About fifty years ago, many Americans could not conceive the idea women’s equality. Many women could not take up white-collar jobs and perform their household chores satisfactorily. Thus, women did not have the inner motives to be equal with men in many areas in life, such as education and political offices. In 1962, a study conducted by the University of Michigan found that more than sixty-six percent of women in the population still believed that head of the family should perform some household roles. In the 10-year period from 1994 to 2004, there was a substantial change in regards to provision by males and homemaking by women.
In America, the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment raised debate over the roles of women in the overall social development. . The United Nations focuses on the creation of laws and social contexts that support the enlightenment of women in various communities. Nations that have created effective systems of ensuring women’s equality are exemplified by better economic growth patterns than those that do not the participation of women in various activities, such as education, on the basis of their gender This paper has discussed the issue of women’s inequality on the platform of two theories (utilitarianism and deontology) and two theoretical perspectives (ethical egoism and emotivism).
Women’s equality is one of the major issues that are being debated by people around the world with the goal of offering women equal opportunities with men in society (Connell, 2014). The concept primarily focuses on treating women in a fair manner that is devoid of discrimination. In the past, many communities held that women should not be treated equally with men since they were being viewed as being ‘lesser’ than their male counterparts (Connell, 2014). However, the concept of civilization and the formation of many human rights groups ensured both sexes could be offered equal treatment (Ferguson, 2011).
In 2008, the United Nations gave a stern warning to the Arab world since the body confirmed that the part of the world was leading in terms of mistreating women (Ciftci & Bernick, 2014). Some of the matters that many bodies and individuals are attempting are associated with violence against women, women’s education, political representation of women, economic enlightenment of women, marriage and divorce issues, and freedom of movement, among others (Connell, 2014). The author of this paper chose the topic because it is familiar, and it is part of recent matters in the community. This paper applies the theories of utilitarianism and deontology to the topic. In addition, it uses the perspectives introduce by ethical egoism and emotivism to discuss the issue.
The theory of utilitarianism holds that persons should adopt actions that maximize their utility. From the perspective of the issue being tackled, utility may imply economic advancement, attainment of pleasure, and the lacks of harm or suffering (Ciftci & Bernick, 2014). The theory could be applied to mean that any actions to women should be aimed at achieving high levels of moral importance. The suggestion can be viewed as being independent or part of ethical rules that are socially accepted. Regarding utility, men should apply the theory of utilitarianism to ensure that women are treated in a fair manner and given a chance to go to school and make their decisions regarding careers in the future. Economic empowerment would be supported by allowing women to hold offices that are associated with equal wages in comparison with those of men (Ciftci & Bernick, 2014). This should happen in a world where there is no suffering that is aimed at humiliating and looking down upon them.
The theory of deontology proposes an ethical stance that analyzes the moral aspects of actions on the platform of the degree to which they adhere to rules (Kanu, 2014). Using the theory, it can be argued that women could be treated unequally by adopting actions that would empower them. On the other hand, they could be treated well using actions that were meant to humiliate them. Based on the two observations, and as noted by Kant, all persons should be guided by the moral law in society (Kanu, 2014). Thus, individuals should be guided by the universal moral law to do good to women. Although some actions may not be regarded as maxim, it is essential for men to adopt actions that they would like them becoming part of the universal law. Regarding the treatment of women, it is critical to subscribe to the suggestions of moral absolutists, who hold that whatever people do could either be right or wrong (Kanu, 2014). Thus, denying women to represent others in a political system or denying them an opportunity to go to school could be perceived as absolutely wrong. On the other hand, offering women a platform on which to advance their economic gains could be viewed as absolutely right.
The perspective of ethical egoism proposes a position that should direct people to act with the goal of fulfilling their self-interests (Casimir, Chukwuelobe & Ugwu, 2014). While promoting women’s equality in society, it is essential for women to adopt behaviors and actions that are intended to improve the manner in which they are treated by men. For example, if women behave in a manner that suggests they are weaker than men, then this could imply that they could be treated unfairly. The three types of ethical egoism would be applied to support women’s equality. For example, a personal ethical egoist should believe that his or her actions should not harm others while he or she attains the benefits (Casimir et al., 2014). For example, a woman should not attain the best education in the world so that she can humiliate her husband or male colleagues. Arguably, the same should apply to men.
Regarding the perspective of emotivism, verbal sentences in the contexts of both men and women are loaded with emotional attributes, rather than propositions (Aiston, 2011). Thus, the concept promotes expressivism and moral realism. Based on the suggestions of moral emotions, women should be addressed in a manner that promotes wellbeing (Aiston, 2011). Moral expressions should be founded on the platform of moral virtues, which can be determined using ethical judgments. In fact, the human population should adopt ethical statements that are associated with personal attitudes. Thus, when a woman offers an ethical sentence, it should be viewed as an expression of approval, but should not be applied to mistreat her.
