Information AboutWomen |
|
A woman is a being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. However, the term ''woman'' is also sometimes used to identify a female human, regardless of age, as in phrases such as " Women's Rights ". ETYMOLOGY The English term " Man " (from Proto-Germanic '' Mannaz '' "man, person") and words derived therefrom can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their gender or age. This is indeed the oldest usage of "Man" in English. This derives from a Proto-Indo-European root "man-" meaning hand. A similar cognate is Old Norse "mund", hand, as well as most Romance words for "hand", such as French ''main'' and Portuguese ''mão''. The distinctive and dexterous hands of humans, compared to those of other animals, are the basis of this term and the similarly derived term, "manual" (from Latin "Manus", hand), by hand. In .)
The symbol for the planet , and in ancient alchemy stood for Copper . Alchemists constructed the symbol from a circle (representing Spirit ) above an equilateral cross (representing Matter ). AGE AND TERMINOLOGY - Bather ]] Womanhood is the period in a female's life after she has transitioned from girlhood, at least physically, having passed the age of Menarche . Many cultures have Rites Of Passage to symbolize a woman's Coming Of Age , such as confirmation in some branches of Christianity , Bat Mitzvah in Judaism , or even just the custom of a special celebration for a certain Birthday (generally between 12 and 21). The word ''woman'' can be used generally, to mean any female human, or specifically, to mean an adult female human as contrasted with ''girl''. The word ''girl'' originally meant "young person of either sex" in English; it was only around the beginning of the 16th Century that it came to mean specifically a ''female'' Child . Nowadays ''girl'' sometimes is used colloquially to refer to a young or unmarried woman. During the early 1970s feminists challenged such use, and use of the word to refer to a fully grown woman may cause offence. In particular previously common terms such as ''office girl'' are no longer used. Conversely, in certain cultures which link family Honor with female Virginity , the word ''girl'' is still used to refer to a never-married woman; in this sense it is used in a fashion roughly analogous to the obsolete English ''maid'' or ''maiden''. Referring to an unmarried female as ''woman'' may, in such a culture, imply that she is sexually experienced, which would be an insult to her family. In some settings, the use of ''girl'' to refer to an adult female is a vestigial practice (such as ''girls' night out''), even among some elderly women. In this sense, ''girl'' may be considered to be the analogue to the British word ''bloke'' for a man, although it again fails to meet the parallel status as an adult and the only true American English parallel to ''girl'' is ''boy''. ''Gal'' aside, some feminists cite this lack of an informal yet respectful term for women as Misogynistic ; they regard non-parallel usages, such as ''men and girls,'' as Sexist . There are various words used to refer to the quality of being a woman. The term "womanhood" merely means the state of being a woman, having passed the Menarche ; "femininity" is used to refer to a set of supposedly typical female qualities associated with a certain attitude to Gender Role s; "womanliness" is like "femininity", but is usually associated with a different view of gender roles; "femaleness" is a general term, but is often used as shorthand for "human femaleness"; "distaff" is an archaic adjective derived from women's conventional role as a spinner, now used only as a deliberate Archaism ; " Muliebrity " is a "neologism" (derived from the Latin) meant to provide a female counterpart of " Virility ", but used very loosely, sometimes to mean merely "womanhood", sometimes "femininity", and sometimes even as a collective term for women. BIOLOGY AND GENDER ]] In terms of Biology , the female Sex Organ s are involved in the reproductive system, whereas the Secondary Sex Characteristic s are involved in nurturing children or, in some cultures, attracting a mate. The Ovaries , in addition to their regulatory function producing hormones, produce female gametes called Eggs which, when Fertilized by male gametes ( Sperm ), form new genetic individuals. The Uterus is an organ with tissue to protect and nurture the developing fetus and muscle to expel it when giving birth. The Vagina is used in copulation and birthing (although the word Vagina is often colloquially and incorrectly used for the Vulva or external female genitalia, which also includes the Labia , the Clitoris , and the female Urethra ). The Breast evolved from the sweat gland to produce milk, a nutritious secretion that is the most distinctive characteristic of mammals, along with live Birth . In mature women, the breast is generally more prominent than in most other mammals; this prominence, not necessary for milk production, is probably at least partially the result of Sexual Selection . (For other ways in which men commonly differ physically from women, see Man .) of a human female. The An imbalance of maternal hormonal levels and some chemicals (or drugs) may alter the secondary sexual characteristics of fetuses. Most women have the Karyotype 46,XX, but around one in a thousand will be 47,XXX, and one in 2500 will be 45,X . This contrasts with the typical male karotype of 46,XY; thus, the X and Y Chromosome s are known as female and male, respectively. Unlike the Y chromosome, the X can come from either the Mother or the Father , thus genetic studies which focus on the female line use Mitochondrial DNA . Biological factors are not sufficient determinants of whether a person considers themselves a woman or is considered a woman. Intersexed men and women, who have mixed physical and/or genetic features, may use other criteria in making a clear determination. There are also women who have, or have had prior to surgical intervention, a typically male physiology (''trans'', Transgender ed or Transsexual women; there are varying social, legal, and individual definitions with regard to this issue). (See Gender Identity .) Although fewer females than males are born (the ratio is around 1:1.05), due to a longer life expectancy there are only 81 men aged 60 or over for every 100 women of the same age, and among the oldest populations, there are only 53 men for every 100 women. Women have a lower death rate than men, and on average, live five years longer. This is due to a combination of factors: Genetics (redundant and varied Gene s present on Sex Chromosome s in women); Sociology (such as not being expected in most countries to perform Military Service ); Health -impacting choices (such as Suicide or the use of Cigarette s, and Alcohol ); the presence of the female hormone Estrogen , which has a cardioprotective effect in premenopausal women; and the effect of high levels of Androgen s in men. Out of the total human population, there are 101.3 men for every 100 women (source: 2001 World Almanac). Most women go through Menarche and are then able to become Pregnant and Bear Children .Menarche and Menstruation are absent in many of the intersex and transgender conditions mentioned above and also in Primary Amenorrhea . This generally requires internal fertilization of her eggs with the sperm of a man through Sexual Intercourse , though Artificial Insemination or the surgical implantation of an existing embryo is also possible (see Reproductive Technology ). The study of female reproduction and Reproductive Organ s is called Gynaecology . Women generally reach Menopause in their late 40s or early 50s, at which point their Ovaries cease producing Estrogen and they can no longer become pregnant. To a large extent, women suffer from the same illnesses as men. However, there are some diseases that primarily affect women, such as Lupus . Also, there are some Sex-related Illness es that are found more frequently or exclusively in women, e.g., Breast Cancer , Cervical Cancer , or Ovarian Cancer . Women and men may have different symptoms of an illness and may also respond differently to medical treatment. This area of medical research is studied by Gender-based Medicine . During early fetal development, embryos of both sexes appear gender neutral; the release of hormones is what changes physical appearance male or female. As in other cases without two sexes, such as species that reproduce asexually, the gender-neutral appearance is closer to female than to male. CULTURE AND GENDER ROLES i or Bangladesh i (let's not make wild guesses) --> woman weaving. Textile work has historically been a female occupation in some cultures.]] See Also: Gender role In many and Skirt have still been typical symbols of a woman. In more recent history, the gender roles of women have changed greatly. Traditionally, Middle-class women were typically involved in domestic tasks emphasizing child care, and did not enter paid employment. For poorer women, especially Working Class women, this often remained an ideal, as economic necessity compelled them to seek employment outside the home. The occupations that were available to them were, however, lower in prestige and pay than those available to men. As changes in the labor market for women came about, availability of employment changed from only "dirty", long houred factory jobs to "cleaner", more respectable office jobs where a little more education was demanded, women's participation in the labor force rose from 6% in 1900 to 23% in 1923. These shifts in the labor force led to changes in the attitudes of women at work, allowing for the "quiet" revolution which resulted in women becoming more career and education oriented. This revolution of women in the labor force came about because of changes in three essential criteria: ''expanded horizons''- women were anticipating their future work lives, allowing them to then plan for them and receive the education they needed to accomplish that goal; ''altered identities''- Women's identities were no longer based upon just family and child-bearing. Their focus became more on career and financial success, and defined themselves thus; ''Changes in decision making''- Women were making decisions regarding their lives, education, and career goals. Marriage was postponed and more women made time to focus on a career and an education, rather than just going to college to meet a spouse. from article by Claudia Goldin, "The Quiet Revolution that Transformed Women's Employment, Education, and Family" Women's movements advocate Equality Of Opportunity with men, and Equal Rights irrespective of sex. Through a combination of Economic changes and the efforts of the Feminist movement in recent decades women in most societies now have access to careers beyond the traditional one of " Homemaker ". Women in Industry and Commerce face Glass Ceiling s. These changes and struggles are among the foci of the Academic field of Women's Studies . POLITICAL, MONARCHIAL AND SOCIAL LEADERS , appointed as the Soviet Union Ambassador to Norway , was the world's first female ambassador.]] , President of Chile ]] is the first female to be the American Speaker Of The House ]] was a major figure in the Underground Railroad ]] Political In both OECD societies and in some other societies women have been assuming higher positions of authority in elective Republics since 1960. -Examples of women Premiers have included:
Monarchial The following are examples of rulers in history. In contrast to the above mentioned leaders in electoral political systems they were hereditary Monarchs , as were other rulers of their day. In ancient history: In the modern era:
Social In addition to national rulers, there have been women that have had a significant effect on the welfare of many people: EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT OECD countries
Significant progress has also been achieved in reducing the gender gap in educational qualifications. Younger women today are far more likely to have completed a tertiary qualification than women 30 years ago: in 19 of the 30 , Publication Date: 14/09/2004], accessed December 2006 While women account for more than half of university graduates in several OECD countries, they receive only 30% of tertiary degrees granted in science and engineering fields, and women account for only 25% to 35% of researchers in most OECD countries. Women in Scientific Careers: Unleashing the Potential, Organisation For Economic Co-operation And Development , ISBN 92-64-02537-5, Publication Date: 20/11/2006 , accessed December 2006
In OECD countries, women’s employment is not necessarily synonymous with high wages and career opportunities. The labour market remains difficult for women and in all fields of activity, it will be a long time before women have equal access to the same occupations as men. In OECD countries, both men and women work in an occupation where their own gender is in a strong majority. Over half of the occupations surveyed are more than 80% ‘dominated’ by the same gender. The scale and permanence of the phenomenon are such that it is customary to talk about ‘traditionally male’ and ‘traditionally-female’ jobs. But there are five times as many male-dominated occupations in the OECD countries as there are female-dominated ones. Women’s employment is therefore narrowly concentrated in a small number of highly female-dominated occupations. Yet on average women account for over 40% of total employment in the OECD area. OECD Observer: The continuing saga of labour market segregation, OECD Observer, Published: April 1999 , accessed December 2006 REFERENCES FURTHER READING
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|