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Do you know about the history of the marathon? Its origin dates back to 490 BC when a Greek soldier ran about 40 km to Athens to announce the Greek victory in the Greco-Persian Wars. Afterwards, the marathon was adopted as an event starting with the first modern Olympics, the Athens Olympics.
There are two significant events in the history of the marathon. The first is the origin I just mentioned, and the second is a relatively recent event related to the photo shown below.
The person in this photo isthe first woman who changed the history of the marathonShe is! Today, I'm going to talk about such' women's first challenges' I'm going to talk about them.
In the past, women were in a lower social class than men. Regionally, whether in Asia or Western societies, women's rights had to be fought for even into modern times. That means women were a socially oppressed group, and in such an oppressed societyachieving something for the first time was not an easy challenge, and there is much we can learn from that challengeThat's also what it means.
Kathrine SwitzerIn April 1966, while working as a university newspaper reporter, she encountered a shocking incident. The incident she saw involved Roberta Gibb, who had entered the Boston Marathon. Roberta Gibb was denied entry to the Boston Marathon because she was a woman; she disguised herself as a man to enter secretly but was disqualified when it was discovered she was female. Kathrine was greatly shocked by this and decided to participate in the Boston Marathon herself.
At the time there was no formal rule banning women from participating in the marathon, but thenthe common belief that 'women have physically weaker bodies than men and therefore cannot run marathons' had become an almost established conventionIt was. To break this situation, Kathrine began training with the university cross-country team, and the coach, moved by her passion, accepted her as an official team member and helped her a lot.
Today was a race to celebrate the past 50 years, and the next 50 years will be better.
- April 17, 2017 — Katherine Switzer -
These two incidents shaped the marathon into what it is today. From our current perspective, Katherine Switzer's participation in the marathon may not seem extraordinary. Today, marathons are seen as challenging events that anyone with sufficient fitness can enter. But it's important to consider the historical context. At that time, the belief that 'men are physically stronger than women' was taken for granted, and it was considered unthinkable for women to take part in physically demanding sports like marathons.
Viewed now, such thinking is absurd. Just as some men can be physically weak and some women can be physically strong, physical fitness is not a matter of gender.
Yet because of the widespread belief at the time that 'women are physically weaker than men,' many people couldn't even imagine women taking part in marathons. But Katherine thought this belief was irrational, and to challenge it head-on she entered a marathon herself.She overturned what everyone took for granted and created a platformfor people to participate in the marathon together. The platform she created was not only about marathons butin this societya revolution that questioned the things women were automatically prevented from participating incould be called.
Always try to live thinking about what is right for each era.
- Yun Hee-sun -
Now that we've seen Katherine's story,our country's first femaleshall we talk about? When you think of female independence activists, who comes to mind? Most of you will probably only remember 'Yu Gwan-sun.' In fact, among the total 14,764 people currently recognized as Korean independence patriots, only 292 are women, which is just 1.97% (as of August 2017). This doesn't mean there were few female independence activists; the main reason is that most female activists worked behind the scenes, so there are no records of them.
Then, have you ever heard ofYun Hee-sun— have you heard the name? Yun Hee-sun wasour countrythe first female militia commanderand is said to have gathered village women and directly formed the 'An-saram' (Women's Militia). The militia Yun Hee-sun formed did not merely play a support role; it conducted military training and operated an ammunition manufacturing facility to supply ammunition to the militias, playing an important role in the independence movement.
Shall we look at the historical background of the era when Yun Hee-sun was active? During the Japanese colonial period when she was active, attitudes were gradually opening up, but it was still a time when it was considered natural for men and women to have different roles. Therefore, the independence movement was mainly led by men, and women usually performed behind-the-scenes tasks like distributing food or treating the wounded, which was taken for granted. In this context, Yun Hee-sun left this statement:
"Even if men and women are different, without the nation it's of no use."
She urged women to join the militia with this statement. Although there were opponents, her relatives first agreed to help because of her enthusiasm, and gradually those who had opposed her came to support and help after seeing her zeal.
The above remark may seem obvious in the context of the independence movement. The independence movement should pursue the single goal of independence, not allocate tasks based on gender. Of course, that's when viewed from the present perspective.
Given the historical context, such words are understandable intellectually, but emotionally people still thought, 'Huh..? Can women fight directly..?' so it was a very groundbreaking statement. At that time, women were educated to believe 'A good woman must serve her husband well,' and therefore women's participation in the independence movement was regarded as supporting their husbands who were fighting for independence as much as possible.
The actions of activist Yoon Hee-sunare ' the independence movement' as the single goal of 사회적인 시선, 편견을 깨고 직접 실천is meaningfulI think. Even despite pressure from the broader society.
Women are free and, from birth, possess rights equal to those of men.
- Olympe de Gouges -
Finally, the person I will introduce is French-bornOlympe de Gouges.the first female revolutionaryand is regarded as someone who laid the foundations of the 20th-century women's movementShe was born into an absolute monarchy in which about 1%—the clergy and nobility—held wealth and power at the expense of taxes paid by 99% of commoners and slaves. At that time, the spirit of the French Revolution was beginning to stir. The French Revolution arose from widespread dissatisfaction with the absolute monarchy, and citizens successfully completed the revolution while proclaiming the doctrine of natural rights.
But did you know? The French Revolution was not a revolution that represented all 99% of people. Article 1 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which declared natural rights of liberty and equality, included wording that 'allows social distinctions for the common good.' This allowance of distinctions targeted Black slaves and women. Isn't that strange? The declaration that humans are born with rights did not include women and slaves. They aimed to overthrow a class society, but within that they were creating new classes.
Here, Olympe de Gouges sought to represent the women who participated in the revolution. During this revolutionary period that sought to create a new society, she aimed to expand the scope from a society of 'male citizens' to 'all citizens.' She left behind this statement.
"Women have the right to mount the guillotine. Likewise, they must have the right to mount the podium."
She pointed out that at the time women's possible occupations were predetermined and that upon marriage they became dependent on their husbands' households. She called for opening up all the limited occupations to women and legalizing divorce. Olympe de Gouges believed that all citizens should be equal, and she represented the rights of female citizens and carried out various activities, but she was executed during Robespierre's Reign of Terror.
Olympe de Gouges also 'women's liberation'as a single goal, she was so passionate that she risked her life, and she argued that all citizens must be equalShe did. Of course, Olympe de Gouges had limitations. While her attempt to expand the scope of natural rights to 'citizens' was meaningful, she paid little attention to Black slaves.
Still, for all people in situations similar to her own She sacrificed herself while trying to change societyI think we should applaud the actions of Olympe de Gouges..!
Then, these The common traits of the 'first women'areWhat might they be?
(1) They questioned what had been taken for granted.
Viewed from today's perspective, these are rights that should obviously exist. That includes that both men and women should be able to participate in marathons, that the independence movement should have been pursued together by men and women without distinction toward a single goal, and that people should have equal rights as citizens regardless of gender.
However, at the time these things were done so naturally that no one thought to question them. That included the women whose rights had been taken away. Saying 'I can't even attempt a marathon because I'm a woman' was as unquestionable a truth as 'there is gravity on Earth.' If someone suddenly shouted now, 'There is no gravity on Earth. We're actually mistaken!' people would see them as strange. It's the same thing. Because these first women challenged what was taken for granted and voiced those challenges at the time, their actions feel all the more remarkable, I think.
The first step that led these remarkable people to change society was precisely "Why?"the questionIt is. Why don't you try asking 'Why?' about the things taken for granted around you?
(2) They focused on what they wanted.
Olympe de Gouges devoted her life to advancing women's rights, Yun Hee-sun led women's militia activities that everyone opposed and even regarded as strange, and Katherine Switzer completed a marathon despite many obstructions to prove that 'women are not physically weak.'
What is remarkable about them is that they all faced obstacles, whether direct or indirect.Despite the huge obstacle of social pressure, it was their single-minded eagerness for their goal that allowed them to accomplish all of this and to create the social atmosphere and culture we now take for granted. A great perseverance and effortI think so.
While researching the stories of the 'first women' this time, this thought suddenly occurred to me.
We started our twenties dreaming various dreams, but have you seen anyone around you still running toward those dreams now? Probably not many. Of course, through various experiences and study new dreams may arise, but most young people, faced with advice that begins the words of those around them or the social realities they hear from their surroundings clash with our aren't we abandoning many dreams?I think so. Their lives show that by taking action and challenging what no one thought possible, they ultimately achieved their own goals, which feels different.
That said, I'm not trying to say 'Run after your dreams.' Given that the current social reality is becoming increasingly cold and harsh, focusing only on one's own dream and running after it can be very risky. Still, personally I'd like to say this.
'Is the choice behind what I'm doing right now my own choice?'this concernI hope you ask yourself this question.
Even if it's not a job, dream, or goal—maybe you want to take a leave of absence, spend a gap year to have your own time, or try living a new life through various experiences—are you giving up everything and attending school without motivation because you've been told 'just graduate first'?
The reason the women I analyzed were able to go all-in on their goals is that theycompletelytheir own determinationperhaps because they acted on it.I think so. I mean, regardless of what obstacles there might be on that path. These are things and challenges we can also accomplish. Don't think of it as someone else's story. Perhaps social change can be brought about by just one person.
By Editor Meru
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