Appreciating Her-story in history

Appreciating Her-story in history

Created in 1981, Women’s history month marks an important celebration of the contributions that women have made to history and society. By acknowledging women and their important role despite living in a widely male-centred culture, this celebration also pays tribute to the work that still needs to be done in order to achieve gender equality.

History largely takes a male-centred approach and often erases women’s achievements and discoveries as a consequence. Though much of history was created by men, there are many women who have made vital contributions to society. This is notable in science, for example, James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick are credited for the ground-breaking discovery of the double helix formation of DNA, despite having been discovered in 1951 by British Chemist, Rosalind Franklin. This idea is also evident in the arts, for example, when the 1960s artist Margaret Keane’s “Big Eyes” paintings were forcibly credited to her husband, Walter, using intimidation and emotional abuse. 

Further female erasure can be seen through the writer Mary Ann Evans, or as she is more commonly known, George Eliot. Other writers at a similar time also used male pseudonyms such as Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, who adopted the names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Through these examples, we can see that women and their identities throughout history have conformed to a society catered toward men.

In a world where only 12 countries including Belgium, Canada, France, and Iceland have full equal rights and lawful equality for women, it is difficult to measure whether these countries are socially equal. Are men in these countries sexualised in the same way that women are? Are women seen by the general male population in these countries as equal? Because women are not on equal footing to men, providing them with more to combat this inequality is essential and necessary, which is why Women’s History Month is so important. 

At an exhibition at the Great North Museum for International Women’s Day, I talked to some History students about women in Ancient Greece. They explained that in Ancient Athens, ‘otherness’ was defined as anything non-male and that femininity and the feminine body were seen as polluted. This included Childbirth, menstruation, and menopause. Therefore, in Ancient Greece, women were often buried with a small perfume bottle called an Alabastron. Women were often seen as vessels of Miasma, a medical theory that claimed diseases were caused by “bad air”. Hence, brides were therefore bathed in oils in order to cleanse them before marriage. 

This study into women in Ancient Greece is important, as it shows the origins of theories and practices that are still used today. In certain cultures, when women are menstruating, they are still unable to be touched by or be in the same room as men, as well as handle food. This is because menstruation is correlated with impurity, despite women’s association as objects of male desire, and their fertility being important in furthering the family’s lineage.

The exhibition that I attended at the museum also furthered my understanding of men's and women’s roles in Ancient Greece. Men in Ancient Greek art are often depicted as naked athletes and fighters, whereas women are often dressed more modestly, and portrayed as homemakers. Women also wore jewellery and cosmetics, which they kept in a lidded box called a pyxis. Greek jewellery enhanced the appearance of the wearer and was also an indication of social class, suggesting that women have been expected to cater for the male gaze for thousands of years. Such a view is perpetuated by the modern ideal of beauty where women wear makeup or seek to better their appearance in a world where physical standards of perfection are demanded.

It has been suggested that Women’s History Month merely promotes performance activism - the idea that businesses profit from being ‘woke’, or people heighten their social status by posting activism on Instagram rather than making any changes to their community. Yet despite such reservations, it is an important month that reminds us of society’s intention to move towards bettering the lives of women. This is through an understanding of the erasure and oppression that has occurred for thousands of years, and the acceptance that His-story is also Her-Story.