compare and contrast two articles, “under western eyes: Feminist, Scholarship and Colonial Discourses” by Chandra Mohanty and “right and lives” by Lila Abu-Lughod
This essay seeks to compare and contrast two articles, “under western eyes: Feminist, Scholarship and Colonial Discourses” by Chandra Mohanty and “right and lives” by Lila Abu-Lughod. Both articles factor in the issue of women’s rights in society and feminism. It will provide an in-depth discussion showing the similarities and differences between the articles.
Mohanty focuses on third world countries and how their women are perceived. She states that most educated women from the western world always place their African counterparts under one bracket. This is with blatant disregard to the diversification in the African continent and the sheer number of countries they all come from. Western scholars have this preconceived perception that African women are inferior, uneducated, and lazy. This kind of mindset is wrong and only marginalizes some bright minds from the continent. Her final thought is that this kind of marginalization by western scholars should get considered as colonialism.
Lila Abu-Lughod mainly focuses on Muslim women and the challenges they face. It touches on the fact that most Muslim women get often perceived by the world as subdued and lacking in free will. This image is magnified by the mass media, which depicts Muslim culture as oppressive and the injustices that these women face. The writer also admitted to having written articles in the past regarding the oppression of Muslim women without having studied them closely. She claims to have gotten a revelation since her one on one study of the culture. She urges people to actually take a closer look at the Muslim society before coming up with anecdotes about their oppression.
The first similarity noted in the articles is the discussion about the Muslim mode of clothing. Both writers equivocally state that the hijab should not be seen as an oppression tool bestowed upon by men. It should get taken as women openly expressing their desire to protect their modesty. This is putting into consideration that, in some instances, such as the Taliban’s, the cloth is used as an oppressive measure. However, Abu-Lughod backs her point by stating that Muslim women still choose to dress modestly even after removing their hijab indoors. This is a testament to the freedom of decency that they possess.
Oppression is another theme that is discussed in both articles. Abu-Lughod states that different Muslim countries have their own laws as to how women ought to be treated. Most Arab countries deny basic rights to their women, such as driving, working among many other forms of oppression. Mohanty focuses on African women and their perception of their western counterparts. She states that most African women are considered uneducated and subdued in favor of men.
The final concept is the generalization of women groups by the media and people in general. Mohanty illustrated how African women are all painted with the same brush due to their depiction of their western counterparts. She shows how they are down-graded and under-rated without even being given a glimmer of a chance. Abu-Lughod also proves the same point when she talks about the western media depiction of Muslim women. She claims that the entire world assumes that Muslim women are oppressed because of what they read and see daily.
The above three comparisons show the striking similarities of the writer’s mindset in regard to the issue of women’s rights and feminism. Both Mohanty and Abu-Lughod show their concerns for the generalization of both groups of women. They also appeal to the general media to get their facts straight before forming preconceived notions.