The New Feminism and the Cultural Promotion of Women as Mothers–Workers

Abstract

The article deals with the status of women as mothers–workers in the business world. In the first section the author elaborates the present position of women and their problems as employees in the world of commerce. In the second section, from the perspective of  today’s position of women in the business world, the author portrays women as a challenge for the whole of society — challenge in the sense of there being a need for joint action by the government, employers, workers unions, associations of experts to make a concerted effort to eliminate actual discrimination of women on the labour market. In the third section the author demonstrates the Catholic principles of solidarity and subsidiarity as a possible appropriate aid in the creation of a new society, »a society that serves«, as opposed to the functional society which is a by–product of the industrial revolution in which profit takes precedence over the person. Finally, in the fourth section, the author suggests  a cultural promotion of the woman–worker through the »new feminism« advocated by John Paul II. The author concludes through the analytical–synthetic method that a »new feminism« and cultural promotion of women is crucial, for equality between men and women did not eliminate actual discrimination of women. This points to the fact that discrimination of women in the business world is not just a legal and economic issue but also a cultural issue which requires a change in mentality and attitude towards women or rather their natural capabilities. Therefore one of the tasks of the new feminism would be to create a two– toned culture in which women and men stand as equal partners who, in their sameness but also diversity, live in a mutual relationship which is a gift that enriches and at the same time demands responsibility.