Lecture by Arvonne Frazer

Hello, This is Ryo.
Yesterday, I listened a lecture given by Arvonne Frazer. As an (former/ex-?) agent and a representative of U.S., She attended to United Nations and had contributed to solve the problems on the legal rights, education and development of women. According to Mrs. Frazer, the movement of feminism, which claims the improvement of women's social status, rised around 1960-70s. Since then, the equality between man and woman have been regarded as a big political issue in the U.S., and a lot of people including scholars, politicians, and citizens have participated in the grassroot movements. She took up three important concepts to achieve the equality between man and woman: education, employment, and participation in public life. She underscored that although women in developed countries have gradually participated to the society to some extent, women in developing countries are still struggling with discriminations against them. To truly realize the equality, she said, people have to improve the literacy rate, find powerful woman leaders in nation and organization, and urge women to participate to public life. In addition, she showed us a concern about a new problem which has appeared since 1990s. That is violence against women--well-known as DV (domestic violence). Following her career and the history of feminism movements, she taught us a significant insights.

Listening her lecture, I wondered one thing: She mentioned that the problem of DV appeared around 1990s. If it is true, then can we think it is an evidence of the fact that women have strong power enough to rise their voices? Or, did the problem of DV appear in 1990s as a unique and inherent problem at the time and the problem did not exist before 1990s?
She explained that there was a political distinction between public sphere and private sphere, and that it was the reason why the police could not intervene into the problem in home.

One more thing. As a result of that women have advanced to society, women are recquired to hold heavier burdens. They have to go work outside and take care of children. Does it mean the situatio regarding women is getting worse, or better? If it is getting better, what is the problem of this reality?

I cannot imagine how serious the problem on women's status in society was and is. Especially, I cannot imagine how hard Mrs. Frazer have worked for the problem. It must have been so hard for her to lead women's voice and establish the equality of the social status that women have today. I would like to show my respect for Mrs. Frazer.