How did the invention of the pill change the social status of women?

Historically, women have had a lower social status than men, but the invention of the birth control pill has improved women’s rights.

 

Historically, women have had less social power than men, and their rights have been less than those of men. However, as industrialization progressed and women began to fill the shortage of young men in the labor force during the two world wars, their social importance began to rise. However, their rights were still very limited compared to men. In the 20th century, the invention of the birth control pill greatly improved the status of women. Margaret Sanger argued that “contraception, leading to freedom of sexuality and birth control, is essential to women’s liberation and human development,” and Oxford professor Colin Blackmore explained that “the pill changed human history by transforming the traditional family structure and elevating the status of women.” The pill empowered women to make decisions about pregnancy and childbirth, allowing them to pursue their ambitions. Once the shackles of childbirth were lifted, women’s participation in society increased and their social status improved.
To understand the status of women in Korea, consider the social climate during the Joseon Dynasty. The Joseon Dynasty was a male-dominated, patriarchal society influenced by Confucianism. Even within the family system, women’s status was heavily restricted by Confucian cultural values, which relegated women to a lower position than men and limited their activities to the home. In this way, women served men and fulfilled their roles as daughters, wives, and mothers who were dependent on their husbands, and were considered “good sellers.” However, after Korea’s liberation, rapid industrialization and urbanization in Korean society led to changes in family structure and values, and the position of Korean women has changed. Today’s women are trying to fulfill the roles required by the changing society at the same time, but they are still not recognized by society as equal to men. Due to the persistence of patriarchy, the social status of women in South Korea is lower than in other countries.
One of the most obvious examples of this disparity is premarital chastity. First of all, when we hear the word “premarital chastity,” we usually think of women’s premarital chastity, not men’s. The term itself contains a certain amount of gender discrimination. In South Korea, which was influenced by Confucianism during the Joseon Dynasty, the obsession with premarital chastity is stronger than in other countries. Even before the Joseon Dynasty, there was a strong social perception that women should be chaste, or circumcised, and this was influenced by the cult of female purity that reached its peak during the Joseon Dynasty.
However, unlike the Joseon Dynasty or even just a few years ago, the world has changed. With the influx of open sexual values and the improvement of women’s economic and social status, women are no longer subordinate to men. Many women now have social power that surpasses that of men, and many women choose to live alone without a man. Also, thanks to the pill and other contraceptive tools, women no longer have to fear getting pregnant after having sex with a man. In the past, the burden of pregnancy after sex made them dependent on men, but now women are more free to maintain their own social lives and enjoy the pleasure of sex in equal relationships with men. As the status of women has improved due to these changes, the number of people who insist on premarital chastity has decreased.
This is not to say that people who value premarital chastity are foolish. We can’t ignore religious beliefs or personal convictions. Nor is it fair to label those who oppose the practice as sexualized and promiscuous. In the modern world, as personal freedom has been emphasized and gender equality has become more of a personal choice than an obligation. Women now have more control over their sexuality. In modern societies with greater sexual freedom, promiscuous sex and the resulting destruction of families, as well as ethical issues such as abortion, are condemned. However, as women’s status improves and their sexual freedom increases, it is up to them to use it wisely.