womans role in society in the past and a new look at the role of women in the modern day

3CHAPTER 1: Preconceptions about the role of women in the past...3CHAPTER 2: Women’s role throughout history...4CHAPTER 3: Influential women in each field...4CHAPTER 4: Why must women in

DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY OF VIETNAMENGLISH FACULTY

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION 3

CHAPTER 1: Preconceptions about the role of women in the past 3

CHAPTER 2: Women’s role throughout history 4

CHAPTER 3: Influential women in each field 4

CHAPTER 4: Why must women include self-love and self-care in their dictionaries? 7

1, Being Over-Busy Taking Care of Other 8

2, Being Unwilling 8

3, Feeling ‘It’s Okay to Ignore Myself’ 8

CHAPTER 5: Support for feminism is not against men 9

CHAPTER 6: The nature of men and women are different, equality is impossible 11

CONCLUSION 12

REFERENCES 13

About 20 years ago, people had only one notion about a woman; that is,they were born to control the household chores and manage the children.But in today’s world, women empowerment has taken place which hasopened new doors for women to thrive and shine since they are equallyimportant in society as men are Demographically, half the population of thecountry constitutes women, and they deserve equal importance and rightsin society They are the backbone of a progressing nation.E From keeping thehome safe and clean to portraying excellent outcomes in the workplace, awoman can do it all Actually, it's very good for women to know how to cookand take care of their personal lives and loved ones But that does not meanthat we assume that responsibility belongs to women and their capabilitiesalso must not be underestimated based on their gender, they should be

given equal opportunities to display their talents As Njideka Harry,President and Chief Executive Officer, Youth for Technology Foundation,has said, “If Nigerian women had the same opportunities as men, they could

drive GDP up by 13.9$ billion”.

CHAPTER 1: Preconceptions about the role of women in the past

If legal and political equality is clear and measurable, social equality isambiguous and complex The current feminist movement is not a protest againstunjust laws or sexist institutions, but it is against unconscious human prejudices,as well as norms and influences cultural influences that have taken root forcenturies to the detriment of women Women are still treated unfairly in manyrespects It's just that if it used to happen a lot, today most of it is no longernoticeable and even happens unconsciously.

Things get complicated because you're not dealing with social institutionsanymore, but with human perception and brains You have to challenge beliefsystems and irrational assumptions and force people to forget what they've"known" for decades This is not easy.

And the hardest part is that there isn't a single metric in the social realm todetermine what's equal and what's not If I fire three employees and two of themare women, will that be equal? Or is it sexism? You can't conclude unless you

know why I fired them And you can't know why I fired them unless you can getinside my brain and understand the beliefs and motivations behind it.

CHAPTER 2: Women’s role throughout history

About half of our population is women, so, democratically speaking, theydeserve all the rights and importance in society, which can help them to performtheir roles

Men always considered women the less intelligent of the sexes for centuries This horrible misperception caused an immense loss of their own dignity Fifty or seventy years ago a woman was nothing more than a housewife, a caretaker and at their husband's beck and call Women had no personal opinion, no voice, no freedom They were oppressed by people's social beliefs A woman's respectable place was always behind a man's masculine frame In the past, a woman’s inferiority was not voluntary but instilled by older women, and/or force

But modern women are no longer ignorant and shy like women in the recentpast They are now considered courageous and very confident in completing thetasks assigned to them She has complete freedom to decide her affairs The manno longer enjoys the right to impose his authority on the woman She haspractically become a member of the family earning money because today menand women have to operate the economic switches together Today women haveplayed important roles in politics, economy, household, society and nation-building The shy woman of the past has been replaced by a smart, fashion-forward young girl Women are jostling shoulders with men and competing withthem in engineering, sciences, space research, medicine, and business Thismarked change in their status reflects the fact that their emancipation is almostcomplete

CHAPTER 3: Influential women in each field

Over the last 100 years, the role and rights of women have changed beyondall recognition But, one thing that has stayed constant is the sheer number ofawe-inspiring women that exist all over the world in every field.

In the field of science, Katherine Johnson is a name that cannot be ignored.Born in 1918, graduated from university at 18, She was awarded the PresidentialMedal of Freedom in 2015 for a lifetime of work as a pioneering physicist,mathematician and space scientist Katherine Johnson helped pave the way forwomen of colour in STEM fields with her mathematical work, which helpedNASA’s first crewed spaceflight to land on the moon in 1969 Originally,Katherine worked for NACA (the National Advisory Committee forAeronautics) and was segregated from white mathematicians, before workingwith an all-male team at NASA in 1958, when NASA took over NACA

The next person is Malala Yousafzai - an influential woman in education.Her story of resilience and fighting for what is right is nothing short ofincredible Growing up in Pakistan, Yousafzai became an advocate for women’srights and education at a young age However, due to the Taliban rule ofPakistan, freedoms for women were severely limited, with access to educationvirtually nonexistent Incredibly, Yousafzai survived after being shot in the headby a Taliban soldier at close range After recovering, she went on to become anadvocate of human rights and educational access for women In 2014, at the ageof seventeen, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person to ever receive theNobel Peace Prize for her amazing work in bringing attention to these issues In2020, she graduated from Oxford University and continues to fight to ensure thatevery girl receives 12 years of free, safe, and quality education with herorganization the Malala Fund.

Politics is an area where women are often underappreciated, but somewomen still shine with their own talents I would like to honour Madame Binh -Nguyễn Thị Bình, a Vietnamese communist leader and politician who negotiatedat the Paris Peace Conference on behalf of the Viet Cong, or National Front forthe Liberation of South Vietnam She was appointed Minister of Education ofthe Socialist Republic of Vietnam from 1982 to 1986, which made her the firstfemale minister ever in the history of Viet Nam Nguyễn Thị Bình was amember of the Central Committee of Vietnam's Communist Party, from 1987 to1992, was Vice Head of the Central External Relations Department of Party TheNational Assembly elected her twice to the position of Vice President of theSocialist Republic of Vietnam for the terms 1992–1997 and 1997–2002 Her

excellent work helped pave the way for future generations, Nguyễn Thị KimNgân (born 12 April 1954 in Bến Tre Province) is a Vietnamese politician whoserved as the first female Chairperson of the National Assembly of Vietnamfrom 31 March 2016 to 30 March 2021 She was a member of the 12th Politburoof the Communist Party of Vietnam, in which she ranked second, after GeneralSecretary of the Communist Party Nguyễn Phú Trọng She previously served asDeputy Chairperson of the National Assembly of Vietnam.

During the last century, women in sports have been making an impact andserving as inspirations to those who wish to accomplish the same According toa 2018 Nielsen report on the rise of women's sports, 84% of general sports fansnow have an interest in women's sports A notable name in world sports is YunaKim - a Korean figure skater She is the 2010 Olympic champion and 2014silver medalist in ladies' singles, the 2009 & 2013 World champion, the 2009Four Continents champion, a three-time (2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2009–2010)Grand Prix Final champion, the 2006 World Junior champion, the 2005 JuniorGrand Prix Final champion, and a six-time (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013,2014) South Korean national champion Kim was the highest-paid athlete in theXXI Olympic Winter Games according to Forbes The business magazine hasalso listed her in their 30 under 30 and Philanthropy lists She was included inTime magazine's annual Time 100 of World's Most Influential People in 2010.Kim was the first to top Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and was ranked in theTop 10 from 2009 to 2015 and in 2018

Throughout the decades, despite plenty of obstacles standing in their way,women have been at the forefront of the entertainment industry From acting anddirecting in iconic films to performing legendary songs and selling millions ofalbums, women in the industry have earned incredible success while breakingbarriers, fighting for pay equity and inspiring future generations of entertainers.Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, model and singer Famous forplaying comedic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the mostpopular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s and was emblematic of theera's sexual revolution She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her filmsgrossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2020) by the time of her deathin 1962 Long after her death, Monroe remains a major icon of pop culture In

1999, the American Film Institute ranked her sixth on their list of the greatestfemale screen legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

All of these women have accomplished amazing things in their fields,making them some of the most notable women of all time I believe that in thefuture, women will develop even more in their careers They will expressthemselves and devote their talents to society instead of limiting themselves toboring housework.

CHAPTER 4: Why must women include self-love and self-care in their dictionaries?

These days, most women just concentrate on their family (their husband andtheir children) Hence, they don't have enough time for themselves

Women, as we all know, are made by God to be life-givers, nurturers, andcaregivers They are generally very compassionate, loving and empathetic bynature Because of being so loving and caring they often miss taking care ofthemselves and feel guilty for sparing even a few minutes for themselves Whydo we women have this attitude towards ourselves? Why Don’t we realize that ifwe don’t take care of ourselves, how will we take care of others? In my opinion,every woman must include self-love and self-care in her dictionary There aresome quotes that I always adore:

“If you can learn to love yourself and all the flaws, you can love other people somuch better And that makes you so happy.”

– Kristin Chenoweth, American actress and singer

“It’s all about confidence and how you feel about yourself There’s no suchthing as a perfect woman I like imperfections – that’s what makes you unique.”

– Hayley Hasselhoff, American actress and model

“We just need to be kinder to ourselves If we treated ourselves the way wetreated our best friend, can you imagine how much better off we would be?”

– Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, actress and model

Let’s find out some reasons why women underestimate the importance ofself-love and self-care in their lives.

1, Being Over-Busy Taking Care of Others.

Women, whether they are homemakers or working moms, have to work theirasses off all day long Usually, they are the first ones to get up early in themorning They start preparing breakfast and packing bags for their kids Theyhave to help their hubby and kids in getting ready to leave for office and school.In case they are working, they too leave the home with them If they stay athome, they have to arrange the home, cook food, clean the house, do laundry,and then go to pick up the kids from school and get busy with them once againtill it’s the time for hubby to get back home They don’t get time to relax andpamper themselves even if they plan a small nap while kids are awake, it’s nextto impossible! Believe me, I can vouch for it! But, I feel, it’s time that allwomen realize it’s not a sin to take some rest in between their busy schedulesand to shower some love on themselves the way they do it on others!

2, Being Unwilling

Because of overworking themselves, women get so tired that even when theydo get some free time, they don’t like to take a relaxing shower, take care oftheir skin, hair and nails; rather they just start planning for dinner, groceryshopping and stuff like that This further makes them feel exhausted I suggestyou all take some time for yourselves in your busy day and take complete rest inthat time by either taking a power nap, or a shower, booking a beauty service foryourself like a much-needed pedicure-manicure, facial, hair spa, or bodymassage It will help you in rejuvenating and feeling refreshed and relaxed.Occasionally you can also go for a shopping spree or movie date all alone orwith your besties.

3, Feeling ‘It’s Okay to Ignore Myself’

I have seen many women who argue, who will take care of my kids andhubby if I start taking rest? Or If I spend so much money on myself how will Ibe able to maintain the budget of my family? Or it’s selfishness to take a rest andorder food from outside for my family! I feel, there’s no need to be so harsh on

yourself It’s absolutely fine if you do any of these things It’s okay to loveyourself, take care of yourself and pamper yourself You are a human being firstand then a wife and a mom You have full right to chill and relax at times Don’tbe your own harshest critic Don’t judge yourself all the time.

My advice to all you wonderful women out there is to indulge yourselves inSelf Love and Self Care and see its magical effect on your own mental health aswell as on your relationships When you are happy yourself, you can makeothers happy When you are at peace you can easily handle the stress ofeveryday life So, to be a good wife, mommy, or working professional first be agood person to yourself Treat yourself well to be treated well by others andinclude self and self-care in your dictionary.

All in all, I would say that by looking at the current norms, women deserve tobe loved and respected and their role shouldn't be limited.

CHAPTER 5: Support for feminism is not against men

This is the most common and also most mistaken view of the feministmovement Many people think that feminism is a zero-sum game (a zero-sumgame, meaning that one side benefits, the other must lose).

On the contrary, the essence of feminism is gender equality, the purpose is toblur the gap in opportunities and society's view of both sexes This movement isfor everyone and is not against any particular gender It only fights againstgender stereotypes to liberate both men and women (from here, to unify theterminology in the thesis, I would like to call it the Gender Equality Movement).

A 2018 report by the World Economic Forum ranked Iceland #1 in terms ofgender equality, then obviously this is a women's paradise, so how much are themen there being oppressed and suffering? The answer is no because of the factthat Icelandic men have the highest life expectancy in the whole of Europe Atthe same time, Iceland is always a country with high rankings in the list of thehappiest countries in the world (ranked in 2019, Iceland ranked 4th).

It's not surprising, because it's obvious that the more powerful men are given,the heavier the responsibilities they have to shoulder If there is anything that isoppressing men, it is toxic masculinity, society's expectations of status, career,strength, and not only about gender equality.

The WHO statistics show that the average life expectancy of men is lowerthan that of women, even though they are considered "strong men", who are"strong physically and mentally" The WHO report points out three reasonsleading to this sad situation, which are:

 Working environment (men are often exposed to more hazardous physicaland chemical agents than women).

 Men often accept to face dangers (the stereotype that “already a man, hemust have a spirit of aggression and risk”).

 They are often uncomfortable with medical advice and treatment (theyoften don't go to the doctor when they have health problems, tend to beless or less willing to disclose their symptoms).

Especially when it comes to mental health problems, men do not want to seektreatment, share or express their feelings for fear of being perceived as weak.They have no choice but to "self-medicate" with alcohol, beer and stimulants.