In The News
This piece was originally published in the Sun on 7 June 2007.
Gender studies
Janarthani A.
A woman's lot is indeed different, compared to the privileges that a man takes for granted.
DEWAN Kuliah C of Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur was packed to its maximum capacity. I sat among the eager beavers, waiting for the lecture to start.
Introduction to Gender Studies was the first course of its kind in my faculty that year, offered to students who wished to minor in the subject. I was a little apprehensive about registering for this course, but nothing else I was interested in was available anyway.
So I sat waiting, not really knowing what I had let myself in for. An elegant woman clad in a cotton saree strode confidently to the lectern and started the lecture.
"What is gender?" she asked us, pointedly. We shifted uncomfortably in our seats, not quite knowing what she wanted us to say.
"It's about male and female, Dr Shanthi," said a brave soul seated behind me.
"Well, how do you define male or female?" was the next question.
I must admit this one really got me. "By the genitals, of course!" I thought to myself. I must have had a really odd expression on my face because, all of a sudden, everyone's attention was riveted towards me.
"I? I think by the different sexual organs," I said, more to myself than the lecturer. The whole room reverberated with uncontrolled laughter. You can imagine my embarrassment.
"Well, isn't that what most of us think?" Dr Shanthi asked in return. Everyone stopped laughing.
"One is not born , but becomes a woman ," she continued, quoting Monique Wittig. And that was my official introduction to feminism, which has turned out to be an intriguing journey of understanding myself and women in general.
Later in the semester, I went on to read The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir and learned how women are relegated to certain roles because of their biological features, or confined to the private domain - the home - while men dominate the public sphere.
Gradually, I began to discover that the same pattern was evident in my life. My father subtly perpetuated gender stereotypes in the way he raised us. We had to behave in a certain way to please him, like maintaining our long tresses and dressing conservatively.
As an act of defiance, I cut my hair really short when I was 15. He still hasn't forgiven me for that.
My father dictated our lives as he pleased. There were times when I questioned his decisions and challenged his narrow-mindedness in dealing with us. But time and again, I was severely told off for "not acting like a girl" and "overstepping the boundaries". I realised, soon enough, that the boundaries existed solely in his mind.
Through my journey of discovering feminism, I joined a group of younger women interested in studying Feminist Literary Criticism. It was a challenging concept to understand, let alone apply in my appreciation of literature. Nevertheless, we remained undaunted and began to discover that a woman's lot is indeed different, compared to the privileges that a man takes for granted.
In the past, women writers were considered inferior to their male counterparts simply because they were women. In fact, it was virtually inconceivable that they were capable of thinking and writing. But the honesty and clarity with which they wrote was inspiring and steeped in great wisdom.
I identified strongly with the feminine consciousness in these women's writings, the way they viewed their world and how they made sense of it. I started looking for women writers whose experiences mirrored my predicament of being a woman in a gender-biased world.
This, inadvertently, led to my discovery of Zora Neale Hurston, an African-American who wrote vehemently against racism and gender discrimination. In her book, Their Eyes were Watching God , she traces the unique journey of a woman who remains true to herself and her search for meaning in life.
To be discovered and cherished - that is the tradition handed down to generations of women who are both readers and writers. As a woman reading about women, I feel an instant bond as I learn about myself, and drink deep from the collective wisdom of those who have gone before me, and others who will keep filling that well.
It was this inspiration that moulded me into who I am today. I am proud to be a woman and part of a unique tradition that cherishes womanhood and celebrates feminism.
Janarthani believes that feminism is an integral part of her identity as a woman and she's eager to be a part of Fiesta Feminista, which takes place in Kuala Lumpur from June 15-17. For details, visit fiestafeminista- malaysia. org .
