Woman vs. Woman

I was very interested, and somewhat shocked, when reading Gwendolyn Mink's article "The Lady and the Tramp." Since the early weeks of the semester, we talked about on a few occasions how women can be pitted against one another, and how women themselves can impede pro-female activism. This has always been something which is perturbing! Just as the womens movement was, for some time, a separate movement from the racial civil rights movement, it seems that factions among women have also shared a history of fighting against one another as opposed to working together as a strong united force.

When thinking about groups of people, socioeconomic statuses seem to be a major rift. This divide effects not only relations between different races, cultures, ethnicities, regions, etc., but it also effects relations amongst women. It is crucial to notice that not only men are putting down/subjugating women, in this case, poor women. Women, too, take part in this domination. For so many women to be opposed to welfare reform is in essence a fight which pits rich woman against poor woman. It is unfair and upsetting to realize that women can treat each other in such a detrimental way.

It is also unfortunate that this is the case because when all women are united the possibilities for advancement could seem endless!! But by continuously having varying, and sometimes contradictory, factions among the members of female society, it seems that achieving such widespread goals is an unlikely fantasy.

I think (and hope!) that if more women look at this problem like Mink and Eang then women can realize how their refusal to help women of a lower socioeconomic status can be disasterous to the entire female movement! I think we will have to continuously strive to obtain this social change, but i also have faith that if we do, the result of a united women's force will be able to garner much respect and be able to achieve great things!