers, chocolates, and small attention arrive every year on March 8, and I must admit, this gesture is always nice. At the same time, I also know for sure that this day is inherently regarding something completely different.
Making women visible at the societal level – the beginnings
„Clara Zetkin at the end of the 1800s, he drew attention to the fact that the prerequisite for women’s independence is legal equality and that they also become financially independent. That’s when he suggested that there should be a joint international women’s day, in which attention would be drawn to the excellent achievements of women in the economy and society, the recognition of which was far behind that of men. Even though women appeared en masse as workers in factories in the 19th century, they were paid far less than men for the same work, or had to do menial jobs. In 1908, 15,000 women took to the streets in New York, protesting for better wages, shorter working hours and the right to vote,” he says. the story of Women’s Day by Mária Schadtwhose entire career was determined by research into the social position of the sexes, and whose book, The Emerging Working Woman – Women in the Fifties his book is a basic work on the subject.
Clara Zetkin – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
He continues: “In 1910 in Copenhagen, at the international conference of working women, the first Women’s Day was declared, which was later celebrated in several countries. In Hungary, in 1913, the VII International Suffragist Association was held in Budapest. Congress, which also dealt with the situation of women. The first Hungarian Women’s Day was held on the Soviet model in 1948.
International Women’s Day was officially recognized by the UN in 1975. Why do we celebrate on March 8? In memory of the Russian women’s peaceful demonstration of March 8, 1917.”
The origin of Women’s Day therefore lies in the aspirations for gender equality, the first germs of which can be found in 19th-century England: “It was published as early as 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication on the Rights of Woman (Demanding Women’s Rights) his work, but perhaps even more interesting is that a man, John Stuart Mill 18th century philosopher in 1869 The Subjection of Women (Subordination of women) In his work, he described that women – just like men – are rational beings and, like men, have inalienable rights, so there is no acceptable and valid basis for discrimination. As a politician, she actively supported the women’s movement, fought once morest discrimination once morest women, and for reforms aimed at improving the political and social situation. He emphasized that women should be given education, because then they are capable of the same performance as men. He came into contact with the leading personalities of the movement, among others Florence Nightingalewith,” says the historian.
Florence Nightingale – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
John Stuart Mill’s role in the development of women’s social status cannot be underestimated: “As a member of parliament, he presented a petition for women’s suffrage, although unsuccessful, but it nevertheless had a positive influence on the equality movements. Mill also dealt separately with the social position and emancipation of women. He criticized the judgment of women, saying that the principle that subordinates the female gender to the male gender is incorrect. According to his liberal way of thinking, it is in the interest of men to keep women in a subordinate role. He is very sharp when he calls female subordination legal slavery. As a liberal philosopher, she created the framework of liberal feminist political theory. A lot of people in England and America connected with it, it strengthened the feminist movements before the First World War,” says Mária Schadt.
Workforce and representation: a path to recognition?
The idea that women should have the same rights as men was strengthened by two main factors. On the one hand, the previously mentioned industrial revolution, thanks to which more and more women entered the labor market. After a while, the question was rightly raised that if women do the same work as men, then why are they not given the same amount and value for it. “On the other hand
in the upper classes, whose female members ran salons, hosted cultural and artistic events, it was a status symbol if the wife was educated.
During their trips abroad, they saw that the situation of women in Switzerland or France, for example, is different. Women might enroll at the University of Zurich from 1840, then only for the literature major, but later the medical, pharmaceutical and humanities majors were also open to them. A good example of difficulties Hugonnai Vilma, the story of the first Hungarian female doctor, who attended the University of Zurich in the 1870s, graduated in 1879, but first had to take the matriculation exam at home, and then asked for her medical degree to be recognized. Although it was supported by the Faculty of Medicine in Pest, it was rejected by the Minister of Religion and Public Education, Ágoston Trefort. At that time, she passed the midwifery exam and worked as a midwife. His degree was officially recognized almost 20 years later. It is no coincidence that he dealt with the training of women and their industrial employment with scientific thoroughness. During the First World War, he organized patient monitoring stations in several rural towns, following his call, hundreds of Red Cross nurses and doctors obtained degrees at Hungarian universities,” explains the researcher.
Vilma Hugonnai – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
As the educational level of women began to approach that of men more and more, and more and more jobs were confirmed that they might do just as well as men, organizations and movements demanding emancipation came to the fore. However, the change took place in small steps and over many decades. The positive outcome of this was that they were less vulnerable, but at the same time, in many ways, society saw them as men’s “side ribs”.
“Between the two world wars, the image of a very traditional society developed. The school had four types of curriculum, one for the village, one for the city, one for the boys, one for the girls.
For example, the girls were taught to weave and knit, and in mathematics they learned through examples such as how much meat is needed for catering, how much yarn is needed for knitting, and the boys also prepared a business plan. After the war, this attitude prevailed until the 1950s, and then from 1950, following the Soviet model, the easily curricula”, explains the researcher.
Women’s Day poster – the picture was taken in the office building of the State Institute of Civil Engineering Design, in 1950 – Photo: Fortepan / UVATERV
Absolute Equality – “you are what you want”
The next chapter of women’s history was determined by Stalinist principles: from the 1950s, women’s equality was officially ensured by the Constitution adopted in 1949, which was modeled on the Stalinist constitution, but it approached the issue primarily from the point of view of work, or rather the need for labor. He said that women are just as much workers as men, they don’t need to be supported.
“In this very equal period, women might even be miners.
In addition to all this, they also retained their traditional roles, such as childcare and household chores. Of course, to this day we can see how much of a difference there is between social perception and social reality,” says Mária Schadt, and she continues with a personal experience: “I remember I was a teacher in an elementary school when it was mandatory to celebrate Women’s Day. At our school, it was regarding the cooks cooking special meals, the men having a great time, and us checking when we might go home to do our homework. THE Women pageeven in the 1970s and 1980s, long articles were devoted to showing what kind of cakes a woman in a serious and important position bakes in her home. By the way, this kind of duality is included in the way women are judged to this day.”
A A female companion his greeting in a photo taken in 1967 – Photo: Fortepan / Hungarian Police
Ratios and measures in women’s emancipation
By the 21st century, a significant change occurred in the social position of women. Today, in developed countries like our country, women have a higher degree than men, so the question can be justified: why are significantly fewer people than men able to build a career or even enter public life? “Very likely
most of the time, significant positive changes only appear on the level of consciousness, while the social position and opportunities of men and women have changed less due to the permanence of traditional expectations related to gender roles.
We can ask what hidden influences and stereotypes are at work in career differences between the sexes. While men can focus on careers and bread-winning activities, since they have to meet this social expectation, they are characterized by a tough, competitive desire to win. On the other hand, women, due to their multifaceted tasks – striving to create a balance between career, family and private life – can fulfill their tasks with great difficulty,” says the researcher.
What can we actually celebrate on Women’s Day?
If we want to experience Women’s Day as a real holiday, let’s admit that a change in attitude is needed regarding the social perception of gender. What are the biggest challenges for a woman in the 21st century? According to the researcher, it is important, on the one hand, to find what you are good at and to persevere along that path. If you get into a leadership role, you can perform particularly well in an area where empathy is important, but you can really perform if you have an understanding family and a financial background behind you that can pay for certain services, such as cleaning, ironing, etc. And it is worth living our femininity in such a way that we do not become masculine and remain authentic in our own roles.
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