Duties and Rights

The feminist movement has championed increased rights for women for many decades, ever championing the slogan of "equal rights". Many of the reforms brought about through these efforts are laudable and important for the strength of our society. The ability of women to vote brings important and needed perspectives into the political arena.

However, during this period of change a dichotomy was missed. The feminists sought to make rights equal, but they failed to recognize the fact that there were duties associated with those rights.

In the past, and even to some extent today, men and women played very different roles within the family and society as a whole. Because of those different roles men and women had different sets of obligations both legally and socially. For example, in England during the 1800's women who were married were covered by something called coveture. The idea was that women were one with their husbands and part of that oneness meant that they were limited in their ability to make money and what money they did make was the husbands property to do with as he wanted. Obviously this is a large restriction and lends itself to abuse by less than honorable husbands. It was subsequently ended giving women freedom over their assets. However, the missing part of this is that husbands, in conjunction with that privilege had a duty, an obligation. They were legally bound to take care of their wives and children financially while the wives were not under any such obligation. So while it was certainly not an example of equal rights, the men had the privilege at least in part due to their need to comply with the legal obligation. Something that broke when women received the freedom to make and spend was that men were still responsible for the taxes on their wives income while the wife was still not required to contribute to the upkeep of the family or even of herself. This issue carries on today in requirements of men to provide alimony and child support to women after a divorce even if the wife was the one initiating it.

Going back to women getting the vote, they did not, despite getting the right to vote, take upon themselves the duty of military conscription which was traditionally associated with voting. That is still something that today remains as a tilted right/duty. Men are required to sign up with the selective service in order to be on call for drafting if needed while women are not. This despite the recent opening of combat positions to women.

One final example takes us to China. In China sons are legally obligated to provide for their aging parents. If they do not provide like the parents think they should the parents can sue to son for the money. Girls are not under any such requirement legally or culturally either. So even if a daughter has a job and makes good money there is no expectation that she help her parents out. For parents this provides a stark decision when they are starting a family. Do they abort or abandon or in some cases murder their female babies in order to wait until they have a son as their legally required one child in order to provide for their own old age? Or do they accept the girl and hope they can save enough to live after they get too old? It is a terrible choice and one that has significantly contributed to a distinctly biased gender proportion in China.

Rights and duties go hand in hand. Rights are often given in order to equip the receiver to deliver on the responsibilities thrust on them. By giving rights to those who have no corresponding duties it can lead to imbalance and very messed up oppression going the other way. So if you want equality fight for equal duties as well. Don't just pick all the fun stuff.