The State Is Where the Power to Maintain the Equality

The State Is Where the Power to Maintain the Equality of Gender Is

       No one will deny that the state can be a meaningful site for social change supporting gender equality. The state is an apparatus that regulating the behaviors of human beings and endowing freedom extremely to individuals. However, on the balance of the position, the scope of the right and power of male and female is unbalanced.  The approach of motivating the balance of gender lies in the state.

       This point of view is supported by some feminist theorists and researchers from different perspectives. First, according to the argument of Lisa Brush, “the state is where the power is.” (Brush 3) This argument conveys the meaning that the power of regulating and shaping the behaviors of human beings belong to the state. All the matters including the issue of gender equality have the close relation with the policies and regulation which are established by the state. So, the opinion of the Lisa Brush pays attention to the function and the position of the state. Second, the issue of gender equality is the main goal of feminist. However, what we learn from the schools of feminist is that some people advocate obtaining the right of the female through a radical method. They have the brave to cut the relationship with men drastically. However, some people claim that female can think rational and have the equal capacity to push the world to a better condition like a male. Generally speaking, females are making efforts to obtain their equality right with a male in different methods. Third, Lynne Haney focuses on the two branches of welfare departments. The clients are females who suck severely into the trouble of criminal after they get marriage or even pregnancy. However, the policies and the regulations of the two departments are distinctly different. Hence, the living condition and the further of women helped by the Probation Department and Alliance and the degree of the equality are different. “The conceptualization of the state and its relation to women, as presented in this ethnography, differs in important ways from prevailing macro-level feminist theories of the state.” (Haney 773) So, the departments of a state are the focus to solving the problems of gender equality. Last but not least, Anne Phillips puts emphasis on the argument that the right of the vote should be endowed to female to change the situation of the unbalanced social structure. The equality right of the vote could change the structure of the state top and down. It has a relationship with the issue of the job career and opportunities for female and the structure of family which changes the nuclear family style. Besides, the men-dominated state could be changed by this method. Undoubtedly, these feminists and their arguments both put the function and the power of the state on the significant role even thought analyzed from different aspects.

       My attention for this issue also lies in that the state is where the power to maintain the equality of gender is. However, the reflection of the power of the state could reveal from changing the family-style, encouraging female to receive education, ameliorating the welfare of fertility, endowing thoroughly equally right to vote, and establishing the position in the government which only employed female. The role of female in a family closely influences the progress of them made in the society. The duty of fertility of female decides others will replace them in the period of pregnancy. So, it means the great loss for them in the society. However, the degree of receiving education could change this situation. The further education they obtain, the later they will get marriage. The higher education they receive, the position in job career will be more stable. They will obtain more equality right in the society. Besides, some females have opportunities to receive a higher education, but others will be limited by the social discriminate and the economic condition of their families. Hence, the right to vote is separated and unbalanced naturally. The right of humanity should be pushed further and receive the voice of individuals in society. The approach of ameliorating the welfare of fertility can be reflected from change the wages structure of male. For example, the free time for them to take care of their family can be prolonged that will relieve the heavy burden of female. These approaches both need to be maintained and kept by the power of the state. 

       It is time to the end. The state is the collective apparatus which has the function of regulating and maintaining the baseline of the behaviors of individuals. Still, it is the state that has the responsibility to endow freedom to every citizen no matter races and gender. Apparently, gender equality is the basic freedom for female which includes the equal right to obtain jobs, to vote, and to share the right to support their families. “Fair representation is not something that can be achieved in one moment, nor is it something that can be guaranteed in advance.” (Phillips 190)The state has the ability and the power to achieve and maintain the gender equality.