Women's place in the global city has come about primarily because of the reproductive role of women, which is seen as more than just reproducing the species but also the reproduction of the culture - styles of dress, behaviors, relations between adults and children, family cooking styles, domestic labor roles, play, etc. (Isin 175). People refer to their homeland as "Mother Russia," "Mother Ireland." and even the whole planet is referred to as "Mother Earth." "The fertility of "Mother Earth' has no doubt contributed to the association between collective territory, collective identity, and woman" (Isin 175). Men go to war for the sake of the women and children.
Women are the keepers of the family honor - many women in Palestine are killed by male relatives if their behavior brings shame on the family (Isin 176). In many countries, women can be severely punished or killed for similar misdeeds. Systematic rape during wartime emphasizes this fact, and is done to shame the enemy. Even the Geneva Convention would not consider rape a war crime until the feminist campaign of 1994. The emancipation of women has been the major thrust of most modernist and anti-modernist struggles. Male causes often consider potency and masculinity to be synonymous, and thus legitimize placing women in a secondary role.
"In cities throughout the world, women are invoking the language of rights and citizenship in making a multiplicity of collective claims on the city for the fulfilment of basic needs, space and inclusion" (Isin 187). Poor, marginalized women may be making claims for survival assistance, while those in better socio-economic positions are able to focus on the pursuit of democratic rights. Women from diverse ethnic backgrounds are exploring opportunities they were not aware of in their own cultures before becoming part of the global city. The International Women's Rights Movement has spread through Latin America, Asia, and Af...