The term "feminist" is used today to refer to those who
seek to eliminate the subordination and marginalization of women. According to
Gerda Lerner, feminist consciousness is women's awareness that they belong to a
subordinate group…they have suffered wrongs…their state of subordination
is…socially determined; that they must join with other women to right these
wrongs... they must and can provide an alternative vision... in which both
women and men enjoy autonomy and self-determination. Ivy Singer also believes
that feminism is the awareness of women's oppression and exploitation in the
family and society, women's passion and action and men to change this situation
and uplift the lives of women.
A feminist perspective on historiography presents a particular
analytical method that focuses on patriarchy as its central problem. Historians
chose events to record and interpreted them to give them meaning and
significance. In the past, historians were men and their records celebrated the
deeds and achievements of men as a whole. They recorded history and claimed
universal significance for it. They deliberately omitted the actions and
achievements of women. In recent times, historical scholarship continues to
perceive women as "insignificant" and having "no historical
significance" in the making of history. So it can be said that past
records and interpretations of history are partial and biased against
women.
The Place of Women in History and a Feminist Perspective: One of
the main assumptions of current research is that past historical records and
interpretations, which have generally been written by men, need to be re-read
or rewritten if justice is to be done to women who have been victimized in a
patriarchal society. It is a well-known fact that the past historical records
and interpretations of mankind are only a partial record. Gerda Lerner said:
"She left half of humanity ...
. And the story is told only from the point of view of half-human
men, so it is distorted. History was seen exclusively as the history of people.
This approach to history is flawed because it only provides a distorted
interpretation of history. She wrote: "Women have history...Women are in
history".
As long as patriarchal mindsets and assumptions dominate our
interpretations, we will continue to read gender relations and the genders
prevailing in society. Overlooked areas and personalities should therefore be
taken into account in the contemporary study of history. For example, even
social transformation is often attributed as the work of men. The problem with
such an interpretation is that one component of social transformation is
completely ignored, and so the history remains partial. Feminist historiography
emerged in the light of such a partial history. The experiences of exclusion
faced by women have forced the attention of feminist critics of history.
The long silence of women paved the way for the female voice
today. Several feminist histories and literatures exist in India today.
However, feminist historiography in India at present has not yet found
sufficient space in the history of Christianity in India. However, the
contributions of secular historians such as Uma Chakravorty and Gauri
Vishwanathan on Pandita Ramabai and conversion movements in India incorporating
women into their writings are notable. In fact, the history of Christianity in
India will remain partial and distorted if women are not included in the scope
and scope of history. Although the task of writing a history of Christianity in
India from a feminist perspective seems difficult, it is viable. Gabriele
Dietrich believes that the overall process of reconstructing women's history
and the full development of women's creativity has only just begun. Feminist
Theory and Implications for Doing History in the Contemporary Context:
Contemporary historians must look at history and see how history should be
done. Below are some examples: Dialogue: The whole issue of dialogue is a key
area where contemporary historians need to take women's self-esteem seriously.
The kind of history that says "the past is the past, people
took control of it" and do nothing about it is a harmful attitude. A
dialogic relationship with the past is essential. Context: To make history more
meaningful and relevant, when one writes history, context must be taken
seriously in historical writings because all history is a product of a
particular context. Women and their roles cannot be pushed aside because they
are very much part of the context. In the past, context was not taken
seriously, so many histories were partial. However, contemporary feminist historians
challenge us to go back and reread history and take context seriously. Asking
questions: One must ask questions. For example, what would the history of
India's independence struggle have been like if it had been written by women?
What roles did women missionaries play in India?
It is clear that women missionaries played a key role in the
development of modern Protestant Christianity in India. However, we find that
they are often not emphasized because missionary work was usually the work of
their husbands and only what the men did was important. Feminists challenge
this kind of understanding. Rereading History: History is often modified to
suit the tastes or tastes of the dominant or privileged class. In the case of
India, it was dominated by the upper class or the privileged class. They
asserted their dominance and tried to assert their particular culture as the
culture of the people. As a result, most past histories written by the dominant
or privileged class came to be generally accepted as the "history" of
the whole people. It is here that a re-reading of the so-called history of the
past is inevitable. Reading history from a female perspective: Biologically,
human beings are born male and female. But "masculinity" and
"femininity" are given by society. Even in the current context,
social norms are still derived from patriarchal values.
Most of the victims of this system are women. This situation made
women mere sexual commodities of society, catering to men's desires. Because
the church maintains the status-quo, there are several changes in the church in
favor of women, such as the ordination of women and others. However, women are
still deprived of decision-making in forums and other important
responsibilities. In other words, the rigid patriarchal system deforms the
personality of women and subordinates them to men. Thus, the urgent need of the
hour is to reaffirm the personhood of women from feminist perspectives. A
re-reading of the Bible from the perspective of women is also essential.
Empowering women by providing them with a vision where both women and men are
treated equally and accepted with an understanding of coexistence should be the
mission of Christ.
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