IBSU Silk Road Scientific Research Institute, 16th International Silk Road Conference

Muslim Women on Kutaisi Press Pages

Mariam Marjanishvili

Abstract


Initially, in ancient civilization, a woman was considered to be the head of the family and inheritance on the property extended through her line. Since the age of matriarchy was replaced by the advantages of men, women became obedient to the masculine force. Mens position was also supported by various religious denominations. The first awakening of women began in the late eighteenth century, prompted by the French evolution. Womens movement moved from Europe to America, where still another revolution brought a new slogan of human rights: "Freedom, Equality and Justice." Even in the early nineteenth century, women of the United States were still barred from getting education, while their brothers were provided with the best education by their families. Women were forbidden to speak up in public gatherings, and if such an incident occurred, the church and the community would criticise them for their unworthy behaviour. The feminist movement, which originated in America and Europe, spread on different continents of the world. Among them were Muslim women who were deprived of their rights, which was depicted in Kutaisi press in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Kutaisi-based newspapers "Voice of Truth", "Modern Country", "Our Country", "Kolkhida" told about the disenfranchisement of Muslim women and their struggle, thus raising the issue of the following three problems: 1. changing clothes; 2. arranging workshops which would employ women; 3. spreading education among women. So, along with Europeans and Americans, Muslim women also had a long struggle to fight for equality in the pursuit of national, personal, and social freedom. However, worldwide gender equality has not yet been finally achieved.