Conservatism's Negative Impact and Women in Developing Countries

Jul 10, 2011
Zulay Perez

Women Voting in Bangladesh - Wikimedia Commons

Old News, Same Twist, Same Result: The fight for social change and women's rights in developing countries

Conservatism, as defined by Dictionary.com, in its most basic sense is “the disposition to preserve or restore what is established and traditional and to limit change.” This focus on traditional norms assists in structuring society, but also reinforces negative concepts of femininity and masculinity, often overlooking women, their needs, and consequently, their rights. Political and social conservatism actively maintain one another, limiting women at large by keeping them in oppressive traditional roles without the option of choosing an alternative lifestyle. This is not an attack on women having traditional roles; it is rather bringing to light that in many (specifically developing) countries women do not have the right to do otherwise. There is a lack of representation: In just 23 countries do women comprise a critical mass – over 30 per cent – in the lower or single house of their national parliament, as reported by the UN. This allows political oppression to continue because the “womanpower” needed to fight does not exist or is simply tightly constrained, backed by a conservative society where women’s rights are seen as unnecessary, and in a sense, almost dangerous.

Social and Political Conservatism: Intimately Intertwined

Events do have the potential to be primarily social or political, but both elements tend to be directly related to one another, having distinct implications in both spheres. In the case of the “Obedient Wives Club” in Malaysia, an issue addressed by Jennifer Pak from the BBC, it can be categorized as primarily social. There is not much of a political response to the issue, aside from the statement issued by the minister of women, Shahrozat Abdul Jalil, which says “their activities have given Islam and the country a bad name. The group teaches that “domestic violence and prostitution could be cured by teaching women to keep their men happy in the bedroom.” This point of view indiscreetly brings up the topic of a woman’s sexuality and its purpose. In a sense, it does not belong to the female because the goal of upmost importance (as presented by the club) is to keep her husband happy. This is socially unhealthy because if something went wrong in the relationship, e.g. the man became violent or unfaithful, it would be considered to be the woman’s fault. It hints at the possibility that in some countries men are being socialized that violence and/or infidelity is the proper response to an unhappy relationship.

Further addressing religious conservatism as a part of society’s view of women, Pope Benedict XVI told the continent of Africa, quoted by the Guardian’s Nancy Goldstein, that “more stringent moral attitudes towards sex would help fight the disease [HIV/AIDS] – indeed, that condom distribution ‘increases the problem’”. This has direct political implications because representatives of the Holy See have “been trying to strip all references to sexual reproductive health and rights from the meeting’s [UN General Assembly] declaration: gutting all mentions of education and prevention other than marriage and fidelity.” This is politically negative for women in Africa because the actions of the Holy See try to strip these women of the little representation they have in a world dominated by men, power and fear. This also strips women of their sexuality (as does the previous event) and places the burden of blame on women. This adherence to traditional values risks the death of innocents, yet change is slow and arduous if it happens at all. The Catholic Church (as well as many other churches) gives aid to countries who are in need to help solve social problems; this aid naturally comes with a political motive and offers an incentive to adhere to the conservative moral values which are detrimental to the rights of women because they have a habit of working against what women are trying to achieve, which is simply being considered equal to their fellow man.

In Bangladesh there was a protest against women’s rights, specifically inheritance of property, reported by the BBC. This clearly illustrates how a political proposal that goes against conservative societal values rooted in religion has problems with widespread acceptance, and if the political policy is passed after jumping through excessive hurdles, it struggles to be effectively implemented and enforced. Never mind that this is not an attempt by the Bangladeshi government to push complete equality, just equal inheritance. This implies that there can be an underlying fear to the equality of women, which then leads to empowerment that defies the strict, often male-oriented, values that are dear to the ideology of political conservatism in Bangladesh.

Yes, Women Are People Too

This is not written to advocate a certain doctrine or ideology, but to advocate women being treated equally. It is a fight to be considered as whole human beings which is an issue that should not even be debated. It could be easily classified as a “no-brainer”, but as the powerful oppress the powerless and those at the bottom are blamed for what goes on at the top, the battle will continue on. Women are not allowed to be their own person to an extent; women who have careers often carry the “double burden” of both domestic “work” and their actual jobs. CBS News states that women face health threats, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, cultural or religious factors, trafficking and lack of access to resources. Their children, who are more than likely to be in their care, face these same threats.

It can be inferred that resistance to change is a factor in creating the collective goods problem and an enabler of the security dilemma. Because Conservatism is about adherence to traditional values and the limitation of change I concluded that it acts in opposition to women's rights in developing countries, especially in those where conservative religious values are heavily infused into politics and society. It would be an error to assume that in developed countries assaults on women's rights do not exist. In the case of the U.S.A, women have been fighting and continue to fight for their reproductive rights. In this anarchic system dominated by power, alliances, and men, one cannot help but wonder what a world with more women in power could be like. Can mankind move past the social construction of gender? The first step would be to acknowledge that gender is in fact a social construction and is generally open for interpretation. The second step is activism, bringing attention to the issues that plague women across the world, attempting to undo some of the negative socialization that has occurred. The hidden truth: all people are born equal.