Feminist Consciousness and Women's Education : The Case of Women’s Studies, Ewha Womans University

CHANG, Pilwha Ewha Womans University Press 2008 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.14 No.2

This article reviews the evolution of women's studies in Korea, focusing on the experience of Ewha Womans University. As part of larger study, its starting point is the late 19th century up to the beginnings of institutionalization of women’s studies in the middle of the 1970s. This review provides a case of how education for girls raised feminist consciousness and gave impetus to women’s movements and a series of social reforms.

Emergence of the Women's Movement in India

Khullar, Mala Ewha Womans University Press 1997 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.3 No.2

Questions posed in this paper are to do with the antecedents of the Indian women's movement, the model of womanhood that it has sought to promote, the influences which it seeks to combat or draw upon in fulfilling its objectives and some of the contemporary issues addressed by it. Thus, examined are some historical processes that preceded the women's movement in India, which began in 1974-75, and these are viewed in the light of the present. To begin with, there is discussion on reform for women in: the social reform movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the ensuing years of the national struggle; and the period following independence in 1947. The mid-seventies mark the beginning of the present wave of the movement, during which the concept itself gained currency. The role of women's organizations and the State is discussed as these are principal players in the arena of the movement. Finally, the challenge posed by conservative forces is noted as the progressive groups, that constitute the women's movement, have to address themselves to it. This challenge is articulated by a range of groups, including women's organizations, and it reflects the social and cultural mores embedded in existing institutions, and increasingly, in political forums.

Career Aspirations of Women in Corporate Management : The Case of South Korea

Lee, Joo Hee,Cheon, Byung You Ewha Womans University Press 2009 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.15 No.3

As there are so many internal and external obstacles that hold women back from even aspiring to be managers, it is vital to investigate and identify what constitutes these. Using the Korean Women’s Development Institute’s Female Workforce Panel Survey in 2007, this study examines the impact of both personal and organizational factors on career aspirations of women employees and managers. The findings indicate that educational qualifications are amongthe most important predictors of levels of career aspiration of women managers. In addition, Work-life Balance policies were beneficial in keeping women managers motivated. Discriminatory personnel practices seemed to increase women’s career goals, too. Finally, women with the highest ambitions were less likely to be influenced by organizational norms.

Women's Caring in India : The Intersecting Public and Private Sphere

Khullar, Mala Ewha Womans University Press 1999 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.5 No.3

This paper seeks to examine some aspects of Indian women's roles as they are played out in the public and private spheres of their lives. In the process, it traces the history of reform movements for women in 19th and 20th Century India and identifies the predominant reassertion of caring roles. The engendering of women's caring roles constitutes socialization processes visible in everyday interaction, in media, folklore, and practice that are subsequently examined here. The widespread notion of women working as "supplementary" of secondary income earners in India has been associated with the withdrawal of women from the labor force, whereby the status of the family or community is buttressed. Much of women's work of caring, however, is performed not only in the private household/familial spheres, but also in less visible niches within public arenas, as both agriculture and industries use family and informal labor and thus employ large and increasing numbers of women workers. The important concern that emerges here is on how women can and should derive control over resources and can be empowered. Thus the public-private framework has to be viewed and clearly defined within a particular social context if we seek to meaningfully address these questions about the inter-penetration of public and private spheres in the lives of women. These are politically charged issues are addressed by women's groups and other development initiatives and are relevant not only within public spheres, but also within domestic or private arenas.

Widows in India : Issues of Masculinity and Women's Sexuality

AHMED-GHOSH, Huma Ewha Womans University Press 2009 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.15 No.1

While recent studies and contemporary films have focused on the plight of widows in India, very little has addressed the myriad ways in which women’s lives are circumscribed through cultural controls over sexuality. This paper highlights that the defining of women’s identity primarily through sexuality is not just about patriarchal control, but also historically perpetuates and legitimizes masculine power and masculinity over women. The condition of widows, then, follows from multiple social forces and traditions that define and perpetuate a ritualized masculinity, which are complex and difficult to overcome.

Woman in Danger or Dangerous Woman? Contesting Images of Filipina Victims of Domestic Homicide in Australia

SAROCA, Nicki Ewha Womans University Press 2006 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.12 No.3

This paper explores the contesting images of two Filipino women in Australia―both victims of domestic homicide―as ‘woman in danger’ and ‘dangerous woman’in the narratives of their families and friends and Australian and Philippines’ newspapers. ‘Woman in danger’ and ‘dangerous woman’ are flexible and heterogeneous discourses in which meanings are always contested and shifting. To their families and friends, Gene and Elma were women in danger―at the hands of the men they loved, in the court trials of their killers, and in Australian media accounts. Similar representations of Gene and Elma emerged in the Philippines’ articles where fear of Australian men is a pervasive theme. The discourse is framed as a warning to Filipino women about the dangers of marrying foreign men. While the woman in danger in the Australian articles may be a victim of an abusive partner, the image hinges on the notion of a poor woman who needs to be rescued from the poverty of the Philippines by an Australian man. By representing Gene and Elma as dangerous women, Australian journalists mask the reality of their lives. Images represented were of Gene as a gold-digging opportunist who used an Australian man as a passport to Australia and Elma physically and emotionally abusing her husband, which silenced the domestic violence both women experienced in their marital relationships. Recasting relations of violence in this way shifts responsibility away from their killers and onto the women themselves. Portrayals of Gene and Elma as women in danger and dangerous women in the Australian and the Philippines’ articles were frequently intertwined with their (mis)representation as ‘mail order brides.’ While Filipino journalists often reinforced stereotypes of Filipino women, they provided more culturally sensitive and informed accounts than many Australian journalists. The narratives of Gene and Elma’s families and friends revealed that media images did not reflect Filipino women’s realities, but are in themselves sites of conflict over constructions of identity.

The Politics of 'Speaking Out' : NESB Women and the Discourse of Sexual Assault in Australia

Jung, Kyungja Ewha Womans University Press 1998 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.4 No.3

In Australia, public policy discourse on rape and sexual assault emerged in the early 1970s. Until recently, however, sexual assault in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, such as the Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) groups, was largely an invisible issue both in government and non-government sectors. Now interest in the sexual assault of NESB women has increased even though NESB women themselves have mostly kept silent about it. This paper explores the category NESB, which is not homogeneous, and asks why interest in sexual assault against its women is increasing in public discourse in Australia, while the women themselves have kept silent or do not want to speak out. Furthermore, this paper investigate discourse about the sexual assault of NESB women, focusing on the reasons and meanings that underlie the women's silence. This paper also examines how the current discourse on sexual assault against NESB women has affected them and, in conclusion, advocates a political strategy for ending their silence.

Women's Vows, Roles and Household Ritual in a South Asian Muslim Sect

Ghadially, Rehana Ewha Womans University Press 1998 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.4 No.2

This paper describes and analyzes a household group religious ritual among the Bohra women of the Ismai `li Shi`i sect of South Asian Muslims. Bohras are a Gujarati speaking, endogamous group involved principally in petty trading. The sect has a well-organized cleric class which oversees the spiritual and often temporal concerns of the sect members. Bohra women engage in a variety of religious gatherings and rituals that often involve the fulfillment or anticipated fulfillment of a vow. A commonly observe ritual, performed in the name of Fatema Zehra-the daughter of the Prophet-and known as Mithi Sitabi, focuses around motherhood and the vows of marriage. This paper highlights the role of this ritual in validating women's traditional roles and women' culture within Bohra society. From the women's point of view, these gatherings serve not only a religious but also an important social function within the community. From the perspective of the cleric class, these rituals establish boundaries for the structure and content of the practice of women's ritual gatherings. As such, they are an instrument by which the community traditions are preserved, community cohesiveness reinforced and a unique Muslim sub-identity maintained. Through an analysis of such religious ceremonies, this paper comments on and draws conclusions about some gender perceptions of religious practices. It discusses the Bohras' unique interpretation of the Sitabi as an example of both the diversity and homogeniety that exists in South Asian Muslim religious life.

A multi-generational reading of numbers 12:1-10 from a Korean woman’s perspective

Park, Jung Eun Sophia Ewha Womans University press 2006 Ewha journal of feminist theology Vol.4 No.-

We are celebrating the abolishment of "Hojuje" or the patriarchal family registry system, which defines the status of each family member in relation to the head of the household. The Constitutional Court ruled "Hojuje" runs counter to the Constitution in February, 2006. Since 1950's Korean women have fought against the Patriarchal Family Registry System, which considers only male as the legal descendants of the household and legitimizes inequity between men and women. This essay is dedicated to the women who committed their lives for the equal rights between man and women in Korea, honoring their work and gratifying the spiritual legacy that they bestowed us.

Fertility Control, Reproductive Rights, and Women's Empowerment in Korea

Cho, Hyoung Ewha Womans University Press 1997 Asian Journal of Women's Studies(AJWS) Vol.3 No.1

Reproductive rights constitute an essential element for women's empowerment and can be meaningful only if they are a source of autonomy for women in making choices relating to their own bodies and welfare. This paper considers some questions about the definition of reproductive rights from a feminist perspective. It further analyzes Korean data on fertility behavior to understand the manner in which women's rights are limited and which leads to their disempowerment. The Korean data suggest that the improved socioeconomic conditions, reproductive technology and administrative and clinical services are linked to the government's family planning policy and have greatly contributed to the changes in fertility rates and individuals' adoption of fertility control. However, the concept of reproductive rights is quite vague and reproduction is still taken to be a woman's responsibility rather than her right. The knowledge and technical means to control fertility have become widely available, but there are still many groups of women who do not have access either to the necessary information, or the economic means to actually do so. More importantly, the right of women to make a free choice about fertility control is restricted by the patriarchal system, its social institutions and obscure cultural beliefs. Consequently, women's reproductive decisions are made non-voluntarily, or at best, women are forced to make so-called rational choices within the limits imposed by the patriarchal society.