A Call to Action

Joshua Clark
7/20/14

A Call to Action

“The most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls.”(Carter, 3) Throughout history, women have played a unique role in society. In most civilizations women have often been the “caretakers” of the household meaning that they look after the children and watch over the house while the male is away searching for food. In some countries, women are not allowed to participate in government, or even go outside without the supervision of a male. In the book A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, Jimmy Carter explains the inhumane and immoral acts of discrimination and mistreatment of women that he has witnessed all over the world. Women and girls around the world are victim to the cruel and immoral treatment from society. Leaders of these societies should take action by changing the way they view women as an object. In countries like India, women had very complex restrictions over education and marriage. Indian wives had to have loyalty and devotion to their husbands. In the house, women were expected to collect and spend the husband’s wealth, housekeep, cook, and look after necessities of the household. India’s main religion was Hinduism and the burdens of supporting Hinduism and the penalties of failing to do so fell more heavily on the women. Hinduism celebrates the union of male and female as the primal creative force of the universe. Female beauty is considered beneficial natural phenomena. In North India they practiced sati, the practice of a widow committing suicide by throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. Girls were married off before their adolescence, and they had limited property rights. “One of the most prevalent and diverse issues is whether or not women are equal to men in the eyes of God.”(Carter, 20) Throughout the years, society has placed a double standard on men and women. Men could do certain things and be praised, but if women did the same thing they would be frowned upon. In ancient times men were allowed to have more than one wife, but if women had more than one sex partner they would be stoned to death. (Carter, 23) The author explains that in the bible Jesus Christ never mentioned that men and women were not equal. The four gospels were written by men but they never report any instance of Jesus condoning sexual discrimination. Sexual discrimination does not only affect adult women, but affects all women young and old. In China, in times of severe economic stress, when families had difficulty supporting several children, young women were the first to