Essay #3

Atwood Forewarned
Gender discrimination is a common topic in many societies. Until recently, women in the United States of America faced severe discrimination and it is arguable that they currently do in the workplace. Even though our grandmothers fought for us to have equal rights as men, many women throughout the world do not experience such luxury. In some countries, the roles of women are strictly defined by religious laws. In Saudi Arabia, women live under scrutiny similar to that described in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Disgusted and intrigued by the idea that such prejudice still plagued our earth, I decided to look a little deeper.
The Handmaid’s Tale is a feminist, dystopian novel portraying the not so distant future of the USA. It starts with a staged terrorist attack that leaves most women sterile. Using the country’s panic, a group called “The Sons of Jacob” quickly takes over and forms the Republic of Gilead. Now run by a religious, militarized dictatorship, women and “Undesirables” are stripped of their rights and forced into modern slavery and citizens are sorted into new classes. Non-persons, or person’s who are stripped of their social and legal rights are sent to the Colonies to clean of radioactive waste where they quickly die.
Even among women there are new classes formed. Women are separated by race, their fertility, and what kind of labor they perform. Women are considered inferior to men in all ways. Girls are not educated and women are not allowed to read. If a woman held any position of authority, power, or fame before the Republic of Gilead, they have since been stripped of it and receive no public recognition. A person’s status is represented by the color they wear, both male and female. The story follows Offred, one of the many mistresses called “Handmaids” whom serve the ruling class in order to bear children. They are selected by a couple in the Ruling Class for the sole purpose of bearing children. This is all justified by a line from their Bible reading,
Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear fruit upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. (Atwood 88)
Once they have given the couple a child, they are sent back to The Red Center until they are chosen by a new couple. The Wife has the authority to send Handmaids away, or even to banish them to The Colonies if they please.
Women have no sexual rights. The act of sex is seen as degrading and humiliating for women. They are not allowed to have a relationship with a man. They, along with all other women, are not allowed to have sex with a man outside of The Ceremony. The Ceremony is the sexual act performed solely for the purpose of reproduction and involves the Handmaid lying prone on top of the Wife, while the husband has sex with the Handmaid. They are not allowed to pleasure themselves. If they are raped, it is their own fault for seducing the man. In one scene, a girl comes forward that she was raped and all the other handmaids gather around chanting “Her fault, her fault, her fault” because they have been brainwashed to believe as much (Atwood 72). If they are caught or suspected of committing any of these crimes, they are hung.
In Saudi Arabia, the regulation of women’s rights are even more stringent than those depicted in The Handmaid’s Tale. In Saudi Arabia, gender roles are regimented by the Islamic Law. Women are second class citizens; lower even then their infant sons. Men and women are segregated. A woman must enter a bus from the rear entrance (Lantos). Women are required to have a male guardian whom they must receive permission from in order to perform many daily tasks such as opening a bank account, getting a job, traveling, or seeking medical treatment (Al-Mohamed/Saudi). Women are not allowed to drive motorized vehicles and can be prosecuted if caught riding in a vehicle with a man that is not a male relative or employee. Women cannot vote, nor can they be put in a place of high political power (Al-Mohamed). They have no legal standing compared to their male counterparts. This means that if they request a divorce of custody of their children, they are not likely to win unless the husband wishes the same. Conflict with their male guardian can be detrimental to their health and well being, as the guardian has the right to refuse medical treatment for the woman as well as other rights (Lantos/Saudi).
Women’s rights are based on Islamic law which is collectively based on the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammed. Women are required to be fully clothed, with the exception of the eyes and their hands, at all times when in the presence of males other than family. If they disobey these laws publically, they may have stones thrown at them, be harassed, spit on, or even beaten with sticks by the religious authorities known as the Mutawwi'in (Women’s). In public places, strict gender segregation is enforced. Women must either attend events during “women’s hours” or occupy a separate room. These rules are even enforced at weddings and funerals (Murphy).
The similarities between the rights of women in Saudi Arabia and those of the women in The Handmaid’s Tale were shocking. One main difference that I came across was the lack of a catastrophic event in Saudi Arabia’s recent history that propelled them into such tyranny. One thing I did come across often though, was that women were taught, and believe, that without their “Guardian”, they will be raped and tortured. This fear is partially true. If a woman is seen without an escort and is not in the regimented dress, she may be stopped by the religious police, harassed, tortured, and put through virginity inspections also known as rape. In addition, the authorities do nothing to combat sex related violence because they believe that it is the woman’s fault for seducing a man. Therefore, serial rapists and even first offenders go free and are never pursued. I believe that it is through this fear that the government maintains authority and control over women; keeping them from uprising. This same fear is used in The Handmaid’s Tale. For example, The Handmaids are afraid that if they do not get pregnant, their Wife will send them to the colonies. Or, if they pleasure themselves, they may have their hand beaten until it is useless or even cut off.
So why do we, and all other nations sit back and allow such severe discrimination to go on? It is complicated. We can invade any county just because we don’t like how they are doing things. Even though both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have filed extensive report on the abuse going on in Saudi Arabia, we still do nothing about it. Why? Because the situation involves much “culture sensitivity” (Handrahan). We don’t want to offend anyone, we also do not want to start unnecessary wars. It is like all the stories you read about someone getting beat up or raped in public, but no one comes to help because they don’t want to get involved. This is getting off topic, but I do believe that everyone should decide for themselves the ethical logistics of not helping out a person, or group of people that are in need.
As I researched women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, I came across country after country and religion after religion crammed with gender discrimination. From Mormons to Buddhists to Muslims, Indonesia to Afghanistan to Paraguay they all encompass sexist laws. While we won equal rights in the United States less than a century ago, others still struggle to gain even basic rights; ones that we never had to fight for. I believe that it is important for women and men to be aware of sex related violence and more importantly, everyone should be aware that we are privileged to have equal rights.




















Works Cited

Al-Mohamed, Asmaa. "Saudi Women's Rights: Stuck at a Red Light." Journalist and Women’s Rights Activist. Al Arabiya. Web. 22 July 2010. .
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Print.
Handrahan, L. N. "Gender Apartheid and Cultural Absolution: Saudi Arabia and the International Criminal Court." ProQuest. Human Rights Tribune, 31 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 July 2010. .
Lantos, Tom. "Discrimination Against Women and the Roots of Global Terrorism - Human Rights Magazine, Summer 2002." American Bar Association - Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice. Web. 21 July 2010. .
Murphy, Caryle. "Cleric's Support for Men and Women Mingling in Public Sparks Furor in Saudi Arabia -CSMonitor.com." The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com. 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 July 2010. .
"Saudi Arabia: Women’s Rights Promises Broken | Human Rights Watch." Home | Human Rights Watch. Web. 23 July 2010. .
"Women's Action 2.1." Equality Now. Oct. 1992. Web. 23 July 2010. .