Question

The book introduced us to women who were lawyers and doctors and also activists. It showed us that women could do important jobs yet still keep their culture and traditions. What is the main message conveyed by this passage?

1) Women can pursue important careers while maintaining their cultural identity.
2) Women should prioritize their cultural traditions over their careers.
3) Women are not capable of balancing their careers and cultural traditions.
4) Women should only pursue careers in fields like law and medicine.

Answer 1

The passage conveys that women have the ability to balance successful careers and their cultural traditions, rejecting traditional gender roles while acknowledging past and present struggles for gender equality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main message conveyed by the passage is that women can pursue important careers while maintaining their cultural identity. This challenges deep-rooted gender stereotypes and reflects the broader struggle between traditional and modern societal standards. While historical context shows that women have been expected to serve primarily as homemakers, the emergence of the women's movement paved the way for them to participate actively in the workforce and higher education, breaking the mold of these conventional roles. Despite the progress, women still faced inequality, such as receiving lower wages than men for the same work and being encouraged to stay within 'women's jobs'. Nevertheless, activists endeavored to underscore the dignity of all workers and the reality that many women needed to work because of personal or economic reasons, thereby helping to slowly change societal expectations and standards.